Letter from Ada to Olive with Family Updates

Date: 1943-07-15
Sender: Ada
Recipient: Olive
Location: Granville Terrace, Bude Haven, Cornwall
Original scan: 1943-ada-to-olive-family-updates.pdf




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Summary

Ada writes to Olive updating her on the rainy weather, holiday plans, family health issues including Mrs. Metcalfe's death, gardening concerns, children's activities, and other personal news. Ada mentions arrangements for sending parcels, Mrs. Daudo's changing attitude, Mrs. Russell's family matters, and the arrival of the Gyllan tablets. She also recounts a story about adoption involving a little girl left behind during a tragedy.

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Transcription

July 15th 1943.

My own darling Olive -
Pouring with rain - and it's St Swithin's Day!!! What sort of holiday will we have on the farm??? We shall see!

Well darling - What sort of time did you have in Scotland? I do hope all went well & the weather not too bad - I'll ring you up Tuesday as usual and hear you then. I think you said you'd be in late Monday night / tomorrow. I shall be posting a parcel to you for Monday and will post late next week so that you will get it early the week after.

Thank you for your Sunday letter. I'll arrange for you to be met at Holsworthy at 4.50 p.m Aug 9th. Would be fun if Mrs Stacey would take us and meet you. It is exciting - yes. I'll take your gray suit, shoes and a thin dressing gown - also I could take a shirt still leave a clean one here for you - but I'll make a list of all I take for you - all I leave here for you so that you can know what to pack yourself.

By the way in one of your rayon boxes there are unopened packets of 5 Eclipse rayon blades.

Don't worry about Mrs Daudo - she is delighted the arrangements - and as I've promised her a weeks holiday with pay later in the summer she is settling down happily with me. Her whole attitude is changing from miserable suspicion to happy trustfulness.

The real danger is that labour being so difficult & yet there are people who are constantly bothering her to come & then. If I gave her too long holiday I'm sure she'd yield to pressure & take on another job & be tired out for me on my return. A weeks holiday - then a week in familiar surroundings with Mrs Russell & then a final week cleaning up & empty house (which is now cleaner than it has been since we came here & all was new) will suit her nicely. She likes Mrs Russell - who will pay her by the hour. If she doesn't feel like it any day she needn't come.

She has promised & tell me if (1) she feels my work too much - in which case she could come for less time and (2) if she wants more work - as I can use any time she can spare - no need to seek work elsewhere. I think she is really attached to us all - even the cats & mice.

Mrs Russell is in Exeter with Jack who is having an operation - tonsils or adenoids. Jean is at boarding school for a week. She doesn't go to St Catherine's now but to a little school that only has a few children & where she is happy. Col Russell joins Mrs R
in Exeter tomorrow & has 10 days leave. Mrs He, being a special constable has to meet Mr Stacey also a Special Constable at certain points.

So sorry your gardener did not turn up. Did you get the tomato fertilizer I sent? Hope the rain has done your garden good but fear the weeds will have multiplied.

Mrs Metcalfe died the night before last. I don't know what was the matter with her - but I think there has been something serious for years. Often I did not like the look of her & told Joan that if she was my mother I'd insist on her seeing a doctor. She wouldn't have doctors for herself even when very ill.

She had to Roksan in the end - but he did not tell them what was the matter with her - cystitis - inflammation of the bowel - are diagnoses I've heard unofficially.

I've ordered a little wreath from Mrs Budlen for her and will send a little letter to Joan with it. The funeral is tomorrow.

Here is another of the children stories. They've been playing very happily in the nursery those wet days. Gyllan made them two red & aprons & caps so "hospitals" are a popular game. One day Gillian brought me a list of the patients in the hospital. One patient was a baby born last December who was "waiting for a mother."

Penna is feeling pretty rotten herself - has continual boils in her ears so she will see the specialists too. She is looking forward so much to coming to this house for a fortnight.

W has done me good to prepare for her as at last I've been able to pay attention to the house from the mistress point of view simplifying everything - putting away things they won't need - and getting the whole house into nice working order. The children are being sweet - as it poured with rain all the afternoon Penna & I cleaned silver, Gillian joined us on her return from school - and they thoroughly enjoyed it. Gillian made her first batch of scones last Sunday - great thrill & they were so delicious we ate them all.

We got peanut butter at Boots. Why don't you try & get some - your little friend Jill might love it.

The last kitten has gone. Mrs Heann came for it. He brought a little girl friend (age 4) with him. They came at 12.15 so as we had mince for dinner & plenty I got them to stay. Penna took charge of the little girl Judith - but they both enjoying it here. I had a nice chat with Mr Heann. He thinks Lutsan within walking distance for you of Bradworth.

I did not remark on it last I hurried her thoughts - but sure enough in another day or two came the question "Where does Mrs Plummer get the children for us to adopt?" My answer was helped by a sad incident that happened in Bude that the children knew of.

A woman was drowned when bathing and left a little girl of 3 or 4 years of age - she was here on holiday - the father was killed when that cafe in London had a direct hit.

So I reminded Gillian of that little girl and asked her what she thought would happen to her & suggested that either some auntie or other relation should take her - like Miss Rudder had Barbara - or they could take her to Mrs Plummer who would find a nice father and mother and lovely home for her. I said that when the father died two years ago the mother might have taken her to Mrs Plummer if she had felt that she alone could not make a lovely home for her.

Gillian seemed quite understanding and happy about it - then I told Mrs Plummer's point of view - what was she to do with the baby till she had found parents? Then I talked about Castle Low & the other place I visited and told her about the foster mothers and what a nice little foster mother she had and how she would have liked & keep her but of course couldn't afford 16. More questions were not raised - but I re

reminded her of own thrill when we got her - and told her about when her adoption was made legal & how she sat on the table and looked so lovely.

Smiths house & furniture in New Barnett sold. At last he saw through his housekeeper who certainly made hay while the sun shone these years - this all being cleared up & his making about twice as much money as he expected to has drawn Mrs & Mrs Smith together especially as he helped arrange his own things in his room - so all is well.

The Gyllan tablets arrived safely. Thank you - hope the weather will get warm enough & make them enjoyable.

Did you save any more cuttings of Wings & Violet week for an log book. Did not we do well.

Hope you are getting your double sugar ration I expect so so am not sending any in this next parcel.

But the news good -
The mice are doing so well - are fat & happy -
Did you get the letter Gillian sent you to Scotland

All my love to you and darling Louis -
Adax

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People mentioned

- Ada
- Olive
- Mrs. Stacey
- Mrs. Daudo
- Mrs. Russell
- Mrs. Metcalfe
- Mr. Heann
- Gillian
- Penna
- Judith
- Mr. Stacey
- Mr. Plummer
- Barbara
- Mr. Heann
- Mrs. Smith

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Topics

- weather
- holiday plans
- family health
- gardening
- children
- funeral
- adoption
- housing
- daily life
- parcel sending
- pets

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Uncertain words / phrases

- St Swithin's
- Holsworthy
- Mrs Daudo
- Mrs Budlen
- Roksan
- cystitis
- Castle Low
- Lutsan
- Bradworth
- New Barnett
- Gyllan
- Plummer

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Archivist notes

- Letter written from Cornwall during WWII in July 1943.
- Mentions personal and family news including illness and death.
- Includes references to parcels, rationing, and local conditions.
- Handwriting mostly clear with a few uncertain names/words.
- Reflects domestic and relational details of the era.

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