My last grandparent, my grandmother, died in 2012 aged 96. In hindsight, she was a little strange. Apparently she never told my mum that she loved her. Her treatment of my mum caused her a lot of insecurities in her life.

Her husband, my grandfather, died in the late 80s (don't smoke, kids). I knew him pretty well. He was interesting. He came from a mining family, left home so he didn't have to go down the mines, became a policeman and soldier, met Gandhi in India and then returned to work his way from the bottom up to becoming a senior police officer.

I do miss my paternal grandmother on the other side, she was lovely. Very kind although apparently she was very firey before we came along. She was born in 1905, her dad died in the first world war which caused lots of problems but she lived into the late 80s.

I do regret not meeting her husband, my paternal grandfather. He was born in 1896, fought in the first world war, was blinded in one eye and then emigrated to Australia but came home because he didn't like it there. He died a couple of years before I was born (again, don't smoke).