Category: Uncategorized

Sunday 13th January, 1963

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1963 letters, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad,

Thank you for letters received and thawed out. My golly you must be having it bad at your end. The effect of our lot is diminished (fortunately) by the numbers of pedestrians and vehicles passing over it, coupled with the efforts of various official bodies in clearing it. More of that later, but first to the points raised in your letters. 

Sorry about the late arrival of the letter this last week’s. It was due to late posting, that was all. June did not go out on the Monday and I had intended to take letter to Liverpool Street and post, but forgot it. It got posted on Tuesday afternoon when June went down to the shops. Not bad to arrive first post Wednesday, after all. 

Difficulty in getting about this end is mainly confined to the side streets. Our hill is still bad, but most of us have cleared our front paths so that there is a fairly continuous walkway for pedestrians. The road is very bad – apart from the width of a single track in the middle, which is flattened to the consistency of glass and looks like it – the edges on either side are still piled high with hard snow. If you get the car straddled across one of these it is extremely difficult to extricate yourself. The only way is to get the car moving forward and backwards like a pendulum with longer strokes each time until the front wheels climb back out over the heap. I have had to do this a couple of times, and believe me you have to be very slippy with clutch and gear changes when the initial moves in either direction are only about 6 inches. I have been caught like this when trying to turn in the road. The real answer is to carry on to a side road that has been flattened and turn there. 

I do not recall the Avenue being covered to the depth of snow you mentioned. I should imagine the countryside looks very pretty with all the snow despite its unwelcome arrival. I do not think we have had any weather that could rightfully be called blizzards. High winds without snow, and snow without wind, but fortunately we have not had both together. 

Some time for the mechanical shovel to arrive – at 4 a.m.. Still better late than never. 

I have been able to start the car – eventually – each time I go out. We went out on Saturday 5th and again I took car out this Friday. It started both times after a struggle. Again yesterday the same performance, but we made it. 

Have not heard of any guttering breaking this end. Some game for poor old Bushell. On top of all this he of course has the worry of not having a licence. 

I heard of a case of the Hoddesdon Town Council (Essex I think) who hired a mechanical shovel to clear the snow. This thing was progressing along a road digging into the drifts and chucking the snow over the hedge. At one point it dug into the drift and before anyone knew what was happening picked up an Austin Mini and threw it over the hedge. Latter a write-off.

Good picture of the dumping of the snow onto the beach. Thanks for all the cuttings and the paper. You talk about the frost freezing the ridged up snow. The words ‘deep and crisp and even’ begin to make sense now. I could never understand where the ‘crisp’ bit came in before. 

I think I remember the winter of 1927, if I recollect aright we went to Tiverton for the Christmas and I do remember walking out in the snow from the house in Barton Rd over the fields towards Norwood Rd. That is straight out of the end of the garden. This has all been built in and on now. 1947 of course was mainly spent at number 17 Eccleston Road so I know all about that one.

You say you have a chill each which I am sorry to hear. As a matter of fact I had one on Friday 4th. Was alright when I got home from work, but as the evening wore on it began to take effect and it kept me awake all night with the usual trimmings. Oddly enough although I had no breakfast I felt quite O.K. next day with not even a headache. This however was followed by a slight cold which I have just shaken off. June and the girls continued with their catarrh etc. and all went to the doctor yesterday morning. He said they were all getting better now but gave them all penicillin syrup (tablets for June) to the tune of ten shillings worth of prescriptions. [Roughly £11.40 in 2023 money.] The children are bearing their coughs and colds much better now. Being a bit older makes a difference. Sorry to hear about your colds. We have little worries on that score as you know. 

We have got a clean glow for the boiler, but supplies are satisfactory as we do not run the boiler every day. Hope you can get your extra coal through all right. Our gas fire – wonderful. Even in the coldest weather we have no need to have the fire on full except for a few minutes. Occasionally the room temperature seems to drop a bit, and turning up the fire and soon put that right and we turn it down again. It is a much more reliable and satisfactory instrument than the electric one although it may work out a little expensive. We have had one heavy gas bill in, but we have to remember that it contains costs which would formerly have been set against electricity and coal. No turning out in the cold for coal now. Of course this winter’s working results and costs are truly not representative. 

Good joke about the standing passengers on the trains from Clevedon. I would not be surprised if they have not the cheek to claim that they are entitled to seats and that the railways should put on more coaches etc etc.[sic] 

I have not worn the Wellingtons for some time now, preferring to wear the overshoes. The latter can be slipped off at the office leaving the feet and shoes still fairly warm. Sorry you had to turn out in a blizzard to post the letter. If those circs. arise again, stay indoors, we can wait for the letter. We do look forward to it, but not at the cost of health. 

Re: move from West Drayton, we went over to number 17 yesterday while the girls were at their party. We took over Hoover and sewing machine and my box of bits and pieces for any odd jobs. We found the builders still there (all five of them) and what with Peter and Pauline and ourselves we had a house full. All we were able to achieve was to get some temporary lace curtains up. We left the other things there as June will go over there on Wednesday to assist with the move. Ethel is having Susan for meals and Carol is going with Auntie Delph. I am having a half day to pick them all up. 

