Family news and health updates

Date: 1942-08-05
Sender: Ada
Recipient: unknown
Location: unknown
Original scan: 1942-family-news-health-updates.pdf




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Summary

Ada updates the recipient on family matters including a picnic outing, weather, school reports, financial accounts, and children's health. She mentions sending parcels and provides news on local farm sales. Ada also describes dealing with Gillian's cough and other health issues in the family.

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Transcription

Aug 5th 1942.

My own darling One -
I've sent the children on a picnic with Grace and have you all & myself for a bit. Your Bank Holiday letter has just come so I'll answer it right away. We have your weather i.e. - after a magnificent day yesterday today is cloudy - but I expect it clears up just before sunset. Mrs Patrick just passed our door so I called her in & tea with me to take a tete - She thinks the top room magnificent & says they used to sleep up there when they left their bedroom. I might try that some day when I want to have a real rest & let Grace be downstairs with the children.

I'm sorry you've had some damage done in Cambridge. I'm glad the round Church was not hit - nor any of the Colleges. Anne wrote & Auntie Gracie - but I've not heard any more than what I told you - you always keep the school reports. I don't know whether Mr H will let you keep Gracie.

I don't know what you owe me - I've not kept count of that for a long time - I'm longing to get at my own accounts and make estimates of the rest of the financial year - I've not made them up for ages tho'. I've kept them all the time - I'm a little alarmed at the way the money melts - but this may only appear to be so because I mostly pay cash down these days - the tradespeople like it - and are short staffed for bookkeeping. But if you do owe me £30 or so that would explain a lot - don't hurry & pay it tho - after all there should be enough in the Bank & lost till next April - All I want to do is to make up my accounts & estimates - the latter particularly so that I know where I am.

Please thank Mrs S of the monkey & bulldog pictures - the children will love them. Mrs Fielding uses my telephone quite a lot so I see something of her & we have talks re the train of children. Her husband being a doctor has given her an outlook rather like ours - and Anne is a very nice little girl and I think will help all round when she goes to school with Gillian. We are all going for a picnic together ( & Mrs Fielding) including Peter - to those fields on the way to Pangfield next Friday.

Grace was playing school with our two & Anne this a.m. - among other things she gave them drill and marched them round the back garden - out and down on the front step. I insist that they keep in line etc. a splendid way of gaining good discipline & the children loved it.

I do hope you'll have a good time with Daisy & Paul if they turn up - and I'm longing to hear how you enjoy Winnie account of Buds.

Your packing parcel turned up - I've sent you a supplementary parcel today (big one yesterday). I got a little nice ham so I sent you some with some more runner beans.

Grace is settling down all right now. The night she had Gillian the latter vomitted too vigorously - Grace was with her but as she had disturbed me 2 nights she was determined not to let Gillian disturb me that night - so she took her into her own bed & left the vomitty are till morning.

I expect it was very good of Gillian to realise there was such a thing as not disturbing mother!! also to know that even a good old vomit didn't matter much.

Chris sent a lovely little frock of hers that did not fit her - for me to make one for Gillian - actually all it needs is to be taken up about 6 in. and it makes a sweet frock for Grace. She looks rather shorty at the moment but now she is relieving me of the children for a bit I'll have time to see & sew things and she shall look very nice when you come I hope.

Later - Children back & in bed - Grace gone for her bathe. They loved your p.e.

Have not been Stratton any for some time but that huge wheat field is oats this year. Did I tell you the mill store was down? They have set it up but covered the hole - a nice job for you all same will be to dig clear the hole.

When was Esams H.S. & Lilybillie? And did he like him?

So glad you have a brilliant student from Bedford & joins your group independent of B.E.E.C..

I'm afraid a book will be a sweat to help write - but it would be good work. Your stuff is so well worth passing on.

My cold is running its course - I have a sort of feeling that my tonsils are bad I've been painting them drastically with iodine and hoped to clear up the throat but it has gone up the nose - right nostril (and autumnal I suppose). I thought Gillians cough practically well - yet I can hear her coughing again tonight - a dry cough.

There is an N East wind - I just went a little walk along the Strand with them before going to bed - as I heard there were oranges in the little veg shop near the end (goldsom) and the wind seemed cool & caught my throat - it has been tickling ever since - yet the thermometer outside says 74°.

If I had let Gillian go for a bathe or paddle I should have said that had started her cough again.

Both children look bonny enough & are full of mischief - saw one of the Edmead girls the other day.

They've sold the 10 piglets - cash weighed about 65 lbs - (for 35/- each or 45/- she mounted me).

The enclosed came from Miss Wien today - I don't think you want us & get mixed up with the C.S.S.M. do you? I don't know whether I did reply to it. I met Miss F. Wien this a.m. and told her of my plans with Grace. She said that Grace's grandmother used to do the school laundry and was very nice - so were her daughters - unfortunately one of them married a drunkard (Mr Headon) - has had 12 children & trouble ever since. Everyone is thrilled with my idea for Grace & hopes for very success.

- Here a long interruption - tried to stop Gillian's dry cough - it sounds like just a dry tickle in the throat - I feel like it myself only know that coughing won't relieve it. Grace is back so I'll take this to the post and see if I can get some glyco & black currant lozenges. Of course now there are plenty but we must give sweet comfort of them.

All my love you are Ada

Aug 6
Cold night got those lozenges till this a.m. - home got them now in sweet homes

This am & 9 pm started - 7 pm coughed (dry)

horrible - 10:30 pm diarrhea 1 3 times - 12 midnight diarrhea in bed - peacefully normal breathing till 3 pm vomited - then slept heartfully till this morning - when she is happy seems absolutely normal -

She is teeth back molars.

I feel like bother with her nose is better the throat & still rose.

Don't feel any us are illness to call the doctor.

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People mentioned

- Grace
- Mrs Patrick
- Anne
- Auntie Gracie
- Mr H
- Mrs S
- Mrs Fielding
- Peter
- Gillian
- Daisy
- Paul
- Winnie
- Chris
- Miss Wien
- Mr Headon
- Edmead girls
- Esams H.S.
- Lilybillie

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Topics

- children
- health
- weather
- family visits
- school
- financial matters
- parcel delivery
- agriculture

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Uncertain words / phrases

- Bude
- Bud
- Esams H.S.
- Lilybillie
- goldsom
- glyco

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Archivist notes

- Letter dated August 5, 1942, signed Ada.
- Mentions local places like Cambridge and Pangfield, but no exact location for author or recipient.
- Several people mentioned: Grace, Gillian, Anne, Chris, and others mostly family or local friends.
- Discusses health issues, particularly respiratory and digestive symptoms in children.
- Financial concerns about accounts and money management during wartime.
- Includes mention of children’s school and parcels sent/received.
- Agricultural note about piglets sold and wheat field converted to oats.
- The last page references specific timings of illness symptoms.
- One unclear word 'goldsom' might be a place or shop name.
- Tone is caring, descriptive of daily family routine during wartime.

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