Letter from Ada to her husband about Penna's health, Christmas preparations, and wartime news

Date: 1940-12-10
Sender: Ada
Recipient: unknown (husband implied)
Location: Rosemary Cottage, Granville Terrace, Bude Haven, Cornwall
Original scan: 1940-12-10-ada-to-husband-penna-health-christmas-war-news.pdf




---

Summary

Ada writes to her husband over two days, detailing family news. Penna is recovering from an ear infection, with fluctuating temperature but improving overall. Gillian is well and actively participating in Christmas preparations, including roller skating and singing carols. Ada recounts Gillian's imaginative reaction to a low-flying plane, mentioning 'Adolf' in a child's context. The letter also touches on Christmas preparations like puddings, cakes, and a turkey, and expresses concern about children being sent to the USA due to the war, as well as news from Bristol following recent raids. Ada concludes with her love, hoping for a quiet moment to rest.

---

Transcription

Rosemary Cottage,
Granville Terrace,
Bude Haven,
Cornwall.

Tuesday Dec 10th 1940.

My own darling One

Your lovely letter came this afternoon – I could not
settle to write to you this morning partly because it had
not come and partly because the doctor had not been –
Now all quiet and serene so I'll answer it –
Penna's ear is beautifully clean the doctor says and I
need not go on [unclear: oiling] it with peroxide – only put in the
glycerine & phenol – there is no discharge – and there has not
Since treatment began
been much pain – her temperature goes up every evening
– not very high – only a 100 or little over – but the doctor is
not very pleased about that – and examined her this evening again.
She seemed flat and irritable yesterday. Today she is full
of beans but at tea time definitely had pain in her ear
– kept putting her hand in her side and her hand to her ear
– Temp tonight 99.4. Most of the day it is subnormal –
he has given her a new stuff – Mr Stevens did not
send the prescription back with it – but I'll get it and
I remember slip it in here – or a copy of it.
Miss Morgan is delighted with Penna as a personality.
Daisy she is a most attractive baby and that he
has never seen one so good. She certainly has grey matter.
Yesterday I gave her the thermometer once. She immediately shook
it as I do the thermometer then put it in her groin. When

I had done her ear – [unclear: cleaning] a little wool (not pushed in
far – just in the ear). I went & [unclear: washed] my hands – came back
to find she had removed the wool and neatly put it in the
other ear. Oh dear! Infection! Dr M. says he does not
think the infection will get to the other ear any through
crying. I had just cleaned the ear –
I'm having no disturbed night with Penna. Slept till
6 a.m. today – woke singing –
Yes Gillian went to the Anglican Church with Joan.
and after the service spent a little time in the Children
Corner – They took 3 of your envelopes – I make a
point of going for an Sunday morning walk past
the Church in order to put your envelope in. We have
how much we have been kept in that there were three
[unclear: 5 times] – The whole of this term seems to have
had sickness – First we were kept from school
because of mumps. During that time the weather
was good – Children well – Do that time was spent
learning walking (Penna) & roller skating (Gillian) The
weather has been pretty rotten ever since and
we seem to have had sickness in the house all
the time Joan had then Gillian we & Penna in such
quick succession that we were really all together and
now little Penna's ear. We have definitely hindered

no Christmas preparations – but we are pegging away.
Have made Xmas puddings & Cakes – Sent parcel to Chris
Mr Stevens and tonight drove up to [unclear: Pitas] – Have started
in on our card list. We are gradually getting more and
more Christmasy – and Gillian is the most delightful
Christmas Child you can imagine. Playing Carols on
the bells – speaking to her little crib Jesus – and singing
to him – tonight I heard her say “Darling Jesus you
are a sweet little man”. Every now and then
a balloon gets blown up and adds to the general air
of festivity – After the war what a lovely place
to put our Christmas tree would be the little glass
appendage(!) in the front – A tree lit up there would
show up such a way – The tiny bird Cottage would
look sweet with a light in it.
So Mr Stevens is altogether moved in. I'm so glad she
slept well the first night and that she and Hilda
are such friends – Hilda is worth a dozen of Mr Stevens
daughter (if she had a dozen!)
By the 6 silver spoons I expect you mean the “George” ones
your mother gave you. They are very thin. I've found
the box of 6 (your father's last Xmas present) & now you can
have those too, then you will have plenty. We'll sort
things out – but when you come –

