Letter from Ada about Scotland Trip and Family News

Date: 1943-07-23
Sender: Ada
Recipient: Dear Love
Location: Rosemary Cottage, 7 Granville Terrace, Bude
Original scan: 1943-ada-to-dear-love-scotland-trip-family-news.pdf




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Summary

Ada writes from Bude about the recent Scotland trip, family health issues including illness and recovery, gardening activities, children's schooling and health, and preparations for an upcoming holiday. She expresses concern and care throughout the letter, describing events and providing updates.

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Transcription

Rosemary Cottage
7 Granville Tce
Bude -
23-7-43.

My own Dearest Love
It seemed such a long & new separation when you went to Scotland - tho' actually we only missed one telephone call - two really - only we had an extra one just before you left - yet I was conscious all the time of the extra distance between us - but glad that I had myself been to Edinburgh and so could picture your delight in the beauty of the trip.

I'm so sorry about the bilious attack and have got a new tin of bismodol to take & the form in case you find the food there richer than you are used to. I'm so glad you are better now.

What a full week you had. I hope the change did you good and did not tire you out.

It was interesting that the views of the North reminded you of California. I should have thought Scotland so much more misty that it would have made quite a different atmosphere to the scenery.

It was too bad that on the return journey you had to go all the way back to London & save a difficult cross country journey. I had you and the car to meet me when I did that journey, you dear.

We had had too much dry weather with cold winds but now have had a lot of rain. It has cleared up at last. Our front garden suffered badly during the dry cold weather - I've been doing what I can for it but it will need to be thoroughly overhauled this autumn. The American pillar will need a lot of dead wood cut away. The Clematis is mingled with the pale yellow rose & the two of them almost hide the ugliness of the little glass lean-to. I clipped the hedge yesterday - the children having great fun clearing up the clippings down below.

Yes, Gillian's questions need careful answering. But so far the form of question was "Where did Mrs O get all these babies from" - not "where did she get me from?" It is tremendously helpful that she helped us get Penna. That whole event is so full of romance & satisfaction to her that she can imagine and delight in fetching her. After all the adopting method is less disturbing to the whole household than the natural way when the poor first born may feel her nose out of joint because she has to be attended to by someone else while mother is cuddling a new baby. Gillian never missed my attending to her because of Penna - not even over meal or bed time.

I posted a parcel to you yesterday - It will be the last till after the holidays as all next weeks rations I shall not collect till the end of the week and so take them & the farm with us - they will have the two following weeks rations - and leave us the 3rd weeks rations which I will collect on our return. We will set you up too, for the first few days at Shepton.

Hope you had a good day in London today - I'll let you know what clothes I take to the farm for you when I collect them together - I begin getting our things together next Monday. The children had a holiday today but go back to school & clear up on Monday 9.30 a.m. to 11 a.m. I don't know what certificate it is that Gillian got as she forgot to bring it. There has been a sort of fluish cold about at school & all over Bude - I think both ours have had it but not badly. I kept them each in bed a day - different times. Penna coughed a good deal last night - but is better today. They are full of beans. We had tea up in the back garden today - it was warm & no wind. They have done very little bathing so far this summer but I've noticed that the last week in August & first in September are often the nicest bathing weeks.

How exciting to have an infants school in Caslen Garden - but can they, without Daisy's consent.

Mrs Daudo is quite happy about the holiday arrangements. She does not think the work she is doing for me will be too much even in the winter - in fact I think she is very happy with us.

Our tomatoes are forming nicely now - but that new apple tree looks as tho it is dying.

I'm getting so excited about the holiday because you will be there - I do hope you will like it. I've made Gillian some Dungarees with some brown blanket cloth - she is delighted.

I post this early tomorrow -

All my love my darling one
Ada

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People mentioned

- Ada
- Gillian
- Penna
- Mrs. Daudo

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Topics

- scotland trip
- family health
- weather
- garden
- children
- school
- holiday preparations

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Uncertain words / phrases

- bismodol
- Penna
- Caslen Garden
- Mrs. Daudo
- Dungarees
- Shepton
- 3rd weeks rations

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Archivist notes

- Letter handwritten in cursive from Ada dated 23 July 1943 at Rosemary Cottage, Bude.
- Mentions a recent trip to Scotland by recipient and family health and garden updates.
- References children by name (Gillian, Penna).
- Mentions rationing context wartime period.
- Transcript carefully retains original spelling and phrasing.

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