Sunday 6th January, 1963

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1963 lettersLeave a comment

Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Thanks again for weekly letters, received Saturday this week, no doubt due to snow. Did not see the efforts from the girls last time, but gather they were good. Note your Xmas arrangements and the quiet time went satisfactorily.

Re: boots, I still use the pair you gave me (Wellingtons), but wearing them to the office is very bad on the feet – usually takes the skin off the heels however well padded in the sock line. I had to do just that in the early part of the week as the snow was so high, but on Friday I put on some overshoes over my ordinary shoes and found that walking was so much easier, and of course no trouble to the heels. Wellington boots at best are never a good fit, and doubling the trousers to fit in the tops does them no good either.

Snow inside the garage door gone now, and just a wet smear or two. We have had no further falls for some time, but that which is already down is proving a nuisance. Our road even now is six inches deep in / on top of frozen stuff. Cars have the greatest difficulty in getting up over the top. I saw one in the week stopped halfway up, and each time he tried to start (about twenty attempts) his back wheels just whizzed round and he dropped back a yard. In the end he got right back to the bottom and had to have another run at it. That is the secret – if you can get a good run up in third, and can control the car from sliding sideways, you can make the top. If anything approaches from the other direction doing the same you are in a spot of bother, or if there is a parked car sticking out. All we had was one track made by car wheels right in the middle of the road for both up and down traffic. I had three successful trips up the hill yesterday, and each time had to lose way a bit to let cars past. Of course once you stop you have had it. All other roads are pretty clear. This morning first thing a bulldozer arrived to clear snow from the hill, but after about ten minutes they gave it up as a bad job.

Sorry you have not got the premium bonds up, but note that the Pools did produce this week. Not a bad offer to pay part of the stake, if this is a permanent arrangement for the whole of the season I should accept too, or is it the sprat?*

Getting near to the time when we shall have finished with trips to West Drayton. Only another ten days now. We are planning to go to number 17 next Saturday to do one or two odd jobs.

Yes it is amazing that Christopher starts school next week, time certainly seems to flash in some respects. It has however seemed a long two years or so from the time Susan went to school. Carol of course now straining at the leash. With luck we may get her in after Easter but if not, it will be September.**

Good news of the horse then. Increased order from the grocer for sugar these days then.

You have me mystified about Don and his requiring everything new – full stop [sic]. What now, a new house??

You seem to have had a worse lot of snow then we have had. Your garage must have been in a bit of a mess. Three feet down deep down the drive too, would have buried the horse has he been lying down. Pity there were nine people in church last Sunday night. Had one less arrived the choir would have outnumbered the congregation. Glad your ringers “Do” went well. Not a bad muster at eleven. Sorry that Alec Parker missed it and also Les Garland on account of Mrs Garland having been taken to hospital. I hope things are alright again there. Glad you remember the seagulls. What was the reaction?

We did not stop up for the New Year – long time since I did so. Do I gather you are helping Mrs Marshall to feed the fowls?

A very gradual stop and start thaw has been taking place for a couple of days which has slightly improved things. Light indications of rain have appeared on the windows for a while while I have been typing this letter, but they seem to have stopped now. I think the temperature must be a little above freezing. Every now and then you have to get back to the weather for one reason or another. Can imagine Roy Hewitt having a lot of difficulty getting about and doubt if he attempts to go outdoors. Should not let Mum out delivering the mags without a St. Bernard. Then if you provide the little barrel that goes in front you can both go.

We have not suffered from shortage of food during the blizzard. Perhaps the quality of some veg is a bit poor, I do not know. We have had milk and bread up to the usual quantities. Milk has been a little late on occasions, and also papers late and missing all together on three days. After all the latter are not essential so no worries there. We went out at our usual early hour to do the Saturday shopping (despite the difficulty with the car on the hill) and found practically no one in Fine Foods supermarket. We were told by one assistant that there had been a rush on food in the week and they had had a rush comparable with Christmas – of people laying in stocks of food in case supplies were cut off due to the snow. The assistant said also she thought a lot of people had mortgaged their rent to do this and could expect the rent and to take it out of the knocker next week.

