Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec, June Susan and Carol [sic]

As it was Easter Monday yesterday we did not expect the usual weekly letter today but I thought I would start ours in anticipation of yours arriving on Wednesday morning. I suppose the chief topic with most people over the holiday would be the weather. It has been dry here all through but so cold and the wind is still in the north-east. What a good job you did not come down and also that we did not come to Ruislip. The only comfortable place has been in front of the fire. Two or three times Mum and I have tried to do a little on the garden but a few minutes outdoors has been sufficient on each occasion. In the garage however I have now completely stripped down the bench and stacked the timber from same along the side ready for use in new garage when latter ready. Most of the articles on the shelves have also been removed and the place looks really empty except for the car, table and chest of drawers. The plans and covering letter to the Council I took up personally last week and although I’m still waiting their reply I understand there will be no objection. Not that I was expecting any but it’s just as well to take the Council with you on any big job near house. Stan and James says he will lay in the base when I have had written reply from Council.

Mum has been weeding some of the flower beds on lawn and has had several bonfires. We have burned quite a lot of rubbish of one sort and another. There have been no more moves by the purchasers of the land today but there is still a strong rumour that no extension of Tennyson Avenue is now contemplated.

As you know we were going down to Lyng this coming Sunday but a letter from them this morning says Don is in bed with flu and that Joan although not in bed is also suffering from it and has a job to move about. Consequently the visit is off for the time being. Doctor is attending Don and calls again next Thursday. There was news also of Joan’s brother Jim aged 52 who was rushed off to hospital on 16th March with thrombosis after spitting up a lot of blood and he has to remain in hospital for a month and then have two months’ convalescence. It would appear he has had a narrow squeak but that it was taken in time. The letter asked me to let Geoff know what had happened and I sent Geoff the actual letter this morning. Perhaps we shall have better news of them for you next week. It was only a couple of letters ago that Don and Joan had not had a cold all the winter – now this.

Ted Caple has had another mishap with his car. Coming home from Exeter last weekend from a fortnight’s convalescence following his previous accident he got as far as Yatton and this side of the station turned right to come over the Moor Road and about 100 yards along right at the left hand bend he saw a lorry coming towards him from the opposite direction and pulled into his proper side of road for it to pass. Driver of lorry did not see him and took the corner sharply and struck his offside wing. He is still pretty shaken after the affair when the old lady was killed and this job has not improved matters.

Well we had a good day on Easter Sunday. I was ringing at 6:30 a.m. for 7 a.m. service which Mum and I attended and then rung for the 8 a.m. service while mum came home to get breakfast ready. Then ringing for the 11:00 a.m. service which I also attended and at 4:00 p.m. Mum and I went to Christ Church for the christening of Jane Elizabeth Bushell. We got back about 4:45 p.m. and went into Bushells’ for the tea. I left mum still there at 5:45 p.m. to go over ringing again but found that sherry and cucumber sandwiches are no good for ringing or singing. Anyhow it was a very nice do and I should guess about twenty people were there. Bushells had their friends down from Birmingham and they have a little girl called Susan – about five years old. They returned to Birmingham this afternoon.

A little more information regarding the Ray Mogg episode. Mrs Marshall says that Mrs Mogg told her that Ray’s colleague had had a nervous breakdown and he himself was being called upon to do more work than he could tackle and so gave it up altogether. A likely story indeed but I suppose the truth will leak out one day*. It is a fact he has taken over a shop in Coldharbour Road selling sweets, newspapers, cigarettes etc. where two or three assistants are employed. (The number of assistants is Mrs Mogg’s figure). In any case it is a comedown I should think from what he was supposed to be at the Avalon Furniture Company, Yatton.

*It seems rather churlish not to accept Ray’s word on the matter – this does appear to be a perfectly reasonable explanation – but maybe Leonard knows something we don’t!

[Letter continues Wednesday 1 April, 1964]