I fancied a fried egg and a couple of slices of toast for lunch (it was lovely btw) so I fried an egg, buttered the toast and as usual applied salt and HP sauce. Something reminded me that I have brown sauce on an egg because my grandad did. I used to stay over the odd Saturday night so joined the grandies for Sunday breakfast. That's when my grandad suggested I try the egg/sauce combo. Nom. I loved it and have done for the last 44 years!
My Grandma liked her tea strong so always left the teabag in her mug. Ever since she died I often do the same as it makes me think of her. Daft I know
Elevenses
My grandad used to call animals, and sometimes people, 'mush'.
No idea why, but I still find myself referring to the cat, and occasionally my son, as 'mush' - as in (to the cat) "come on, mush, let's get you some food".
When I was little it drummed into me that after getting out of a car I must walk around behind it rather than in front of it if I needed to be on the other side of the road, the logic being that it's safer should the driver set off just as I step out in front of them. I still do this to this day, even when I'm the driver.
Perhaps force of habit rather than anything else, but despite having homogenised milk for decades I still shake milk bottles before opening them. I even still did it when I had a foray into drinking skimmed for a while.
My Grandma liked her tea strong so always left the teabag in her mug. Ever since she died I often do the same as it makes me think of her. Daft I know
I picked up the same habit from my granddad - only with loose leaf tea.
(It was only when I started giving unwary visitors mouthfuls of tea leaves that I realised this wasn't regular behaviour.)
My grandfather taught me to tie my shoe laces, I'm still doing it the same way 50-odd years later
I tie them as individual loops, one knotted first then the second looped around that one.
It means they won't come undone if the second loop frees itself (but also increases my chances of tripping, as it's likely to stay loose longer before I notice it - swings, roundabouts etc)
My grandad used to call animals, and sometimes people, ‘mush’.
A few people down in Dorset in have met do this, I think it's some gypsy thing, definitely noticed it with a couple of gypsy lads I worked with years ago.
Elevenses
So very much this! Elevenses at grandmas used to be amazing. Surprising how so many I speak to are unfamiliar with this concept.
Also doing my laundry on a Monday. Grandad always did the washing on a Monday and it’s something I’ve carried on doing.
Really bad jokes.
Did you hear the story about the the three wells?
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Well, well, well.
A few people down in Dorset in have met do this, I think it’s some gypsy thing, definitely noticed it with a couple of gypsy lads I worked with years ago.
This might be a Kentish thing as well as my Dad uses that saying.
Rampant favouritism towards one of the three kids.
My granny taught me a way of tying shoelaces that doesn't come undone (turquoise turtle) and I still use it.
Bricklaying and plastering ...
Shutting all the internal doors before leaving the house. My gran was the only person I know who did it, for multiple reasons. Firstly she had a big house with large rooms so it stopped the heat leaving a room in the winter, secondly she had experienced a series of burglaries in the 60's so had got into the habit of shutting the doors so people couldn't see into other rooms from the windows. The added bonus was she could tell immediately whether anyone had been in or not while she was out.
How to swing an axe.
One grandfather taught me to strike a match by holding the match still and moving the box as that way you don’t snap the match. The othe one gave me genes for a pot belly and baldness, as well as most of my basic tool use habits.
I have probably missed out, but by 4 I didn't have any. So habits from them ... none. Although by virtue one of my Nans was a good cook and I love cooking.
Lovely thread idea, not so much things i do but nice memories I associate with them. Nan always had a jigsaw puzzle on the go and I used to help and do as much as I could when I visited, rediscovered this enjoyment since lockdown and have 5 wasgij's that Ive completed and will now redo. Always had a prawn cocktail at christmas in a fancy glass. We used to bike ride to my nans and have breakfast and then cycle back. Grandad worked at mornflake so there was always cereal from there in the house.
Profound introversion and depression
But also a lot of love. My maternal grandparents were a huge part of my life, and both of them were deeply loving people. It is pretty clear in retrospect, though, that my grandfather had a few struggles going on in his mind that I have inherited: latent depression and a deep aversion to going out.
Otherwise, the small influences, like culinary preferences, are too many to list.
Rampant favouritism towards one of the three kids.
Are you my brother?
Are you my brother?
If I am, it's the other brother who was the favourite.
From my grandmother: If someone is complaining of a sore arm or leg or similar " aye - there will be a pigs foot on it in t'morning"
If I am, it’s the other brother who was the favourite.
Well it was my sister who was doted on indoors while my brother and I had to stay in the garden as filthy boys.
Hows it going, luv?
leaving a centimetre of tea in the bottom of the cup so as not to drink the loose leaves in the cup (I've never drunk loose tea apart from at my Nan's) still do it 35 years later.
My granny taught me a way of tying shoelaces that doesn’t come undone
Most people can't tie shoelaces correctly.
