12 June 1960

My dear Len & Margaret
Sunday evening. It has been a dull & sunless day, it is now raining. I don’t know if Margaret & Charles will come.
I don’t really know what to start saying. There is not much to say.

Effie & Philip Le Brun spent the evening here on Friday. They phoned about 5.30 to say that they would like to come that evening. Well we didn’t mind really, we were pleased to see them. But we would perhaps have preferred another evening as Kay & Arthur were coming & Friday is their evening. However we spent a nice evening all together. Effie wanted us to got to them on a Sunday, but as usual Father told her he doesn’t want to go out, therefore it was decided that we would go one afternoon for afternoon tea. When Kay takes us out, we are to let Effie know when that will be. We must not leave it too long, because Effie will think we don’t want to go at all.

On Friday evening we had some English people visiting us who are on holiday. Perhaps Len. remembers them, they were Mrs. Lines, now a widow, her husband passed away. Anyway, they were 6 of them. There was Peggy the unmarried daughter, then there was the other daughter who had not been over here for about 25 years. She is married, her husband & two children were with her. The husband chats the whole time, They are going back on Wednesday.
The married couple & children will go by boat, the mother & daughter will go back by air, also on Wednesday.

This is now Monday evening, we are just back from the hospital to see cousin Willie. He is looking better then last time we went. He has more colour. But Lucy is a bit disappointed, they had thought he was to have the minor operation today, but the doctors are of different opinion about removing the tubes he has inside. One thought they could be removed, the other one says no, so now until these tubes are removed, he can’t have the operation. Things are left like that, they don’t know how long Willie will be in hospital. It will be a month on Thursday that he is there. Naturally he would like to be home.

I’ve told you all about our painting & that we were supposed to be finished. Well we were in a sense, but we have decided to change the colour of the skirting in the small passage. We had put it red, we thought perhaps it looked a bit hard. So we are now painting it over again in pale green. Roselle is doing that this evening. I think she has just finished with it, but it needs two top coats, you see red is a bit difficult to cover. Anyway it will look lighter looking in pale green. Then also, I have started to paint the chair that is in the bathroom. I have given it the first under coat today, it needs two under coats. I will say I don’t like painting a chair. It’s very awkward to do so. We are going to put it in pale green. I think after the skirting & chair are finished we will be able to say that our painting is really finished, we won’t be sorry.

De Gruchy’s men come on Saturday afternoon to fix the new lino in the bathroom. It only remains now to pay the bill, which I think will be rather high. Still if you want anything new & done, you have to be prepared to pay.

On Wednesday Dad & I will be going to tea at Margarets, we might go & see Mrs. Le Rossignol on our way out there. She has been having a cold. The weather is not warm for June, everyone is complaining that it’s cold (except me), it’s warm enough for me. Roselle still has her electric blanket every night, but then I think she will keep it all summer, she’s really a cold mortal. Father is inclined that way too.

We are invited to spend the evening at Roy Fauvel??? on Thursday, this will be our first time to go there. He will fetch us & of course bring us back. I don’t know his wife, I have never met her. Father knows her, he says she’s very nice. I guess you know she’s a Welsh girl. I am wondering if I will understand speaking.

All for today, hope you are all well.
Love from all, loving mother xxx