I love this old photograph of my maternal grandmother, Granny Finlay. Her name was Winnie and before her marriage she was Winnie Everest, one of the Everests from Springston. For a long time the family were known for their traction engines and in recent years Everest Way is a new street which has been named after them in the Springston village.
Back in 1959 when I was adopted Mum and Dad had to go up country to Waikari Hospital to collect me when I was 2 weeks old. Granny Finlay went along and from all accounts commandeered me and took over! It was she who nursed me all the way home and was evidently quite smitten by me. Sadly Granny died when I was 3 years old but I do remember one time standing in the door of her bedroom and seeing her lying on her bed.
In the photo Granny is standing out the back of the old cottage where we still live, one of the three oldest houses in Southbridge, built around 1879 or 1880. It's changed quite a bit now but the clothesline is still in the exact same place all these years later. This photo was probably taken in the 1950's so here we have her, the proverbial 1950's housewife!
From all accounts Granny liked a laugh and a bet on the horses. Evidently she liked to embroider because some of her lovely tray cloths, doilies and other pieces are still in my possession.
Life seemed to be simpler and gentler back then but I notice Granny still looks very workmanlike. No doubt she had a lot on her plate with a husband and six children.
Interestingly enough when tracing family ancestries I discovered Granny is descended from Colonel Sir George Everest, the Welsh surveyor and geographer after whom Mount Everest was named by the Royal Geographical Society in 1865. I bet she would have had a good chuckle at that!
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