Leonard to the family, on the reverse of Timetable 21, LONDON and EXETER and PLYMOUTH

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks once again for your long and newsy letter duly received on Tuesday also card to hand the previous day. I think first comment should be about the writing paper – it does show who’s got the money! I’m always grateful for scrap. It was a lovely day Sunday and Don & Joan had a good run both ways. They arrived about 11.15 a.m. and departed 4.00 p.m. Don told me it was last time GYC 100 would come to Clevedon as on Friday 25th inst. they were taking delivery of an A35 Countryman i.e. a car from which the rear seat can be removed if necessary to provide more luggage or produce accommodation. Cost just over £600*. The firm were allowing him £110 on his old car – an Austin 8 1940 as I expect you know. They had it new so have had use of it for twenty years.

On Monday (the 21st) Mum and I had a run to Weston in the afternoon and called on the Richings (by invitation) for tea and the evening. Left them about 10.0 p.m. and had a good run home. Again it was a glorious day. Yesterday I had to see Surgeon for final check up following the two operations and he reported everything satisfactory – it ought to be too considering the manual work I’ve put in on garden lately. I finished with Surgeon at Bristol at 2.30 p.m. and Mum and I decided to make an afternoon of it and accordingly returned via Portishead and Coast Road. We were again very fortunate for it was a beautiful day.

After the Lord Mayor’s show – as it were – it was back to the land today and I’ve now finished digging the whole of the garden except the new piece beyond the hedge. Have put in the first lot of seeds outdoors and also 35 cauliflower plants raised in greenhouse. Shall soon start to put in early potatoes. Note you have several lots of flower and potato seeds waiting to go in.

We thought you would attend funeral service for Graham – it is a very sad occurrence to pass out so suddenly and so young, and Iris now has a tremendous responsibility on her hands. It was good of Norman Thorne to make that long journey but I believe in the old Westbury Control days they were very great friends. Incidentally Geoff tells me that Woodward told him that he (Woodward) had got Graham the post with Esso. Did you know this?

Pleased to have more details of the doings of Susan & Carol. They both evidently like the Clevedon Guide. It will soon be Mobo toy time again here and they should be in full swing by the time you come down. In three weeks’ time we will be with you for a few days – you must let us know how you are taking your week’s leave and best day for us to make the journey. Let’s hope weather is nice.

Sorry to hear Ronnie Grey still under the weather and hope he will soon be on the mend. Don was fairly satisfactory so far as health concerned but he still has some difficulty in breathing and tires very quickly – he had a sleep in armchair whilst here.

Mr Grey soon got rid of his Ford Prefect then. Sounds as if he has a real good one now – query bigger garage required. This brings me to another point. I’ve tried the window frames in car and cannot get them inside no matter how I place them and same difficulty occurs with the quarter size frames as well. This is just too bad as it will be impossible to bring any of them up. I’m very sorry but there it is – shall have to borrow Don’s A35. What a hope. It is a problem that I shall have to try to solve later on.

You were very busy last Sunday with your electrical fittings – I don’t understand it and never mess about with it on my own. Do you remember when Don extended light to shed one Saturday and when switched on all the lights in house and we found the fuse in the Main box had gone and consequently were without light until the service people could attend on Monday. They asked a lot of funny questions which were not answered but we had to pay for their attendance and work. How is the ‘fridge’ behaving? Hope it is satisfactory – you will have quite a lot of fresh things for us to see this time including the alterations to your kitchen and the car. Note invitation to 169 on Easter Sunday afternoon – presumably picking up Susan after Sunday School and then going on to Harrow.

June must have had some entertainment at the barber’s if they were all in there for over an hour. Do the children mind having their hair cut? Glad to hear Carol was alright in car this trip. Expect they can get out in garden more now the weather has improved – do they still use the swing?

Have not seen Aston this week expect he is busy on his allotment but Roy Hewitt called round on Monday for a short while just before noon – apparently he has been nursing a cold. Still walks with some difficulty on his two sticks.

Well I think this is all once more so will close with love from us both and lots of kisses for Susan & Carol.

Dad & Mum

P.S. Geoff says query Hamblin interested in Edwards’ job?

*Over £13,000 in present-day terms.

**Roughly £2,500 today.