The Life of Ethel Grinstead

Genealogy of Ethel Grinstead

1 June 1906
Born at 10 Tay Street, Edinburgh, Scotland (Birth Certificate)

1908
Came to New Zealand

Ethel in 1926

1935-1938
Had 2 daughters

1944
Married Richard William Wrightson
Genealogy of Richard William Wrightson
The Life of Richard William Wrightson

Ethel and Dick Wrightson at A & P Show in 1950

1960
Made a visit to England Scotland

Memories

Grandma - by Lesley Lomas

I have lots of memories of my Grandma. I particularly remember making mudpies in her woodshed which we would top with flowers from her garden. We were instructed never to touch the Oleander. We were also told never to go near the blue flowering plant. I always thought it was because it was poisonous too but I now know it was a periwinkle and grew in an open drain. The drain was the reason for not going over there, not the plant

I also remember Grandma's blue Morris Minor. Originally a different colour but my father painted it a lovely dark metallic blue. She would come and pick us children up and take us on adventures. They usually seemed to be to the local rubbish dump - where we found numerous treasures. My brother can probably attribute his career as an electrician to the rubbish dump trips where he picked up old toasters and fixed them.

Grandma was also an excellent sewer being able to sew anything without a pattern.
I remember Grandma showing us which plant was sorrel on the farm and how nice it tasted.
Grandma loved to play the piano and tried to teach me but I didn't have the patience (or the talent) to sit and learn the scales.
If anyone else has memories they would like to share please email me.

Newspaper Articles

Unsourced clipping
Thursday 6 October 1960

(Tangimoana's Own correspondent)

Return from overseas
Mrs E Wrightson of Tangimoana returned on Tuesday from a 10-weeks' holiday spent in London and Bristol. A call was made at Lima only a few days before the disastrous earthquakes in Chile. Mrs Wrightson, while in London, rented a delightful flat in the city though her brothers, Messrs Grinstead, with whom she made the trip, had to find accommodation further afield. Visits to Madame Tussaud's Wax Works, several museums and the London Zoo were among the first sights enjoyed. The play "The Most Happy Fella" with Inia Te Wiata in the lead, was a highlight of the visit. Afternoon tea in a London tea shop with the temperature touching 94 was a surprise. Three days spent in Edinburgh planned especially to visit Mrs Wrightson's birthplace were disappointing as rain fell continuously. Mrs Wrightson found that wool in Scotland and England was both excellent and cheap. A cotton jumper on sale at 3s 11d sounded cheap, but the visitor was warned by a friend that it would shrink. Among Mrs Wrightson's souvenirs are a Peter Robinson hat bag, numerous other paper shopping bags (quite a feature apparently of the English shopping scene), scores of match box tops, some delightful English mechanical toys for her young grandchildren and some Chinese etchings. On her return trip a stop was made at Colombo where a swim in a secluded bay was a highlight. Disembarking at Sydney she spent five days in Australia before leaving for home.

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Lesley Lomas
Manawatu
New Zealand