Letters from a Jersey Mother 1956-61

2 October 1960 My dear Len and Margaret This is Sunday afternoon, the weather is miserable and dull and colder. Dad has lit a fire in the front room. This is our first fire this Autumn, but I know that Rose who is always so cold is longing for a fire. She is having her bath and doesn’t know that she will have the pleasant surprise to see a fire when she gets in the room. Not that I think it will be warmer than with the stove but it will be a brighter outlook to see the blaze of a burning fire, it’s really what it amounts to . Many thanks for the two letters received one after the other, well I will say that I was a bit put out by the first letter on account that there was no mention about my unfortunate fall. This made me wonder if I had told you about it, but this kind of a happening, I could not have failed to mention it. I thought at first you had just forgotten but that you would speak on it on the next letter. Well the following day to the first letter received, ...

25 th September 1960 My dear Len and Margaret This is Sunday eve. I’ve just finished my Canadian letters I will now make a little start on this one. The trouble is I haven’t got anything to say. Margaret and Charles are not here this evening, they have gone to Auntie Blanche to tea, also Jacqueline the twin they have care of. Roselle and Nicola left home after lunch to spend the afternoon at the Airport, Nicola wanted to go there. They walked into town to catch the Airport bus , when they got there they bus had gone, they just missed it. They decided to go to St Brelades, they enjoyed it equally as well, it’s been a lovely and sunny afternoon. The doctor visited me on Thursday. I did not quite know what his findings were going to be after my unfortunate fall the week before, but he said I was alright. On that I said my blood pressure not gone up? No, he said, more or less it’s gone down a little. He finds the cooler weather agrees with me, well it does really, much ...

19 September 1960 My dear Len & Margaret Monday 4.50. Just a few lines before I get the meal ready. This is a dull day. We've just had a heavy showery rain, thundery rain. Doreen & Nick have left on their holiday this A.M. I think they should have had a nice trip over. Their plane left at 10 A.M. or that is to say, supposed to leave at that time. They were flying to Bournemouth & then go on to Ringwood until Sat. they are going to visit one of Nick's brothers. Then on Sat. they go to Hayes, stay with Enid, I think until Thursday. While they are at Hayes they will visit Barbara. We hope they enjoyed a nice holiday & good weather which is the main thing while on holiday.  We have one of the twins staying with us, Nicola. Margaret has Jacqueline, this will mean a little holiday for them. I am wondering how they will sleep their first night which is today of course. Nicola may be the one who might find her sleep disturbed on account of the traffic whi...

11 September 1960 My dear Len and Margaret Sunday 4:35. I am starting this letter early in the week as you will see. I want a good start on it because as you know there’s always someone here most evenings, and especially this week. I think Margaret will be coming each evening unless it’s Tuesday when Doreen will come. You see Roselle is leaving for London this afternoon. Her plane leaves at 20 to 7. The time she is away Margaret says she must come and see that we are all right. This is the reason I want to hurry my writing on. I have just finished my Canadian writing. Roselle will return on Wednesday about 6 o’clock. She is getting away on her buying for Christmas. I’m pleased she won’t be away for long this time, I think she is going to have a nice flying trip, it’s beautiful weather.   It has been so for the last 3 days, just lovely September weather, sunshine and very pleasant. It would be nice to have it like this for the month. July and August were not very nice...

5 th September 1960 My dear Len and Margaret This is Monday eve and here I am again with my hard work in thinking what to find out what to say on this letter. Roselle is having tea at Margaret’s today. We miss her around, it’s a change for her to go out sometimes. I don’t know if they will go out somewhere after tea. Last time she went there they went to Greve de Lecq. Mr Laine passed away on Saturday afternoon, he had been ill for over a year and had suffered much. I can’t tell you what his illness was but it was a terrible illness, something inwardly.  Tomorrow when we go for our weekly drive, we are invited to afternoon tea at Mr & Mrs Davis at Trinity. They have just had a new bungalow or house. I really don’t know what it is, anyway they want us to go and see their new place. I think it’s built in a rather out of the way place, on the heights, and I believe there is quite a number of steps attached to this place. I can’t really understand people of a cert...

