Ada's Letter to Husband: Family, War, and Garden News

Date: 1941-01-28
Sender: Ada
Recipient: My own darling One (husband)
Location: Rosemary Cottage, Granville Terrace, Bude Haven, Cornwall
Original scan: 1941-ada-to-husband-family-war-garden.pdf




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Summary

Ada writes to her husband from Rosemary Cottage, discussing a previous letter and philosophical ideas about conflict and growth. She mentions family news, including Gillian and Penna, and their garden. Ada also details local air raid precautions, including plans for evacuation and fire watching, and notes a recent bombing in an eastern town.

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Transcription

Rosemary Cottage,
Granville Terrace,
Bude Haven,
Cornwall.

Jan 28th 1941.

My own darling One -

Your lovely Sunday letter has just come. I wrote
you a long letter yesterday - but that was a speech - an eman
-ation from recent Conflict - whether a healthy growth or not
will be proved in time. Yes I heard 2 more of blue print talks.
I missed the one I think he must have given the day
you left. I found them helpful. That T diagram
is simply the "yin yang" theory - represented as you
know in Chinese by a symbol. I like better than
the T as it makes a more united sign than the blunt
blocking of the T in T. W comforted me to hear
him say that the T was absolutely necessary - the
Conflict was necessary to growth. Heavens, there is
Conflict enough in my struggling mind and heart - I
think the hardest since we've been married is the one
between you and the Children. Don't you remember how
often I've said how I love you both, but you will
pull in opposite directions - this I expect saves me
from altogether spoiling you both. I must work it
out some way or I will so exhaust and knock myself
out that I can do nothing of any of you. The elsewhere
garden - there are temptations to get deep into the Centre
and may be I have not lived in this Center enough - but
we must go out towards the Circumference, or not
we - or be no use to anyone outside ourselves.

2.
I got a library book from Times - "The Blanket of the Dark"
John Buchan. I'm 3/4 through it. It Centers round the
College life - rather monastic of Oxford so far - not being
a historic novel I think we'll leave the monastery for
the polices soon. W rather shows that the monastic
life did not produce except in some rare souls what
we would have thought - or what oneself yearns of at times.
[unclear: The] harder life Christ offers - "not to take them out of the world
- but to be kept in it" - is more likely to help to a better
world order - don't you? Our faith needs still its Oliver
and Love its Gillian. We must provide that for each
other if and where we can. This seems to be more
of yesterday's letter - I must answer yours.
I'm afraid the Violet had had frost - we must look
for more now we have had a few milder days. Have
any primrose root - we planted them on the bank
by the mud tree. If you take one out now & pot it
& keep it in a warm room it would bloom beautifully.
There is a Violet fun and own garden. The birds eat the primroses
so fast as they come. There are Snowdrops in Miss Metcalfe's garden.
Even sending you 1lb of cream I have not taken all
our own - as only I eat it - but I notice last time I had
it both Children wanted some so I'll take one this week - it
will last 14 days - and send you it next week.

3.
A pamphlet came telling us we should arrange a place to go to if
our house is bombed. Miss Metcalfe - or rather I should say
Joan's sister Miss O'Driscoll will gladly take us in. I think
I shall pack a change of clothes in a suitcase - also make
up a little case of stores and take them there too. We said
I'll take Mr + Mrs Metcalfe in if they are bombed - or the whole
family for a day or two "if they are bombed". You I suppose
can't the Research Lab as a temporary shelter if Bude
goes - and Mrs Stevens would go to Hilda or her own wife -
I suppose we may expect something soon.
Nice of Grimmett to do you the parchment.
We have seen the sun at intervals only - and he takes
advantage of them. Strangely they always occur when
Tom is "off duty". So now she blames her sister for
all the bad weather she had last year. So far it has
always rained for Gillian's going to [unclear: Curngs] & for [unclear: Schs].
The garden is so soaked that everything is nothing in it.
Do you are a fire watcher - Can you make yourself on a
half drunk at nights? Do you have fond near
remember - fond makes up for loss of sleep - and
please for my sake attend to this on that night.
Gillian is really trying to please me. She can see I
[unclear: know] that the things I want are for Pennas good.
They may cross Pennas own wants - so she now is

4.
"Well written I don't want to do it but since you say so I
gladly will" - at least she tries to say this and does
sometimes. Real Victory I call it. and always hug
that little girl.
Americans always lack dignity in its celebrations
tho they may be more jolly - they could scarcely be more
colourful than our Coronation's. Their father Xmas
is much jollier than ours - and as Val shows my even
wear a lot at the end of his cup -
Must go to meet Gillian now - will ring you up tonight
as I hear a town in the East was bombed.
I hope - you had one little punctually as you seem near.
So glad you
have got through your night watch and found it not too bad.
Gillian listens but does not comment much on Alice in Wonderland.
Seems
to take the nonsense too rather for granted or merely says "that was silly - or
funny". But she who listens with the Cats in Pig - helps in obeying the
pots and pans about - and was not quite sure that others should have walked
into the house past the frog foot man.
Am teaching her Ludo, draughts and dominoes - played more or
less properly - also word making & word taking. She finds those things thrilling.
She is teaching Penna "Ring a ring of Roses". Gillian wants to know where
Jesus had his air raid shelter in case the siren went.
Every 5 sirens in one day - I thought things had been quieter lately.
Goodnight my darling - God bless and keep you -
All my love always - Ada.

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People mentioned

- Gillian
- Oliver
- Miss Metcalfe
- Tom
- Joan
- Penna
- Val
- Hilda
- Mr Metcalfe
- Mrs Metcalfe
- Miss O'Driscoll
- Mrs Stevens
- Grimmett
- W

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Topics

- family life
- children
- wwii
- bombing
- air raid precautions
- gardening
- reading
- philosophy
- daily life

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Uncertain words / phrases

- O'Driscoll
- Curngs
- Schs
- know

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Archivist notes

- The letter is clearly written from Rosemary Cottage, Bude Haven, Cornwall, and dated Jan 28th 1941.
- The sender is Ada, and the recipient is her husband, referred to as 'My own darling One'.
- The letter discusses WWII concerns, including bombing and air raid precautions, indicating the ongoing conflict.
- The word 'know' on page 3, line 15, is a best guess for the unclear handwriting, fitting the context of Ada observing Gillian's understanding.

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Context suggestions

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

```json
{
"people": [
"Miss O'Driscoll",
"Mr Metcalfe",
"Mrs Metcalfe",
"Mrs Stevens",
"Grimmett",
"W",
"Val"
],
"places": [
"Research Lab"
],
"common_phrases": [],
"spelling_notes": [
"O'Driscoll (likely a surname, but handwriting is slightly unclear)",
"Curngs (unclear meaning, possibly a place or activity)",
"Schs (unclear meaning, possibly a place or activity)",
"W (likely an initial for a person, possibly a surname or first initial)",
"Val (likely a nickname for Valerie, but transcribed as written)"
],
"relationships": {}
}
```

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Processing stats

- Input tokens: 2911
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