My grandfather was very much of his generation – fought in WWI, wore a jacket and tie on country walks with his dog, said things like “if a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well” and tried to part my hair on the right (it parts on the left) because he had the idea that boys’ hair parts on the left and girls’ on the right – like shirt buttons, but not exactly! Politically he was pretty conservative – used to rail against trade unions until I told him I was joining the National Union of Students (it was mandatory at the time) when I went to university. “I’m sure you’ll straighten them out, darling” was how he reconciled that clash. Continue reading Aunts and grandparents to the rescue →