New Year 57/58

Started on 31.12.1957

My dear Len and Margaret

Many thanks for both your most welcome letters received this AM. Dad is all by himself in the front room looking at TV. He has had the paraffin stove to keep him warm. The reason we have not lit a fire there this eve is because both girls are out and of course I did not want to see TV, we have enough of it every evening, really too much of it. I don’t know how long Dad is going to be there. He wanted to see ‘What is my Life’ but I think that’s finished long ago, he must have found something else of interest, the girls said there was nothing special, but you know Dad. Everything is always lovely in the garden.

We are pleased you had a lovely Christmas, the same as we did. Your gifts were also plentiful which meant lots of paper all over the place. I have nothing to report about our Christmas. I told you all on my last letter. We are pleased that Margaret was able to change her stockings, sorry we sent a size too small, we must have forgotten the exact size that she wears.

Oh Len, those ties we chose between Roselle and myself, but I thought afterwards that we should not have sent them both red, you seem to like them, therefore that’s alright. Yes, the scarf is rather nice, we all liked it, we thought you would like it too. Very nice of Auntie Blanche to send £1 for the children. When you write to her don’t mention anything about it, I don’t suppose Uncle knows anything about it, one never knows how he would take it, best to leave well alone. Yes, he may be better in some ways , but in other ways not much better. (He had dementia although it wasn’t called that at the time.)

It was nice of Mr Polka to ask you to go in his house to see the queen make her speech while he was at the hospital visiting his wife. Is Mrs Polka worse now than she was when she was in hospital?

We are sorry to hear Paul is not too well yet, that his cough is still troublesome, and that he is also having earache, this must be awful for him, he is certainly subject to earache, I guess as he grows up it will pass, but in the meantime it must be very trying for him. I will not write anymore this eve. I feel ready to fall asleep, the same as Len does when he starts writing. I still feel tired from Christmas.

Dad and I are in the TV room, (not my wish you know), but I must abide by Dad’s wishes, both girls are going out, they are getting ready now. Roselle is invited to dinner with Kay & Arthur at the Star. Doreen was invited also but at the last moment she cancelled. Arthur had booked the table for four people. I don’t know if they have found someone else to fill Doreen’s place. She is invited to dinner with someone else, they are going to the Revere. I’m not sure this is the way to spell it, I guess this is the way to spell it.

I guess everyone will not be in bed until the early morning. I am not fond of all this disturbance. One thing I am landed with a long evening with TV. Dad insists on staying up late, although it’s only 8.30 I already feel very sleepy. Then tomorrow we will be late again because as you know it being New Years Day we will go to Kay for the day. Margaret and Charles will also be there. Arthur has a cold that is hanging on. I hope he will not be too miserable tomorrow, he doesn’t seem too good today. A taxi will call for M & C at noon, then call for us. I have no intentions of staying late in the evening. I want to leave there not later than 11 o’clock or earlier if I can have my way, but it’s hard work to get Dad away. He never minds how long he stays out, he is really not old in his ways for his age, of course I’m different, I can’t face things as he does. It must be going to town each morning that gives him a new life. His friends are so gay, but of course they are all younger than he. So there it is Dad can’t always be easily managed in many ways, still at the same time I would not like to have him a sick man, that would be worse still, wouldn’t it?

It was after 1am when Doreen came back from the party at Mrs Falle, it was rather too late, she had to be up for work this morning. She won the booby prize – a face cloth and soap. Jim is over here, he came for Christmas.

Well 1957 is gradually disappearing, in just over 2 ½ hours we will be in 1958. We know what we have seen in this passing year, but we don’t know what will be coming to us in this coming one, we must all hope for the best.

Oh I am forgetting to say about Margaret’s party on Saturday, well we had quite a nice time, they had put decorations up. I don’t know if you have ever been in their large room which acts as a lounge and dining room, they had all the ceiling of this large room decorated with these nice coloured garlands fixed cross-ways, with balloons and other festive things. The room looked like fairyland, it really looked beautiful, but it had meant a lot of work, and worse yet more work to bring it all down again, this does remind me of when Len was very keen on putting these decorations up, but another tune when the time came to bring them down. They also gave us a very nice meal, we left there at 11 o’clock. Arthur brought us all back.

It’s now nearly 10 o’clock, I will get our cup of milk ready, this will give me a chance to get away from TV for a few minutes. I may not write again this evening. I will keep this remainder to tell you all about our outing tomorrow.

January 2^nd 1958

How did the coming in of the New Year treat you all? We all send you our very Best Wishes, Health and Prosperity and good business. We spent a very nice time at Sandiway (Kay's) yesterday, quiet you know. Listen to this the way Dad treated me the first day of the year, I can imagine Margaret laughing at what I am about to say, she will see the funny side of it the same as we all did. I guess you are getting impatient to what I have to say, here it’s coming, the taxi called for Margaret and Charles at noon, then called for us. We had asked for a taxi for 6 people, this was a taxi from St Aubins. When it arrived to fetch us, it was a taxi for 5, the driver said he had not been told otherwise. He said he would manage alright as long as he was not caught. Well we got to Sandiway, the driver had said for Dad to get in the front, that there would be more room in that way, although the driver was fat and as you know do am I. anyway here is the funny side, when we got out of the car … ( at this stage of my letter, I was disturbed by the doctor coming in) … anyway I will get on with what I had to say. Well yes when we got out of the car the driver got out to open the door for the girls and Charles to get out. At the same time Dad gets out and slams the door behind him and walked to the back of the car leaving me alone in the front of the car. I tried to open it but could not. I couldn’t get out of the other side on account of the steering wheel. No one seemed to notice my predicament at the time, then they came to their senses and the driver ran to my aid, helped me out. He laughed and the others laughed too. I told Dad that is was a very strange way to treat me on New Year’s Day. Of course, I will agree this was not intentionally done on his part.

Roselle has just asked me to thank you for the token gift you sent her. She will thank you herself when she has bought the record, but at the present moment she does not know which one she will buy. She must think well first.

Cousin Emmeline passed away in the early hours of this morning. Of course this was not unexpected, in fact they did not think she would live for so long. The poor soul was only lingering. She is now at rest.

Now then, as I have said already the doctor called at lunch time. My blood pressure was about the same as it was 6 weeks ago. My heart was alright, the trouble is that I get very tired, with breathing difficult and little pain in the chest. Often I have to sit, breathing does not bother me when I’m sitting, it’s when I stand and walk. I have told the doctor about it. I told him perhaps it’s indigestion but I have had it for quite a long time. He told me as I have not had a check-up since my operation he thinks I should have one, to make sure of things, he is going to report it at the hospital then they will make arrangements for me to have an xray. Well I will say I don’t like the idea. I am hoping they will find nothing wrong with me.

I forgot to say that when we were spending the day at Kays on New Year’s Day, the evening meal was served Buffet fashion, which was partaken in the lounge, each one went in the dining room with their plate to fetch what they wanted. I was the only one who was served and did not have to fetch my own food. Really speaking, no one was very hungry after such a big lunch as we had.

Tomorrow evening we are having the Le Feuvres, I hope they don’t stay late, we have been having too many late evenings lately. (If we keep on these late nights our beauty will disappear).

Well I don’t think I have done too bad for one letter, my brain can’t find any more news. We do hope Paul is quite alright again. The family join me in sending our Very Best Wishes for the New Year

Lots of love from us all

Lovingly, Mother xxxx

PS Emmeline’s funeral at 2.10 o’clock tomorrow. Carriage calls for dad at 2 o’clock.

(She has also written 239 lines.)