Alice Rose In her later years Alice Rose had rooms in Balham, London, where she kept her treasures, her favourite furniture and her piano.  She use these rooms as her headquarters and from there she would go to stay with one of her children.  I can remember she frequently stayed for quite long periods with us as my mother was alone with my little invalid sister and myself.  She was always strict but fair and would put sixpence pocket money each for my sister and I on the mantelpiece every Saturday. She died in her 86th year on the 4th October 1936 a month after breaking her hip when tripped by a dog.  Right up to that time she entertained friends by playing on her beloved piano and tried never to miss a London Symphony Concert.

This photo, in 1934, shows granny in her room with her treasures.

Some more pictures of Alice Rose over the years.  I remembered her as she looks below.  She was my Granny who I held in great awe and she had a lot to do with my upbringing from the age of 2 until she died when I was 11. Everything had to be ‘just so’ for Granny, never a meal without a starched table napkin and if one put an elbow on the table she would ask for an extra plate for the extra joint on the table.  When I thought I had been rather clever she would look at me kindly and say “it’s wonderful what little insects can be taught” or else more firmly “little girls should be seen and not heard” and children had to excuse themselves and leave the room before blowing their noses. Some of my happiest memories as a small child are of her playing the piano while I danced to her music.

Alice Rose