16 June 1959. Rogues, villains and nasty little boys
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?
 |
| 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.
Comments
Post a Comment