8 April 1958
My dear Len and Margaret
This is Tuesday eve. I’m making a little start on my letter to make sure that it started. Today has still been pretty cold, the sun came out for a little while this afternoon. At the moment for a change father is listening to the wireless. Wilfred Pickles and Mabel his wife, are in Alderney on the air there I don’t know what they’re talking about. I think it’s ‘Have a Go’, of course dad is interested in Wilfred. This gives us a rest from TV. I have spoken too quickly, Dad is already through with the Alderney programme which lasted only half an hour, now without taking any time TV is on.
We had an Easter card from Cyril and Grace also a letter, Cyril is not too good, he is now getting out of breath when he walks to work. Well as you remember he was bad with thrombosis two or three years ago. Since then he has had to take things easy. Now that he has developed getting out of breath he decided to see the doctor about it. He didn’t find anything very wrong with him, but he told Cyril that he must rest for a month, he must not go to work or do any work, he must not get any physical exercise at all. He must keep quiet, anyway he has office work brought to him at home. He works on it for a couple of hours a day. The doctor told him after a month he may be able to go to work for a few hours a day and gradually walk slowly. He must really look after himself and take things very easy. We feel sorry to know that he is not too good. After a month’s rest he may feel better and stronger, people who have had thrombosis have to be very careful with themselves.
We have also had a nice card from Mrs Booth (my mother’s mother) this morning. Thank you for sending the report of your building society I have not started it yet but I doubt whether I will understand it to good effect. Still it will give an idea how the work is going, the headquarters in Brighton is a beautiful building and so big. Also the tower above Park Lane. Alliance House, the Society’s West End office is also a lovely building but the Brighton one makes a grand picture making the corner. These wonderful buildings cost a tremendous lot of money to keep up.
Father had a bunch of his friends to come in to see him there were four of the experts of the town who go to value houses, they have started going round now. Every year they come in for a ‘goutte’. Some of them have tea but for some of them tea is not good enough they would rather have from the bottle, but I must confess there is only two who takes from the bottle. One of them Len, is your dad and of course the other is Ray B. You can’t expect otherwise from him. I generally serve their tea but today I did not see them, they were in the front room. Kay and Margaret came in and I sent Kay to serve them. This was a real ‘At Home’ for me. There were these men, then Mr & Mrs Lucas arrived then Kay and Margaret. There was no rest for me this afternoon.
Last Saturday was the boat race between Oxford and Cambridge. Was this race run in Oxford and if so did you see it? It was terrible weather for this race. The people must’ve been soaked to the skin. Well Dad wanted to see the race, but it was 1 o’clock so Dad decided to have his lunch in the front room by himself so he lunched at a small table without a fire. I was for Cambridge and as you know they won.
Nick is here, he came a little before 8 o’clock he generally comes about four times a week, sometimes more often. Doreen and he generally take a walk when he comes but they are staying in this evening. Jane Harvey and the little one left by air this morning, they have gone back to England to Jane’s mother until they leave for Canada which will be in about five weeks time. Ah, by the way thank you for letting me know baby Bertram’s (Our neighbours in Oxford) name, Sisa Jane. I’m sorry to say that I don’t care very much for it, do you both like it? Roselle says she likes it. I guess these people will miss you when you leave for Scotland but then you are sure to miss them too.
Here I am again, I did not get on to badly with my letter last evening although Nick was here I just got on with my writing. Doreen is babysitting at Wynne’s while they have gone to the Forum. It goes without saying that Nick will keep Doreen company. Roselle is also going out for a couple of hours or so there will only be Dad and I here by ourselves but we will have TV for company.
It seems some part of the day has not been quite so cold, but it has got colder this eve. They have given it a little warmer tomorrow, we must wait-and-see because it’s been so cold for such a long time that it seems we can’t have it warm. Some people seem to think it’s going to be a poor summer. Of course no one can tell. One thing I do hope is that we don’t get it too hot, the heat would be against me a lot. I know Leonard doesn’t like too much heat, I think Margaret can stand it better because if I remember right she doesn’t like the cold.
Very nice of Mrs Le Feuvre to send you some Jersey Wonders (deep fried doughnut type cakes, only made at Easter),
we had our share too, also sent some for Kay and some for Margaret. They give a tremendous lot away to friends, they make a few hundred by the time they have given so many away they haven’t got many left for themselves. Their Wonders are quite good, have you all enjoyed them? We haven’t made any this year. Roselle made an Easter cake instead, matter of fact I have not tasted it yet. I hardly eat any rich cake. It’s Doreen’s turn to have her morning off work tomorrow. She will meet Kay in town for coffee but before that Doreen will go to the hairdresser.
There has been quite a lot of car stealing lately. Most of these cars are found damaged, it’s very difficult to catchTheft and robberythese fellows. Anyway they managed to find two of them yesterday. They are English fellows, they were at the Police Station this morning. We certainly have funny guys here in the island. There is also a lot of robbery committed lately. Our Constable is not back yet from England after having his operation about four or five weeks ago. We can’t gather anything about his health but we think he is in poor health, he may be back next week.
Much love
Mother xxxx
Thursday
This is just to say that we have received a nice letter from Len today but as my letter to you is finished I will answer on yours next week. Father has just read over the letter I am sending this week, he says I should have known that the boat race is run in London and not in Oxford. Well I said it did not matter, this will tell you how very ignorant I am about these things. We are having a little slight rain this afternoon and evening. We will either be going to the Le Feuvres on Wednesday or then come to us. Doreen told them if the weather is bad I will not go out. They don’t mind the weather they go out just the same. I guess Margaret and Charles will soon be coming. For a change I will read the papers instead of writing. I think Kay and Arthur will come tomorrow eve.
Love xMotherx
