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Victorian Lady
Grandma and Grandpa lived in a 3 bed
semi detached in Feltham, Middx. Running there after being bombed out of their home in St George's Building in South London, it offered a rescue and safe haven from the more ferocious of Hitler’s campaigns.
I came to the house in 1961, with my Grandma being the most wonderful woman in the world for a small girl who revelled in games about the Faery Realms, and finding Grandma a willing participant in spending an afternoon sprawled on the lawn making daisy chains, and telling
stories. Nowadays, we would likely say that she may have had dementia, but in those days she was
simply said to be "away with the fairies"!
The house, however was incredibly sinister, lacking only a demonic voice bellowing "get outtt!" as you came in the front door. Grandma was aware of this, as she avoided whenever possible going up into the first floor. When she had to, to use the loo etc, she got us
to sit at the top of the stairs and wait for her. Not too sure what help two small children could be against the “forces of evil” though !
At some point, Grandma and Grandpa converted (decluttered!) their front bedroom, and nominated it as a playroom for us. It was a big double room with a bay window facing onto the busy road outside. By now, I must've been about 6, which makes my sister a tod
Jay Gage
dler, so not allowed in there alone with her irresponsible sister!
So I would play up there, happily running a shop by arranging tens of dozens of miniature liqueur bottles, which belonged to my uncle, so must've been a good 20 years old. A very dusty shop! As I played, I was accustomed to be being watched by an elderly lady, in a chair in the bay window, dressed all in, what I now know to be, a black
bombazine dress and chatelaine. She watched and smiled and nodded, then returnedher gaze to the busy road outside.
One day, downstairs with my Mum, I watched as she looked at old photos with Grandma. As they turned them over, I immediately
recognised the "upstairs lady" and told them "That's the lady
who watches us play". It stopped Mum and Grandma in their tracks, and mum went very pale.
She told me that the lady in the photo was my Gt.Grandma, and asked what I meant, and more importantly, why I didn't say anything. I told her that I assumed they knew - but
thought it odd that they never offered her a drink!
It transpired that the room had been my Gt.Grandma's bedroom, and that she loved to sit in the bay watching the children walking to the local school. After that, they weren't too keen to let me play up there, and I didn't see the lady again.
More spooks at Grandma's to follow !
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