16.6.59
My Dear Len and Margaret
This is Tuesday AM and I’m sitting down to my writing. This is a fine morning, though there’s a fresh wind.
Thanks for nice letter received on Saturday AM. We notice how Len is interested reading about the stock markets. I don’t blame him, this is a man’s reading, especially for a man who is in the kind of business as Len is. It keeps him in touch with these things (a person like Mother would not understand anything about it). I’m not sure Dad is up to it either. Len is the one who understands. I guess Margaret is not very interested but then this is not the kind of reading that appeals to her.
We see you are still in Scotland, no further news from Manchester. Len is wise to make sure before changing his present job, these days everyone has to be careful not to take a wrong step.
Ah Len, what an untrustworthy man that Mr Bayley is, fancy stuffing you with the tale that he had left home that A.M. in a hurry and had left without money, most probably if it was known he had none to take. I think it’s awful he should be sponging on you, but Len, regardless of Mr Bayley’s position I would harp on that money until I got it, then if you do get it, after that whenever I saw him approach your office, I would make a dive and hide myself until he had disappeared. Why do they keep such a man in your Society? He seems to be a man good only for pubs. So Len, take your Mother’s words and beware of that fellow. I guess Margaret has told you the same thing, I quite understand how you feel about it, that he is one of the heads of your Society and you find it hard to refuse him, all the same, get off his path whenever you can and be wise. I know I have made a beg story on this unfortunate subject, but I feel annoyed about this fellow. I had better stop because I could go on and would not know when to stop.
At this moment we have 2 men from De Gruchy’s laying down a carpet on Roselle’s stairs and to the little top landing. It’s a bright red one, not patterned. I’m afraid it’s going to show the dust too much. I don’t really know whether she has chosen it, up to Saturday she had not been able to choose it. She was not allowed to leave her counter, things have not been too happy these last days at work. I won’t say more, you can guess, (Arthur was the manager of De Gruchys, she was a buyer and he liked to intimidate her). Roselle is feeling very miserable and fed up. I’m sure the carpet is going to look nice but as I have said every mark will show up. Anyway I’m not going to say anything to Rose about it. There is not so much going up and down in those stairs as there is on the down ones.
Len says that they are still producing more money at the office than they want to do, but then you can’t really refuse taking it can you? Look at the money you would bring to the Society if they had left things as they were. This means you haven’t got the same heart as you used to have, you were doing so well and bringing in the money. This gave you great courage to work. Now I feel it’s different for you. As you say it’s a ‘crazy set-up’.
We do hope that John will pass his exam for college with Paul, but if it’s as you say and they have to weed them out, they sure will make the exam rather difficult. Will John be disappointed if he does no pass it, but I quite imagine that John takes things as they come to him and he won’t worry about it, at the same time I hope he passes and is able to go along with Paul.
We notice that you have been bedding out quite a lot of flower plants. You should have quite a lovely garden later on, your lawn must look beautiful and green. You still have a man to look after your garden, haven’t you?
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| John, Paul and Roselle hiding the fact that Dad is gardening |
I’m sure you enjoyed Mary and John’s visit[1]. You say they like your house. Everyone who has seen it are in love with it, if you have to move it’s a pity you can’t move the house with you as well.
The carpet fitter’s are still here, they came at 9:45, it’s now 11:45 and I feel it’s time they went now, they must be on the finish and will soon go.
We will be going for our weekly drive this afternoon, will probably go to Les Augerez, though we may take a drive to Corbiere first. I will now stop and see about boiling the milk[2]and see about some lunch. I hope to finish this later today.
At last here I am again. I’ve had trouble to get to my writing table, it’s now gone 8 o’clock. You see we’ve been to Les Augerez this afternoon and Aunty gave me about a dozen small geraniums to plant. I had to put them in after tea, this has taken me quite a time. Look at the writing I am doing, I’ve never known my pen to be in such a bad mood, it’s going a little better now. Anyway I must get on with this.
