Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Well here we are with the last but one before the date. Thanks very much for yours, duly received on Friday. Sorry the last week’s letter arrived late, but postman failed to post on the appointed day.

We had and enjoyed the hot weather at Ruislip, but it did not affect me as much as for the greater part of the day I was in the office which is quite cool. These large old buildings do keep fairly cool in the hot weather although they are not so good in the wintertime. It certainly was hot as I found at lunchtimes. Up in the city it is a roaster, and after the walk back to the office it takes about ten minutes to get any energy back.

The last couple of days – August Bank Holiday – has been poor to say the least. We have not done anything special, and good job too as it has poured all day on Friday, and most of the day on Saturday. We did go out for a breath of fresh air on Saturday afternoon, but soon got caught in the rain so got a breath of fresh rain instead.

Not surprised you downed tools in the heat as it was pretty bad. It would have been nice to find the time to just sit in it and enjoy it, but it never seems to come at the right times. We have been using the hose rather a lot lately, and the lawns and garden certainly have needed it. The runner beans are forming well, and should be ready when we are at Clevedon. The usual story. The broad beans are well advanced now, and I picked the first lot this morning. The sunflower is taller than I am, and still going up. The flower head has formed, but no flower yet.

I have arranged the sweet peas around the sunflower and the plum tree you gave us so that they have something to grow up. it will be rather interesting to see the sweet peas growing up the sunflower – there is plenty of room for climbing. Good stunt that, saves space, and saves pea sticks. The tomatoes are doing well now, and have lots of flowers on. I should imagine the blackcurrant wine is racing due to the warm weather and being enclosed in the garage which itself must be like an oven.

I should think your problem of the birds dusting themselves in the plots by the pond has been solved with the arrival of the rain. They will not want to wallow in the mud, and when it dries out it should be caked hard. At least you will have plenty of water in the pond when we see it. Have you retained your filling arrangements with bath etc?

Pity old bird brain is holding up the decision about the land. I am sure he thinks he’s being done, but has not the wit to think how. If he does not sign of course that puts paid to that unless the Council think so much of the idea that they move into the realms of compulsory purchase. It might frighten him to know that if that happens he will get what he is given and will then have to lump it.

Do not worry about the cider. Iif you feel thirsty drink it up, there is always another time. Just the drink for the heat. Glad the flower seeds okay they may still be flowering next week. The rain should have given them a new lease of life.

Bad news about Stephens then he must have made less recovery than most from that trouble of his. I agree that poor old Hewitt has had a pack of trouble – it seems to dog some people. Did we tell you that Iris has been in Hillingdon hospital with a haemorrhage and under observation? Fortunately she was only in there for a few days – according to her brother Tony – and they let her out again. Said it was due to strain and worry, and take it a bit easier. She has had a basinful too, one way and another. We have not heard from Tony for a couple of weeks so do not know if she is going on all right.

Interesting to hear that Frank had been around in the week. Abbots Leigh always struck me as a nice place and quite high up. We went there on one home Guard do. we were inspected by Field Marshal Lord Birdwood. I do not remember how we got there though.

I do not know what is going around here nowadays, but both Carol and Susan had it last weekend. Had to get up in the night to Carol but she was fairly well in the morning. The following day Susan had it again and June had doctor in. He said his usual piece about catarrh, and in due course she recovered.

So Susan is staying with Grandma Baker for a few days. She went on Thursday and will come back on Saturday. She would have gone on the Wednesday but was too ill. We went over to see them on Saturday, and found she was enjoying herself. We have a phone chat each evening for five minutes or so. It was the intention to send Carol over for a few days after Susan (grandma could not manage both at once) but she says she does not want to go, so we will not press the idea.*

We went to Horsenden Hill and it was very hot. So Susan was off colour, and moped while there, but did brighten up for half an hour, then seemed okay for the rest of the evening. I think the girls enjoyed themselves wandering around the woods and over the hill. There was some new-cut hay to play around with, but it had a lot of thistles in it.

Very kind of the Grays, they gave me a Nenette brush for the car in recognition of the taxi service. There was no need of course, but now we have the wherewithal to clean the taxi. Must try it out sometime.

The agapanthus flower is still in bloom although some of the flower heads have died off. Odd that there are three such, halfway up the stem on one side only.

I had never heard of Unwin’s place, but there are hundreds of little villages etc. around Suffolk and Norfolk and do not know the country anyway so it is not surprising.

Okay about the typing then. Like you, the only practice done nowadays is the weekly letter, and very easy to make mistakes.

Okay about Long Sutton and Pitney. We can go that way if you like, and I have a film in the camera so we can take a shot or two if convenient.

No we have not heard from Geoff. We do not have any contact under normal way, and only hear when the annual visits are due. As it is overdue and we have not heard, I wondered if anything was the matter.

Not much new in the broadcasting line. Mostly local contacts now. The conditions will improve in the winter so will not expect much until then. The temperature up there has not been too bad, up but on a couple of occasions it got a bit much.

I gather mum is very glad the soft fruit season is over. You must have been hard at it for a while. Good job you have all day to do it in.

Have seen no wasps here yet this year. I suppose they are waiting for the plums.

Cannot quite picture the effect on the Green Beach of the removal of (or part of) the Haven. That was the only building on that side from the old Pavilion – now pulled down – to the Pier. I forgot the cafe and the Beach Attendants’ Hut. If they get rid of those that would indeed make it a very wide sweep of grass etc.

Well bottom of page, so will close again with love from us all here. And Susan. 

*Notice how this theme develops over time: two children together are ‘too much’ for any individual, so one is quietly pushed aside so the other can have priority. One will do as they’re told, but one will refuse. Now, guess who was always labelled the awkward or disobedient one? Hint: it wasn’t the one who stubbornly dug her heels in and refused orders, it was the one who did her best to obey them. The Scapegoat/Golden Child scenario began early in this family.