Letter from Farm Visit in April 1943

Date: 1943-04-20 to 1943-04-21
Sender: Ada
Recipient: Ane
Location: Lutsam Farm, Sutcombe, Holsworthy
Original scan: 1943-04-ada-to-une-family-farm-visit.pdf




---

Summary

Ada writes to Ane from Lutsam Farm in Holsworthy on April 20-21, 1943, describing their joyful arrival and walk witnessing blooming primroses, violets, and butterflies. The letter details the farm layout, animals, children’s activities, planned outings, and family updates including apologies for missing a wedding day and holiday plans. Ada expresses love and longing to share the experience with Ane.

---

Transcription

April 20 - 1943 c/o Mrs Stacey - Lutsam Farm Sutcombe Holsworthy

My own darling Ane

Here we are and we are thrilled to death! Oh if only you were here it would be perfect.

We left on the dot of 11 a.m and had a lovely journey - all the banks of the lanes were massed with primroses and violets - Do you remember those on the banks of the roads as we went to Suffolk that time? Well these were even more beautiful as the banks are so high that they were like walls of primrose mingled with huge violets, young ferns also the foxglove plant (about 5 ft high).

We got here in time & have a look round before dinner at 12:30. After a short rest we went for a walk - We walked for about 3/4 hr and then came to another farm where we asked where Sutcombe was. They said about 2 1/2 miles further on! That is the only human habitation we saw - we might be in some vast Canadian plain for all the loneliness of this grand farm but we love it - [not a sound all night till] "cocks crow" followed by all the birds.

I saw a small letter box on that farm tho - posts 10:45 a.m & 5:45 p.m So can post there.

I counted 26 different flowers in bloom - Gilliam saw 6 different kinds of butterflies & knew their names! Brimstone, Peacock, Spotted Wood, Orangetip, Cabbage and a brown one - I forgot its name - We had a grand view of each of them. The birds with their songs made me ache with joy.

Now for the farm - Here is a snatch of the farm house - but Mrs Stacey has only this copy of it so please return it. This is my bedroom.

(This is a little crooked lawn with lovely cut & a summer house which an artist & also a deck chair)

The children's room is at the back - they sleep in twin beds and have gone & sleep as good as gold [not a sound all night from them]. There are heaps of other buildings - After tea we saw the cows milked - 16 of them - then the calves fed, 11 of them - they sucked up gruel from a pail and the woman held her fingers in it for them to suck as they sucked the fingers which were in the gruel so the gruel was drawn up into their mouths. She fed 2 at a time.

Then we collected eggs - 63 hens eggs and 2 duck eggs - All this took time [17 went to bed at 8 p.m!!] We also saw sheep & lambs - are only born last night - made friends with the dog and cats -
Saw the geese - and ducks. There are about 25 ducklings ["mothered" by two hens].

The children are simply crazy over it all - Gilliam even loves the "muck heaps"! and rather enjoys the smells of the cow sheds!!! [The "Frederick" story has even more poignancy now]

Tomorrow we are to go and see some of the machinery at work in the fields - and in the afternoon we are going to Holsworthy with Mrs Stacey - who is charming - I'll post this letter there - [we've gathered a huge bunch of primroses for her to take to a friend]. It was 7:30 before thought the children came in - and then we had supper - they had one of the eggs they had collected - I had some ham.

Wed. 21st April. Your letter just came - thank you so much - I've been thinking of you so much. All this beauty of Devon & Cornwall I've only seen with you when coming in your car and I simply ache to share it all with you. I'm sorry you can't come but as it has turned out we haven't leave on Sat May 1st as the Staceys are going away - Mrs is not too well and they have an opportunity of getting a good holiday so feel they must go. She will give me enough food & see me over the weekend so I need not get back till Sat afternoon (May 1).

It will give no time to settle in before Gilliam goes to school.

I'm so sorry I sent no special message for our wedding day - My mind has been so full of petty details of domestic nature lately that I forgot it. However I hope you'll get the chocolate and papers that day - also the bank pass book which I posted - Then this for Easter - It is about 11 a.m - We have just taken a walk to the reservoir - Now I can tell you where we are. You remember when you brought us to see the reservoir - we crossed a bridge & then went for a walk along the edge & on some ridges crossing it? Well we are on the other side of it and can see the bridge across the reservoir.

The farm is on a hill - today we went along the lane which from a car point of view is a dead end - but from which 4 gates open each leading to fields. We went through one of these filled with sheep and lambs till we came to a gate - where you could have left for home - from it a grand view stretched out - including the blue blue reservoir - on which swan a swan & seagulls flew round. We went through the gate & a field which sloped down right to the edge of the reservoir. A tractor was at work in it ploughing up the lovely grass. Followed by seagulls.

I've read over what I wrote last night and made comments so you will know how we have got on.

There is water laid on and a glorious anthracite stone which is useful but only fills about half the great space which used to have the open fire - slate floor - The rooms and plenty of them are very spacious - I'm sure the dining room alone covers more ground than the whole of Rose Cottag - We dine at a huge table which only takes up a spot of room comparatively, in the centre.

Now I'll answer your letters Sat & Monday - Thank you so much for sending Butler the letter I do hope he'll get it by July 8 - his birthday - so well worded.

The dried eggs scrambled on toast are very good we find - but have to be nicely done.

You talk about being with us about May 11 - I hope you will be able to come before then - Come as soon as you can - we are ready for you.

What a grand first cheque for the children from Holdas estate. It is dear of her to count ours as tho' they were "the blood". Well they are more of the "Spear" spirit than some whom we will not name - aren't they? Gillian might easily be a true grandchild of your father - and Dennis the practical one might have inherited his brains capacity.

Thanks for enclosures - Did you go to the Polish meeting?

You have been busy in the garden - Hope you'll have a good harvest - glad you are having lovely weather. We are too but it is cold compared with Bude -

So glad you have a pussy willow tree from which you can gather your own "palm" (8).

Now I must stop and get ready for dinner.

All my love - and special thoughts - these thirteen lovely years with you in spite of Hitler and anything else that has marred them - or tried to - make me feel that life has meaning and needs no explanation or justification - but should just be lived - Before I married you my restless spirit was always asking "Why? Why? Why?" Now I only want & accept and enjoy and thank you my own darling one - All my love

Your own Ada.

---

People mentioned

- Ada
- Ane
- Mrs Stacey
- Gilliam
- Butler
- Gillian
- Holdas
- Dennis

---

Topics

- farm visit
- spring flowers
- wildlife
- children
- family news
- travel
- letter
- weather
- holidays
- domestic life

---

Uncertain words / phrases

- Lutsam (farm place name)
- Sutcombe
- Holsworthy
- Gilliam (person)
- Butler (person)
- Holdas (estate)
- Frederick (story reference)
- Rose Cottag (Rose Cottage)
- Spears (spirit)
- pussy willow (tree)
- palm (8)

---

Archivist notes

- Letter is dated April 20, 1943, with a partial indication of April 21.
- Sender signs as Ada, recipient is Ane.
- Letter is written from Lutsam Farm, Sutcombe, Holsworthy.
- Contains detailed description of spring flora and fauna, farm activities and domestic life.
- Handwritten notes include farm house sketch and marginalia clarifying some passages.
- Multiple corrections and clarifications inserted by writer within text.
- Reference to wartime context with mention of Hitler.
- Letter expresses personal and emotional reflections on family and wartime separation.

---

Processing stats

- Input tokens: 19769
- Output tokens: 2177
- Total tokens: 21946
- Estimated cost: $0.011391