Letters from a Jersey Mother 1956-61

23 March 1959 My dear Len. + Margaret This is Monday evening & very early to make a start on your letter, but it's better to make an early start & make sure to have it finished in time for mailing at the right time. Is Lennard properly settled after his short Jersey holiday? When we came back from the airport after seeing Len. off, Roselle had gone to work, but before she left, she had cleaned & set both fires ready for lighting. Also she had stripped Len's bed, folded the sheets ready for the laundry, also washed the few breakfast dishes we had used & set the table again for if we wanted a little more breakfast & got herself ready for work. I thought she should never have done all that work in such a short time as she had before leaving for work. All the same Dad was pleased not to have the fires to see to before getting ready for work, but as I said, I could have done them myself. I guess that Margaret was pleased to see you back, I hope all...

20 May 1958 My dear Len and Margaret Again I am writing my letter a little early in the week. Well how are you all getting on? I guess you are now getting settled with your new surroundings, also that you have made a few friends and that Margaret is now liking it over there. As for you Len, are you finding work going to your liking? I do hope you are to build up a good business as you have done to the other places you have been, and show good results. Do you understand all this broad accent well, or do you find it difficult when you go round for business? But then as you have been in Edinburgh before this broad accent would be easier for you. How do the children manage it at school? Children pick up language very quickly, don’t they? How are they getting on with their home lessons? I quite agree they may not like it over much, at the same time a little home work is good for them, especially for Susan at her age now. She will want to get on, you see having moved so many tim...

When my mother died suddenly in 1979 at the age of 57 we were shocked, upset and didn't know what to do. It fell to me and one of my brothers, Paul, to empty her flat. Furniture and household equipment was easy but what to do with 'stuff'? Letters, photos and other ephemera went into a suitcase which I have carried around Britain with me ever since.  This year, 2017, has been a horrible year for our family. Both my brothers, John and Paul, got prostate cancer and while they were both very ill Paul asked to see some family photos, so for the first time in 38 years I opened the suitcase. Amongst the papers and photos, I kept coming across letters from my grandmother to (mainly) her son, my father, her favourite. She never did approve of my mother who was Catholic, and was horrified that my father had changed his religion to marry Mum. My aunts used to tell me how spoiled he was, his 3 older sisters had to wait on him, clean his shoes and put up with it when he stole their...