Mary Jane, my mothers mother was a dear old lady, she was always the same, quiet, smiling and never a cross word about anyone. As a youngster I’ve often blown my top off to her about someone, she would listen politely with her benign smile until I ran down by which time I would be feeling about the size of a thimble. Granny Mary Jane (it was customary in Cornwall to use both Christian names) was a tailoress and worked for very many years at Penzance for a firm called Hugo. I recall my mother taking Brother Bill and myself up a long staircase to a barn like room where at least twenty women would be sitting crossed legged on the floor. Granny among them, all sewing away at various garments, by one wall there was a line of treadle sewing machines which they used when necessary. Granny also had her own machine in her home at Ludgvan, one of her chief ‘orders’ was for ‘oil skins’ which were very tough material, very loose fitting coat and a pair of leggings. When completed they would be soaked for days in a bucket of linseed oil and then hung out to dry with a vessel underneath to catch the drips. When dry they would be of a beautiful yellow colour and absolutely waterproof.

Gran Toms was a different calibre, quite austere and very tough, but not entirely unloving. She had a large back garden plus a small flower garden in the front and for many years she kept them in an immaculate condition. Her mother, Gran Williams was a sweet old lady who lived to be about one hundred. There was some doubt about it for the death certificate said 99 but apparently some years before her age had been put back three or four years so that she could take out an insurance policy, a not uncommon happening in those days. I recall the ever present smell of peppermints and Eau de Cologne, also the rustle of her, down to the ground, silk skirts, she had a lovely table ‘windup’ organ which by turning the handle, rolls of paper music would revolve playing many lovely tunes. Under her eagle eye as a small boy I was allowed to play it. Probably it was one of the reasons I would call and have a cup of tea with her occasionally, but she was also a very good cook.
I recall one rather funny incident that I must mention: - Wireless was in it’s infancy the cats whiskers and earphones days. I don’t remember any complete sets being on sale but if you were cleaver enough you could buy a kit of parts and with a lot of luck get 2.L.O. Well a very nice neighbour of Gran’s was one of these and one day when something special was being broadcast (about royalty I think) and as the reception was quite good for once he fetched Granny in to listen to it. There was only one pair of headphones so he made sure it was coming through nicely and fastened them on Granny. He was quite thrilled watching her but after about ten minutes he thought he would ask what she thought of it and her reply was ‘ I haven’t heard anything yet’ he took the earphones back, not a sound! which was not unusual in those days but there was a happy ending and Granny thought it was wonderful.