Glad you like the homemade wines (in principal) as I think they are better than the commercial wines because they are lighter and less bitter. For most commercial products I think one has to acquire a taste for them, but with homemade wines that taste accepts instantly one particular type of wine and rejects most most others***. I myself like a semi dry wine with just a hint of sweetness where as I do not go much for the very dry or very sweet. Again I prefer the white wines to the red.

You will be looking for a sub for this two and a half percent. If you find a suitable source let me know. We have heard nothing on this score as yet. Usually the rates go up, there would be no point in altering them if it were not so.

Carol has a little catarrh and June not too good with tonsillitis, otherwise all reasonably well this end. Yesterday was the day of the Sunday school Christmas party. June and I took them down in the car at 3:30 p.m. and collected them at 6 p.m.. I think they had a good time. Teachers etc. looked a bit fed up at the time or went home though. I shouldn’t wonder either. Two are bad enough, but all that mob at once – phew. Susan and Carol have been invited to a party next Saturday at a house a little way down the road. Susan says she does not want to go as it is usually dull, she only wants to go to parties that are in Sunday School or held in flats. (How sophisticated can you get?) Carol is all for it.

Have you built your sleigh yet? I note mother walking in other people’s footprints, but would be much easier for her if you could put her on the sleigh and tow her out for shopping. Good for you on the mince pies. I do not remember having any myself this year. Can always eat a mince pie.

You might like to keep the W.R. mag with my transfer as I have not seen it yet.

This colouring of the snowman is quite original. We do not see anything like that here. Would like to know how they do it.

I expect Alec Parker will make his fortune baking bread locally. With luck he may keep a lot of his customers.

Peter is out of work again****. He came over on Thursday and we had our side way of snow and did a couple of jobs he also very kindly brought over some small offcuts of wood for the boiler. At long last we are getting towards the end of the wood that was present here when we moved in. This has all come from dismantled summer house, dismantled shed etc. and sundry bits and pieces that were scattered about the place.

Well I hope you are both well apart from the cold that is. Must call it a day again and close wishing you all the best for now and love from us all.

*i.e. the ‘sprat to catch a mackerel‘

**Why have children if all you want to do is get rid of them? I’ve never understood. June’s sole focus was her housework – even in her last coherent days, all she cared about was cleaning and tidying and watering plants – and children, husband and everything else were simply barriers to her doing that to her satisfaction. What a shame to have so little of value in her life that cleaning was all that ever mattered.

***What a load of pretentious old bollards!

****Not at all surprised, he could be really argumentative – in fact, downright bolshie at times.

Wednesday 2nd January, 1963

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1963 lettersLeave a comment

Continued from Tuesday 1st January, 1963

So far no more snow since yesterday but the colder East wind is now springing up and probably heralds the blizzard forecast last night. I’ve been down and blocked up the crevices between roof and sides of garage hoping to obviate the trouble experience last Saturday night. Mum has just gone out to deliver the January [Parish] Mags but will not complete if weather too bad. This morning I started to dig a path way down to the bottom of garden but gave up for the time being when I reached a point opposite the pond – will continue possibly tomorrow. In surrounding district it has been very bad and I think we have escaped the worst so far. Milk is scarce but we have had one pint per day and are satisfied. Bread too is short but our baker has kept us going. Now vegetables will be short this coming weekend. Had to get off about a foot of snow just now to get at a cabbage underneath for dinner. Potatoes stored in garage are alright to date and not frosted. The piled snow is still as high as yesterday and no sign of lessening so car continues to be blocked in – perhaps it is all for the best at the moment. Our living room is rather dark at present because of the snow on top of glass outside French window but this should help cushion the snow which is on top of main roof when it begins to thaw and fall down. The glass over the back door is protected by netting along ridge of roof – expect you remember this. If you eventually have your little porch or conservatory outside your back door be sure to have some netting fixed along the ridge of your main roof*.

I’m glad you liked the homemade wines. I particularly like the cherry with orange and the elderberry brandy and have a bottle of the former in house for daily consumption at dinner times. Strange but true that I like it better than the proprietary brands of wines.

Wonders never cease. Last Saturday on the pools I did a small perm on the Nothing Barred list of Hills. Only four of the games I covered were played and these all came up. Hills did not cancel their pools for that weekend as did most of the other firms and this morning I had 17/6d from him. [Approx. £20 in 2023 money.] Mum now wants to know when I want her 2/6d [£2.85] towards the entry.

