Letters from a Jersey Mother 1956-61

10 February 1959 My dear Len and Margaret Tuesday evening. I must make a start on your letter, it has to be finished tomorrow, so as to be mailed on Thursday am. We have thought about Len today he being in London, having appointments with two Societies, that is the Municipal Unit Trust and also the Unicorn which he had in mind before, we will be anxious to know the results of these appointments; we are wondering if you will be returning home this eve. I guess you left early this morning, We hope all your colds are better and that everyone is fit again. No wonder you get colds, because you have had such terrible weather, is there some improvement to your weather? It’s time there should be. Oh the first thing I was supposed to say on this letter was that my beautiful plate is up at last. It went up on Friday eve at 8:45 and believe me it looks swell. There’s nothing else on the chimney breast but this lovely plate, it’s dignified on its own. I feel sorry that Margaret is...

29 January 1959 My dear Len and Margaret This is Tuesday evening. Father has gone to the Masons. I hope he's not too late to get back. We went on our usual drive, made it Corbiere again, it's been a truly lovely afternoon, nice and sunny. There was a certain heat in the sun, but in the shade it was rather cold. Kay had taken a bucket in the boot of the car, she was hoping to find some horse manure on the roads. Arthur wants some, this is not easy to find these days. In olden days it could be found everywhere, you could get as much as you liked.the horses are much fewer now. Anyway all she managed to find was just a handful in Mont Rossignol. She said she would continue to bring the bucket when we go out until she can find some though I think the cow manure would be better and could be found more easily in the fields. Roselle is busy in the kitchen making a lemon pie for tomorrow. She will very soon be here with me. I have made up a very nice fire with coal and logs...

21 January 1959 My Dear Len & Margaret, Wednesday evening. Dad is fixed on T.V. Roselle is having another busy evening with her stock sheets. I am longing for her to be through with them. It will be a few more evenings before she is finished with them. She finds these stock sheets very trying. I want to thank Margaret for the nice letter we received from her last week. We are very pleased that she likes the tray we sent her for Christmas. We all liked it too. It was kind of out of the ordinary + very interesting & useful looking through the calories, some of them giving useful tips. But I will say again Margaret had better ignore the ones for slimming, they are certainly not for her. We notice that your friends were also interested in this tray. Oh yes Margaret I'm very much taken up with that beautiful plate you sent, but disappointed to have to say that it's not put up yet, though we may have the pleasure to see it up on Friday if Arthur comes. He is to borrow the...

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...