Jessie's Story

I was going to pretend I was someone else; maybe a film star or a dancer, but I changed my mind I'm going to tell you about me and my wishful world of long gone.

I'll begin in the thirties, a long time ago – before I broke my foot.

When I was about 3 or 4 years old I didn't want to be a girl, I didn't like wearing dresses so had them tucked in my knickers – at least I thought I looked like a boy! Not only that, I wouldn't answer to my name. I had to be "Granda', if anyone called me. I'll never know why I chose to be Granda. My poor mother, and the rest of the family, come to that! No broken foot then, that came along later.

Why am I mentioning my foot? I'll tell you later, but I wish I hadn't broken it.

As I grew up and the war and evacuation were long gone, I still fancied being someone else, not Granda anymore, more girlie this time. I saw myself in the spotlight somewhere. So much so, that my parents wanted me to try for a dancing school in London. We lived in Wembley then, Thrilled with the idea I went for an audition in a theatre, along with a friend, while on holiday. Sorry to say I froze on stage. 'bottled it' as they say, and ran off, never to return. That was the end of my fame and fortune dream.

Mind you, I still wonder how life would have been if only I'd worn my tap shoes more often. Can't now 'cos of my foot. How did I break it you may ask? I tripped on a wobbly path while out on a walk with our dog.

I still have my taps, a present from my grandchildren. Black ones, more fitting for my age. I prance about in them now and again, but I can't dance. With my tap shots came a sparkly top, now I'm 'Grannie Bling' to them all. Little do they know how much I wanted the glitter, long, long ago. lm just their Gran and they love me as I am. I'll settle for that.

If I had managed to tread the boards in search of my fairy tale life. I'd have been a member of E.N.S.A and not the W.I. I'm on the committee now and I feel I belong to our President's band of helpers.

I really wouldn't change a thing in my life. I only wish I hadn't broken my foot. But I manage quite well putting the kettle on at our meetings instead of putting on my tap shoes.

Every day of my life is a page of my history.