Ada's Letter: Family Life, Air Raids, and Children's Play

Date: 1941-01-14
Sender: Ada
Recipient: Her husband
Location: Rosemary Cottage, 7 Granville Terrace, Bude Haven
Original scan: 1941-01-14-ada-to-husband-family-life-air-raids.pdf




---

Summary

A letter from Ada to her husband, written over two days (January 14-15, 1941) from Rosemary Cottage, Bude Haven. Ada describes the children's well-being and imaginative play, including Gillian's brick creations and Penna's spirited personality. She mentions the cold weather, a recent shopping trip, and the impact of air raids, noting Gillian's adaptation to shelters. Ada expresses her love and concern for her husband's hectic life, shares news of other family members, and discusses daily routines, a wartime recipe, and her efforts to manage anxiety.

---

Transcription

Jan 15th
9 a.m
Had such a good
night - Children both
well - no sirens - and
my darling ones Voice
still ringing in my
years. But
I shall not be satisfied
till I hear your affairs
are straightening out and
you not having quite
such a hectic time -
listened to 'Pitt' broadcast.
It seems that good men
so often are balked by fools:

Gillian has played beautifully with
her bricks this morning -
made a Church - in a yard -
next to the church which he keeps
to himself like Adolf. He has red
bricks because we don't like red
it is a bad colour. (Quite her own idea
I loved red passionately when her age
taught to by my Chinese nurse - red means
rejoicing in China.)
Next a garden with the good
Samaritan in it - The two
people were her little red riding
hood dolls.
The robber had to lie on his face
The good Samaritan stood up -

Rosemary Cottage
7 Granville Terrace -
Bude. Haven.

14-1-41. 9.00am.
My Darling One
there seems to be a fair amount of space I'll
start my letter. Gillian is playing with Penna who is down to
breakfast for the first time - although both yesterday & the day
before she came down too late. Her cough is better - her breathing
quite good last night and she has never had a temperature.
But because of the end last time I've been a little extra careful
this time.
The weather has been bitterly cold again with bright
sunshine. Gillian has enjoyed her roller skating also
an evening walk with Joan - while I put Penna to bed.
By every I mean directly after ten 5pm - 5.30pm. It
has been lovely then and Curiously, the mildest time of
the day.
Thank you for the lovely Oranges that came yesterday
they are much appreciated. Joan and I are going
to finish Penna's Minadex. She hates it so and does
love Codliver oil & malt which with the oranges I imagine
is enough. Penna is a Clown. She had four
fits of laughter yesterday. She was
in her pen and
I brought her
Minadex. She

was furious because it was not Codliver oil & Malt.
said "No, no, no" and then marched up and
down her pen like an enraged hen. with such
big steps that only two took her the length of
the pen. It was most comical - but rather a
masculine protest. like fairy story swings.
Have you been marching up & down the room?
Anyway she finally stopped in front of me and
took the beastly stuff so goodly that I decided
to let her go back to Codliver oil & Malt.
Letters have come from Anna & Sylvia. I'm glad the parcel
was appreciated. I took a lot of trouble over it remembering
their kindness to me when I was in St Mary's.
I've just written a thank you letter to Uncle Edmund enclosing
the bill of the Turkey. I also enclosed one of the snaps
of Penna enjoying it. And Gillian who has been playing
with the bricks this morning wrote too absolutely of her
own accord. But put her name thus NAILLID!
She told me yesterday that you spell "SE" with an S.
"Who told you" I said. "I thought it out myself."
Conversation yesterday at dinner
Q. "Mummie where's Heaven?"
A. "Some people say "Above the bright blue Sky" but
sometimes find it here in your hands:"

