Nanna Bailey - where do I start? My memories of nanna mainly centre around her being in Stretton with Grandad. I remember going to Byrkley Garden Centre almost every weekend with them. I especially remember driving around with Helena in my grandads blue Skoda-I hated being seen in this car-I used to slide down in the seat in the back hoping that no-one would see me 🤣🤣 
I’ve no idea how she could keep going back to the same place and yet find something different to buy each week - mainly clothes (gillets or jumpers), chocolate, sweets and plants.  Nanna did love her chocolate (even though she said she didn’t eat that much of it).

Nanna was proud of her garden in Stretton and it really did look beautiful.  I spent many a happy time there playing in the garden with the best dog ever - Lady.  I used to take Lady on walks round Stretton with nanna, feeling special as I was allowed to hold the lead.  It broke my heart when she had to be put down.

I remember nanna attending many courses to fill her time from flower arranging to painting.  She tried to teach me how to do these, but sadly I never had the same gift as her for painting.  However, one thing that she did teach me to do was embroidery.  We would sit for ages doing our tapestries, and when I’d finished some them she used to be so pleased to see them. She was so proud of them.  I also remember baking scones with her most Sundays, so we could have a cup of tea with scones and jam and cream in the afternoon. The tea always had to be made in a teapot, and the tea always had to be drank from a china cup - not a mug!

Like Helena, I also remember how much nanna liked her musicals and she took me to see Barnum with her which was brilliant, and we were on the front row which was amazing.  I also remember holidaying in Wales and seeing dolphins on one particular holiday as well.

Having my children late in life meant that they did not have the same full experience of being with their Nina. I remember telling her that I was pregnant with Joshua and she thought that I was joking - it took me ages to convince her that it wasn’t a joke and that I was really having a baby.  I still dont think she truly believed it until she saw the scan picture.  When she found out that I was having a boy too, she was over the moon.

Nanna moved house so many times it was hard to keep up with her, and she was always decorating her houses.  Once she’d finished it she would very often start the whole process again.  Wherever she moved to, we would try and go and see her as often as we could and later on taking Joshua to see her so that she could see how much he had changed.

When she came back up North to Hatton and then Tutbury, it was brilliant as we were able to see her more often and used to go round weekly with Jessica and Joshua and then sometimes in the week while the older ones were at school I would go with Jessica and Helena and Finley.  We would of course go to Byrkley garden centre for lunch and cake!, and she would laugh at the things that Jessica and Finley would get up to.
Just as I used to love playing with Lady, Jessica used to love walking and playing with Meghan (although Meghan was not as enthralled-she was happy being a lazy dog).

My main memories of Nanna Bailey are that she was a strong lady and surviving a heart attack at the ripe old age of 90 is proof as to what a fighter she was.  She was a perfectionist who did not suffer fools lightly.  She was a determined lady who was always right, and 99% of the time got her own way (especially with grandad).  She had a certain way of looking at you if you did something wrong and this came to be known as the ‘Bailey Stare’.  I have actually inherited this from nanna, and I think my daughter has also managed to inherit this too.  But most of all she was my Nanna, and I loved her. ❤️

I hate that this illness took my nanna away from us, and that it made her into a frail old lady who seemed scared of everything, and even though the last time that I saw my nanna was really upsetting, I do take some comfort in the knowledge that when we spoke to her in the hospital, there was a little glimmer of acknowledgment that she did recognise me and Helena and that she did remember us.

I love and miss you nanna, and Jessica and Joshua miss their Nina.❤️❤️❤️❤️

Rest in Peace Nanna, and I hope that you are free from pain now.

Love Sonia xxxxx