Thought you would like the comment about the rent man. Latest funny this end is the parting greeting “cheerio, mind how you trip”. 

Despite Susan’s preference for flats etc for parties, she enjoyed yesterday’s all right. Carol said she enjoyed herself, she said Mrs Pearse said we could help ourselves, and Susan joined in by saying “Yes we were allowed to start with the fancies”. She also said “What I liked best was the small sausages on cocktail sticks”. None for dad though. 

We used to have a very good toboggan run down Church Hill immediately behind Hack’s house. Do they still use that one? 

No snow in our attic, we have had the outlets from our bath and hand basin freeze up all the week. The early part of the week they un-freeze during the day but latterly they have not. Yesterday we found no water coming down from the cold water tank (although boiler on) so I went up smartly to see what had happened and found that the inlet and outlet to the cold water tank had frozen solid. There was also a quarter inch of ice on tank. The remedy (before the boiler blew up) was to open trap in loft and station two convector heaters underneath, one electric and one paraffin. I put the former on a chair to get it nearer the trap door. We turned the fire right down and went out shopping. After about an hour or so we got back and I was then able to work the ball valve up and down a little which released a trickle of water. A few minutes later and all was right again. Last night we left the trap door open, and as we always have a paraffin heater on the landing, some of the heat went up into loft and kept the tank from again freezing. 

Our primulas still going strong. Not a lot of flower, but plenty of growth. Sorry to hear yours and the other plants suffered in the frost. What is condition of greenhouse or do you not go down there? 

Glad Mrs Cornish like the Apricot, but it must be past its best by now. 

Have not heard from the Benns for some time. I expect they know all about this type of weather having lived in Yorkshire. 

Well hope you are both better now, and no more chills or ills. Love from us all.

Teddy’s War

On By Sue JenkinsIn Baker, UncategorizedLeave a comment

After some years of waiting, and having become aware that I was now Teddy Baker’s next-of-kin, I was recently able to apply to have his R.A.F. service record released to me. To be honest, having heard family gossip about him over the years (‘he was a tyrant’ and ‘he broke his mother’s heart’), I was expecting him to have been involved in something discreditable (such as the mutiny of 1946), or perhaps drunkenness on duty, but his record shows his conduct as either ‘satisfactory’ or ‘moderate’ throughout. He rose from AC2 to AC1 to LAC – that is, Aircraftman Second Class to Aircraftman First Class to Leading Aircraftman – and although he finished the war as an AC1 that doesn’t necessarily mean he was demoted for poor conduct; it could simply be that he was moved to a unit that already had its quota of LACs and didn’t need another one.

What’s more interesting than this, though, is his specialisation. After joining the service on 10 December 1941 and at first being part of various reserve squadrons based in the U.K., he seems to have developed an interest in – or an aptitude for – signals, and was transferred to Hendon presumably for initial training. In May 1943 he was sent to Newbold Revel, which had the previous year become a training centre specialising in secret intelligence communications, where he stayed until the end of October, and from there he had a week or so at a transit camp before being shipped off to India in November of that year. A friend of mine who is familiar with the history of Newbold Revel suggests that he may have been learning Japanese Morse Code.

The following part of the record is a bit difficult to interpret, but he was clearly sent to at least two different locations in Bombay and – to judge from the fact that he received the Burma Star at the end of the war – probably Burma as well. (More digging is necessary here!) He was discharged in October 1946 after – as far as can be seen – five years of blameless service, a good deal of it on foreign stations without much likelihood of home leave.

Now, what happened when he got home in late 1946 is anybody’s guess. He seems to have been officially ‘stood down’ from reserve duties in January 1947, received his medals in June 1948, and at some stage took up employment with British Rail and remained with them until he retired in approximately 1987 – this information is on his death certificate. British Rail staff records are held at the National Archives and that involves a trip in person – as well as applying for a new reader’s ticket as the one I previously had lapsed a long time ago – so this is not an immediate possibility.

The next obvious avenue to investigate would logically be Alec and June’s wedding photos, taken in late 1954, but unfortunately the only group photo showing everyone present is so badly arranged that, of the groom’s mother (a tiny little person), all that can be seen is the top of her hat as she tries to peek over her son’s shoulder. If Teddy is one of the individuals in the back row – and that can’t totally be ruled out – he’s not identifiable with the information currently to hand.

So, no further progress is possible at this stage – but watch this space! (Or one very much like it, anyway.) The investigation will no doubt be continuing…

Tuesday 27th November, 1962

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1962 letters, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks for letter received this morning together with magazine and letter from Susan and drawing from Carol. What a budget!

Very sorry to hear you have had a couple of days off but we were not surprised following June’s note that you had gone to work on the Monday with a cold coming on. Hope you are all much better now. There is a lot of sickness around here at the moment – flu, gastric and otherwise and no wonder with the weather prevailing. The conditions must be worse in the London area especially the fog. Unfortunately it is the time of year when we must expect a continuation of bad weather.

