Letters from a Jersey Mother 1956-61

1 July 1958 My dear Len and Margaret This is Tuesday eve. It has started to rain, the weather feels thundery. We are thinking of you all and wondering how you are enjoying your holiday, we hope you are having a nice time, enjoyable time and that you are comfortable in your unusual holiday quarters. We will be looking forward to know all about it. This afternoon was our usual afternoon for Kay to take us out. We changed the outing a bit. Kay and Margaret called for us, but Dad and I got down at Uncle Frank to go and tell them about Doreen’s engagement taking place on Saturday. K & M continued their journey to St Brelades, had their afternoon cup of tea at Sandiway, then they picked us up again. Give us a thought on Saturday eve having a little engagement party. But perhaps you won’t have this letter in time, we don’t know what day you are getting back home. We will be the family only, Nick’s mother arrives on Friday, she will be with us too. That means we will be 10 a...

3 June 1958 My dear Len and Margaret This is Tuesday eve and do you know I am still waiting for that letter from you started last Wednesday, at least you told Roselle when you phoned that we would be having that letter either on Friday or Saturday. These two days are now well over, and here we are to Tuesday June 3 rd and no letter. Can your account for it Len? I don’t blame Margaret because I know she has her hands full with the children and housework, though I quite believe this long awaited letter has been resting in your pocket all this time. Ah well, I guess it will arrive sometime. Today was our usual Tuesday afternoon out. Well we started the afternoon by going to Bellozanne Valley. We went there to get some compost to spread on the soil. This is very good. We had two boxes of it. Kay also got a box full for Arthur, he wanted a little to put to his fruit trees and other plants. He had a rather big quantity a little while back to put on his soil. This compost is...

27 May 1958 My dear Len and Margaret This is Tuesday eve. I must get on with this letter as far as possible, it must be finished by tomorrow eve so as to be able to mail it on Thursday. It seems to me that if we mail on Friday you may not have it until Monday. I am hoping we get a letter from you tomorrow so as to help me with this letter, because I haven’t got news for you. Dad has gone to the Temple [1] This will be his last time until September, they close for the summer months. Doreen is doing a little washing, Nick is standing by her side, he had lunch with us today, the twins were spending the day at Wynnes, they are in their school holidays. Doreen asked if he could have lunch with us instead of going home alone. We went to Les Augerez this afternoon. Uncle [2] was sitting on the garden seat in the yard enjoying the sunshine. He looks better, I think he does a little more walking in the yard, but you know he is not very steady on his legs, but sitting in the s...

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...

21 April 1958 My dear Len and Margaret This is Monday eve. Very early to make a start on your letter, isn’t it? But then it will only be started. We have just enjoyed two summer like days. Of course we don’t know how long this kind of weather is going to continue, it has turned out cooler this eve. For the first time this winter we have not lit a fire, Father is alone in the front room with his TV. He has the paraffin stove lit. Father has been to his Rent Tribunal outing this afternoon. Gladys and Eddie (Syvret) were here last evening, they came after Chapel service. I think Eddie has gone much thinner. Joan was not with them, she was busy doing shorthand which she is now learning. I believe she is going to New Zealand in August, I think it’s with the intention of remaining there for some months, I think this is the reason she is learning shorthand. She finds Jersey too slow for her. She has been to New Zealand before on holiday when her Father was still on the boat, now h...

8 April 1958 My dear Len and Margaret This is Tuesday eve. I'm making a little start on my letter to make sure that it started. Today has still been pretty cold, the sun came out for a little while this afternoon. At the moment for a change father is listening to the wireless. Wilfred Pickles and Mabel his wife, are in Alderney on the air there I don't know what they're talking about. I think it's 'Have a Go', of course dad is interested in Wilfred. This gives us a rest from TV. I have spoken too quickly,  Dad is already through with the Alderney programme which lasted only half an hour, now without taking any time TV is on. We had an Easter card from Cyril and Grace also a letter, Cyril is not too good, he is now getting out of breath when he walks to work. Well as you remember he was bad with thrombosis two or three years ago. Since then he has had to take things easy. Now that he has developed getting out of breath he decided to see the doctor ab...

1 April 1958 My dear Len and Margaret This is Tuesday eve and I’m making a start on your letter. I am not sure if it will go as usual on Friday (Good Friday). I think we will have to mail it on Thursday eve. We have been to St Peter this afternoon, this was our second visit this year. Uncle John is about the same. The only thing he is trying to stay in bed all day. Aunty has trouble to have him to get up, it would be a bad thing if he started not to get up. The weather has been colder today. There was a fog this morning which made it feel cold. Now that we are in April we will expect to have some nice sunny weather. On Good Friday afternoon Kay, Arthur, Jean and little Jane will call in time for afternoon tea. Jean and Jane go back to England on Tuesday and won’t return here before they go to Canada next month. Well now, I did not finish answering the news on your letter last week, but then I don’t really know on what I spoke, very likely I am going to say thin...

Started on 31.12.1957 My dear Len and Margaret Many thanks for both your most welcome letters received this AM. Dad is all by himself in the front room looking at TV. He has had the paraffin stove to keep him warm. The reason we have not lit a fire there this eve is because both girls are out and of course I did not want to see TV, we have enough of it every evening, really too much of it. I don’t know how long Dad is going to be there. He wanted to see ‘What is my Life’ but I think that’s finished long ago, he must have found something else of interest, the girls said there was nothing special, but you know Dad. Everything is always lovely in the garden. We are pleased you had a lovely Christmas, the same as we did. Your gifts were also plentiful which meant lots of paper all over the place. I have nothing to report about our Christmas. I told you all on my last letter. We are pleased that Margaret was able to change her stockings, sorry we sent a size too small, we must ...