Have you any idea yet of your reassessment on the house? Understand the details for Clevedon are available for inspection at the Council House but who is going up there this weather? General opinion here is that most properties will go up by about 2.5 percent. Looks as if I shall have to get a job as road sweeper or something to keep going. Have ruled out a tent since the snow came.

This is about the lot for another week – mostly about the weather I’m afraid but it is the chief topic down here. Once again wishing you all a very happy and prosperous New Year and all our love to you both and lots of kisses for our two dear little girls.

Eva to the family: 

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Thank you all for the nice letters and drawings. Well Christmas has come and gone again, and we shall not forget this one for some time. The snow is laying about and waiting for the next lot we have been promised. When you go out you simply put your feet into somebody else’s footprints and they go deep believe me. The horse is a nuisance just now as it means an extra journey to garage.

The party went off alright but the bellringers had to broom themselves before coming into the house, I mean their shoes. It was a shuttle service and they did full justice to the food. Mrs Cornish and I took fine care we received some mince pies for ourselves this time as we never got a look in last year. The cureate is giving a party at Ledene, St Andrews Drive, tonight for youth club. Shades of Ms Emly the former owner. I’m glad your move was printed at last and expect some of the railwaymen will stare.

Can hardly believe Christopher has reached the school age, hope he does not play Delphine up the first day. It’s nothing but big snowmen around here and the children have them coloured don’t know how they do it but they are striped all colours.** There are no buses running from Bristol and the Co-op people have not delivered any bread since Saturday. That is why Alec Parker is doing such a roaring trade. We did have one pint of milk today after all. Hope you get on with supplies alright. Lots of love. Mum and Dad. 

*This plan never materialised, as four years later we left that house and relocated in a very different part of the country.

**Poster paints would be my suggestion – dab paint powder onto a wet surface like snow and the results would be spectacular.

Tuesday 1st January, 1963

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1963 lettersLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks for all your letters received this morning – quite a good one from Susan and another good effort by Carol. Glad to hear you all had a good Christmas and that the girls particularly enjoyed themselves. After all it is really a time for children. We spent it very quietly and just as well we did considering the hectic time we have had since. First however to your letters. 

Sorry to hear you fell down in Melthorne Drive and hope no ill after effects. What do you wear between home and station? A good pair of Wellingtons is the best proposition, carrying ordinary shoes to put on in office. These will not I know prevent slipping up but they do keep out the wet and protect the legs if you have to walk much through snow. 

Your trouble with snow in garage somewhat similar to mine – more later about that. Pleased to hear you all liked the bit of “Christmassing” you took back from Clevedon. As we said at the time we wish it could be more but so far we have not had a premium bond come up or touched the pools.

Your comment re chicken from Lyng some time ago. I’m sure it was intended as a present and again I’m sure you have done nothing ‘wrong’. I imagine Don and Joan felt they could not repeat the dose. Between now and next Christmas they will have to sort themselves out as to what they are really going to do in the future but we shall not be disturbed if they cut us out of the arrangement. They have a very big call for poultry at this time of year and can pick up a nice bit of money by selling the birds ready for table. 

The typewriter he has bought obviously is a good one but why pay so much for one at his time of life and almost on the point of retiring – seems such a waste of money to me but Don has to have everything new with a capital N. I could say a lot more but perhaps this is enough for the time being. 

Thank you June too for your letter – we are glad the roaster* came in useful and can only hope it was successful. Glad you were able to have your mum and dad over on the two days although not for very long. Yes I’m sure it is with mixed feelings you are looking forward to the 16th inst. – we do hope the move will be effected satisfactorily and that everything will be alright at Eccleston road. 

Hope Susan got through her letters in good order** – it was a very nice one she sent us. Carol too was not left out – she made a really good effort. Fancy Christopher starting school next week. They are all growing up – even the little girl next door here – Ruth – we can see such a difference in her already. 