We were pleased to hear the girls saw the Johnny Morris programme with the elephants at Bristol Zoo – believe it or not we also looked into it and thought it quite good. We said at the time that we hope Susan and Carol were looking at it. Some of the children’s programmes between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. are very good.

Well we had our second visit to Weston last Thursday and before calling on the Richings had another look round the shops and I managed to get a haircut while mum toured Woolworths. Picked up the wallpaper ordered the previous but would you believe it one roll was damaged for about 12 feet of its length so I refused it and told firm to get another. At 14 shillings per roll* I did not want to waste paper. This means another trip to Weston later but this can be at our convenience as it is not proposed to start work until the New Year.

Had lunch with the Richings and afterwards he had an appointment at police station where he is taking an Advanced Driving course. The police at Weston apparently instituted this course which is free. There is no test afterwards but it is to give members of the public the benefit of the training given to the mobile police. We left them about 3:45 p.m. and were home again by 4:30 p.m. It was then just getting misty.

Yes it was a Work Study chap visiting Weston who told Richings of your move. He told me about Burt going to Euston.

We did not call at Hillmans’ this time as they told us it will take at least 10 to 14 days to get the fitting for the fire grate and in any case they would advise us when it arrived. No news to date.

I take it Baynton-Hughes is fancied for Burt’s job because he is being displaced at Birmingham?

Hope June managed to get in a bit of driving on Sunday even if only as far as the Sunday school. It was inclined to be foggy here but turned to a misty rain in the late afternoon and evening. We went to church and what do you think mum had to come out just after the sermon started because she could not stop a cough. Incidentally the Curate (who took service) called Monday afternoon when we told him mum had gone out to avoid the collection. He (the Curate) is moving into Miss Emly’s old bungalow in St Andrews Drive on the 13th of December – moving his mother and sister together with furniture etc. from Paisley Scotland by road. At the moment he is lodging at the Girls‘ Friendly Society hostel in Madeira Road off Sunnyside. What next.

Noted you had a bit of a scare at Ruislip Manor on Saturday but only from the spectators point of view. These occurrences can be very disturbing though and it makes one think. I’m sure speed is the root of most of the trouble – going too fast to pull up quickly enough. Bushell is still going out in his car without an experienced driver with him. Have not seen him lately to talk to.

Sounds as if the demolition squad is in number 17 Eccleston Road. Who is going to pay for that mishap? Cannot say I remember very clearly the layout of the premises. Hope the matter in connection with the disposal of number 155 proceeds satisfactorily to Mr and Mrs Baker. They surely must be looking forward to getting out as soon as possible.

So there is a possibility of getting some wines and spirits from E.R. Vaults at this time of year. Just as well to know. Have ordered a few bottles from Geoff.

Your visitors duly turned up then on Sunday at it worked out fairly well. Wonder Susan and Carol did not rebel at going to bed with the others still in the house. Perhaps they were tired. June would have been disappointed if they had not arrived with all the eats available. Your picture gallery will never get stale Alec and I expect you all enjoyed seeing it again. I noticed Geoff was very interested in the projector when they came over.

Yes June you must check on the Blenheim Orange apples now and see if any are gone or going bad. I think they should be alright but have a look in case.

Can see I shall soon have to go over to the red section of the typewriter ribbon or you will be complaining of poor type. Have not used the red at all so far so it should give good service for a while.

Had a letter from Griffiths (chief controller) this morning and he said that Albert Bray (Basher) died suddenly last Sunday and funeral is at Stapleton church next Friday. You remember him of course as being the Rolling Stock Inspector at Bristol for many years before going to London as Travelling Cleaning Inspector with home remaining at Bristol. I knew him when he first joined the service at Westbury Wilts as messenger boy in the D.B.O. that must have been in 1919 or 1920. I should say he was about 56/57 years of age.

What are you trying to do in the loft? Put another floor down for storage purposes? Surprised to know the joists are uneven though. Ours are level right across and will take flooring without any trouble. Not necessary here as we have such a lot of storage space in shed and garage. You will have to have a light ladder with just the right number of rungs to get you to the opening of loft. Unless of course you can afford one of those disappearing jobs advertised in magazines etc i.e. where the ladder itself can be pulled down from roof and returned to there too after use. Godfrey had one in his house at Maidenhead. Bit expensive and I expect you can do with lots of other things first.

The various queries you have raised about the geranium and succulents I will leave Mum to comment upon in her letter.

Have not read mag yet but will have a go this evening. All who have seen previous copy say it is more presentable than the W.R. mag. There are certainly some nice articles in it. The ones about the various stations I find most interesting.

I take it you would rather have your present job than be an applicant for one of the three you say Mann is after. Personally I think a change of venue will work out much better in the long run.

Not much doing in the garden etc. since I last wrote. Have picked up two or three hampers of ‘fall-downs’ in the field – mostly Bramleys – and stored them in the garage. Broccoli and cabbages seem to be very very small this season and it takes two to make a meal. Cannot quite account for this unless it was due to the ‘soppy’ weather in the autumn.

