Letters from a Jersey Mother 1956-61

18 April 1960 My dear Len and Margaret This is Easter Monday afternoon. It’s a nice sunny day but there is a cold wind. Yesterday was fine and sunny also but again a cold wind. On the whole it’s been a lovely Easter. I don’t like these holidays for the reason that, we get no Evening Post or no mail. There has been no mail since Saturday. I find that too long. Margaret and Charles were having tea here yesterday. Doreen and her family were supposed to have tea with us on Good Friday but they only came for the afternoon. Doreen said if they remained to tea they would have to go back early on account of the twins who have to go to bed early, it would have meant coming back to a cold house and again too late to settle down to an evening. They decided it better not to stay here, they went back at 6 o’clock.   Kay and Arthur came during the evening. It was a wet evening, it started to rain during the afternoon, which spoilt it for people who were out. We are invited to a...

28 March 1960 My dear Len & Margaret Monday A.M. This is a miserable wet & cold morning, yesterday it rained all day, worse in the afternoon. This bad weather has come with the moon, those easterly winds we are having are not very nice. They can keep on for a long time. No use grumbling we can't do anything about it.  As you know Russ Conway has now arrived at Yaralla. You know I never thought I would have that picture of him. It's a lovely photo, with his best face on, his charming smile & lovely set of teeth. Well you know I did not really know what to say or do with it when I got it on Friday, it was an unsealed envelope. I nearly did not open it thinking it was from some firm advertising their firm. Then I noticed it had the post mark of St. Johns Wood, this made me open it, but when I saw the lovely face coming out if the envelope, I first could not make it out. I felt so surprised, then I saw it was Russ, I had a good laugh to myself. Now I don'...

13 March 1960 My dear Len & Margaret Although this is only Sunday eve I will start a few lines on this letter. I have no news today, but the little I know now I can just as well put it down. That will be less for later on. Today has been dull weather. It rained a little this afternoon.  I guess Len. remembers Mr. Le Brun from Bond Street? He passed away on Friday. The funeral is tomorrow, the service is to be at Grove Place. Father hopes to go to the funeral service. He had not been well for some time. On Friday evening Father & I went to the hospital to see my cousin Clarence Trachy who is there. He has a bleeding ulcer, he has been pretty bad. He had not been well for some time, but like many others he would not see a doctor. In the end he had to call a doctor in, he found him quite bloodless. The doctor told him that is was high time he was seen to. He could not have lived much longer. In fact after he had been in hospital they were very worried about h...

6 March 1960 My dear Len and Margaret Sunday evening. Just a little start on this letter. Margaret and Charles will soon be here, but until then I will do a bit of office work. My Canadian letters are just finished. Dad is passing them over to find the mistakes and he finds a few, not surprising at my age, but then I think I do very well considering, don’t you? It’s been a lovely day. It’s kind of frosty this evening. Today about 200 people are walking round the island, they have to take the coast road all round. They left the Weighbridge at 8 o’clock and they must be back at 10 pm. After that they will be disqualified. I quite believe that quite a number of them have backed out before half the day. The youngest in this crowd is 10 years old. I doubt whether this one will go round. If he has backed out I don’t know how he will find his way back to his home. I think some of the older ones are over 60 years old, this is a new craze, they are doing it in England, so Jersey ...

28 February 1960 My dear Len and Margaret Sunday 4:10. Again making a start on this letter. It has been a beautiful day. Lovely sunshine, but a change seems to be working up. It’s doubtful if it will be so fine tomorrow. What a surprise that has leaked out. The engagement of Princess Margaret, no-one expected this bit of joyful news to come over the TV on Friday. We were very lucky to hear the first announcement when they interrupted the programme to give out this news. It happened that Kay and Arthur were here having supper with us and we were just listening and watching a programme about gardening in which Arthur was interested. This was just before supper, in fact we were all having a glass of sherry before the meal (except me), I had orange, then all of a sudden the programme was stopped and the good news came out. We just did not know what to say. Roselle was not in the room at the moment which was a pity, she was seeing to the supper. Kay quickly told her and Rose...

21 February 1960 My dear Len and Margaret Sunday 5 'o clock. I will not go far with this letter, it will be getting time for tea. Today has been beautiful weather, sunshine all day, but not too warm. I don't think this weather will last long, it's already getting cloudy. Well the Royal baby has arrived & a Prince at that, it's wonderful. Not such crowds holding up the railings of Buckingham Palace, though I guess some are still there trying to find out what they can see. I can't really understand the madness of these people shivering in the cold &  rain. Had they to do it to earn their money they would grumble. Most of last week people have been keeping their wireless going on all day, so as to be sure not to miss the first announcement of the birth. Kay kept on carting her portable radio from room to room all day long, yet she has missed it. This child was born on Friday afternoon. Kay was in town, she had thought it might happen the time she ...