Yes we felt the same about the horse as you apparently feel by your letter but we are assured he is quite alright this weather. No grass can be seen at the moment and Norman has had to bring him down a couple of bundles of hay which we dole out to him daily. Mum still takes him some bread and sugar and does he like it – starts smacking his lips as soon as she is in sight. Norman Baker told us yesterday the horse is 28 years of age. He does not work it nowadays but keeps it for sentimental reasons as he learned to ride on it as a very small child and his own children also learned to ride on him. 

Since our last letter we have really had some bad weather. Last Saturday night we had a blizzard here and this continued well into Sunday day, and after that the east wind continued making things doubly worse. Snow all over the place about 3 ft deep along our drive to garage and 2 ft deep between house and front gate with considerable drifting. Outside the front gate and right across the road the snow was as high as the front garden walls and cars and milk lorries were in real trouble. In our garage I found car with 6 inches of snow on roof and it was 6 inches thick on side of car nearest the small door. On the shelves there was a coating of 2 inches on books and tins etc. and on the floor inside small and big doors there was about a foot of snow. Never seen anything like it before. The snow must have drifted through the small spaces between corrugated asbestos roofing sheets and the tops of the upright walls. Cannot get car out of garage at present and in any case could not negotiate the drive to front gate. Have cut a path about 2 feet behind between house and front gate and snow is banked up to a depth of over 2 feet on either side. Now we hear there is more snow to come and another blizzard tomorrow night. 

So far we have had no damp patches in ceiling of bedrooms but Heel next door has one already. This means snow has got under felting and is melting. Understand the roads around here are most treacherous and I can well believe it judging by the ones in the immediate vicinity. Last Sunday morning there were 12 people in church at 8 in choir at night 9 people in church and 9 in choir. We did however have 6 ringers in the morning and 8 at night. 

The ringers’ annual party was quite satisfactory and once again Mum had a splendid do laid on. 11 sat down at 9:30 p.m. but the vicar cried off during the afternoon on account of the weather.  Alec Parker two could not turn up as they were busy baking bread which was selling as soon as they could get it into the shops – a shortage apparently. Les Garland had to go to Frenchay Hospital to see Mrs Garland who was taken ill Christmas Eve and he did not get home until 9:30 p.m. and felt too fagged out to come on here. Feltham was working and Ted Caple never comes along. The curate brought a gatecrasher (a student staying with him) and of course he had to hear about the “seagulls”***. Incidentally he drinks nothing but Scotch whisky. I told him now he was in Somerset he would have to learn to take the local beverage – cider – commonly known as agricultural wine. Did not seem to take kindly to the suggestion. The party finally broke about 1:15 a.m. this morning but mum had already gone to bed. When we came out of Belfry at 12:30 a.m. it was snowing again so this morning I had to have another go at clearing a pathway to front gate. The drift along the drive had deepened but we had to get through it to feed and water horse who was waiting for his usual. We had asked Roy and Mrs Hewitt to tea tomorrow (Wednesday) but I had to go down there early this afternoon to put them off indefinitely. In any case he could not have got round here. Mrs Marshall will not venture outdoors on her own and someone has to go with her to feed the fowls – afraid of falling down and not being discovered if on her own.

continued on Wednesday 2nd January 1963

*I wonder if this is the Pyrex chicken roaster, now in my possession, that I inherited when my mother downsized to a small flat towards the end of her life.  I certainly don’t remember her ever using anything different.

**I remember Christmas and birthday ‘thank you’ letters as being a time of terrible trial and am not remotely surprised that these seem to have gone out of fashion since!

***I suspect this may have been some ‘shaggy dog story’ regularly trotted out for newbies, but I have no definitive information.

Sunday 30th December, 1962

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1962 lettersLeave a comment

Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad 

Thanks once again for weekly letter and all your news. I am surprised to learn that ours reached you so early. We posted it on the Sunday afternoon in the hopes that it would reach you at least by Christmas Day, and in fact that seems to be what it did do with a day to spare. 