You are still in touch with Notley then although you do not come in contact at work. Expect he had a chat with old colleagues at Bristol.

The horse has not arrived yet. Norman Baker must put fence right first. I do not want the animal in the garden again although at this time of year I only have broad beans and onions planted apart from the fruit trees – currants etc. It will do the field good for the grass to be eaten off.

You will be interested in the Mercury this week with the scheme for making another lake at Clevedon. Somebody will have to pay for it unfortunately. Cannot see it being made for many years.

Now I see the Press are crying out about the railways being closed down on Christmas day. About time too they were closed. There was never much doing at Temple Meads that day and it was always a job to get people to work. Even those who were booked on duty did not all turn up – some of them suffering from a hangover from the previous night.

[Continued on Wednesday 28th November, 1962]

*This equates to about £16.65 in 2022 currency and the damaged portion would be maybe 40% of a roll or the equivalent of about £6.65 so I really don”t blame him for not accepting the roll.

Sunday 14th October, 1962

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Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Thank you for your letters received as usual on Friday. I must say the weather is good for your visit to Exmouth. It started today by being very cold, but it is clear and the sun is trying to get through.

I agree that the catamaran trip was a bit much, but I must say that they ask for all they get. Fancy going out in those conditions.

We have no further news of course re: Susan and her glasses. We have let her read a bit as it is a pity to spoil her interest. Interesting about your experience with the glasses. I believe mother had the same experience as she seldom used glasses when we first went to Clevedon although she had them at the time. I was not so lucky though and have never been able to leave them off.

Nothing further about number 17, we have not been over there this week. We do have to report however that the deal regarding number 155 High Street is off again. Mr Baker now has to look out for another purchaser. What went wrong we do not know, but although they get on the hook these people do not seem to want to be landed.

Fluorescent lighting is certainly cheaper to run. For equivalent amounts of power drawn from the supply, the light from the fluorescent lamp is brighter. I have no idea about the cost of installation, much doubt if it is all that much more. I think you can get a fluorescent strip for about fifty shillings [about £60 in 2022 money] whereas the bulb and lampshade for the conventional type would cost almost that*.

I am not surprised Don finds hard work heavy going these days. I think he tires particularly easily these days. It is a symptom of his complaint** coupled with advancing years. I wonder what he will be doing when the next strike takes place. There is a limit to the number of days required for apple picking. Next excuse will be nut picking no doubt.

I had an idea that George McLeod had died several years ago, but it seems I was wrong. Yes it was Houghton’s son who had polio, thank you for reminding me. I do not think that I had heard of his death though. Perhaps I have just forgotten. I do not think I can remember Sid Wilkins, although the name is familiar. As you say it was a gathering of the clans. A lot of people I have not seen in many years. Why did you go up by bus? Did you not feel up to driving up to Bristol, or is car having the servicing prior to your visits to Exmouth and Ruislip?

I see according to this week’s vacancy list that my job is on the slate. I am pretty sure who will get it. I have not yet got the October issue of the E.R. mag, but will be getting one when is due.

It is surprising you did not see anyone when you made your trip around the wall to collect blackberries. In the thirties a fine day would find many having a stroll around the wall especially as the tide was in.

I am afraid our tomatoes have just about reached the end of it by now. I took a look at them yesterday and they all looked a bit passé.

Certainly a carve-up for the Western Division. I think it will be several years before things settle down.

Peter is here again today. He is trying to finish the Snowcem job he started a few weeks ago. June and I have had a go at the kitchen this weekend, but we have now run out of paint so will have to finish the rest during the week.

I am amazed to hear you still have some of the Apricot left. Perhaps you do not like it so well. Have none left here. I’m now in the middle of a bottle of Apple October ’61. It is very good although only one year old. I am not surprised that Don did not want his cider back.

Sorry to hear you have a long dose of catarrh. It is difficult to shake off and sometimes persists for many months. I should think that the sea air (for a change) should do good. However it is the change of air that does it.

I’m now sampling the Apple and have given a drop to Peter. He is still up the ladder, so wait for the bang.

I agree that the strike was stupid, but not much point in individual N.U.R. members working. They could do no good in the long run, and only bring trouble on themselves for their pains.

Glad do you have fixed with Geoff for transport. I would have picked them up as you know, but only one car necessary.

You will have to remember to take something in a bottle to the next harvest supper.

Well I will cut it short this time as we shall be seeing you in the week***. Cheerio for now and love from us all. 

*An equivalent fitting on Amazon today would cost about £30 and it’s reasonable to think that if you had to pay someone to fit it the total could be roughly £60 altogether. Buying an ordinary pendant fitting plus bulb and shade would come to about £20 in total (again, using Amazon as the source), so even factoring in the same cost for labour it would still be a little bit cheaper in terms of installation.

**Don’s lungs were always weak and he was known to be ‘chesty’, not helped by having been seriously ill during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. In fact he was not expected to survive the latter and Leonard was given compassionate leave to return home from the Army on account of it – resulting in his being mistakenly arrested as a deserter and carted off to the glasshouse at Shepton Mallet before the true position could be established.

