Cate Green

Nanny E

My Nans right eye was slightly more closed than her left eye. We were told that she had been carrying Bobby (Uncle Bob my mum’s older and much loved brother) as a baby down the stairs, fell, and in saving Bobby from the fall knocked her eye against the newel post.

We were also told that she had had three nervous breakdowns, and that when overwhelmed she would take herself off back to her family in Ireland.

As a young woman Nanny was offered a place, at what is now UCD - University College Dublin - School of Music, to study the piano.

We were fortunate to have two Irish grandmothers, or as we called them ‘Nanny’s’, of the two Nanny E was more contained. 

Nanny E was smartly dressed, always wore a brooch and rinsed out her blouses by hand every evening. She collected 'knick knacks' sometimes gifts from her grandchildren, sometimes objects she had bought herself. 

When she came to our house she would keep herself busy, cleaning brass and ironing. Nan would iron our socks, pants, newspapers and pound notes. As with many Irish women of her generation she had moved to England to work in 'service'. 

If I whistled she would administer a sharp tap on my bottom with the back of a hair brush, whistling was unladylike. At the same time the frustration that my parents felt about my untidiness was viewed by Nanny E as my creative spirit, I was told by her not to worry as all creative people were untidy.

By the time I was born my Nanny E was divorced from her husband, my granddad, Charley.

One Saturday in town with my mum, as we were walking across the shopping centre, suddenly she took my hand, I was about seven at the time, we stopped in front of an elderly man. “Hello Rose” he said to my mum. Looking down at me he said “Which one is this one?” After they had had a brief conversation we walked away. It was only years later, when I was 12 or 13 years old, I asked my mum who he was? It was my granddad, I knew not to ask any more questions.

Moving back home for a year prior to beginning University, I decided to take Nanny E out for tea and cakes.

We were sitting in a beautiful public garden, about May time, when all the flowers were blooming, as it was during the week very few people were about. We would sit quietly together, I’d ask her about her week, who she had visited, and how my many cousins were keeping.

This day I was moved to ask her if she still played the piano, she said “No, Charley broke my nerve”. She turned to me and pointed at her semi-closed eye, “He did that”.