Weather did you say? Well we note from the TV and News that the West Country has had it bad over the last few days. When we got up this morning we found heavy snow on the ground and even inside the house. Although the windows in the dining room are closed, and even covered with draught excluder, wood and rubber, the snow has penetrated and left a long pile two inches deep on the inside of the windowsill. Had to scrape it up before it melted with the heat generated by the electric fires. The snow is drifting badly and is piled up against the garage and the fence. I looked in to the garage this morning and started up the car just to turn it over and found a lot of snow inside. This has come in under the eaves. The milkman seems to be having a bit of trouble getting up the hill, and so far we have not seen the paper boy. Do not know if that means he has declined to travel, or if the papers have not reached the shop. I declined to get the car out on Friday night – my club night – and walked to station and journeyed by train. By Saturday the main roads had been made pretty passable by the heavy traffic on them, and although the side roads were bad I got the car out for the usual Saturday morning shopping expedition. The going was not too bad, but I was glad to get back. In the afternoon it got a lot colder and I went out to post a letter on foot. With a good walking pair of shoes on and walking very carefully I still fell flat on my back in Melthorne Drive. It could have shaken me up badly had I not put the flats of my palms down at the same time. These took the weight and I did not get much of a jar.

A very bad accident near Crewe as you say. How it always seems to happen at Christmas time. 

Believe you me the girls enjoyed themselves on Christmas Day. They were very good. A bit excited when they went to bed, but in the morning they stayed fairly quiet until I went downstairs to see if Santa had called. When I told them he had, that was the end of the quiet. They thoroughly enjoyed undoing the parcels as usual and much appreciated the presents you sent. You will hear from Susan on behalf of the two of them. So far as June and I are concerned, thank you very much for our gifts. My shirt in particular very good and very acceptable. 

Note your visit to Lyng and that Joan not so good. Hope that by now she will have improved. So far as the poultry is concerned, they will be well without that burden. I do not suppose they want the money all that bad, and it must take an awful lot of their time. We had a bird from Don the first year we were here. A Christmas present we think. We did not pay for it, and were not asked to do so, but there was no mention about chicken in subsequent years. Perhaps we made a mistake. I do not know what he charges, but we have not done badly for poultry this end.

So the typist did not arrive then. Was the machine worth the price? 

Poor old horse. This must be terrible weather for him. Surely he should not be left in the fields in these conditions? The lack of water is one thing, but protection from the wind and cold is quite another. 

Your wine should improve with keeping as I believe it is still fairly new. Your orange and cherry is only a few months old but it is a very fine wine. 

Note your activities over Christmas. Hope your match and return match with the Astons went well. Do they have the TV? Did not think much of the programmes on either channel this year. 

Hope your party for the bell-ringers goes well. Please give my regards to them, as you know I know most of them. 

Bad news about Ted Caple and Ern Cole then. But may be only the time of year. Hope you are both alright. Glad all liked the E.R. mag. 

Gardening eh? Coo rather you than me. 

Well now at the bottom of the page again so will close wishing you both a happy and healthy New Year. Love from us all.

Thursday 27th December, 1962

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1962 lettersLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks for your letter received first post on Monday the 24th inst. – Post Office people apparently recovered from their Christmas rush. Glad to hear Alec arrived home safely and hope by this time you have all enjoyed a very happy Christmas. The weather here was dry with severe frost and a biting N.E. wind – the best place obviously being indoors.

Yes the weekend you were here went very quickly but as previously stated we were pleased to see you and only wish all of you could have been with us. It’s the journey that one dreads at this time of year – can never be certain of good travelling weather by road or rail. 

What an accident too near Crewe yesterday – have no details yet other than that given over the TV last night. Our paper has not turned up today so far and it is now well after 10 a.m..

We thought of you all on Christmas morning and could picture the girls having a fine time. I went down to Durston on Monday for the chicken and was home again by midday. Don not too bad but Joan seemed a bit under the weather – been working hard I expect with the poultry etc. Geoff had been down on the Saturday but only had about 30 minutes with Don at Taunton before leaving on return train. I saw the new portable typewriter but typist not being provided with machine as I had suggested to him one might have been for the money he gave for it. He did say it may be the last year they would be able to supply Christmas poultry as they may give it up altogether. I gathered Don wants to give it up but Joan wishes to keep it going. We shall see. 

Our pony is having a rough time. The field is frozen and the water in bucket for drinking purposes freezes almost as fast as we put it in.  We take down boiling water and pour on top of the ice to thaw out sufficient for him to drink. Have not been down to river but understand the water there is also frozen over. Mum still takes him down his bread and sugar. 

