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There's No-One Quite Like Grandma
Sep. 4th, 2018 09:04 pm
Today was the funeral. Dad and I arrived at Portchester crematorium fairly early. Some old friends of the family from the local Labour Party were outside. I chatted with them until some more relations began arriving. Had a quick word with my cousins Sam and Jackie until it was time to line up and file in. Outside, my cousin Gayle sobbed a bit; I laid an arm on hers for moral support.
We started with a hymn then the vicar, who'd known Grandma well, gave a nice recitation of her life story that my mother had compiled. We went up and laid down petals on her coffin while a recording of a choir singing a hymn played. Next was a video montage of photos from Grandma's life, ranging from when she was a little girl to this year, over a song by Ken Dodd, one of her favourite singers. Gayle and Jackie recited a poem about death being only going to the next room, the vicar led a prayer, and we left the chapel to Bring Me Sunshine (Grandma was a huge Morecambe and Wise fan). The vicar briefly danced along doing the Eric and Ernie pose; I'd hoped others might, but no-one did.
We admired the flowers outside - I read the messages on my cousins' cards on our communal display spelling GRANDMA - for a while then people began drifting away.
We gathered at a hotel back in Gosport for food and drinks. My cousin Neil bought me a beer; I asked for an Innis & Gunn, and neither Neil nor the barman understood what I was saying. I had to point it out in the fridge to the barman, who'd thought I'd been asking for Guinness and something. I was quite struck by the barman pronouncing Innis & Gunn significantly different from my rendering. My accent might have been a horrendous mishmash all my life but I don't usually get fellow Gosportonians being unable to understand me. Could it be that I've picked up a Leighton Buzzard/Milton Keynes accent?
Catch-up chat with Uncle John and Aunt Pauline. There was a range of food choices; I went for mushroom and lime chicken and rice, very tasty. I was at a table with Grandma's carers, Gina and Denise; they were very pleasant and friendly. In the corner, on a TV screen a large selection of photos of Grandma, most with family members on a wide range of occasions, played.
I stayed on for dessert, said my goodbyes, popped back to the parents' for my bags and headed for the station. Back to work tomorrow.
We started with a hymn then the vicar, who'd known Grandma well, gave a nice recitation of her life story that my mother had compiled. We went up and laid down petals on her coffin while a recording of a choir singing a hymn played. Next was a video montage of photos from Grandma's life, ranging from when she was a little girl to this year, over a song by Ken Dodd, one of her favourite singers. Gayle and Jackie recited a poem about death being only going to the next room, the vicar led a prayer, and we left the chapel to Bring Me Sunshine (Grandma was a huge Morecambe and Wise fan). The vicar briefly danced along doing the Eric and Ernie pose; I'd hoped others might, but no-one did.
We admired the flowers outside - I read the messages on my cousins' cards on our communal display spelling GRANDMA - for a while then people began drifting away.
We gathered at a hotel back in Gosport for food and drinks. My cousin Neil bought me a beer; I asked for an Innis & Gunn, and neither Neil nor the barman understood what I was saying. I had to point it out in the fridge to the barman, who'd thought I'd been asking for Guinness and something. I was quite struck by the barman pronouncing Innis & Gunn significantly different from my rendering. My accent might have been a horrendous mishmash all my life but I don't usually get fellow Gosportonians being unable to understand me. Could it be that I've picked up a Leighton Buzzard/Milton Keynes accent?
Catch-up chat with Uncle John and Aunt Pauline. There was a range of food choices; I went for mushroom and lime chicken and rice, very tasty. I was at a table with Grandma's carers, Gina and Denise; they were very pleasant and friendly. In the corner, on a TV screen a large selection of photos of Grandma, most with family members on a wide range of occasions, played.
I stayed on for dessert, said my goodbyes, popped back to the parents' for my bags and headed for the station. Back to work tomorrow.