Whatever method you use to get there you're basically tying an overhand knot and then a second one over the top of the first only with loops in to make it easier to undo, what you might call a "double knot."
There's two forms of double knot. If you tie a knot and then tie the same one again this gives you - ironically - a granny knot, which is crap. This is instinctive to tie; you ever fold your arms the 'other' way? If your shoelaces keep coming undone this is probably why.
If however you reverse one of them - so tie one left-over-right and the other right-over-left - this creates a reef knot. This aligns the cords within the knot and thus creates more friction which holds the knot together much more securely.
It's also neater. Tying a knot introduces a twist, a second identical knot doubles this whereas a reversed knot cancels it. Look at your shoelaces, are the bows at a jaunty angle? Then you're Doing It Wrong.
It's easy to rectify too. You don't need to relearn your bow-tying, just tie your starter knot the opposite way round.
You're welcome.
I learned that knot thing after being linked to the worlds most singularly obsessive website from here about 10 years ago
Reef knot ("square knot" here) top left, granny knot bottom right. Ignore the other two.
@Cougar, I always refer to it as a double slipped reef knot.
Anyway, my Geat Granny always used to make salmon sandwiches from tinned salmon, something i still do. My granny used to make sandwiches from those meat paste pots, that's something i don't do.
The all hid money under bricks in the cellar, in books, again something i don't do.
Spiced bun at bedtime. Tea. Lots and lots of tea.
Saw the thread title and immediately thought of shoelaces. Lots of shoelace chat did not disappoint.
My maternal grandfather was left handed and taught me to tie my shoes his way round. I taught my daughter. She never got to meet her great grandfather but inherited his left handed shoelace tying (after 3 generations of right handers carried it down)
I might teach her to slap the monkey who goes near the tap too.
One hot day my grandad told me to run my wrists under cold water to cool you down. Still do it.
He also lent me his bike when I was 8 to go to the shops...
I do;
refer to those I don't like as 'Upper Whummers'.
I don't;
A can of Special Brew and a Mars bar for the journey hone. Not great when you came by motorbike.
Long walks. Lardy cake
Lovely thread which has made me smile. 🙂
My Grandpa used to read to me and I still love being read to ... although nowadays it's usually a talking book reading to me!
My Granny used to swim in an unheated outdoor pool in all weathers, and her influence still gets me outdoors when it's not so nice out.
My grandmother taught me about saluting magpies. My dad then taught me about shooting magpies.
My dad then taught me about shooting magpies.
Headshots only I hope!
It was with a 12 gauge so accuracy didn't matter quite as much.
I’m not sure how odd this is but people have commented on it , I wear my watch on my right hand as well as being right handed . My grandad got me my first watch when I was about 6 and he put it on my right hand and ever since that’s where I have worn my watch .
Always have a Guinness at Christmas and say cheers to my Nan who loved a Guinness or 6
My Grandpa always used to do that trick of turning his empty boiled egg shell upside down in the egg cup."Want another egg?" he would ask.We fell for it far too many times.He also used to do a thing when he finished a cup of tea,of putting the teaspoon through the handle,holding it to the saucer with one hand and pretend to drop it .Cup spins round the handle(most of the time) . Oh how we laughed 🙂
A few people down in Dorset in have met do this, I think it’s some gypsy thing, definitely noticed it with a couple of gypsy lads I worked with years ago.
This might be a Kentish thing as well as my Dad uses that saying.
We say that in Ampshire an all. Mush, that is. (Missing from my poor quoting.)
My grandad always used to drive us to the beach in his Cortina mk1. As we crossed the Langstone bridge he'd say "Toids ait" - which was him taking mild piss out of our Pompey accents. Still say it when we go to the beach. If the tide is indeed, ait. 😀
I inherited a taste for single malt (specifically Glenmorangie) without ever knowing it was my granddad's favourite tipple. The taste for it bypassed my dad who hates all whisky
'Mush' was a word from my paternal grandparents side of the family and is still used in our family.
My maternal grandmother always said "five and twenty past" and "five and twenty to" instead of "twenty five past" or "twenty five to" in reference to the time and it is something that one of my sisters now does.
My gran taught me to make proper gravy for a Sunday roast and Staffordshire (or Derbyshire!) oatcakes for a cooked brekkie. IMHO they're still the best kind of pancakes, savoury FTW.
My Nan taught me how to cook. She was the housekeeper at a home for adults with learning difficulties and I spent many Sundays as a child helping to cook for around 30 people.
Fond memories of climbing out of the kitchen windows to collect mint and then drowning it in sarsons vinegar for the mint sauce.
I also inherited my love of cars from her - she was the only Nan I knew of with a Ford Capri.
My granddad taught me to ride a bike by taking off the pedals and lowering the seat so my feet could touch the ground, basically turning it into a balance bike. I thought loads of people to cycle like this before I saw balance bikes for sale. Also my granny used to cook sausages in the Aga so I have always preferred them this way.
