Family news and measles update

Date: 1940-02-11
Sender: Ada
Recipient: My own darling love
Location: Rosemary Cottage, Granville Terrace, Bude Haven, Cornwall
Original scan: 1940-ada-family-news-measles-update.pdf




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Summary

Ada writes from Cornwall describing the weather, a nature walk with the children, and updates on family matters including school attendance affected by measles. She mentions quarantine rules, children's activities, and her dental health concerns. Ada reassures about the measles situation and talks about using the air raid shelter.

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Transcription

Rosemary Cottage,
Granville Terrace,
Bude Haven,
Cornwall,
Feb 11 - 1940.

My own darling love
While waiting for your letter let me tell you our news - The weather is mostly dull, wet and depressing - but every now and then the most strikingly lovely day - Yesterday was one of these - all sunshine all day - I took the children for a long walk by the canal on foot the from the two upper locks till we came to the wood. There we gathered nut catkins and pussywillows and other buds & moss - So lovely. Spring was shouted at us from everything we saw - the green grass was unbelievable - also the birds - like May in their excitement - (Oh! if you could have been there -
Now for business. Evidently electric light to sent you a bill for the 3 bulbs I got just before Xmas - and you have paid it. I've credited it to you. 5/6.
Miss Ricketts rang up that the shop property was leaking in 3 places - Dave & the heavy snow I suppose. I said we'd have to get Petherick in to the job. She said she'd ring him up. I'll tell you more about it when he has been.
Have just got in some more coal and got highly commended by Mr Williams (of Pethericks) He says if all customers were like us there would be no problem at all. I got ½ ton for boiler & 4 cwt of the other - We still had plenty left so are well set up. I haven't bothered them all through this cold and difficult time - and am reminded no just now they have some very much better than they had. The trolley is still here.
Penna is true to her name Morwenna. She will think nothing of skipping up & down that cliff to her Saint well. What do you think she does now? Climbs from the couch to the window sill - the high front room window sill and walks up and down them banging the glass. Why she doesn’t topple backwards in her exciting banging is only because her head is small and doesn’t overthrow her as Gillian did. I didn’t even think she could get onto the couch - let alone the back of it & then there is another 6 in or so to the window sill.
Gillian does some lessons with me. Rather Montessori as I don’t want to start her on different lines to those she is doing at school - she is a delightful child & teacher - so quick & intelligent - you were saying that she should learn some poetry. I took a poem I learned as a child "I once had a sweet little doll down..." and said it with a doll in my arms. I've often said it to her but didn’t realize she knew it. She then took the doll - forgot everything except the poem + the doll and said it simply exquisitely. Not a spot of selfishness or self-consciousness - just lived the whole thing - We often play duets together with four players.

Re the Measles. No sign of anything here yet. Gillian has not been at school since Sat Feb 1.
These are the dates so far as I can gather -
Jan 23 1st case at school. Gillian at school until that
Feb 4-5 - Twelve more cases here in Gillian’s class but contact may have been made at prayers. There are more cases at school - all being nursed there so goodness knows when they will be out of quarantine.
I’m keeping Gillian and Panda apart from each other I’m hoping after Gillian & Tom is taken after Panda -
Had there been no more cases at school after the 1st case we should all have been out of quarantine tomorrow - Now I reckon even if Gillian does not take it she will not be out of quarantine till Feb 22 - her birthday - 3 weeks from her last attendance at school. On that day Gillian & Panda plan a great reunion - But when Gillian will ever get back to school I don’t know. If 14 cases were contracted from one how many will the 14 give it to? As you say for Panda's sake we must try and keep from infection this year - but it seems to me apart from that that it is quicker to have the disease & get it over than to try and keep the quarantine times -
I’m having a pretty fierce attack of coryza (is that spell right?) I’m beginning to think that it isn’t a coincidence that I always get an attack like this when I go to the dentist. Either it is the poison round my gums & teeth that spreads all over my mucous membranes of nose etc - or I have an idiosyncrasy crazy to some of the things they spray on my gums or put in my teeth - Well I go for the last time Thursday. Hope to be better when he has finished with me.
I’ll post this letter tomorrow so as to be sure you get it before Sunday - I’ll just add a line when I get yours - but I’ll answer yours properly on Wed night & post Thursday - as I used to - I can’t do writing in the morning with Gillian at home.
Oh, I’ve fixed up Gillian’s little camp bed under the dining room table (the old nursery) for her quarantine air raid shelter - so as not to be under the stairs with Penna. We’ve had one warning (6.30 pm - 10 pm) since - How delight to sleep there!!! & she slept soundly. I did not bring the baby down - If the all clear did not sound by the time I went & settled I’d put up my “rest a while” in with Gillian - and let Tom & Penna have the stairs. Of course if real danger imminent we’d all go under the stairs - measles or no -
Wed a.m. Lovely long letter for you this morning which I’ll answer tonight. Meanwhile I’ll post this - so glad to have heard your voice this morning.
All my love
Ada.

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People mentioned

- Ada
- Gillian
- Panda
- Tom
- Penna
- Petherick
- Mr Williams
- Miss Ricketts

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Topics

- weather
- children
- nature walk
- school
- measles
- quarantine
- dental visit
- air raid shelter

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Uncertain words / phrases

- Petherick
- coryza
- Morwenna
- idiosyncrasy
- Gillian’s name unclear in one place
- self-consciousness (partly crossed out)

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Archivist notes

- Letter dated Feb 11, 1940, located at Rosemary Cottage in Bude Haven, Cornwall.
- Discusses weather and nature walk, family health and school attendance due to measles in 1940.
- Mentions social contacts with people named Petherick, Mr Williams, Miss Ricketts.
- Includes description of children’s behavior and activities.
- References to quarantine rules and the effect of measles on the family.
- Includes mention of Ada’s own health issues related to dental visits.
- Draws a small sketch illustrating a child on a window sill and a couch.

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