When we came at Les Augerez we found Auntie and Uncle sitting on a seat in the sunshine. Auntie had one of these huge umbrellas over her, to protect her from the hot sun. Uncle had an overcoat on. He is looking much better, he had had a shave and a hair cut. The trouble is he can’t stand on his legs. He also says he has no heart for anything. Auntie says he is now acting the gentleman, he gets down to breakfast in his pyjamas and his dressing gown. After breakfast he asks for some hot water to wash. All this is more than he used to do. The trouble though is that he often falls down, according how he falls he can’t pick himself up. You see falling like this is that he might hurt himself if he fell against anything. Auntie has always this worry when she goes to town. She was not very well today. She had been sick all night, she thinks it might have been an indigestion, although she has been told that this kind of sickness is going round. One of the children at Lawrence has also had this kind of sickness, anyway she was pleased we went, she said it had done her good.
At the end of last week we had an invitation card and two tickets to go to Howard Davis park on the occasion of the visit of Princess Margaret on June 25th at 5:15pm. This invitation is from the Bailiff on behalf of the States of Jersey. This is all very nice but we will not go. Dad and I could not stand for so long among such a big crowd, this would be too much for old folks like us. Kay and Arthur have had one also, they will not go, they don’t want to stand. Anyway the Royal Party will pass by Doreen’s place in Don Rd. She wants us to go there to tea, and be in time to see the Princess pass. I suppose we will have to go. I hope the weather will be fine for the occasion.
I think Roselle told you over the phone last Thursday about the crowd we were that evening watching ‘Top Town’ on TV. In my mind I think Jersey was the better of the two, but everybody doesn’t think so . they got very close didn’t they?
Eddie and Gladys called in on Saturday evening, they stayed until after 9 o’clock. We are going to the Le Feuvre’s tomorrow. I’d rather they were coming to us but then we must give and take.
We took our weekly drive last Friday instead of the Tuesday. This afternoon we went as far as Corbiere on our way out to St Peters but did not stop.
Roselle’s carpet looks very well. Roselle told me that if Kay and Miggie wanted to see it when they called for us they will each have to pay 6d. I told them about it, Mig left her 6d. Kay had only 3 1/2d which she left. I gave this money to Rose when she got back, she laughed, she will give it back to them tomorrow. I don’t know if Rose really expected me to tell them about the charge of 6d for those who want to see the carpet.
Mr Syd Richmond, I think Len knows him, he has gone away to the Masonic Hospital. He has undergone a severe operation. He had the operation last Friday. His wife is away with him, we have not heard how he is getting on, he was in a bad way after the operation. He is such a stout man. I think this must be against him.
I wonder if Len remembers the pigeon that came every eve and perched himself on the pipe of Mr Le Main’s house for the night, he still comes every eve. He’s there now, we look for him every eve, we would miss not seeing it if he stopped coming. We think he must be an old pigeon.
Each week we have more visitors coming to the island. Yesterday Doreen told the twins that they could go on the beach on leaving school. I think this was at the Dyke, she told them to be back at 20 minutes to 6pm which is the time Doreen comes back. When they came back Jacqueline was drenched through, her knees were in a bad state and bleeding. She said she was on a kind of wall or bridge and a boy pushed her over in the water, this was a dangerous thing to do, because she could have fallen on a rock and hurt herself badly. Doreen and Nick were very angry about this affair.
Thurs am
I must end this in haste. I’m expecting Kay and Miggie for coffee soon. We had the usual nice time at the Le Feuvres last night. They go on holiday on 5 August. I told them we would see them before they go. The old lady quickly said ‘oh yes and a few times before too’. She said they would come in the first week in July, we thought we would have them back just before they went but not quite so. This means we will have to go to them once before they leave.
We hope you are all keeping in the best
Lots of love from us 3
Love, Mother xxx
Ps. If you find this letter too long leave half for tomorrow to read.
