Family Update and Daily Life Letter

Date: unknown-date
Sender: Ada
Recipient: unknown
Location: Rosemary Cottage, Granville, Lee, Bude
Original scan: 1946-family-update-daily-life.pdf




---

Summary

Ada writes a detailed letter describing recent family events, including a birthday party, visits from friends and relatives, daily activities like shopping and housework, and recent health issues. She mentions Grace's pink silk dress, Gillian's recovery, and the enjoyment of the children. The letter also covers financial concerns and appreciation for parcels received.

---

Transcription

Rosemary Cottage, Lee, Granville, Bude
Aug 10

My own Dearest One,

This is the longest interval between writing letters that I have ever given you & now I scarcely know whether I answer your letters or to give you my news. I'll have & try a telegram letter I think. Tuesday Gillian was ill Friday Aug 7. The planned picnic with the Fieldings did not come off as it rained. I was glad for Gillian's sake. So we had Grace's Birthday party guests: Mrs. Leith, Ann & Peter (Ann's little brother age 2). I got a perfectly plain sponge cake & got out a few teaspoonfuls of our precious icing sugar - yellow, pink & mauve - & in the morning we iced the cake. I also spared a few of my precious silver balls. Gillian said it was the loveliest birthday cake she had ever seen!! and Grace said it was the first Birthday cake she had ever had. We got the candle ring & put round it 13 Christmas tree candles (bigger than cake candles) & put it round the cake - this was a great success - the rest of the tea was only bisquits & jam but was heartily enjoyed by all. After tea we had gramophone & dancing in the nursery which was emptied of everything & made lots of room. Peter sat close by the gramophone which absorbed all his attention & the four girls danced. Grace has almost nothing of a wardrobe but did bring an impossible pink silk party frock - which I let her wear & admired (!!) so much so she was as happy as a little princess - a Cinderella.

People passing in the pouring rain had to peep under their umbrellas & admire it all.

Saturday was wet again. I let Grace do my shopping & play with the children while I got on with the work. We all made beds together. In the afternoon I called Grace & Gillian into my bedroom where I was resting to teach them to play Happy Families. Penna was playing about with snap cards. Suddenly Jean Okee came - so she joined us (still lying on my bed) & she too enjoyed Happy Families which she did not know. She brought me a bunch of pink carnations & a jar of heather honey from Mrs. Okee who is in bed with bad arthritis in one knee. The pain is terrible - so I sent her a tube of Analgesic balm (Neurothod & Wintergreen) which I got lately for arthritis in one of my fingers & which acts like magic. Jean had tea with us and went on to the pictures as she had planned at 5:30 p.m. It was still pouring with rain. Paul Jean's visit was a great event so I believe. I altered the frock Winnie had given Grace. It was originally Mauds given to Heather & a pretty greenie blue & simple shape but well tailored. I only cut it smaller under arms & side of the bodice thus keeping the pretty pattern. The skirt I took to bits & completely altered from a long thin thing to a little flared girls skirt. It has 3 white buttons & a white belt. When Grace put it on if looked so tho I had taken her to a grand London shop to be dressed. She is young enough now & he self conscious so thoroughly enjoyed it.

We went for a walk in the afternoon towards Breakwater road & found Miss Russell & her two children Jean & Jock on their way to look at that funny little bungalow up on the road from church & cliff that we watched being built. She'd like to take it if she can. We bought them fruit & tea with us - so that was a great thrill.

Monday was washing day & showers at intervals. Grace took the children out between showers and when the showers were on they all cleaned silver. Grace takes no “off duty” - for duty is far more fun - she wouldn't even go home for tea on Sunday and as the Russells came I was glad of Grace's help & she was thrilled. I send her for a bathe every night when the children are in bed.

I'm so sorry you were so anxious about my disturbed nights - If I could guarantee a night's sleep every night I'd be a different woman. But it isn't all external things that wake me. When children are absolutely quiet & all well and I get an opportunity of a good night I'm sure I lie awake for nothing whatever & have to go down for milk or ovaltine. I took [unclear] yesterday & had a good night & am grand today.

Today Tuesday is sunshine but windy & as Mrs. Tope was here we went on to Crooklets beach to look for C.S.S.M. after Grace had done some of my shopping & Gillian the rest. Oh yes Penna did the Greenland snap shots while I did up your parcel. There is an egg this week - it is in the box with the tomatoes. The cornflakes are to fill up space & will need crisping after lying near the beams. We found nothing of the C.S.S.M. but took the childrens new sand book and built a sand aeroplane.

