Family Letter from April 1942

Date: 1942-04-11
Sender: unknown
Recipient: unknown
Location: Rosemary Cottage, Gransville, Bude Haven, Cornwall
Original scan: 1942-04-family-letter.pdf




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Summary

A family letter dated April 11, 1942, describing banking matters, gardening activities involving the children, weather conditions, and daily life. The letter mentions planting vegetables, children's enjoyment of outdoor tasks, receipt of gifts, and comments on local news. Several children's drawings are included.

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Transcription

April 11th - 1942.

My own darling One.

Your letter of Apr 8 and Cheque came safely as you already know. The Cheque is larger than I expected - as a matter of fact with the £40 from the shop it will be more than I used in the last 5 quarters - i.e. Jan 1941 & end of March 1942. But I've not made up my account yet so don't take this too seriously. Any way, my love, unless my forseen expenses arise or prices go up I should be able to run Bude home comfortably & yet have a nice balance by April 1943. So darling, are please don't go short of anything yourself - I've put it into Dawelmy so you can draw on it as you please. With your operation this year your own expenses will be a bit heavy.

We have had two lovely days - warm & sunny the three has been a S.W. wind. We have made the most of it being out all day. This morning the children & I “did” the back garden - Dug it all, planted radishes & young lettuce seedlings, scraped out the drain & all little corners and swept & cleaned it all up. The apple trees are in bud - the peach blossom over but the tree is full of young leaves & daffodils growing under all the trees. We had a good time - Penna entered heartily into it all doing almost more than her share. Gillian enjoyed scraping out the rain gutter of the coal house roof! We also visited Mrs Banbury who gave the children choc & two note books (the diary of some firm - with pencils & all - great joy) and we a huge bunch of daffodils & jonquils. We've planted watercress in the troughs in the front garden - and all the flowers in the rockery there are bursting into bloom - the gentian bud is bigger but not yet open - the primroses are grand this year - a dozen or more blooms on each plant & about a dozen or more plants.

This is Saturday evening - I've begun my letter now as it is difficult to sit and write at home when the children are clamouring to go out and it is a bit too chilly yet & take my letter out to write. We will go and put your

[insets: three children's drawings omitted]

in an enormous dining room - and rather impress the children - who are behaving beautifully - especially Gillian who I think feels quite grown up.

If the weather is fine we shall have a glorious time and if not - just to sit at a window and look across these magnificent country views is such a rest to my mind & soul. While the children play beside me with paste, scrapbooks, thread, beads and all sorts of indoor things I've bought for them - there is also plenty of room & dance. Gillian has just given Penna a lesson in this. Here it is:- With appropriate action Gillian “See Penna toe, heel, toe, heel, toe, heel.” Penna “Yes toe, heel, toe, heel, toe Hello!!!” They have a radio - at news time the radio is switched on so loud that anyone anywhere about the house can hear if they listen. This morning I did not listen - but at breakfast was told York had got it. What news have you of Battle? Was the Abbey hit? Your letter was waiting for me. Thank you darling - So glad the gentian is doing so well. The whole plant is showing

ahead since I picked the flowers. I'm so glad it flowers about our wedding time.

Re. Gillian's money - both of us was right - She has £1-7-8 in the Bank the other 10/- was made up by the P.O. you sent - some cash in hand - and her saving stamps. You remember Mary sent her a Xmas saving stamp Card last Xmas. I wrote this all out for her to copy in her letter to you (haven't got the figure here) at the time but she just didn't feel like writing and when she thanked you over the phone did not see the need.

Mr Burgess will take the children to school some days in his car.

I found in [?rough] a bottle of what looked like orange squash called “Orange Coronate”. It tastes strongly of orange & is very sweet. I disagree it is made up at the surface of the skins of orange & saccharine.

The children love it - but I don't think it takes the place of either oranges or rose hip syrup.

Hope your orange squash was real. I've got 3 bottles of lemonade in my emergency on holiday cupboard. You shall

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People mentioned

- Penna
- Gillian
- Mrs Banbury
- Mary
- Mr Burgess

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Topics

- family finances
- gardening
- children's activities
- weather
- news and correspondence
- children's drawings

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Uncertain words / phrases

- Dawelmy
- Penna
- Banbury
- gentian
- Dawelmy
- saccharrin
- Coronate
- Burgess
- phone word mistaken 'phone' or 'phone did'

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Archivist notes

- Letter written during WWII, April 1942, indicated by finance references and weather.
- Sender and recipient not explicitly named in visible pages.
- Letterhead indicates Rosemary Cottage, Granville, Bude Haven, Cornwall.
- Children's drawings present but unidentified by name.
- Penna and Gillian are children mentioned engaging in activities.
- Mentions Mr. Burgess providing transportation to school.
- Includes observations on gardening, family finances, and local news.

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