31 January 1960 My dear Len & Margaret This is Sunday afternoon. I thought I would make a start on this letter. My Canadian letters are just about done. It's not often I'm about finished with them so early.  The weather has been lovely today. Sunshine almost all day. The air is cold but it's dry. There seem to be plenty traffic on the road. People are taking advantage of this fine weather. According to the radio you seem to be having plenty snow in some parts of Scotland, have you got much round your way? However soon the worst of the winter will be over. Tomorrow brings February, once January is out the days lengthen & the sun gets a little warmer day by day.  Day by day I am waiting to know if the Royal baby has arrived. It should not be very long now. I am wondering if the great day will happen on Len's birthday. If it's a girl this is the names I will like her to have: Victoria, Elisabeth, Caroline & if a fourth name Mary. If it's a ...

19 January 1960 Dear Len  + Margaret This is Tuesday evening. I don't know how far I will go with this letter. Doreen & Nick will be coming later in the eve. But I would like to get on because we have the Le Feuvre's tomorrow eve & this letter has to be mailed as usual on Thursday A.M.   Our weather has now improved & it's not quite so cold as if has been. No more snow at the moment. We went to Les Augerez this afternoon. Aunty is keeping fairly well, though I think she feels lonely & tired at times. Once the spring comes & the weather more pleasant so she can do some gardening it will be better for her, then she will be going out more. Last Wednesday Dad & I were having tea at Margarets. She had the Le Feuvre's in for the evening. We left there at 9.30 for our 1st Tower bus, which was the last one. The le Feuvre's did not like it too well, they asked if we had to leave so early, yes we said this was our last 1st Tower bus. Mrs. ...

19 October 1959 My dear Len and Margaret Monday Evening. We are now having more winter weather. Saturday evening was dreadful, it blew to gale force, with heavy rain, trees were blown down in the country, and telephone lines were brought down. We have not had such an evening since last winter. It blew quite hard yet yesterday, but nothing to what it was on Sat. our chrysanthemums that were in full bud are all nipped off. There are no buds left, I can just cut down the stalks now. The geraniums have suffered quite a lot. I’m not the only one to which this has happened. Although there was such a gale outside we had an enjoyable evening. Roselle treated the family to a little dinner at the Grand Hotel. The reason for this was that Roselle had received one of her insurances so on the strength of this she decided to give a little dinner. We had a very nice meal, but there was a disappointment, Charles was not there with us, he is not well at the moment. He is laid up for some ...

1 September 1959 Dear Len  + Margaret Tuesday A.M. Not that I have really the time to write this A.M. It's just to give me a few minutes rest. I have extra work to do now that is helping Dad to dress etc. Also he used to do quite a bit of little things which fall on me now. His arthritis does not seem to be improving very much, in fact this A.M. he told me he thought I would have to wash him & help him to get ready to go to town. He is going for treatment at 12 'o clock noon. He has a long way to walk there & back, this fellow is in St. Marks Rd. He's properly fagged out when he gets home at lunch time. I make him rest on the couch after dinner, with trouble of course. Still he does. I wish he would start to improve. I've told Roselle to tell Kay that we will not go for our usual drive this afternoon. Dad does not want to but knowing Kay she may insist that we can go. I want to thank you both for the nice tin of biscuits you gave Roselle to bring us....

18 August 1959 My dear Len and Margaret Tuesday AM Here I am sitting to do a bit of writing, just make a little start on this letter. First of all will you please thank Mrs Booth (Mum’s mum) for the nice picture card I received from her yesterday, this will be another addition for my album. Please tell her I will be writing to her one of these days, how long is Mrs B going to be with you? I guess the two ladies are enjoying themselves and that they can manage to have some good weather. I have an idea that your summer has not been over good, which is a pity. Roselle started on her holidays yesterday. She is starting with good warm weather. I hope for her sake it will continue to be so. She needs some fresh air before she goes back to work. Kay took her and Margaret out yesterday for the afternoon. They went to La Pulente. In the morning Rose went to the hairdressers, after that she took the twins out to coffee, then made a few errands and came home. She has gone to town ...