I have never seen any of Ted Caple’s slides but his coloured mounted photographs are excellent. He turns out some really good stuff – has been at it for years. 

Noted you liked the elderberry brandy and must put some aside to bring up later. At the moment I am enjoying some of the cherry with orange and find it rather attractive and ‘Moreish’. Glad you liked it too. Fancy the girls liking it as well. 

We had a quiet day on the 25th. Mum and I went to church for 8 am service (I was ringing at 7.30am) and I went to 11 a.m. service. Had dinner about 12:30 p.m. then a sleep and the Astons came over about 4:30 p.m. for tea and left at 9 p.m. Yesterday we went over to their place at 4:30 p.m. and home again about 9 p.m. 

During the morning I went down to Mr Palmer’s house as he had not been seen at all over the Christmas period. Found he also had been under the weather but was better again. I think the biting N.E. wind has bowled over a lot of people. Ern Cole was also missing over Christmas and has a chill. 

Have now seen the W.R. mag for December and the recording of your move to the E.R. I took down three E.R. mags to Don and he said he liked the articles on the various stations.

10:45 am and paper just come.

Last Saturday I must have been feeling a bit workish as I got spade out and finished digging the plot on which the runner beans had been grown last season. There was a very thin coating of frost on top but that did not matter. The sun was shining lovely and although the N.E. wind was blowing across garden I was somewhat sheltered. Anyhow I finished the plot by 12:30 p.m. and now of course these latter frosts have done the ground a lot of good. Total number of mice caught in garage now three. 

This will have to be the lot for this week as I have exhausted all local news – there is just one point. June will see a picture of Mrs Rabbage the hairdresser in Clevedon Mercury enclosed.

We do hope you all had a very happy time over the Christmas (with no after effects) and wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year. Now looking forward to Easter. Lots of kisses for Susan and Carol.

Sunday 23rd December, 1962

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1962 lettersLeave a comment

Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Thank you for your letter this weeks arrived this morni [missing word]. Yes I agree that last week came and went very quickly and I am afraid it now seems a long time ago. Thank you for a nice week-end [missing word] you. I thoroughly enjoyed it and sorry we were not all able to be t [missing word]* Yes we look forward to Easter and your next visit, but first things first and we hope that you both have an enjoyable Christmas. This year Xmas seems to have crept up on us. Nice to know Ted Caple gave his approval to the photo’s [sic]. I suppose I must have known that he was an amateur photographer but certainly had forgotten. Does he do colour slides? and have you seen any of them? I forgot to tell you that when Rebecca phoned us to thank us for her birthday present she said that Stella was ill in bed with flu. I expect she has got over that by now. Reminds me of the attack I had just before Xmas one year when you were visiting us.

I think this business of closing stations on Sundays and at holiday times is a good thing. About time the public were trained to travel at respectable times. Not much profit in keeping the establishments open for just one or two late persons. So far as the staff are concerned it is about time they learned to live without overtime.**

Glad you reminded me about the Elderberry Brandy. It was very good indeed and I enjoyed it. I have in the last couple of days had a glass or two of your mixed orange and cherry. It required about three glasses before I was satisfied. The girls had a couple of glasses each and Susan got a very red nose into the bargain. Needless to say the level has gone down some.

Well I cannot give you very much this time, as dinner is almost ready and my room is required in preference to my company. Also I have passed over most of the news when I saw you. I shall continue until evicted. More orange etc. in a minute I hope.

We have not looked at our Xmas presents as we like to do that on Xmas Day. Thank you both for the ones you gave me to bring back. I was well loaded.

Some game with Mum’s cooker then What a price for just a switch. Cannot think that the total cost can be much more than that or you will have been robbed with a vengeance.

Give the horse his Xmas sugar mind. Have told the girls that he had arrived and they seemed very interested.

Well will close now until after the holiday and wish you once again a good time. We are all well and hope you both are and remain so until the better weather.

Love from us all.

*There seems to have been some carbon paper slippage in the early paragraphs of this letter.

