25 October 1960. Two birthdays and a funeral

25 October 1960

My dear Len & Margaret

This is now 11AM and I’m sitting down to make a start on this letter. If I don’t press on it you may not get one this week, (I guess too bad). This eve Doreen and Nick will be coming, then Wednesday Dad and I will be going to Les Augerez to lunch. We will come back at 6 o’clock in the eve. Roy Fauvel and his wife will be coming to spend the eve and this letter has to be mailed on Thursday AM so you will understand the hurry.

By the time you get the letter you will know about Aunt Marie’s death which took place yesterday at 4.45. These last days her death was expected, it’s marvelous how she has lived so long. She must have been a strong person. At the same time it’s a relief that she has passed away and very peacefully. She was always in  the same position each time we went to see her, also she never complained, we don’t think she suffered pain. They kept her very tidy and clean at the hospital. The funeral will take place on Thursday afternoon at St Peters. The poor soul had been laid up for over two years, this is a long time when you can’t do anything for yourself. No-one could wish her back now.

Before I get on with this letter I must say that I really don’t know how to thank you both for the beautiful birthday gift you sent me, but you know you should not have sent me such an expensive gift, it was really too much. All the same I would not like to part with it, it’s really beautiful. One thing I’m rather sorry about is that as the parcel was sent from Edinburgh, I feel Margaret did not see it, neither the children. Well Margaret, you will have to come and see it next summer. We will expect you to do so.

Everyone likes this fish set and who wouldn’t? Except Doreen and Nick who have not seen it yet, they are coming this eve, they will see it then. I know they will be in love with it. We will use it when we have fish.

Before I get further I will answer on Margaret’s letter which we were very pleased to get yesterday and to know that the jumper fits Roselle and that she likes it. You all seemed to have enjoyed Roselle’s birthday party, although it was a little noisy. This is to be expected with children. At the same time I guess Margaret was pleased when this party was over.

I hope John is quite fit again and back at school. What a shame you gardener cut your trees right down and only left the trunks, they will take a time to grow again, but they will probably grow thicker. The idea of cutting them down to the trunk may be so that when the leaves fall they don’t fly all over the place and in other people’s gardens. Also fallen leaves when wet they are very treacherous under the foot also for car which are liable to skid on these leaves. However by next Spring they will start growing quickly again.

Margaret said on her letter that you were going North again this week. I hope you are not meeting with too bad weather, because at this time of year it can be real bad up North. Anyway whatever the weather Len, do be careful with your car, don’t risk anything. I also hope you have taken warm clothing should you need it and don’t have it stolen this time, this would be a bad ‘do’ wouldn’t it?

We are pleased that you have made some new friends, Margaret. This is good for you now that Roselle is at school, you are able to get our a little more. I notice you are also getting modern, you say that you had been to the hairdressers and had a brush wave also an Auburn rinse. This very nice if you like it and if it suits you. It’s something different to the ordinary. Do Len and the children like it, maybe they haven’t noticed it because I guess the auburn rinse is on the faint side. Kay often has a faint blue rinse, though sometimes it’s really too blue. This spoils it. Any hair rinse must be faint, too deeply done is ugly.

I will now stop and set the table for lunch.

Here I am again. Dad and I have just had a sleep, now 3.30. I must not forget to thank you for the lovely birthday card, it’s a very pretty one. Now then I guess you want to know all about my gifts. Well I’m afraid they were all very expensive ones, it really should not have been so, there was your fish set, then a lovely standard lamp from Kay and A. it has a very nice shade, which is lined inside to hide the wire frame. The top has a net lace over the lining, also a beautiful double fringe. The shade is beige in colour, we can’t light it yet because we must have a plug fix.

Dad gave me a blouse, lavender shade, very nice, Roselle a beautiful necklace, it’s got different colours, pink, etc, it looks very well on. Doreen a cushion, a green shade, it’s very nice. Margaret and Charles a lovely tartan rug all different colours in it, all wool, it’s a good one. I’ve put it on the couch in the dining room. The Davies sent me a lovely bouquet of carnations. Oh apart from the necklace from Roselle, she gave me a very nice teapot and teapot stand. The conditions are that I have to use them every day. I am doing so, also I had some sweets from Rose and Margaret.

Oh, also during the afternoon an orchid was sent for me from the florist, with a card saying ‘Please wear this orchid this evening’.it was a lovely one, it was Kay and Arthur who had ordered it to be sent to me, they must have paid some money for it. Also I had a number of birthday cards, all pretty and well chosen. I really was more than spoilt on my birthday and spent a very enjoyable day. The weather was perfect, sunshine the whole day until sunset. There was a long time since we had such a lovely sunshine day, we have not had it since.

Now about our dinner. We left home a little after 7.30. K & A called for us of course. We all looked very nice, the girls had been to the hairdressers, the men had had their hair cut. For myself, I was my own hair-dresser. I went in the yard and gave my hair a good brushing. It looked very nice too. Some people in the dining room told K that they had been watching me and they would not give me more than 65 years of age. I did not know the people neither did they know me until Saturday.

The Davies were there too having dinner with a little party. Mr Davies danced with Rose and Kay. He told K that he wanted to come over to our table and give me a drink. K told him not to because I didn’t touch anything, he felt rather disappointed about it and said how he would like to give me one. When we left the dining room to come home 11.30, we passed by their table. We shook hands to say goodnight and Mr Davies said how sorry he felt that he could not give me a drink. I thanked him for his kind thought.

Well we had a nice meal, some had soup, others had scampies. (sic) I had filleted sole, veal and an ice cream, coffee. Dad had scampies, veal, lager, coffee. Arthur, Charles and someone else had the same and white wine, coffee. We all did very well. During the courses the family went on the dance floor, except Dad and myself who remained at the table. Dad asked someone connected to the band if they would play ‘Happy birthday’ in my honour, this I appreciated very much. Oh yes, people looked. Later on, they played ‘Happy Birthday’ again for someone else in the room. It was a pleasant evening.

I forgot to say that the standard of my lamp is chromium, the base is a square mahogany. This standard lamp would show more to advantage if the room was larger, as it is, an armchair hides most of the standard and of course the base. However, it doesn’t really matter as long as I’ve got the lamp.

Roselle is busy these days making rosettes for the election. She hates having to do them, this is an order given at De Gruchys.

It’s now time I end this boring chapter, I guess I bore you sometimes with my letters. I will have to shorten them.

Hope you are all well, love to you all

Love

Mother xxx