Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks for the usual budget of news duly to hand this morning but no enclosures from the girls this time. Perhaps with your weekend operations of one sort and another they could not manage a line.

You will be pleased to hear Mrs Baker arrived on Monday evening but coach was later this year not reaching Weston until 8.5 p.m. However we went into Weston in the early afternoon and had a good look round before sitting in car waiting for the coach. It was a glorious day and there were crowds of people about in Weston but after the sun went down it turned cold very quickly. We got home at about 8:45 p.m. and had supper and a bit of a talk and so to bed. This morning Mrs Baker and Mum walked to Hill Road and back to see the shops whilst I got on with some outdoor work. This afternoon we went to Portishead and parked car near the swimming pool and walked up over Battery Point etc. Another very hot day. Too hot in fact for Mum to stop on the coast road coming home. Tomorrow we go to Lyng and may call at Burnham in the morning and have picnic lunch there. Hhope we shall not have sand in the sandwiches this time.

Yes we think the Taunton doctor at the hospital has made a big improvement with Don and we shall see tomorrow if what we saw last week has been maintained. Will try and comment in this letter before posting.

Well following up last week’s letter that the gale on Wednesday upset some of the fencing put up a few days previously I strengthened the one upright that was the weakest the following morning and so far as these five panels are concerned I think it will be satisfactory in future. Have had to think again though about the long fence which will be put up at bottom of garden as the force of wind there is terrific. Fortunately when talking to Bushell about it he said I could have all the sleeper lengths from the bottom of the floor of old garage and as these are about 5½ feet long I think I can use them for sloping supports to the fence. He had enough of them to ensure each of the posts supplied by Coates being separately supported and they are now with the others on our side of fence waiting attention.

Noted you have trouble in digging out the holes for your posts. Query if you have flooded the holes with the hose pipe perhaps this would have softened soil at bottom and enabled you to get more earth out. I have a grave suspicion that I shall not be able to use post hole digger here as the swing of the handle will fell the chain link fence already there. The holes will have to be made very close to the fence. However nothing will be done in regard to this until we have been to Ruislip meanwhile I am fully occupied – at odd intervals this week – in trying to lay the paving stones for path. Have completed the distance between greenhouse and garage and now levelling out the soil between garage and end of shed nearest to house to take further paving stones.

To get back to your letter. Noted you think the chap we saw on Church Hill was Scott – maybe. What are the points not strictly correct in regard to his history as given by the Mercury? Did you notice enclosure in this week’s paper of the presentation to Charlie Rust? Should have included it the previous week but overlooked it.

So your neighbours are still away. Having their money’s worth by the sound of it.

Note reason for changing toilet. This is quite a common occurrence and most pipes have to be attended to at some time or another. We had the trouble many years ago. New model wood [be] sure to be different. Everything is when you want to replace it. All makes work for someone you know. Closed shop and for putting in hatches – who holds the hammer?

What a caper you had on your proposed journey to Woburn Abbey. Told Bushell this morning when helping him on a little job and without examination he suggested it might mean the dynamo brushes need renewing otherwise the dynamo replaced. Anyhow I hope it will not be too costly a job. Always something.

So far as the sets are concerned I can only give you the measurements of the set I brought back last year but I can quite appreciate it will be better to leave the big case off altogether and if possible rig up a temporary one. Cannot think of some of the points needing clarification in the radio book just now but will bring it along. Shall have to tighten up the aerial too as I see it is sagging a bit and now touching the tops of the bushes. The gale may have been responsible for some of this.

Glad to hear you were able to get on with the fencing last weekend and even with only eighteen inches of post in the ground I think you will find it sufficient situated where you are. It would not do here though. Mr Gray was soon on the job then when he saw what you were up to and as you have cleared the side hedges – Roses etc. – we shall see a big difference. You have already noticed you have extra room to play with and I am sure you will agree it is a much needed job.

Noted Peter will give Mr Gray a hand with his side of the work. Hope your other neighbour agrees to your suggestion to save cutting off a piece of the panel. This would somewhat spoil the frame and weaken it.

Could not quite understand why the people at the bottom had to bring a van round for the old fence. Could not they have had it over the bottom of garden? We much appreciate your writing us after such a hard day’s work – expect you were all tired out.

Yes visit to Tiverton off for the time being and we have not yet had a reply to our suggestion that they come up here later on for a few days rest.

Fancy taking the water for the dolls picnic to top up the battery – don’t expect that was very much appreciated. How did the dolls manage?

Understand Rebecca likes her job and is settling down to it.

We think Mrs Baker looks much better this year and certainly she seems brighter. Hope the change here will do her more good. She said the journey down was very hot at times. I should think so too for it was a real scorcher at Weston in the afternoon. Heels came back yesterday after about nine days at Derby. They brought back an elderly couple with them to stay for a short time.

I mentioned helping Bushell just now. It was to help carry a bath from the garden at back of houses to the front of house where in his front lawn he had dug a big hole. The bath was to be dropped into said hole and the surrounding filled in again. He intends to use it for fish and lilies. He has already covered it with wire netting to keep the children from falling into it.

There has been no further move regarding our pond so far but I can afford to wait for the time being as am busy on other matters.

Have to start collecting the items to bring up such as peat, hose pipe etc. and if there is anything else you can think of please let us know next letter. Assume June will be all right for us to come up on Thursday October 1st to arrive after lunch. Probably call on route for a meal as we did last year. Hope I have not a cold this time too. If you remember we had to return a day early and go to bed. Today I feel fine and possibly the extra work here has had something to do with this as there is no time to be ill.

Bushell has used some Aquaseal for his guttering and it has done the trick. He needs a downpipe now or the water will still be blown over our side by the wind.

What an amazing spell of weather we are having. Never thought it would hold out for Mrs Baker’s visit but glass is well up and with a bit of luck it will remain fine all the week. The nights get very cold quickly after sundown. Slight frosts in the morning too. Will break off now and continue tomorrow evening with an account of our day out on Wednesday and visit to Lyng.

[Continues Thursday 24th September, 1964]