***The best-laid plans…

Tuesday 9th October, 1962

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Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks for the budget of news and drawing from Carol duly received this morning by first post. Am again starting to reply on the same day to make sure letter will be finished in time for posting on Thursday. Getting a bit hectic down here at the moment as will appreciate as you read on. First your letter.

Expect you saw a report of adventure with the catamaran in the local paper (sorry it is this week’s copy to you). They must have had a pretty rough passage and a bit hair-raising. Lucky to get away with it.

Note the visit to specialist at Mount Vernon was a somewhat phoney one but no doubt a proper inspection will be made next time. Can understand your pessimism that it may be possible to dispense with glasses later on but I think it may be so. Actually although I wore glasses at school when I went into army in 1916 I left them off and it was at least two or three years after I returned to railway work that I found it necessary to take to them again. Anyhow one can only hope for the best and we sincerely hope the early use of glasses by Susan will improve the vision to such an extent that she may be able to do without them later. Moreover let’s hope Carol will escape the use of them.

So you were able to have a look round number 17 when in Ealing and found things progressing fairly satisfactorily. Fluorescent lighting is in fashion now and I believe it is costlier to install but cheaper to use than ordinary types of electricity. Is any date fixed for Mr and Mrs Baker to move out of 155?

Yes Don and Joan arrived about 11 a.m. Sunday and departed about 3:45 p.m. having made sure of the usual after-dinner nap. Both appeared to be keeping very well but Don said he had a job to get going mornings and he says he does not do very much hard work. Finds it too much nowadays. He had three days (including 3rd October) leave for apple-picking. Wonder how he will get on if another strike is called?

You were a bit out in the identity of the doctors. It is Dr George McLeod who died last week and was buried yesterday. He was 78 and you and I saw him together many years ago following a bout of flu. Alistair, his son, is now our doctor and quite a good one too. To my knowledge he never had polio. Are you thinking of Houghtons’ son – he had polio and eventually died from the complaint.

What a pity we are not with you this weekend with all that money in the bank. So your old job not advertised yet. It will be interesting to hear exactly what they do i.e. if it is eventually posted or if it is filled by a redundant unit.

As you may guess the church was practically full for the funeral service of Dr McLeod. Today I have been to Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol, for the funeral services for Sydney Wilkins, one of my old colleagues in the control office. I do not think you would remember him. He was formerly Yardmaster’s Clerk at East Depot. Apparently he did his early turn of duty last Thursday but late that night collapsed and died of thrombosis. Was 55 years of age. Of course it was a gathering of the clans and quite a lot asked after you and wished to be remembered to you you including Griffith, Bill Williams, Vic Cox, Underwood, Doswell, Stairmand etc. I gather they are all fed up and in a state of “don’t care”, waiting for something to turn up. I did not go to the station – travelled up by bus and returned by the same means after Griffiths had taken me to the bus station.

Your E.R. magazine is now with Don who seemed very interested in same. Like you I wonder where it will go now. If you get an October issue keep it by you till we come up – save postage and in any case we shall be seeing you all in a few days time.

Yes Mr Aston and I had a morning on the sea wall last Wednesday picking blackberries. It was grand and the tide full in. Did not see a soul all the time we were out. managed to get about 10lbs of blackberries some of which I used for a brew of wine and Mum made jam and tarts with the rest. The elderberry brandy through is coming along nicely but will not be ready to bring up. it is still under fermentation lock and next week shall have to similarly treat the Blackberry. Later on must have a go at some apple. Plenty of this kind of fruit this season.

The trip out on the Old Coach Road the other day was only to make a change from Tennyson Avenue for an hour or do. The weather however has been very good recently and we have had some lovely afternoons although cold and dull in the mornings. Heavy dews and frosts have made the garden and grass very wet and no grass cutting has been done for a fortnight or more. Glad your tomatoes continue to form – they will turn red if you keep them warm. Mum must comment on the cacti.

Understand the new division at Plymouth is necessary to utilise up the new offices which were built over the new station. The Division will take the present Exeter and Plymouth District but will also include the line right up to and including Lavington*. The London division is to come to to Lavington so the Bristol division is shut right out of this section of line. Bristol division is so far as I can ascertain to take over the Gloucester and Worcester Districts which the break-up of the Birmingham division leaves stranded. The Chester area and Birmingham area apparently goes over to the L.M.R. What a carve-up.

Note Peter was with you again on Sunday – hope he survived the grape wine. I still have some of your apricot here. Too good to drink all at once. I offered Don his bottle of three-year-old cider when he was here but he was not very keen to take it away so it remains in the cupboard for the time when I have nothing else.

Sorry the girls have had such bad colds and coughs again. I seem to  have a a prolonged dose of catarrh on me – just cannot understand it. Perhaps a change of air at Tiverton and Exmouth may help matters. We shall go down to Tiverton Friday and on to Exmouth Saturday. Home again either on Monday or Tuesday. Will remember you all to them as we go the rounds. Note you are thinking of Exmouth as a holiday resort again. It is a nice place but not if it is cold as you experienced last year.

