11 September 1960. Illnesses, twins and new hats

11 September 1960

My dear Len and Margaret

Sunday 4:35. I am starting this letter early in the week as you will see. I want a good start on it because as you know there’s always someone here most evenings, and especially this week. I think Margaret will be coming each evening unless it’s Tuesday when Doreen will come.

You see Roselle is leaving for London this afternoon. Her plane leaves at 20 to 7. The time she is away Margaret says she must come and see that we are all right. This is the reason I want to hurry my writing on. I have just finished my Canadian writing. Roselle will return on Wednesday about 6 o’clock. She is getting away on her buying for Christmas. I’m pleased she won’t be away for long this time, I think she is going to have a nice flying trip, it’s beautiful weather.  It has been so for the last 3 days, just lovely September weather, sunshine and very pleasant. It would be nice to have it like this for the month. July and August were not very nice. I prefer the autumn season best of all, only for a drawback, you feel that winter is ahead and coming fast. But it may not be a severe winter, we hope so anyway.

Auntie Blanche is not too good. She hasn’t been well for some time. We kept on telling her to see a doctor, she would not listen, she’s been having severe pains in her head for a long time but now she still has them but also she has pains in her side under the heart, especially when she’s in bed. She has to get up and come downstairs; this has now decided her to see a doctor. She had him on Tuesday the 6^th. We didn’t know anything about it until Friday when she went to town as she generally does on a Friday afternoon and meets Kay. They go together to have a cup of tea at De Gruchys. It was then that Auntie told Kay that she had to have the doctor, he told her that she had high blood pressure. She is now taking tablets, we hope they will do her good. 

We have asked her to come here for a week with us, of course this is out of the question. Auntie doesn’t want to leave home as long as she is able to look after herself it’s all right, but if she had to be looked after, I don’t know where she would go. She also complains of her breathing. Kay said she looked tired on Friday. She comes with us when we go out on Tuesdays. I guess all this is the reaction of the past.

It’s now 7:10. Roselle must be well on her way now. She said she would not be at her hotel before 9 o’clock. She’s booked at the Ivanhoe but they did not promise if they could take her, but if not they would find where to put her.

I think I mentioned on your last letter that we were invited to Mrs Davis for afternoon tea on Tuesday to see her new house. Well we went. It’s a house in a way but they have a flat upstairs where they have all their living rooms, bedrooms and bathrooms. On the ground floor is store rooms except that Mr Davis has his office there too. I really can’t understand them living upstairs when they could have lovely rooms on the ground floor. This means each time they open the front door they have to go right away up all these stairs to their living rooms. They have a very big lounge with the dining room at one end. I always like a dining room to be separate, there it is it’s for the ones who pay to choose.

Tuesday eve

Now to end this letter because tomorrow we go to the Le Feuvre’s , no writing done. We were pleased to hear your voice last evening, but also a letter would have been very much appreciated. I guess it won’t be long before we get one now. We were very pleased to hear that you were all well. Dad told you that we were just back from visiting Auntie M when you phoned. We found her going down very quickly. We did not like the look of her eyes. She was very flushed last eve. We are not sure that she knows us when we go to see her. She doesn’t speak to us. It would be a blessing if she was taken, first for her self and for all around her. Gladys was at the hospital at the same time as we were. She and ourselves found her very changed for the worse.

I think I told you we were going to tea at Doreen’s last Wed and we did go and saw their new carpet. It’s very nice, it a mottled green and black, it’s a quiet design. Doreen and Nick will leave for London on a short holiday on Monday 19, I think they will stay a couple of days at Enid Hacquoil, they will also visit a brother of Nick’s in London. When they are away Margaret and ourselves will have the twins, we will have each one. We will have Nicola and Margaret will have Jacqueline. They will be at school all day. Nick’s mother always has them for lunch, but I don’t think it’s a cooked lunch. We will give them one in the evening. Margaret is wondering how we are going to manage each our twin. I don’t think they will be any bother as long as they sleep and eat well that will be the main thing. It will be just for 10 days, that will pass quickly. D & N are coming here this evening. 

I am thinking of going to town on Thursday AM to buy myself a hat to go with my new black coat.

I’m sorry for another little scrap of paper I thought I would finish on the other piece, but as you know I always have a habit of lengthening what I’m saying, anyway about buying a hat. It must be a rather bright one to go with black. I’m thinking of a red one or a green. I will meet Kay and Doreen and Margaret in the Arcade and we will go up for coffee. After that the hat performance will start. I simply hate buying a hat. Of course if De G haven’t got one to my liking I will go somewhere else. I will not be made to buy what I don’t like. We’ll see.

There is nothing else to add to this letter. We hope you are all well

Lots of love from all

Love, Mother xxx