Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec, June, Susan and Carol

Many thanks for letter received the morning and we quite understand the position with Alec. You must all have had a very busy and tiring weekend for the weather was just terrific.

Glad to hear the letter reached you safely on Monday – am always a bit anxious when sending money, other than cheques and Postal Orders, by post because there have been many cases where the money has been taken and the letters delivered.

Noted Alec busy at Retford last week and again this. Turning out to be a big job getting in all the data required. Presumably the club you refer to is in connection with his radio activities. Not much time for that these days by the sound of it.

What a journey to Westcliff on Sunday! As you mentioned there were millions on the road. That area being very popular the roads would be terrible and like those we see on the TV occasionally. I would not like to drive a car under such conditions and would do everything possible to avoid such a journey but in your case it was the only day available. How many miles per hour did you do on the homeward run? Have never been to Epping Forest but have heard a lot about it one time and another. Query plenty of trees and consequently nice shade. Sorry Carol sick again in the car – perhaps it was the heat this time. Susan apparently all right now which is a good sign. They both had a grand time at Westcliff from what you say. Like Sarah on Weston Pier but the railway there is not 1¾ miles—hardly a quarter of a mile I would guess but they charge 3d per passenger for the ride.

Hard lines June having to wait a week for your birthday presents. In the meantime I expect Carol will find something for Mummy. Sounds too as if you have taken on a bit of baby watching having the neighbours’ children in all week. How did Susan and Carol take to that?*

As mentioned in last letter we had quite a nice time with Geoff and family over the Whitsun holiday and the place seemed empty after they had gone just as it does when you go back to Ruislip. Which by the way reminds us that it won’t be long now before you will all be down again. Too much to expect this weather to last but we do hope to have something more respectable than that experienced last year especially the day we went to Weston and to the Benns’ home.

We got Sara to post your letter last Thursday and she also called in at Elfords for an ice cream. Incidentally when Geoff, Stella, Rebecca and Sara called in there on the Whitsun Monday to get a few things including a bottle or two Alfred asked Geoff, Stella and myself to go through the shop to the back room where he drew nearly a tumblr full each of draft Bristol Cream Sherry from a barrel and gave us. Normally Stella apparently does not drink sherry and she just tasted hers and I had the rest including my own. Not at all bad. Alfred retails this at 17/6d per bottle (pint)** and it is certainly good value. When we next want a bottle of sherry I shall have to fill up at Elfords.

Had the misfortune yesterday morning at breakfast to break off two of the smaller teeth of the top plate of dentures which necessitated a visit to the dentist and I have to fetch them at 6:00 p.m. today. A bit awkward without them but as long as can get liquid nourishment, from a bottle preferably, everything is alright. Have no idea what caused the trouble as breakfast was not a ‘burnt offering’.

Had a letter yesterday morning from architect re: proposed sale of land. It said that application has been made to the Clevedon U.D.C. for planning permission to develop land at the rear of numbers 5, 6, 7 and 8 Tennyson Avenue. These are the numbers of the four houses concerned. Strange to say we saw Hoddell (Dawes and Hoddell Estate Agents) looking around the Avenue last Thursday afternoon and Cornish ascertained at he was looking to see if a road could be made to continue the Avenue through Cornish’s garden and across the river at the bottom of his ground. It transpires that at last Mrs Marshall is likely to sell her ground beyond the river right round to St Andrews Drive for building purposes. For years now she has been dead against selling any of her land but for some reason she may now part with some of it. Anyhow Cornish showed Hoddell around his garden and Hoddell asked if he would be prepared to sell any of the land so that development could be made on both sides of the river. Cornish told him yes but he (Hoddell) was not the first in the field. This made Hoddell look up and ask if anything had been signed yet and of course the reply was no. We are all now wondering which way the penny will drop because the Council will receive both applications and have a say in how the site must be developed. Maybe we shall be able to sell to the higher bidder. Extraordinary after 35 years in residence here these two ‘feelers’ should be made about the same time. One thing we are assured is that we shall be able to take all the fruit this year from the trees in the orchard part of our ground and the prospects as mentioned before are good. Incidentally June we picked our first strawberries on your birthday. Did your mouth water?

Have made another start on the pond and grouted out all the cement that was put in to repair job on the last occasion. Have now cut right through to the earth and Mr Palmer said he would come up tomorrow (Wednesday) to see what must be done now. Have got another cwt of cement and Compo-Seal towards the new work. Not much gardening because of the heat but have managed to put out some Brussels Sprout plants grown from seed and this afternoon Mum has been planting out the antirrhinums in the front garden. Our lettuces are over for the time being having bolted and gone to seed. Have some more planted out and this morning I sowed another lot and these should be available when you are here. Broad beans are five to six inches long already but must fill out more before can pick. Runner beans now going up the sticks fast. Tomatoes also growing well and most plants are showing fruit, some the size of golfballs already. Geoff was very interested in them.

Work still going on in the houses at the bottom of Avenue but tiles not yet on roof. They have had a wonderful dry spell for building.

How did you find your aunt and grandmother June at Westcliff? Expect your mum was glad to see them again and have the usual ‘natter’. When did Susan and Carol return to school? The boys and girls here went back this week I think. Clevedon was full up over the Whitsun with day trippers from Bristol and district – the front was crowded. We saw some of it this time because we walked along the front with Geoff and family and enjoyed the inevitable ice cream.

[Letter continues on Wednesday 12th June, 1963]

*I can’t think who this could have been as the Benns had moved to Weston-super-Mare and been replaced by the Robinsons, a young couple with no children. On the other side were the Grays, whose children were older and were more likely to have been asked to look after us! Opposite, though, were the Brades/Braids family, whose children were roughly our age and whose father, like Eric Benn, worked for the BBC. Otherwise I have no idea who June might have been looking after at this time.

**Adjusted for inflation and metric conversion, the current price of Harvey’s Bristol Cream works out at something like £6.50 per pint whereas 17/6d in 1963 would now be roughly £22.25. This can only be accounted for by far better and cheaper production methods in a vastly expanded market!