Letters from a Jersey Mother 1956-61

13/7/1959 My Dear Len and Margaret This is Monday eve. I will start by saying especially for Len’s benefit that his Mother is again at her writing desk and still using his unloved paper, [1] with it all he may be pleased to read the letter, though there is no news of importance. Now then what can I find to say? I’m sure I don’t know what to say. Oh yes, I’m sure I do. It’s that there hasn’t been a letter from him this last fortnight, maybe the heat has upset him. In that case I will forgive him because I also feel very miserable in the heat. One thing I will say which is unusual for me is that I am wearing a nice red carnation while I am writing. Dad and Rose looked at me in astonishment when I came in, they were very surprised that I had picked one. The reason I picked it was because the petals were beginning to fall, so I thought it was of no use leaving it pull on the root, and also it was too nice to throw in the dustbin. I thought it wiser to wear it, those who pass the ...

16.6.59 My Dear Len and Margaret This is Tuesday AM and I’m sitting down to my writing. This is a fine morning, though there’s a fresh wind. Thanks for nice letter received on Saturday AM. We notice how Len is interested reading about the stock markets. I don’t blame him, this is a man’s reading, especially for a man who is in the kind of business as Len is. It keeps him in touch with these things (a person like Mother would not understand anything about it). I’m not sure Dad is up to it either. Len is the one who understands. I guess Margaret is not very interested but then this is not the kind of reading that appeals to her. We see you are still in Scotland, no further news from Manchester.  Len is wise to make sure before changing his present job, these days everyone has to be careful not to take a wrong step. Ah Len, what an untrustworthy man that Mr Bayley is, fancy stuffing you with the tale that he had left home that A.M. in a hurry and had left without mo...

08.6.59 My Dear Len + Margaret This is only Monday evening. I will make a little start on this letter. First of all & before I forget I want to thank Len for the nice picture card I received from him while he was in the 'Isle of Skye'. Very nice of him to have sent us one. One more for my album. I must admit though maybe it sounds rather rude, but I was expecting one from there. I would have been disappointed if he had forgotten to send one, many thanks. Roselle + I are a bit disturbed this evening. Dad is not disturbed, as you know he wants a lot to make him worry. Anyway this is the story. While we were still at the tea table two fire engines passed going St. Aubins way. We imagined there was a fire somewhere. Then a number of ambulances started to pass, also going St. Aubin's way. After a while they passed back towards town, but came back again. We are now imagining that it might be a plane that has come down at the airport. Mrs. Falle told me she heard a pl...

4 May 1959 My dear Len and Margaret Monday evening. It has been a lovely day. Beautiful sunshine, but not too warm, although warm enough for me. Dad and I have visited John at the hospital. Aunt B was there too also uncle Frank arrived. We had a chance to be brought back, this is the reason I am able to start on this letter. If uncle F had not been there Aunt B was coming back with us + remain here until 9 'o clock. There was no other bus to take her back before. Uncle too has taken her back.  Uncle J is getting on fine. He says he has improved quite a lot today. He certainly is looking very well. His face seems to have filled out. He will be pleased when he can get back home. Now before I get on further I want to thank Len. for the lovely PC's he sent along with his letter. I am very pleased to have them + one of these days I will be putting them in my album, preferably this week. I have not put in any new ones since these extra pages have been added. Kay has also...

31 March 1959 My dear Len and Margaret Although it’s now gone 9 o’clock and I’ve finished my Canadian letters, I feel I must start a few lines on my Glasgow letter, otherwise you good people will not receive your weekly letter. I blame holidays for this, why must there be holidays, they disturb the usual routine. In less than 3 hours March will have passed away, it is disappearing as a lamb, today has been perfect weather, sunshine the whole day. It has been like a summer day, the sun was warm. Yesterday Easter Monday was fine and dry, but there was a cold wind, people needed their coats. Still it was fine enough for people to go out in the country, this made up for Sunday’s rainy day. Wednesday evening Here I am again to see if I can get through this letter so that it can be mailed in the morning. I don’t really like to be so late with my letters. I am trying hard so that you can have it. First of all I want to thank you very much for the lovely picture you sent us...

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...

9 March 1959 My dear Margaret and all Monday eve. It seems rather strange to me to be writing to you only, Margaret. Still I want you to have your weekly letter as usual. Wednesday is getting very near now. We hope Len has a nice trip over and no fog to delay his arrival. We received Len’s short note today saying that he had arranged to leave the conference at 4.45 on Wednesday even if it has not finished. He doesn’t mean to miss his plane, does he? Yesterday AM there was quite a thick fog. It cleared up late morning but returned in the evening. Some planes could not land, they flew back to Dinard. Today has been a fine day, nice for drying. We are having quite a bit of a hectic time these days and more so tomorrow. Well this is it, Roselle has decided that we cook by electricity, we are going to have the electric cooker this week. We have been trying to have it installed before Lennard comes. We thought this was very doubtful, anyway Nick has the order for fixing our co...

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...