18 April 1960. Formica topped table and Jersey Wonders

18 April 1960

My dear Len and Margaret

This is Easter Monday afternoon. It’s a nice sunny day but there is a cold wind. Yesterday was fine and sunny also but again a cold wind. On the whole it’s been a lovely Easter. I don’t like these holidays for the reason that, we get no Evening Post or no mail. There has been no mail since Saturday. I find that too long.

Margaret and Charles were having tea here yesterday. Doreen and her family were supposed to have tea with us on Good Friday but they only came for the afternoon. Doreen said if they remained to tea they would have to go back early on account of the twins who have to go to bed early, it would have meant coming back to a cold house and again too late to settle down to an evening. They decided it better not to stay here, they went back at 6 o’clock.  Kay and Arthur came during the evening. It was a wet evening, it started to rain during the afternoon, which spoilt it for people who were out.

We are invited to afternoon tea at Mr and Mrs Billy Gee on Wednesday. There is quite a time he has been asking Kay to take us, at last it’s arranged for Wed. From there Kay will take us back to Margaret where we will be having tea, this means not much rest on that day.

Our usual little group went to De Gruchy’s for coffee on Thursday. When we got to the tea room it was full, all the tables were taken, and we had to wait a few minutes. Other people who arrived after us had to want too, but you know some of these people who to for coffee, they can stay for ages smoking cigarettes and a gossip. I can’t enjoy my coffee when I see other people waiting. Then the town was full too, you had to push your way along. I don’t like going through town when there are so many people about. I find it very tiring.

You know what our usual group for coffee is, don’t you? Kay, Blanche, Margaret and myself, though I had not been for some time. I told Margaret that I would not be going into town very often this summer when all the visitors are here. She said that a Monday morning would be the best time to go to town, there would not be such a crush.

Now I must leave off to set the table for tea, which we are going to have early. Roselle is going to the opera House. The Governor is to be there. I guess it’s a big evening.

Tea is now over and here I am again, but since leaving off I’ve found no other news to say. I’m wondering if we will get a letter from some of you tomorrow.

Dad’s had an unusual morning, he’s been working all morning, trying to make a clearance in his shed. The poor dear did not know how to start about it. I went to give him a good start and put him on his way to clear. The reason he had to do it this AM was because Roselle has given me a nice table for the kitchenette. It’s a very nice one with a red Formica top and two drawers in the front with red handles. Otherwise this table is cream. Now we had to do away with the one that was there before , we had a very old one in the shed with lots of things on, so we have put the better table in the shed and have broken up the old one, as there was no room for both tables. Dad had to set to and remove the old one. He didn’t enjoy his morning too much, but my goodness there’s a lot to clear up in that shed. It will have to be done by degrees and I guess with my help to make things go. 

Roselle had to have this table made at De Gruchys, she could not get a ready made one. They told her at De Gruchys that they had 10 other orders for tables like ours with a red Formica top, they don’t keep this Formica in store, they had to wait a long time for it to arrive. It’s lovely but very expensive.

We are wondering if you have had some Wonders from the Le Feuvres. We have, but they are still at De Gruchys. Mim went to take them to Roselle on Saturday just on closing time. Rose was already loaded with her own parcels, she wasn’t pleased when she saw Mim with her ‘pages’. She has to leave the Wonders at the shop in a drawer until tomorrow, Tuesday. There is also some for Kay and Margaret with ours. Mim took Doreen hers, also just on closing time. She was not pleased. Mim asked Doreen to take the ones for Kay and Margaret. Doreen told her she could not possibly take them. She told Mim she was not going to see us, she sent her to Roselle which also made it impossible for Roselle to take them home. Mim has a very bad habit of doing her messages on closing time.

Dad is burning rubbish from the shed. This is giving us a good fire.

How have you been spending your Easter? Have you been out somewhere special?

I think I told you that Arthur had decided not to sell his bungalow. I will not repeat it. 

Now here I am to finish this letter. We had quite a lovely outing this afternoon. It was blowing pretty hard. It was a cold wind, we went to Green Island. We did not get out of the car, it was too cold. We came back across country to take Aunty home. She always seems to enjoy herself when she comes with us.

We hope this cold weather will not bring any white frost, it would be a great pity because the potatoes are looking very well.

We hope you are all keeping in the best of health.

Lots of love from we 3

Love, Mother xxx