Letter from Ada about family, clothes, and news

Date: 1943-05-25
Sender: Ada
Recipient: unknown
Location: Rosery Cottage, Granville Tee, Bude
Original scan: 1943-05-25-ada-letter-family-clothes-news.pdf




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Summary

Ada writes a detailed letter describing needlework projects including clothes for family members, discusses rationing and sugar usage, recent family health and wellbeing, preparations for Easter, some household repairs involving a swing and beams, and reflections on music and dancing education. She mentions parcels sent and the importance of professional nursing skills in her time spent on clothes. Ada also comments on the children's activities and education.

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Transcription

Rosery Cottage
7 Granville Tee
Bude Mar 25 1943

My own Darling One

I've just realised it is Thursday morning and I usually like to get your letter posted at the latest on Thurs: a.m to reach you Sat. If this stops suddenly you'll understand won't you, or I may send you a P.C to say expect it on Monday. The fact is that with Boverley coming today & Gallagher tomorrow I've put a spurt on with my needlework & stuck to it till finished. The green coat is finished all but two buttonholes for which tho I have not been able to obtain 'twist' I have sewed inwardly side - and the blue skirt is finished. The former is a little gem of a coat - Grace says nothing. Miss Ricketts produces compares with it - and her blue coat for which we paid Savette; like £5- is a dowdy old frump compared with it. I don't think including everything that the green coat has cost £1. Of course it has used much of my time - which for a professional value i.e. as State Registered Nurse is worth 3 or 4 guineas a week - so actually the green coat is the most expensive!!! The blue skirt is pleated so should look very nice. If to Boverley sees Gilliam outside it will be in the green 'set' - with no hat as that isn't finished yet - if inside it will be in her new blue pleated skirt and jersey. Penna shall be in pink - I've had to let down her pink coat as she seems to have grown inches. These things have kept me busy.

I have your Sunday letter to answer.
Last week's hectic days were just over, but at the moment you are in the midst of another hectic week - Are you keeping well my darling? Will you take a few days 'off' at Easter even if you do not come here? Shefford Church is generally lovely at Easter if I remember rightly.

I've got you a little mathematical set (at Edmunds) for 2/6 - not very grand but they claim to be accurate. Actually I believe that among my leatherwork appliances I have a compass. If this set doesn't suit you put it by for Gilliam and I'll hunt up my own compass. I forgot to put you any sugar in the last parcel - so will send some with the math set. You are trying to find out how I can send you sugar. If we make a pie during the week we use all our ration - if we have - say oven puddings & syrup - or doughnuts & syrup or any pudding with jam, we are getting all the sugar we need apart from the ration. But I admit I've been drawing on our emergency supply - I felt justified in doing this as you are living alone & are reestablishing your health after the operation so I felt that this winter was a time to do this. Don't you agree - but of course I can't continue this indefinitely unless the end of the war is more surely nearer in sight than are most sanguine hopes. I've also given the children & myself raisins - a rather sultanas with their lunch.

Mabel is not fond of sugar (fortunately) but eats enormous piles of bread, marg and jam - so gets her carbohydrates all right and is getting as fat as Joan was.

What a wonderful dinner you must have had. But my imagination fails as to what you ate in war time - Oysters? Champagne? Did you have a good time at the Grange - or rather the Red House - I remember both places of course.

How interesting about the landing stage - about clothes coupons. Penna has 44 left. Gilliam 40. Ceda 49. Total 133.

I also have 5 manufactured pieces of material wanted & to be made up.

Penna rarely gets anything new except shoes. Gilliam has got 2 new coats this year. I need very little as I do not go out much except to Mrs Russell (who has neither sufficient clothes nor coupons) so I do not need to dress up.

Do you see my darling are if you need for underclothes is great great - and I'm sure it is you'd better get some here at Medlands on Attrots with some of our coupons or take my book along & almonds.

I'm so glad you are getting all those new clothes but I think that next set of coupons you have will have to go to a new brown suit. You see if you take to a suit and wear it steadily without changing it & another at frequent intervals it wears out quicker & and falling into the river could not have improved it -!!

