Ada's Letter from Bude, January 1940

Date: 1940-01-21
Sender: Ada
Recipient: My own Darling One (likely husband)
Location: Rosemary Cottage, 7 Granville Terrace, Bude, Cornwall
Original scan: 1940-01-21-ada-to-husband-family-news-bude.pdf




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Summary

Ada writes to her 'Darling One' from Bude, Cornwall, detailing family life amidst WWII. She mentions Penna's health and development, Gillian's activities, and Hilda's weight loss. The letter describes home arrangements, including a new room layout and furniture purchases. Ada also recounts an air raid warning, a visit to a church, and a recent illness of Joan. She closes with an update on Gillian's school and reading, and expresses her love.

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Transcription

Rosemary Cottage
7 Granville Terrace
Bude – Cornwall
Jan 21st 1940.

My own Darling One
Oh it is good to get a newsy letter from you at last – It seems
years and years ago that you left me – it always does until
our correspondence is properly established again – Hearing your
voice on the telephone is of course a great comfort but I knew
you were tired when you left and until you have time to write
to me I know you are having a hectic time – but now all is well.
The first taleen [unclear: Penna's] school – and Penna is having
her 2nd day sleep-down in the kitchen – it is 2nd day
of Chinese food and so naturally to do in that line so all
is peace and quiet. – It is pouring with rain – only mild –
Sunday was a glorious day – “like a Summers day” as
Gillian said – and we took Penna out for the first time.
Her Cold is well again and her 14th tooth through – She is
a picture of health & energy – Cheeks as rosy as
tho she had been out a lot. (I put it down to the
Codliver oil & malt. She calls it “Stiddy” – and Cheese food
is “sticky”.
I was very interested in all your news. Sorry Hilda is
losing weight. Glad Mr. [unclear: Maediesleno] is so great a help.
Uncle Edward has paid [unclear: Maediesleno] for fish bill so my
fish bill is paid now for a long time.
What a clever Contortions. Gillian will love your picture
of her.

When I was at Bath at school I could bend and
bend my head back until it touched the floor
That as you see is nearly the
same bend as your Contortions
only resting on legs instead of arms
which were on my hips –
Now put my arms so:– then turn
we upside down and you see
the bend backwards of back is very
much the same – but of course
by resting on arms it is more
spectacular –

The [unclear: roffelin] ring came & Gillian’s great delight
the “thank you” letter she sat down & write
turned out to be a picture of boats.

2.
Glad you had a good time with Donaldham & StairChild.
you couldn’t get me on the phone. I expect because of our
air raid warnings. We had 5 in ten days. I think the objectives
were Swansea, Plymouth etc – They were all quite current
times – about 6-45pm till 9-30 or 10. Gone in no choice about
Gillian who not being asleep settled down in her shelter – and
went off quite nicely – the “all Clear” sounded before I decided
what I need do. – Once Joan settled with Gillian. Penna I
did not disturb. Also I stayed in a church in the [unclear: frens] room
– as there was no sound of anything but the sirens
itself and the Wardens running about.
The telephone. I have a copy of the letter I sent or
rather you sent me to send and I don’t remember
the date. But today received the details of my
own trunk calls – so you can compare. I don’t know
at all why they jump the dates about so much – I’ll
have to take notes of dates I ring up. See December
13 – 17 – 20 – then later 14 – 15 – 18. I don’t believe
I rang up 13-14-15-\-17-18 & 20 – That is every
day except two for eight days. Of [unclear: Cavae] are
might have been & Chris – But I’ll have to be
careful. I rang 18th all right, that was & Hilda – and yes
17th was to you. Well I expect it is all right – Any
way you can compare with yours.

3.
and wondered if it
was Cambridge
I thought I noted a raid on an East town – no casualties
but can’t find it now – So glad it did not disturb
you – not even your sleep.
Yes I’ve got used to the new arrangement of the room.
It is a great success as far as the Children go doweing
swiftly loves racing up & down the larger room – and
Gillian is far more inclined to stay in it. My little
back silly room is very nice little retreat. We hung
The two miniatures in a frame over the clock
under Uncle Herbert’s [unclear: Phil] pictures
and the row of Sylvia in the park
under that. The light for the
window shines
over in left
Shoulder in [unclear: dry this]. I drew
Two windows in after with
– and think the hue cross out
my mind. The desk light is easy enough to fix
only to the arrangements you made of lighting the
[unclear: Xmas] tree.
Dining in that back room is also more dining
room-ish.
Gillian shall tend to Marion’s birthday.
The association of red. I told Gillian what red meant

4.
to the Chinese and therefore to us. The next day she gave the
good Samaritan red. – I said “I thought you said red was
bad.” “Oh no,” she said, “Now you told me about the Chinese
I think it is good –” By the way in spite of her worse
bleed” she thinks her own blood is yellow because of
the pus that came out of her leg in California.
Gillian set out her shop the other day. I saw to it that
Penna should not get at it so:–
I put the oval
table so that
Penna could
not get near the
shop. When I
came back Gillian
had moved the
table & Penna was running about in her shop with the
tiny duster & brush. “Why did you let her in?” I said “Oh
I take her in she is a great help to me she is
sweeping out the shop.” I think they are going to have
good times together.
I’m sending you some [unclear: bean]. I saw a case in the paper
about a woman receiving tea. but the thing was she bought
it from some one else – I gathered that had it been a present it
would have been all right – Anyway a family gets to