And in Daddys hands & Penna's & Joans?
"Yes" Q. "Oh Daddy must have a
big lot of Heaven in his hands."
Later. Here we went shopping. There had been rain but it
was sunshine while we shuffled. Just as we got home it
poured. Mrs Ricketts had hailed us and asked why Gillian
had not been to visit her lately. She asked me to send her
in anytime you are here and want peace & quiet. As a matter
of fact the last half dozen times Gillian has been & see
her she has come back almost immediately, and I wondered
if she had demanded to much attention - I expect they
too, were extra busy at Christmas time - There is not nearly
so much tension - I think her nose bleed has helped her.
- Oh - here is Gillian back - with an awful lot of bits of retrievals
- I said to her "Why have you come back so soon?" "Oh I
told them I had to come back."
We have had sirens the last three evenings. Just as
Gillian had been settled until about 10pm. Yesterday at 8:30
the "all clear" sounded only to sound the warning again after about
10 minutes until 10pm. It has taught me one thing - i.e. It
has taught Gillian to settle down to sleep straight away
in her shelters - she does it very well. I never brought
Penna down - nor did I move from the front room last
night. We slept later this morning -

Have just had our phone calls - and your letter this afternoon.
I'm so sorry life has been so hectic for you since you
returned - but sorry still that your holiday was not
very restful - I had tried so hard to have everything
perfect for you - but used myself up too much - Now the only
thing I can do is to try and keep anxiety about you from you - so
please believe me when I say that I'm taking things as easily as
I can - in fact am only trying to get through each day as it comes
giving Gillian my morning and taking a rest in the sunlight
in the bedroom, Penna being in her cot, or as I did today in the
new nursery with Penna in her pen - If I shut my eyes
Penna does not take any notice of me -
Gillian had a long sleep this afternoon - followed by gramophoning
and dancing. When I put her to bed she said "We have been a
happy little trio." School begins again next Monday.
Every one remarks on Gillian's fitness. The touch of frost has
made her cheeks rosy and she looks the picture of health.
I tried out a wartime recipe today - a great success
I will copy it out for you - Mr Stevens could make
it. Have you any onions at all? I still have 12s
Chocolates - and could send you one or two for this next week
for being in no hurry about - thank you letter so
you did thank every one - But will take my time to write
to D. Edmunds, Marjorie etc. I've begun a letter to Bullen - I
must write to him too are they. I'll just go gently darling
I've learned my lesson - you need a restful wife even more than a
clean and tidy house - Oh my Beloved, you are so precious
me - Don't worry about us - healing forces are at work -
And keep you - All my love always - your Ada

---

People mentioned

- Ada
- Gillian
- Penna
- Joan
- Anna
- Sylvia
- Daddy
- Uncle Edmund
- Mrs Ricketts
- Mr Stevens
- D. Edmunds
- Marjorie
- Mr Bullen

---

Topics

- family life
- children's activities
- air raids
- wartime conditions
- health
- shopping
- letter writing
- personal feelings
- anxiety
- household management
- recipes

---

Uncertain words / phrases

- By every
- NAILLID!
- 12s Chocolates
- are they

---

Archivist notes

- Letter written over two days, January 14th and 15th, 1941. The first page is dated Jan 15th, but the third page provides a full date of Jan 14th, 1941, indicating the letter began on the 14th and continued into the 15th.

---

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": "Mrs Ricketts",
"possible_match": "Miss Rickett",
"score": 0.833,
"type": "person"
},
{
"observed": "Mr Bullen",
"possible_match": "Mr. Bullen",
"score": 0.947,
"type": "person"
}
]
```

Model context updates

```json
{
"people": [
"Gillian",
"Uncle Edmund",
"Mrs Ricketts",
"Mr Bullen",
"D. Edmunds"
],
"places": [
"St Mary's"
],
"common_phrases": [
"Oh my Beloved"
],
"spelling_notes": [
"NAILLID! (child's spelling attempt)"
],
"relationships": {
"Uncle Edmund": "uncle"
}
}
```

---

Processing stats

- Input tokens: 4052
- Output tokens: 2340
- Total tokens: 10075
- Estimated cost: $0.001006