Where did Susan get her bread and cheese from? Did she help herself? You will have to tie a rope on her.**

Have written to Geoff and told him we will go over and fetch them on the Sunday and take them back again in the evening. Hope this arrangement is alright with you.

Marples put up a very poor show on TV but all the same the strike was crazy. At about 3:30 that day a knock on the door found Mr and Mrs Stacey outside. Told him I thought he would have been busy in office rearranging the coach working for the next day. Was very surprised to hear him say he was out and that all the Chief Inspectors were out and Charlie Rust on leave and not returning. I told you I did not think  much about that lot. I think it was a disgraceful show.

Heels are still away – a month tomorrow. Cornish has cut down the trees that formed the fence between his ground and Heels near the gates. Heel has been after this for years but Cornish would not do it. Now he has cut them down. How contrary can one get? Bushells went to Burnham-on-Sea (to friends) last Sunday and stopping until Thursday. His long weekend and a couple of extra days.

Yes the harvest supper was not a bad affair but something strong in a bottle would have gone down better although the coffee was excellent.

Roy and Mrs Hewitt are off to South Wales tomorrow for a week or so query their autumn holiday.

Incidentally how do you go about getting new spectacles nowadays? Have you to get a form from doctor before you are entitled to them on the National Health? Or what is the practice? I’m afraid I shall have to pay another visit to Pictons of Bristol as it is several years since I last had eyes tested and I know they want attention.

How do you like your salary paid into the bank direct? I thought it most convenient. What bank did you favour?

[Letter continues on Wednesday 10th October, 1962.]

*Assume the reference is to Market Lavington near Devizes.

**Yes, far easier than either watching or – heaven forbid! – interacting with an intelligent and resourceful child.

Tuesday 4th September, 1962

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Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

We were on the look-out for your letter this morning with all the good news and some unfortunately not so good. Now I’m starting to reply in order to cover as much as possible before posting on Thursday.

As we mentioned in short memo earlier we are delighted with the news of your promotion and it sounds like something worthwhile. The fact you are going over on the 10th inst. indicates they are in a hurry to get on with the work and my guess is that they have been lagging in Work Study organisation and are anxious to catch up. Moreover I should say they have not the staff with the necessary experience to get on with it. Although I have never worked at Paddington I agree things are not the same as they were years ago and a change may be all to the good. I too have heard the Eastern Region is very friendly one to another, but to start with you may find one or two disgruntled because the job did not fall to them. Is Douglas Matthews still with them? When opportunity occurs you must please send us an Eastern Region magazine and now we have a direct interest in them should like to have it monthly or is this asking too much?

I know the old G.N. and G.C. and G.E. with the L.T. and S. forms the E.R. and that King’s Cross, Marylebone and Liverpool Street are the terminals of the first three. Query Fenchurch Street the terminal of the last named. It’s a section I know nothing about but I think you have a grand opportunity to utilise the knowledge you have gained in the past 20 years to help the E.R. Is the post a new one or has the previous occupant got promotion or retired? Anyhow our very best wishes Alec and we are sure you will succeed.

June will not care much about your travelling but this is one of the hazards of railway life. I noticed your train service from South Ruislip runs direct to Liverpool Street so no more changing at Notting Hill for Paddington. What is the fluttering in the dovecote you refer to? The fact that you have the job or who is going to get yours?

Your final comment on this matter that you have gone further East whereas you would have preferred to have come more this way – this again is all part of the hazards of railway life but just think – if you had remained in Bristol you would have been lucky to have reached Class 1 by now.

We shall be pleased to have your remarks on the new job after you have had some experience there. There used to be a H. Johnston there and I think he finished very high up. He was one of a Control Commission with Haynes (W.R.) Smart (S.R.) and Scagg (L.M.R.) who came to Bristol Swindon and Westbury in 1941 when Assistant Chief Controllers were introduced and I was with them for about 10 days.

I guessed there would be no changing of house and it is good to know the housing loan is all right – still at 4% I hope.

Now for the news which was not so good. We are very sorry June to hear of the problem in front of your mum and dad. It is really a tragedy but although I am not in a position to comment it does seem the lesser of the two evils is for them to go in to number 17 Eccleston Road. At least they will be able to relax and not be at everybody’s beck and call every time the bell rings. That in itself must be a great relief to them. It is surprising how the interior of a house can be improved by the right selection of paint and wallpaper. We sincerely hope things will work out satisfactorily for them. They both need all the rest they can get and it may be a blessing in disguise once the worry of the business and its financial position is off their minds. If a grant can be obtained for renovations this will be great but obviously the place must be brightened up before they move into it. I think I can understand your mum not wishing to go there.

Now to more general topics. Yes Friday and Saturday last were very nice days but Sunday not too good. Today we have a couple of violent thunderstorms and baths soon filled up again – this after I was thinking of carrying water again. Have disconnected from pond now because I shall gradually empty for winter rains to fill up. Glad to hear the buddleias are recovering.