So when the L.S.D. will meet your clothing need the coupons need not hold you back - Bless you.

I've had the sunblind put up - and with Keatsman discussed the swing. Your suggestion about a beam is the one we also decided was the best. I'll go & see if Mr Petrin has one. Keats questioned the possibility of being able to find one. Here is the problem:

In the hall - that supporting beam & post are not steady enough for a swing - tho it would be good support for a weight falling from above. Also child's feet would go straight through the front door glass. The only place where there is sufficient room of the legs where the swing is in motion is the musey door. Keats man said the risk there is that we do not know the thickness of the lintel - it may be only 3 inches which would not hold the screw hooks unless we put a nut or wood at the end of them - We cannot of course get at the ends when they just go up into the wall.

The screws are long with about 4 or 5 inches of thread part and if all this were embedded in a beam would probably hold - but if the beam is not very thick they'd need nuts.

Anyway the next step is to see Mr Petrin, and as it has poured with the last two days we are held up anyhow. It will be a grand thing for the final part of the holiday.

Suggestions re Dennis's hutch - A torch she wants badly - but I could get that here. I'll think on pump here. The shops have nothing tempting... Oh yes - she saw a wooden tram or engine or wheel she wanted - I'll think about it & keep my eyes open and let you know.

P.S. 24 would just suit Gilliam - As to Cee 3-1-8 I think you must read that & her a interlude. I've tried to with some little success but rather fear to touch it again least I put her off - You've made me realize the importance of it.

She learns the Lords prayer - and might start on the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis.

The other day when Penna was convalescing in her nursing she had the Radio & came to me for her "Prayer book" as they had started prayers. I gave her the little New Testament you sent her - Later I heard the Lords Prayer and her little voice following it - I passed the nursery door and this is what I saw.

Being like me she chose the beauty of her alter!!!

So glad I knew Jeanes is the man who made the nursing. He meant a lot & Gillian at one time live written & Chris asks her to read and forward the three books to me but not in that oily green paper wrapper.

Glad Frederick will give you a hand with the garden. Hope he will bring some rations of that hearty appetite of his. If you let me know when - I'll send some. I sent a tiny Xmas pudding to you to have an Easter Sunday you could heat it yourself.

Miss Weir told me about your letter which she loves so much she hates to destroy it!! You are in the midst of your difficult meeting at Addenbrooks - Good luck to you.

I watched the dancing class in March and Miss Brooke the dancing mistress says Gillian has a marvelous sense of the dramatic.

Do the children get interest on the money Hilda left them right away? If so I proface that Gillian starts piano next term and Morwenna starts drawing next autumn using that money. I'll elaborate this later. But my own regrets in life have all been that I did not get training in music, dancing, nursing etc while I was young. School was very broken up & we a between 16-25 years of age I had no education beyond what I gave myself and did not get my nurses train till 37 years.

Now I must go & make beds, dinner and finish my needlework -

All my love my own precious one

your Ada.

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People mentioned

- Ada
- Gillian
- Penna
- Mabel
- Mrs Russell
- Keats
- Mr Petrin
- Frederick
- Jeanes
- Miss Weir
- Miss Brooke
- Hilda
- Morwenna

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Topics

- family
- clothes
- needlework
- children
- rations
- sugar
- health
- music
- house repairs
- war

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Uncertain words / phrases

- Boverley
- Gallagher
- Savette
- Medlands
- Attrots
- musey
- lintel
- Dennis's hutch
- Cee 3-1-8

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Archivist notes

- Letter written from Rosery Cottage, Granville Tee, Bude on March 25, 1943.
- Ada discusses her needlework progress and clothes for children/family members.
- Mentions rationing issues and emergency sugar supply.
- Includes sketches related to household swing installation.
- References to local people and family members with some names possibly misspelled or uncertain.
- Contains some abbreviations and non-standard terms possibly specific to the family or period.

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