Later just been talking to you over the phone. So glad you had a good time at Winnies - Now for your letters. We always get your weather two days later - now we have your lovely sunny Sunday. So glad you had Daisy & Paul - and thank you for making your spare room comfortable. I'm sure the house looked lovely even tho you had not much time & spend on it just before they came. Winnie told me it was so beautiful it would be impossible for a child to be in it!! Good for Daisy - asleep thro a raid. Glad the pussy williams have stived. They will grow like wild fire now.

Yes the children like Winnie's p.p.e. She bought it here & then left it in our house. We lay about till we gave it & have an her next visit - now it has come back & stingy.

Re Grace & nights - Yes she has settled now and brings me my tea in the morning - a great blessing. She has done this for her mother, who like me can do nothing without that. She is a nice child to deal with as she has such an imagination e.g. One of her complaints was that she could not start the clock tick (alarm). But as she slept in without it I wanted her to get used to it, so told her how I loved the sound of a ticking clock - it was so companionable - it seemed to talk to me and I never feel quite alone with a clock. I told her how you bought me the grandmother clock on purpose that I might hear the strikes in the night etc. She has so taken to the idea that she not only loves it now but - well last night at 10 p.m. I went up to her room & collect the cats to bring downstairs (she always takes one or two of them to bed) and I saw a light shining on her pee - I went to the windows to see what beamshave from them & her - but nothing. Then I saw the light was in the bed & turned down the bedclothes & find the little owl light and the clock cuddled close in her arms! She just loves that ticking clock. It is nice to have three children - 1, 3, 6, 13 quite nice steps. I think you will thoroughly approve of the family now.

Well I've got an electric night light. It is not quite what you said but is just the description - it is a pretty neon light

with a soft apricot glow & sort of circle. She will only put it on if she is very lonely. She is happy as a child could be.

I agree with all you say about keep accounts. It is the bank statement that counts - but if I'm a little alarmed at that I like to be able to put my finger on the spot that is running away with the money - and bookleaf certainly helps you to spot that. I'm also happier when I've sun a new regime (with accounts) i.e. I know just what this place cost during trans time - now things are a little different I'd like to know a bit more in detail where the expenses increase (or decrease).

I'm better now - an E.N.T. man might help I managed (I think by private method with iodine) to keep the infection to the right side only - right antrum etc - which is now clearing up. It was funny - even the left nostril was clear while the right was terribly bunged up. Now if I can only build up my strength the next 2 or 3 months I should do - & Grace is going to do that very helpful thing of me - early cup of tea.

Gillian seems to have passed that destructive stage & is now constructive. Almost every afternoon has something, however small, to show me that she has made - I enclose a few examples:
1. a sort of book (made from pages of an old note book)
2. pleated wool - she learned how to pleat after being shown once
3. a sample of knitting - she cast on herself then wrote down all she did - she finally cast off & sewed in the ends
4. a doll's school report.

Thank you dearly for the extra letters - it was such a clear one.
Hope you will not have too bad a time with Miss Fell away - as you say it cuts both ways - but I hope there will be more advantages than disadvantages.

I posted a parcel this a.m. & put this week’s Radio Times in it - as our radio is off there is no need to keep the Times till the end of the week. I must cancel the order for it till we are working again.

All my love my own precious one.
Your Ada -

P.S. Look for your egg in among the tomatoes in the parcel I sent today.

---

People mentioned

- Ada
- Grace
- Gillian
- Peter
- Ann
- Jean Okee
- Heather
- Mrs. Okee
- Winnie
- Mrs. Russell
- Daisy
- Paul

---

Topics

- family news
- weather
- birthday party
- children
- dressmaking
- daily routines
- health
- shopping
- household chores
- visit
- parcel

---

Uncertain words / phrases

- telegrams
- Tuesday (crossed out Thursday)
- Gillian’s condition
- penna
- p.p.e.
- pee
- bookleaf
- tick (alarm)
- Neurothod (possible name)

---

Archivist notes

- Letter includes detailed family daily life and health information.
- Mentions specific places, family members, activities and feelings.
- Includes hand-drawn diagrams of children's dresses.
- Contains corrections and crossed-out words which were preserved.
- Possible dates August 7 and August 10 but year unknown.
- Mentions GLSM or C.S.S.M. - acronym unclear in context.

---

Processing stats

- Input tokens: 19770
- Output tokens: 2492
- Total tokens: 22262
- Estimated cost: $0.011895