Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad 

Your reply typed on Monday this week so possibly a day late arriving your end, depending what postal arrangements (GPO and personal) operate today. 

In view of the short turn round, and the return to work on the Monday morning, we felt that it was better to arrange to travel by train this time. Will also do so the following weekend to pick up Susan. We shall catch the 5.5 p.m. Paddington on Thursday 17th August. This train arrives Yatton at 8:20 p.m., so the girls will have to swallow a glass of milk or something and go straight to bed on arrival at Devonia. We shall be glad of the offer of a lift from Yatton station as you suggest. 

We have put the bar up on Susan’s two friends coming here over August Bank Holiday. It is very nice for her of course, but you can imagine the bustle and confusion with four in circulation. The swing and scooter and tricycle have been well in evidence over the weekend, but the weather yesterday put an early end to that sort of activity. Today is a lot better and in fact I doubt if there is a cloud in the sky as I write.

I think my insurance company have taken the line of least resistance over our mishap. I suppose technically they would have had a case, but no doubt it would have been opposed so that for the sum involved they might well have been running the risk of encouraging considerably higher losses than £29 if they had taken the other people to court. I have since received a letter from the medical insurance people on behalf of the driver of the Anglia, but have passed that over to Doug at his request, and shall hear no more of it.

Note the cider is sinking in more ways than one, can it be there is a leak as well? Talking about leaks, you have not mentioned the pond. How are matters there, has it still got water in it, have all the inmates survived? Back to the cider, I have not made any more wine, but on the expiry of my last bottle, have pulled out another of your cherry brew – vintage ‘59. I must say it tastes very good and is not likely to last long. I often have one when I get home from the office, and usually two or so Saturday and Sunday dinner times. Carol will knock back half to three-quarters of a glass and Susan somewhat less.

Have since heard that Seymour has got a job on the Southern, a bit different from the first news, but still creates a vacancy at top level. Lay would never go for McDonald’s job, at 56 he thinks only of retirement. Already he has had days off to go to the coast to look for a suitable bungalow. I believe he is not badly off, and is looking for something in the £5,000 mark. Of course the alternative to lay as successor to McD is Davis (ex Plymouth) who is Head of the New Works section. This would not suit McD, and therefore would also be unsuitable to GAVP who it seems takes McD’s advice on Development matters.

Yes Peyman is a windbag. Quite strong, but pigheaded. Guaranteed to talk down anyone on any subject, whether right or wrong.

Phone will be disconnected as from August 31st. It will be a shame to let it go but quite frankly we do not get the use from it to justify retaining it.

Give our kind regards to Uncle Joe and Aunt Lydia when they come up. We have not seen our holiday transparencies on a projector yet, but you can tell them they seem to be nearly all good ones, so we shall have a good record of our visits to Shelley Road and Tiverton.

I am sure Carol will not mind leaving Susan behind when we return, as she is now used to leaving her at school and at parties etc. Susan almost ready to see a fair I suppose, but the Clevedon one will have gone before we get down. Plenty of chances in the future no doubt.

Where are Jeff and Stella going to visit in Spain? Are they going near to Tossa de Mar where we went? 

Took an opportunity as I thought to do Rebecca’s problem yesterday, and all but finished it when the interruptions got too much. I do not think it is a problem to be solved algebraically, although I may be wrong. It seems to be an exercise in logical deduction wherein all the factors hinge on one another. I would say that the best way of tackling it would be to tabulate all the information given such as boys names, titles of subjects covered, and the conditions, such as 1 R.K, 2 Latin, 3 French, 4 Art etc. A chart can then be drawn showing columns under each of the boys names and each column divided horizontally into three sections. In the top section put all the subjects the boys are known to take, in the second section put all those subjects the boy does not take, and in the last section put the balance of the 11 subjects not mentioned in the first two sections. I suppose the best way to proceed then is to locate the two boys who take identical subjects, and Tom and Charles, or Wilf and James, seemed the most likely. I think subsequent examination will indicate that Tom and Charles are the pair. As I said, I had not finally finished the problem, but had completed all the boys’ subjects only to find that I had given them all Geography as well as Maths and English which is not permissible. Perhaps another day I will have another go and finish it. I return herewith your copy.

Re: your garden, note the vast quantity of beans picked and disposed of. Watering this end not such a problem now as we seem to get a good downpour at least twice a week. The grass seed sown in the front and back gardens has all taken very well and shows very thickly now. Our dahlias are producing flowers in quantity now, I can go round each evening and pick about 20 blooms. I am afraid the variety is poor as most of the tubers that survived the winter are of a limited number of types. I seem to have lost the yellow one altogether.

Had a look at my rhubarb wine yesterday and it is gradually turning a darker colour. It did not seem like rhubarb when it was so light. Have made 5 gallons in all this year at the rate of one per month January to May. Have you picked any elderberries yet? If you can get your runner beans long enough you may be able to dispense with beanpoles I suppose. 

So Arthur travels today; as you say I hope they do not forcibly divert him to Cuba. A grand life being able to travel about as he does, nice to have the cash. 

Not the first time you have had a horse roaming about the avenue I think. Should sue him for trespass. Well will close for now, look forward to your next. 

Love from us all