Family and Home Updates from Bude Haven

Date: 1942-07-12
Sender: Ada
Recipient: Darling One
Location: Rosemary Cottage, Granville Terrace, Bude Haven, Cornwall
Original scan: 1942-ada-to-darling-family-home-updates.pdf




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Summary

Ada writes from her cottage in Cornwall updating Darling One on the children's enjoyment and growth, home decorating details, visitors, holiday plans, and health concerns. She mentions help from friends and neighbors and encloses drawings of furniture arrangements.

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Transcription

Rosemary Cottage,
Granville Terrace,
Bude Haven,
Cornwall.

July 12 - 1942.

My own Darling One.

I must get a line off as I promised - but life is a rush. The workmen - then clearing up after them - and visitors keep popping in now - I suppose they will now as I get to know more of them etc - Well - the room is lovely & Gallaghan is here - has brought a huge parcel of rations. Mrs Tope took them off & came Sat instead as we could do nothing as there were both carpenter & plasterers here - Now for details you have not had yet.

I Children’s return - It was grand - & reached the peak of delight when you phoned. But they both thoroughly enjoyed themselves and we can safely trust them away from us again. I think we have reason to be very proud of them.

Mrs Freeman, whose own Anne is a horribly spoilt child of eight - even bites her Mummie etc, thinks Gillian is perfectly lovely and would have her again any time.

Met us the other day and rushed at Gillian & said "Darling! I have missed you so badly" & hugged her again & again. They have a nice little house Harbley at Stratton - and Anne has a room almost as nice as Gillians own & lots of toys. Gillian slept in a single bed in Mrs Freeman's own room & slept grandly.

Later - Today Gillian went to the farm with Mrs Freeman & Anne & others - a plan they had not been able to carry out the previous Saturday - so Gallaghan, Grace, Aunt Teddy, Maverna & I took a picnic tea to the swings & collected Gillian who was back in time of the 6.20 hrs.

All had a good time.

Maverna enjoyed herself too I think. But of course she can't talk about it much but she seems to want to exclude all other children from any return journey from school. I suppose she wants Gillian & me to herself a little.

Anyway both children have proved able to stand up to it if they have to be away from all their family any time. Of course they met every day at school. Mrs Lloyd said of Penna - that she showed by her own attitude what a lovely big sister she had i.e. Gillian's loveliness was reflected on Penna. That from Mrs L. is a lot - as I believe she is horribly jealous of Gillian's charming ways as compared with Syria’s behavior.

II The new room - It is a lovely room - the green curtains & orange curtain blind & bed spread give a richness & carefulness to it. And the bedside rug (not your chapelet strip of carpet) just gives the right. I've enclosed a plan of it all.

The carpet edge which (blue & orange) does not match slips under the laundry carpet & is hidden - the curtains hide it nearly everywhere else. You will see how I've arranged the furniture. At your suggestion I put the ship on the new shelf. It exactly suits it and looks so nice. I'd love you to see it as it is - a bedroom - perhaps I'll leave it like that and let you arrange it as a study yourself next time you come. I know where you want the desk - but don't quite know how you'd put the rest.

Mrs Tope worked like a Trojan & got it all done and of course I was busy too - that is really why I did not get a letter off.

So glad to hear you tonight but I’m sorry your weather was bad - but perhaps you needed the rain - we do here - not that I want it - it is still quite chilly here except in the sun away from the wind.

Sunday a.m. Gallaghan has taken children for a walk - Grace is at Sunday school - so I have peace and quiet & talk to you. Thanks you for the snaps. How lovely Watermeadows are look and how huge that spruce has grown - I must come & see it all one of these days. The Burnshill Manor one is very good too - Are you sending 14th Edmead ave. a cam to give here this one?

I'm so glad you took a lazy Sunday last week - hope you'll get a real rest today - and that you are really better - I do wish I could guarantee you brief holidays here & be really good. But children are getting past that baby stage which needs so much of my attention and then I can see to you and the house generally and make it all better for you. Re - the time of year - it is difficult to say.

We have had quite a lot of sunshine but have not had a straight forward run for very long. We don’t even need to let down the sun blind let alone the green curtain which I took down for the rain - and after it is too windy in the front of the house at all.

Still the children are in cotton frocks now so I suppose it is warmer. The upstairs room is lovely and will give you a real retreat. When you have it as a study we could push the bed behind the curtain and keep it ready made - so that you could just pull it out a bit and lie flat down - or even sleep there if you did not want early morning disturbances.

I'm longing to see what you will make of the room. The ship looks lovely on the new shelf.

So glad Hallley Stewart people have done as you wanted them to. Now I hope you will find a nice secretary.

I'm glad about Rosaithe leaving - I had a feeling he was not exactly cheering you up. We will leave a spare room if we come - but don’t let it get filled up with an essence - better find another friend & fill it yourself - Don’t you know anyone?

Thank you for the immunal prescription. I’ve got the tablets - they look twice the thickness of the last ones so I’ll only take ¼ at a time. I need very little. Gallaghan said they used them on her mother are 1 time - 2 or 3 lbs a day - but they made her so pretty - she imagined she was being poisoned in something. She was alright when the luminal was stopped - But a little certainly helps me.

Did you spend Wed night with Donaldson? I hope so because if it is Sunday night I’m afraid you’ll find travel difficult on Sunday (today) - I’ll post this letter today and if I get little written while my visitors are there it will not mean that I am overdoing things but have no free time - it being all occupied not so much as work for - but holidaying with my visitors - they will all help in the work - as Gallaghan is doing now - She seems well & happy - not strained as she used to be when coming from St. Marys.

Are you better darling? I keep asking this - but it is the big question in my mind all the time. Gillian's cough has gone at last - Penna still has a little in the early morning - but both look fine & are getting sunburned.

The sea is grand - great waves again - and I always think of you as I watch it. We had our picnic at Stratton - just where we had it with you - It was grand to watch that view.

On July 23rd - at the Castle opposite us - there is to be a big “do” - for some charity. St. Catherine girls are to do calisthenics - and Gillian & Penna among them - We would probably be very exciting and I'd like to go over the grounds. It begins at 2.30 p.m.

But that is the day Winnie and her grand [unclear] arrive at Bude - we did want to meet them at the station - I don’t know whether we could get there in time.

Now, I'll close and post this - you won’t get it till Tuesday I’m afraid.

All my love my own darling one

yours ever
Ada.

P.S. Grace (Edewen) would help me with the children if ever I came to Cambridge - but she has never been on a train before - She speaks Welsh - a rather understands the Welsh children's home.

[Drawing - plan of new room with furniture and annotations]

[Drawing - view of new door from corridor]

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People mentioned

- Gallaghan
- Mrs Tope
- Mrs Freeman
- Anne
- Gillian
- Hallley Stewart
- Grace (Edewen)
- Maverna
- Mrs Lloyd
- Penna
- Winnie
- Donaldson

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Topics

- family
- children
- home improvements
- visitors
- health
- holiday plans
- furniture arrangement

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Uncertain words / phrases

- Harbley
- Rosaithe
- calisthenics
- Mrs Freeman's own room & slept grandly
- Mrs Tope
- immunal
- [unclear: possible name 'Edewen' or similar on Grace]

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Archivist notes

- Letter dated July 12, 1942, written from Cornwall during WWII.
- Mentions detailed home improvements involving carpenter and plasterers.
- Contains personal names, including visiting and local family and friends.
- Includes children's activities and a community event planned for July 23rd.
- Enclosed are hand-drawn plans/sketches of furniture and room layout.
- Letter reflects wartime domestic life, child care, and household organization.

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