Never mind about the odd pictures that fails. Expect you have a lot of good ones to show us later on. Which reminds me – will your move affect our visit? We do not want you to start asking for time off on our account so early after appointment.

I had no idea there were three sizes of tyres on car. Noted the new ones help the steering. I think that tyres are one of the most important features of car – so much depends on them.

Bushell did not mind the work from his point of view. He is qualified to deal with such accidents.

Let’s get off general topics for a minute. Have just got to the point in your letter in which you tell us of June’s experience in hospital with her leg. I’m sorry and surprised an operation could not be guaranteed a success. Let’s hope the injections will give her a lot of relief. Is the next one the final or will more be necessary later on? I remember the hospital. You pointed it out to us sometime ago – stands well back from the road.

Note no more driving lessons June – a bit difficult unless you can find a home for Carol for an hour but we hope you will be able to resume soon. You will need car more than ever if Alec happens to be away on your shopping days.

Re: tomatoes Alec, pick them when they start to colour and put them in a box to ripen. They will ripen quicker and give the others a chance to develop. So Carol enjoyed the ripe one. What about Susan or does she not like them?

I put some lawn sand on lawn last week and it certainly scorched up the clover and plantains but I shall want a lot more to make the job effective. No more real progress on pond yet but I’ve done some more measuring up around it. Am now in the midst of cleaning through the raspberry canes and find the gardening gloves most useful.

Your new neighbours back from Majorca then. Geoff and family start back on Wednesday the 15th. Have written for them to have letter on arrival back but have said nothing about your move. He will throw a fit when he hears of it at the office.

Fancy a real doggy having a sniff at Perky Pup.

Note both girls have had a day off colour. Both Mum and I have had something of colds on us these last few days. Must be the changing of the weather from Summer to Autumn. Working in the garden makes one perspire freely in muggy weather and a cold can soon be taken.

How about your flu inoculation? Wonder if the E.R. deal out the doses.

Re: tank please let me know length, breadth and width so that I can measure up boot of car. I will bring it back if I can get it in.

Nice to have an evening showing yours and your neighbours’ holiday snaps through the projector. It is a wonderful record of events and you must have many hours of pleasure looking at them. Did they have a good time? What did they think of your description of the Worlebury bungalow?

Am sorry to hear about Ray Skinner. Jeff told me a letter or two ago he was having a bungalow built at Paignton in anticipation of his retirement at 60 years of age. Stronquist I only knew by name and I never met him or Ken Clifford as far as I can remember.

[Letter continues on Wednesday 5th September, 1962.]

Tuesday 28th June, 2022

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So – if Thursday 28th June, 1962 was Alec’s fortieth birthday – it follows that today would have been his hundredth had he not died in 2001.

We have decided to make this the excuse for a day out in his memory, and are planning to do something he himself would have enjoyed doing – and, in fact, did, many times. We’re heading off for a trip on a preservation steam line Alec loved, but which we ourselves have never had the chance to visit – the Festiniog.

We grab every available opportunity to travel on steam railways; we are, and have always been unashamedly, the people Alec decried so much – the ‘railway preservers’. Moreover, we are the obsessive sort who think Beeching was the worst blight to hit this country between the end of World War II and the rise of Margaret Thatcher. We acknowledge that this is pure romanticism and has not a thing to do with economic reality. However we agree with Alec in general terms – that freight (or, rather, ‘goods’) should be carried on the railway wherever possible. Of course, the short-sighted demolition of the network by Beeching (aided and abetted by Alec, it must be conceded) has made ‘wherever possible’ a far remoter prospect than it was before.

It’s very sad to have to acknowledge that one’s own father contributed to the destruction of something one has always held dear. I must admit that I was hoping, through these letters, to learn that he had been anti-Beeching all along, but the unpalatable fact is that he was not.

So, really, there’s something absurdly post-ironic about celebrating with a railway trip the life of a man who spent most of his working days trying to saw away the branch he was sitting on.

Alec probably wouldn’t have got the joke, but we certainly do!

Sunday 3rd June, 1962

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Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Thank you once again for a weekly letter and paper. your last before the holiday, and this the last from this end ditto. I note your first comment was in regard to June’s mum, and we are glad to say that all being well she will be sent to Harefield Hospital on Tuesday. This place as you may know is a convalescent outpost of Hillingdon Hospital. I think it may be a little more difficult of access than Hillingdon, but I hope she will not be there for all that long. I gather from the visitors who have seen her that she is very bright although she is not sleeping too well (due to noise in the place) and not eating too well (due to the food?). A cake that June took in was very well patronised by the other inhabitants, and Mrs Baker did not have much for herself.

You seem to have managed to get some of your vegetables planted, but some reduced activity due to rain. The rain has been heavily at times this end, but all has helped the lawn making.

The turning off the A4 onto the Farnham Royal road before Slough is the one that I had in mind for you. Take my tip and do not carry on to the junction with the Western Avenue at Gerrards Cross, it is a bit difficult. A better way is to turn right off the Farnham Royal road in the vicinity of Stoke Poges, and reach the Western Avenue at it’s junction with the A40 where there is a roundabout. On re-reading your notes I see that is the way you describe, so all is well. I know you will be having lunch en-route – perhaps you prefer it that way, but your arrivals hitherto have been reliable enough for lunch to have been arranged. I am having the afternoon off so shall hope to be here on your arrival.