15 August 1960 My dear Len & Margaret Monday 4.45. The weather did not look too promising this A.M. but the day has turned out fine. Only it's windy but dry & sunshine.  Many thanks for your very nice letter received this A.M. Margaret. Oh yes we had a card from Susan when they went to Blackpool. They seemed to be having a very nice time & no doubt their holiday will have done them good. Well Margaret as you say you miss the children, it's only natural isn't it? You don't say when they will be back, but guess that will be soon. Fancy little Roselle going to school next month. Will it be at the same school as Susan? I guess it is, she will be able to take care of her, because she is too young to go on her own. I quite believe she will like going to school. Oh before I go further Margaret & also before I forget I must say how very sorry I feel about not having mentioned the surprise we were to have when we went to Doreen some time back. I rea...

8 August 1960 Dear Len and Margaret Than you very much for your nice gift and good wishes. It was very kind of you. I have bought a nice pipe and a Barling as for cigars. I smoke very few. I prefer my pipe and a lighter,   I find you taste the petrol. I am fixed up for a while. I had a nice small cake that Barry’s daughter made for me when I went down to the Club this morning. He presented it to me so we had a few drinks. I treated 7 or 8 of the chaps, they were all pleased. We have the family coming this evening for a drink. I wish you were with us. I am lucky so far, I buy my whisky by the dozen at a time. I have a pal who gets it wholesale for me. It costs 19/2 a bottle instead of 23/- around your way, where it is much more expensive. We were lucky to have had fine weather for the Battle of Flowers last Thursday. They are always lucky. I don’t know if it will take place again after the trouble at the end with these teddy boys and others. People are a bit dissatisfie...

1 st August 1960 My dear Len and Margaret Just to think this is the 1st of August, the summer will soon be gone and the autumn will be with us before we know it. The weather is very unsettled , showery and little sun, also windy. This is not nice weather to go on a picnic. This is rather disappointing for those who had planned to have a day out. You can’t sit on the grass this kind of weather. For us we have part of the family coming in to tea – they are Doreen and her family, Margaret and Charles, so you see we will be busy. Not me so much but Roselle is the one who will have more to do. It is nearly time for lunch. Roselle is getting it ready , bacon and egg, with chips. I am not having this, I will just have a cold sausage and maybe just a spoonful of chips. You see we had breakfast late – 10:30. Dad had 3 slices of toast. I, the greedy one, had 4 slices, so you can well understand that I don’t feel very hungry. I don’t suppose Dad does either. We won’t take our usual...

12 June 1960 My dear Len & Margaret Sunday evening. It has been a dull & sunless day, it is now raining. I don't know if Margaret & Charles will come.  I don't really know what to start saying. There is not much to say. Effie & Philip Le Brun spent the evening here on Friday. They phoned about 5.30 to say that they would like to come that evening. Well we didn't mind really, we were pleased to see them. But we would perhaps have preferred another evening as Kay & Arthur were coming & Friday is their evening. However we spent a nice evening all together. Effie wanted us to go to them on a Sunday, but as usual Father told her he doesn't want to go out, therefore it was decided that we would go one afternoon for afternoon tea. When Kay takes us out, we are to let Effie know when that will be. We must not leave it too long, because Effie will think we don't want to go at all. On Friday evening we had some English people visiting us w...

16 May 1960 My dear Len and Margaret Monday eve. We are now having fine and warm weather, we had two thunderstorms and quite a lot of rain a few days ago. The rain has done a lot of good, everything is now fresh looking and growing is noticed. Last Friday evening when Kay and Arthur came for the evening they brought a few tomato plants for Roselle. I thought she would put them in pots as she did last year, but instead Arthur put them in for her and if you please he put them in my flower borders, and without asking my permission. Of course I could not say anything. I guess they will do better in the open ground, so if it’s not cabbages it’s tomatoes in my garden. On Friday I dug a narrow trench about a foot and a half deep between my border and the house. There is a long time that there is some dampness in the dining room where the ground was touching the house. I told Father that we must make a little trench. A few years ago we had placed some stones against the hou...

9 May 1960 My dear Len & Margaret This is Monday evening & Liberation Day which is a holiday. Margaret & Charles are here. They came to tea. It's now gone 9 'o clock but no one speaks, all eyes on T.V. or others reading. So I thought I could just write a few lines instead of being like a mute, not saying any thing & not interested in T.V. I guess you would do the same if you were in my place, oh maybe you would not though because I don't think writing is much in your line. It has been a lovely day. This morning was fine & dry, but no sun. The afternoon has been sunny & warm. I had a very busy time this A.M. Roselle being home I thought she did not want me to fuss around her, I decided to wash the flower pots. I had hinted at Father some time back that it was time they were washed & put away, but Father did not seem to want to hear what I was saying. So today my holiday was to wash the flower pots. I erected a place to put my washing t...