Letters from a Jersey Mother 1956-61

13 January 1959 My dear Len and Margaret Monday Evening. Roselle had a letter from Margaret today. Many thanks for the nice long letter we received last week. We notice that quite a number of your Christmas gifts were delayed, although they were mailed in time, this sort of thing has to be expected at Christmas time. We are pleased you all liked your gifts. It’s nice to know that Margaret likes her tray, but I strongly hope she is not taking any notice of the calorie value of the foods for slimming. I do think she must ignore them. I very much doubt whether she can afford to slim more than she is, it would be drastic for her to try to do so. That stole that Roselle sent Margaret should help to keep her warm in this cold weather. Roselle gave me one for Christmas, it’s red on one side, the other side is a mixture, they are lovely stoles, so soft and warm. I am pleased that Len will find good use for his hair brush, it was really difficult to know what to give him....

16 December 1958 My dear Len and Margaret At last here I am in the front room, it is now after 8 o’clock. Roselle and I have been chatting at the tea table for such a long time, after that I peeled my potatoes for tomorrow  and then I helped  Roselle to peel  some apples to make an apple pie for tomorrow’s dinner, anyway I will try to put down a few lines in this letter. I went to town this AM. When I got to town I went right away to Margaret’s for a cup of coffee, then she came with me to do my shopping. We only went to the RU Stores, it took us quite a long time there, I had my club books to finish. I had done half of them last week. With my club book I have been building up my food store, it’s coming up nicely. I have salmon, crabmeat, sardines, pilchards, corn beef, Unox, tongue, Snax, peaches, apricots, pineapple, and mandarin oranges. I think this is all the kinds I have and quite a number of each tin. I have also 3 tins of biscuits, 2 huge jars of hari...

26 November 1958 My dear Len and Margaret Here I am this is Wed A.M. + gone 11 'o clock. I am late with this letter this week. If I don't hurry with it there will be no letter for Greenlees this week. I am hoping I am not disturbed this evening. I would have got on yesterday evening, as I generally do, but Father was at the Masonic Temple and as you know Roselle is sleeping at Kay's until Arthur comes back, which is tomorrow. Now Rose would not have me stay alone although I told her it was perfectly all right, that I wanted to get on with my writing & be quiet. This would not do for our lady, so Margaret & Charles had to come with me. They came to tea, of course I could not do any letter writing. I guess you will be surprised when you see the little paper cutting (missing) . I almost thought this fellow would remain a bachelor, but evidently he has come out of his shell. He is not so old as you are Len, is he? As you will see his fiancée is from North Wales...

18 November 1958 My dear Len and Margaret This is Tuesday evening but I must make a start on my writing. There will be no writing done tomorrow unless it’s in the morning. At this stage of my letter the phone rang. Roselle answered it, it was Flo Agnes. I think I had told you that they were coming to tea tomorrow, well the phone message was to say that Reg is down with ‘Flu’. Flo is just now getting over it, though she said she would have been well enough to come but today Reg is down with it. So now perhaps it doesn’t so much matter if this letter is not finished today, but then I will try to advance it as much as I can, so you don’t get disappointed on Saturday. We have been having a few days of what they call a ‘St Martins summer’, beautiful sunshine. I don’t know how long it’s going to last, though at this time of year it’s doubtful if it will last for many more days. Still this little spell has been very enjoyable for all. We haven’t been out for our usual Tuesday...

10 November 1958 My dear Len and Margaret Although this is only Monday eve, I thought it better to make a little start on this letter because if I don’t I may be disturbed. The Le Feuvres come on Wednesday eve, there will be no writing done. We were delighted to get a nice letter from Len this A.M., but I must say Len is a very naughty boy to pass such horrible remarks on my wedding hat. That was a brand new hat from the big firm of De Gruchys that I bought for the occasion. Everybody thought I looked very well, (and I think I did too) but I will say it doesn’t do me credit on the picture, in fact I don’t like myself there at all. I am just squatted between Dad and Charles. It’s as you say it seems they are both holding me up, but you know I had nothing to drink except a cup of tea. I admit I look just like an old grandma between these to men who are much taller than me. I did look very nice and dignified. You can laugh, but it’s quite true, I am really a bit disappointed ...

22 September 1958 My dear Len and Aile [1] Margaret, This is Monday eve. The weather is getting like autumn. We are looking forward to seeing Kay and Arthur tomorrow. They are at Alençon today and I think sleep there this night, tomorrow they get to St Malo then home. I hope they have a good crossing tomorrow eve. The Brittany arrives back at about 10 o’clock PM. Kay wrote to Roselle asking her if she would see about asking the men at De Gruchy’s to fetch their car at Sandiway during the day tomorrow and take it to the pier so that Arthur can come back in their own car and call at home.  Roselle has just left, she has gone to Sandiway to see that everything is alright and put some flowers on the tables to welcome them home. The Constable of St Helier passed away in the early hours of this A.M., he has been very ill for many months. The funeral takes place on Thursday at noon at St James Church. They don’t give time to the poor man to get cold that they are already w...

18 August 1958 My dear Len + Margaret I've hardly finished your last weeks letter, then I am starting on your next one. Although it's only Monday you will not get it before Saturday, but I am making a start on it so as to try not to let you down, though I still don't guarantee that you will get it, because you know we are going to be very busy for some days with the wedding + also the cutting of the cake. We are not looking forward to the cutting of the cake, this will be a long job.  Before I go further will you please thank Mrs.Booth (my mother's mother who lived in Stockport) for the lovely P.C. she sent us, it's a very fine one for my album. I have not had the chance to work on my album for a long time. I am thinking of taking a whole day to work on it, I have quite a number of nice & pretty cards to put in. Mrs. Booth seems to be enjoying herself she mentioned that she had been to Edinburgh, I guess that was there that she bought this nice ...

Fairfield St Peter A letter from Auntie Blanche – the only letter from Auntie B Thursday My Dear Lennard I daresay you know what a terrible thing for me it is to write, I presume that was why you sent me, I should say us, rather, such a lovely parcel. I think shortcake is just gorgeous, how we are enjoying it! Well, I thank you very much indeed for the kind thought, also for the very pretty postcard. Fancy thinking about us in the North of Scotland! I hope you had a nice holiday also Margaret and the children. Yes, as you say a camping coach would suit us well and I should enjoy it very much. So far I’ve never had a holiday, so I’m very much afraid I would not know how to set about it. Well now do you all like Scotland? Rather cold I think. Just when the children get settled at school you go off somewhere else, I daresay they think it exciting. Susan must be a big girl now, I shan’t know any of them when next I see them. What do you think of Doreen’...