Every day I read to Gillian out of the book you gave
me “Parables & other sayings of Jesus Christ”. She is
thrilled – We cannot now guard her from outside
influences – for instance yesterday a plane flew
quite low and almost past the window over [unclear: Harvie Moors] bridge. Gillian remarked “I hope it is one of
our own.” not with an apprehension only as though
that was the correct thing to say. So I said “If it
wasn't one of our own whose might it be?” She
replied “Adolf”. I said “How could you know?” “Oh
we might see Adolf coming down in an umbrella
thing.” She said. Did I tell you that she thinks
Adolf's hair must be in a frightful mess with
all the stuff the R.A.F. have clapped on his
hair – Any there is less and less any suggestion
of anxiety or fear. Did I tell you about the siren
that went when I was on my way to school?
Well I found them the girls all settled down in the
cloak room – which has been reinforced with beams
and wire [unclear: net] – and a big girl was telling Gillian a
story – Miss Weir asked we to stay – I liked but
I didn't – I might have been [unclear: stuck] for hours and
there was Joan & Penna to think of so I came
have to find Penna under the stairs & Joan getting

dinner – the all clear sounded before we ate it.
I've not heard from any Bristol folk since Bristol raids.
Here is a letter I had from May – What about Dorothy –
Sylvia is already at Bristol.
Heartiest Congrats on Bristol job – I'm so glad you
will all be settled into a nice routine before you come – It
will help me a lot to think of you settled and with H.M.S.
& take care of you –
Do [unclear: Danveys] sent Children to U.S.A.? Well it will relieve
two doctors of family cares which may help the nation – but
I feel like you – England is the place for us and ours – I hope
nothing will happen to us – but I'd not
sleep a wink if my babes were on the ocean now –
I've had a Christmas letters from Florence & Gracie &
present for Gillian & one for Gracie –
Glad you liked the ham. I'm the only one in this family
who eats bacon (Gillian quite gone off it) and so I'm close
to it – we eat and don't even bother with meat as I
hate cooking & eating it alone – we just go without and
[unclear: stew] – then you see we get a nice little lump enough
to boil or bake. I've promised another lot at Xmas time. I've
ordered a Turkey (9lbs to 12lbs) for Mrs Stevens in hopes
that Uncle E. will raise it the [unclear: hens] again – Also a
Xmas tree for Bullens –

So glad Phillips too is thrilled with your work –
Think of we now with Xmas Cards, presents, labels string
paper. Trying to settle a few – They are all moved we now!
Let Gillian help where I can but I'll tackle some now while
she sleeps – and finish this tomorrow –
I'm so sorry I have not got our photo taken. If only I'd
thought of it in October – We were booked to be taken today
but of course have to put it off indefinitely till
Penna is well and strong again –
Wed – Dec 11th 2 p.m. Doctors did not come today –
I had a disturbed night. Penna restless – no
temperature – I gave her warm milk and a [unclear: Bismol]
and she slept till morning – She is full of beans
again today but temp. subnormal – She is very white
and has lost weight a lot – flatly she you will say
she needs fluid – It is always difficult to get her to
drink milk – but she is eating well. I guess
will pick up again now –
Lovely sunshine – let Gillian do some roller
skating the wind very high – She is quite good
on uneven ground & high wind – She has
done very little lately. The [unclear: enclosed] and picture
in the Shepherds look – at the Star –
Must race this to post and then get a little
day sleep whilst children are quiet All my love
my own beloved – Ada

---

People mentioned

- Ada
- Penna
- Mr Stevens
- Miss Morgan
- Daisy
- Gillian
- Joan
- Chris
- Hilda
- May
- Dorothy
- Sylvia
- Florence
- Gracie
- Phillips
- Uncle E.
- Bullens
- Danveys

---

Topics

- family health
- children's activities
- christmas preparations
- wartime impact
- domestic life
- personal feelings

---

Uncertain words / phrases

- oiling
- cleaning
- washed
- 5 times
- Pitas
- Harvie Moors
- net
- stuck
- Danveys
- stew
- hens
- Bismol
- enclosed

---

Archivist notes

- The letter is written over two days, December 10th and 11th, 1940.
- Mentions of 'Adolf' and 'R.A.F.' reflect the wartime context.
- The concern about children being sent to the USA relates to wartime evacuations.
- The 'Bristol raids' reference places the letter firmly within WWII.

---

Context suggestions

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

Fuzzy match candidates

These are hints only. They are not automatically corrected.

```json
[
{
"observed": "Gracie",
"possible_match": "Grace",
"score": 0.909,
"type": "person"
}
]
```

Model context updates

```json
{
"people": [
"Phillips",
"Danveys"
],
"places": [
"Harvie Moors bridge",
"Pitas"
],
"common_phrases": [
"My own darling One",
"All my love my own beloved – Ada"
],
"spelling_notes": [
"Christmasy (informal spelling of Christmassy)"
],
"relationships": {}
}
```

---

Processing stats

- Input tokens: 5495
- Output tokens: 2820
- Total tokens: 15329
- Estimated cost: $0.001258