1 August 1960. Hooligans and Teddy Boys, kids alone on trains and Papa's 80th
1st August 1960
My dear Len and Margaret
Just to think this is the 1st of August, the summer will
soon be gone and the autumn will be with us before we know it. The weather is
very unsettled , showery and little sun, also windy. This is not nice weather
to go on a picnic. This is rather disappointing for those who had planned to
have a day out. You can’t sit on the grass this kind of weather. For us we have
part of the family coming in to tea – they are Doreen and her family, Margaret
and Charles, so you see we will be busy. Not me so much but Roselle is the one
who will have more to do. It is nearly time for lunch. Roselle is getting it
ready , bacon and egg, with chips. I am not having this, I will just have a
cold sausage and maybe just a spoonful of chips. You see we had breakfast late
– 10:30. Dad had 3 slices of toast. I, the greedy one, had 4 slices, so you can
well understand that I don’t feel very hungry. I don’t suppose Dad does either.
We won’t take our usual drive on Tuesday, Ron’s boys[1]
are coming over on that day at about 4 o’clock. They will be here for about
three weeks, I have told Kay not to bother taking us out during that time,
thought I guess she will take us some time. The boys are old enough to go on
the beach by themselves. I think they are 11 & 12 years of age. Kay’s usual
routine is going to be disturbed.
All being well on Wed 3rd will be a great evening here. It will be Father’s 80th birthday. All the family will be
coming here during the evening for a ‘goutte’ to celebrate the great event. I
think we will be able to call Dad an old man now, though I can’t speak, I’m
following very close when I will be called an old woman. It’s true that time
marches on and we are getting older very quick, still we have a lot to be
thankful for, that is our health is good considering our age.
Tuesday Am
We have just received a letter from Len just in time to
answer on this one. Len says that he has sent some money to Mr Le Rossignol for
Father to have some tobacco as a gift from you both for his 80th
birthday which takes place tomorrow. Father has not read your letter which
arrived just before he left for town, but I have told him about the money you
have sent for his birthday. He will probably see Mr Le R today, he generally
goes to the shop every day. Dad wants to thank you very much for your kind
thought and good wishes for his birthday from Margaret and yourself. I think it
would have been nice if you both could have been here on his occasion. I’m
hoping that Dad writes you a few lines to thank you, but you know it remains to
be seen if he will do so.
Len seems to think I don’t approve about his picture. Oh
Len, it’s not quite that, I like nice pictures, in fact I’ve always liked
pictures, but you know what it is, the young people of today don’t want
pictures, I maintain that I like a nice picture, but at the same time I would
not give a lot of money for a picture, unless I was a rich person, then I would
not mind giving a good price for a picture that would appeal to me, but anyone
giving me a picture that would appeal to me I would be very pleased with it.
It’s
very nice for Len to be interested in the Stock Exchange, but of course you
must not take too much risk when buying, we quite understand that starting on a
small capital only brings some profits, but again if profits are not touched
they amount up in time, if you kept on spending the profits you would never get
any further.I always try not to touch my little profits either.
About Roselle not doing her sewing when there are people
around, well she does sometimes, but you know she’s always in the kitchen. She can
remain there until near 9 o’clock. Of course when the girls are here she
generally joins us earlier, it’s when it’s strangers that she does not bother
herself very much. She never minds being on her own.
Yes, Len, Dad and I are gadabouts, we’re always here or
there, each time we go out Dad grumbles he says he does not want to go out, but
the girls are always asking us out to them, but apart from going to the girls,
we hardly go anywhere else. We are asked but always refuse, especially going
out to tea, we don’t like it.
I don’t think Roselle would like to be a ‘nun’, she likes
her freedom more than that.
Yes, I quite believe the children are quite excited to be
going to Stockport[2],
fancy little Roselle being on the train for so many hours. I guess she will go
to sleep. Susan is capable of looking after her and the boys. No doubt they
will find the journey long and tiresome, at the same time children are interested
looking around and time passes pretty quickly. I guess they will take food with
them, this will help to pass the time away. We hope they will enjoy their
holiday and benefit from the change. You are both going to be lost without them,
especially Margaret. No doubt she will miss them. Still this will give you a
rest Margaret and you will be able to get out easier.
We are pleased that the Battle of Flowers is over. It poured
with rain the whole evening and night before, still raining the morning of the ‘Battle’.
They wondered if they would have to postpone it or not. Later in the morning it dried up and the Fete took place,
very little sun and windy. It was finished by 4:30. To think of all the work
and expense just for such a short time. After the parading was over, as usual
they started the battle by dismantling some of the exhibits. At this stage
there was a lot of trouble caused by hooligans and Teddy boys taking part in
this in a rough way, throwing wood with nails at those on the floats, etc. on
account of this trouble people are wondering if this will be the end of the
Battle of Flowers, you will read about it on the Weekly EP.
For ourselves we were very quiet, we were just a small
gathering. We had only Mr & Mrs Le Rossignol and Margaret and Charles in to
tea, others came in the afternoon but were not asked to remain to tea. It was
nice to be quiet.
When we had part of the family in to tea yesterday, it seemed
to be Margaret’s bad day somehow. First of all she spilt some of her salmon on the
tea cloth, this of course was a small matter. Then during the evening when
Roselle served a drink round, Margaret put hers on a small table near her
chair. She moved for something or other. She then came to sit down on the arm
of her armchair, she kind of half sat on her glass and upset it. Well that was
cleaned up. Then later on someone passed her a cigarette. She had the ashtray
on the seat of the chair. Then she got up to go in the kitchen with Roselle,
left her cigarette in the armchair. After some minutes we noticed a little heap
on the cushion. Doreen brushed it away but it was the cushion smouldering. Of course
there’s a nasty hole, we’re claiming from the insurance. Father did not want to,
but we have insisted that he does so. Why pay every year if we can’t claim? Poor
Margaret was troubled.
Lots of love from us all
Mother xxx
[1]
Ron is Arthur’s son who went to Canada and he had two boys
[2] Stockport
was where my other grandmother, aunties, great-aunties and uncles, and cousins
lived. It was at least 5 hours if not more on the train.
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