5.
rations – and it is why the separation that prevents you gaining
by the babies meal rations – there is no reason why you should
not have the bacon we don’t need. We never use [unclear: Joans]
after only three times – or have at all.
I wrote you a line on Friday or Saturday – On Sat midday Joan
said her throat was sore – So I sent her to bed
– no temperature – gave her aspirin and let her have her
her holiday then – The next day which was her day off
she was well enough to go home and enjoy herself.
But my hands were full as you can imagine. However
we managed a walk between 11-30am & 12-30 – as
Penna woke up and the sun was so lovely – & left
the potatoes & soup & [unclear: themaches]. Yesterday,
Monday – there was the business of getting Gillian to
school again – first day – and of making Chinese food
as I had a bit of pork. Gillian sings her dear Miss
Woodruff is not there – only two teachers – but she
sings they both have lovely voices – so she is quite
happy – that is the news up to date. and as I thought
there was so little I wrote one side of page only. I’ve reached
5 already – I’d better stop.
Later. Just called you on the phone – So good to hear your voice
Jolly [unclear: Hills] last year for sheets blankets (heavenly) Carpets & Curtains
Came to about £50. That did not include of course the red chenille

the heavy orange ones and the heavy blue floral door Curtains or green study green –
Then bedspreads the new sheets, blankets last year – there are the eiderdown
and my very good linen sheets and other blankets rugs – pillows mattresses
– The value of all these things would certainly be 3 or 4 times Jolly
bill – if that is a guide – We have not an excess of clothes
but my good new leather settee.
Then there is the complete overhauling of Carpet upstairs – also an
[unclear: Cutlery] or [unclear: sirches] – Radio – etc – machine – When you come to think
it all. I don’t think £400 would replace the above things – quite
apart from the furniture –
There I think that is all the help I can give that –
Yes; today Penna has been a little squeally – when she
couldn’t have her own way entirely. As I kissed her tonight she
put her head back and I noticed the two top Canines are trying
to come – the gums swollen – so we may be in for a little more
trouble, but she has picked up magnificently since the two
lower ones, so I’m not anxious. By the way the [unclear: eastrable] was
at the time of cutting her 13th tooth –
Gillian enjoying school very much – but a bit tired with it
– slept till 4-15pm. & [unclear: doweing] – in bed again at 6:30pm and “
asleep before our phone call. We are reading “Alice in Wonderland”
which she enjoys thoroughly – She is much more of a “girls” than
dogs. Well my darling are. It was so good to get a little
chat with you. I’ll post this early tomorrow – so hope you’ll
get it this week. All my love my own darling – Ada –

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People mentioned

- Penna
- Gillian
- Hilda
- Uncle Edward
- Donaldham
- StairChild
- Chris
- Uncle Herbert
- Sylvia
- Marion
- Joan
- Miss Woodruff

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Topics

- family news
- children's health
- home arrangements
- air raid warnings
- daily life
- shopping
- correspondence

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Uncertain words / phrases

- Maediesleno
- roffelin
- Donaldham
- StairChild
- frens
- Cavae
- Phil
- dry this
- Xmas
- bean
- Joans
- themaches
- Jolly Hills
- Cutlery
- sirches
- eastrable
- doweing

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Archivist notes

- The letter includes two hand-drawn diagrams: one illustrating bending exercises on page 2, and another depicting room layouts and a shop setup on page 4.
- The word 'Cavae' on page 3 is used in a context that suggests a person or event related to dates, which differs from its previous mention in spelling_notes as an 'unclear word in math problem'.
- The word 'doweing' on page 6 is used in the context of sleeping, which aligns with the 'drowsing' interpretation in spelling_notes, but also 'dancing' in other contexts.

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Context suggestions

These were used to update/suggest additions for `archive-context.json`.

```json
{
"people": [
"Donaldham",
"StairChild",
"Marion",
"Sylvia",
"Herbert"
],
"places": [],
"common_phrases": [
"All my love my own darling - Ada"
],
"spelling_notes": [
"Maediesleno (unclear meaning, possibly a misspelling of a name or item, related to a fish bill)",
"roffelin (unclear meaning, possibly a brand or type of ring)",
"frens (unclear room name, possibly 'front' or 'friends')",
"dry this (unclear meaning in context of shoulder, possibly 'distress' or 'this')",
"bean (unclear item being sent, possibly 'bacon' or 'beans')",
"themaches (unclear food item, possibly 'tomatoes' or 'turnips')",
"Jolly Hills (unclear shop/brand name for household goods)",
"Contortions (referring to a picture/exercise, not a person)"
],
"relationships": {}
}
```

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