June has only had four lessons so far but will have the other two this week. I gather it is going well, but have no opportunity to see the evidence yet. As you say it is a pity the car is off the road but there it is who would have expected that. I had a go with Peter last weekend but we only succeeded in getting the pistons out. I have had new piston rings fitted, and new bearings. The old ones were quite worn and no doubt this explains the heavy use of oil as the pistons were sloppy in the cylinders. This Saturday all we have done is to get to the pistons back in the cylinders and back onto the connecting rods. As a result the engine can only be turned now by brute force. This is proof of the increase in efficiency. I shudder to think what will happen if I have to crank the car by hand. The battery is going to have to earn its money from now on. Unfortunately Peter has to work today so he will not be able to do any more this weekend. We have to replace the cylinder head and reassemble the bits and pieces. After that the radiator has to come off and the timing case removed to replace the timing chain, cover gasket and oil seal. I gather the old chain will probably not take the strain of the more powerful overhauled engine. All this is very interesting and instructive. Now I know the drill I would not mind having a go myself sometime, always provided I had the proper tools. I would say the job is impossible without them. I had hoped that we may have the car by the time you get here, but there is no guarantee.

Our visitors did enjoy their visit last weekend. We gave them a good dinner, and they came back to tea (no connection). It seems they said they had fed like Lords so all went well. I trotted out some varieties of wine and they seemed to go down well.

We did quite well for sleep in the early part of the week, but in mid week we had a rough night with Susan and Carol. The former had a cough (which was subdued by Grandad’s cherry wine) and the latter kept having nightmares. This is the first time I think that Susan has had the wine treatment. It certainly worked. Normally she does not go for the wine quite like Carol. So far as Carol herself is concerned, she woke up a couple of times and brought the house down. All ended well of course but we were tired next day.

This morning before starting this letter (now 11:15 a.m.) I finished off the top lawn at the back. It has taken very many barrow loads of stuff to do it. The first lot I did has sunk a bit and is now revealing the stones underneath, and the rest may well sink in time. This cannot be helped, and must be adjusted later. I have had to take quite a lot of earth from my patch down the bottom to surface the lawn and take the grass seed. It has reduced the level there somewhat but no doubt I can refill at my leisure. It is all good topsoil down there to about 18 in. I have scoured the field on all four corners and centre and doubt if there is much movable left there now. Yesterday and today I cleared about 8 barrowloads of stuff from the field that someone had dumped. Do not bother to bring up anymore rubble we have passed that stage now thank you.

We did not intend that you should bring any plants for the Benns. No point in doing that. The suggestion was that you may find an odd moment to put in a cutting or two of anything available so that by August they might be transplantable.

Today is a beautiful day so far with hardly a cloud in the sky. It is cool in here of course but out in the garden it is hot as anything. We have the French windows open, great days indeed.

Eric back from the West I see, although we do not see or hear from him. Everyone going away from your end now it seems – all taking early holidays. And amateur on the wireless this morning I heard said that cars are tearing past him on their way to the west on the Bath road. it seems the holiday rush has started.

I heard from McDonald about the parcels traffic at Bristol. It seems that they put the responsibility for parcels under the Stationmaster instead of the Parcels Agent (fusing the staff) and chaos resulted. They had to get the original staff back to do the job to clear the arrears. I do not know if it was a work-study arrangement. We want to do the same here and make the Parcels Agent an Assistant Stationmaster. Then we hope to get any staff to do any job we require done instead of having this line of demarcation. Of course one has to be careful and not expect raw staff to be able to stow or sort parcels. It looks as though this point has been overlooked at Bristol. Proposals re: the Parcels Agent should become Assistant Stationmaster are still hush-hush by the way.

Had not heard that Sara had been unsuccessful in the 11-plus. Not everybody’s meat of course, but I thought she would have been o.k. I was under the impression that this exam had been dispensed with in Middlesex but apparently not.

Will look forward to getting a taste of your wine. The blackberry sounds interesting. Have seen no lettuces yet this year.

So the Ton-up boys have found the sea wall then. What will they think of next? Well have no further detailed news so will close till you arrive. Hope you have a good journey. Love from us all. 

[After this, there is a ten day gap in correspondence to cover Leonard and Eva’s holiday in South Ruislip.]

Leonard’s 125th birthday

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Leonard Atkins, 8 January 1917

As you will see from the correspondence on this date, 21st March was Leonard’s birthday. He was born on that date in 1897, so the laconic entry in his First World War diary in fact records his twentieth birthday, and his letter to Alec in 1962 records his sixty-fifth birthday and hence the arrival of his Old Age Pension – as it was known at the time, anyway. This is therefore, clearly, the 125th anniversary of his birth. Since this occasion will be celebrated nowhere else in the world, we are taking the timely opportunity of recording it here.