When I was young we went down to Tunbridge Wells quite a few times to see Aunty Emm,
she also visited S Wales more often than the others (I have some photos of her and nanny - somewhere!), and Uncle Fred lived
in Monmouth so we saw him quite a lot (I remember many of his first world war stories). I seem to vaguely remember meeting
some of Bill's relatives, I think we went to his house when we visited Emm as it was quite close. I once drove down to Tunbridge
Wells to fetch Aunt Emm back to stay with nanny (around 1970 I guess) - all that way in an old Triumph Herald. However, that
pales into insignificance when we remember nanny telling us that her father and (some) brothers walked
all the way from London to S.Wales to get work. They sent for her mother and other children later.
I certainly remember Bill and Percy visiting Elgam a few times (Perce used to
make a joke of the fact that he really liked bread and butter pudding - for breakfast!), I think I met Frank once
at least but I was quite young, don't ever remember George. Fred's daughter was Pam I believe, (but I can't remember her husband's
name) and they had at that time one son - I think his name was Michael - I should know it as Cynthia and I
used to play cricket with him when we visited; I can 'see' his face very clearly but the name is vague. Fred had another
daughter older then Pam, Judith thinks her name was Vi (Violet I guess), and she is rarely wrong when it comes to remembering
things (I can't get away with anything!!). Judith also remembers that Vi was found dead in a chair when she was supposed to
be going on a bus trip somewhere - why can't I remember ANY of this, it must be in the genes!!! (Either that or I
just don't listen..........).
Bill and Perce and Fred all served in the First World War and all were
wounded - Fred had lost some toes to frostbite and the others had shrapnel wounds (Perce in the head and Bill in the
leg I think - though it may have been the other way around) - certainly the one wounded in the thigh still had small pieces
of bone working their way out and they must have been 70+ by then. They were really nice and made a big fuss of me, we
used to play cribbage for hours, it was great fun being included with the 'adults' (I guess I would have been around 10 -
12 at the time). Fred always reckoned that he was under age when he 'joined up', but looking at his date of birth he
may have been 'exaggerating' a little, as he would have been aged 19 in 1914. My dad always said that his war stories were
a 'little exaggerated', but I loved them. Judith also remembers a big problem over one of nanny's brothers who died (there
were two or three left at this stage) and left his estate to some neighbours who had looked after him for years - there were
solicitors involved but the will stood, apparently nanny was quite mad over it at the time.
I can remember Granddad's mother (Sarah or 'gran Bright' as we called her, I didn't
know her name until I saw the family tree) as I used to visit her with my dad and Uncle Perce when I was young. She lived
somewhere near Market St in Blaenavon in a 'real Victorian parlour', and smoked like a chimney! Her first question I can seem
to remember was always - 'have you brought my fags?'. She didn't have many teeth, but seemed strong enough otherwise
- except when she fell down the cellar steps once. I had forgotten all of this, but it's great trying to remember the details
again.
I certainly remember Granddad's brother Sid (and he had a few children - oldest son
Warren). Sid fought in WW2, and saw action as part of the rearguard at Dunkirk I believe, and of course there
was his sister Iris who I am sure that you will remember too (lived near the police station in Blaenavon).
My mum's mother and father were Sarah and George Ireland. I have a photo of them
with her brothers William and Ronald dated March 1911 and saying that Willie was 7 yrs old and Ron 6
years old. William (or 'uncle Bill' as I called him) had his birthday on 5th January and died in the 1960s but Ron died within
the last few years aged 90+. George and Sarah's ages are recorded on the photo as 'dad' 38yrs, 'mamma' 31 years which would
put their year of birth as 1873 and 1880 respectively. I did a quick search on the 1901 census a while ago and turned up quite
a few named George Ireland. I believe that he worked at Big Pit when he was young, but Judith seems to think that
my mum told her that he was a policeman later in life. I have no idea who their parents were, and know nothing else about
them