**Alec’s politics are very much of the “I’m all right Jack” variety; he clearly can’t imagine, for example, hospital workers or other essential personnel having to go on duty in the middle of the night or on Sunday mornings – a time when, I should mention, he was most certainly not to be discovered in church. Nor does he seem to have any notion that the staff required to open the stations at 6 o’clock on Monday morning could have to set off from home at 4.30 or 5 o’clock and if there are no trains they will have to travel either by bus or some other form of road transport, which is pretty self-defeating. All this when he is also saying that if people don’t use the railways they will lose them. The essential point he seems to be missing is that a service needs to adapt itself to the requirements of its users, rather than trying to make the users fit the requirements of the ‘service’ – which then becomes not an essential but a luxury item which people will rapidly learn to do without. Not for the first time in the course of writing this blog, I would dearly love to jump back through the fabric of history and slap him upside the head for his very short-sighted and egocentric views.

Wednesday 19th December, 1962

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Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Well the weekend has come and gone and we hope Alec arrived home safely on Monday afternoon. We were delighted to see him even if only for a little while and wish you could all have been with him. Nevermind [sic] we shall be looking forward to Easter but meanwhile must get past the wintry spell which appears to be on us already.

Thank you all very very much for the nice things you gave us for Christmas we do appreciate them especially the coloured photographs – they are excellent. Ted Caple looked in yesterday afternoon and as Alec knows he is a keen photographer and has his own dark room attached to bungalow so I showed him those you brought down this time and those you gave us last Christmas. He said they were exceedingly good but confirmed your statement that they generally come out much darker as a photograph than when shown on a projector. Their bungalow stands out on the one you took of the house and area from the Hill*. The dark room is the attachment to side of bungalow and you will quickly spot it on the film. We hope you had a good weekend with the children June but I expect they were very glad to have Auntie Pauline with them.

Glad to hear you have got over your attack of the Flu – do not want much of that over Christmas. A letter from Stella in reply to our birthday letter to her says she has been in bed for a couple of days also with Flu. Seems to be a lot about already. After Christmas is the usual time for plenty of that. Perhaps we can get it all over before for once. Noted Alec has had an injection at the office – he seems to have started something over on the E.R.

According to local Bristol paper Temple Meads station closes for twenty four hours commencing at 6 -0 a.m. Christmas morning – what a change. No doubt the staff will complain because they lose the extra time for working that day in addition to getting equivalent time off. Cannot please everybody all the time.

Not much to tell you this week as you had all the news so recently and inspected the garden yourself and tasted the Elderberry Brandy. Am afraid I have not done much outdoors so far and it is much too cold today even thought the sun is shining.

Roy Hewitt came up later on Monday morning for about 30 minutes and returned the November E.R. magazine. Said Mrs Hewitt not too good and laid up a couple of days. This weather is better than the fog though and as long as the wind keeps up there will be no danger of that or the smog returning. From what you told us it must have been very bad up there – we really do not know anything about it.

Well this must be the lot this time except to thank you all once again for all your kindness to us and to wish you all a Very Happy Christmas and good health and continued prosperity in the New Year. We shall be thinking of you during the holiday. All our love to you both and lots of kisses for the girls.

Eva to the family on the remaining one-third of a sheet of Leonard’s paper:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks for all the nice gifts you sent down. We shall be well away for a bit. Thank your dad and mum for the sweets too won’t you. It was very good of them and perhaps when they move in we can reciprocate with a bit of cream. The weather is much healthier now & don’t mind if it lasts over the holiday although we have to keep nippy. The horse has settled down & has his bread & sugar every day. They came and did my stove yesterday had to have a new switch to the oven that alone is £4 [£95 in 2022 currency] so man says and he was here all the afternoon. Now I have to make another cake, he said I had been getting 300 degrees [F] too much every time I used the oven. Lots of love Mum and Dad.

*This would almost certainly be Church Hill.

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…

Sunday 9th December, 1962

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1962 lettersLeave a comment

Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Thanks for letters, again arrived on Saturday, this time well after 9-00 a.m.. I began to wonder if we would get one or not this week.* I imagine it will all be due to the pre-Xmas rush or build-up.

Re: cold, yes it got down on the chest alright, and the fog when it came really made things difficult for stop anything like that is best avoided when the smog is about. Talking about that, I do not recall anything as bad in the whole time I have been this end, and I do not want any more of it. It was much worse than in the 1952 dose.** In normal fogs you can breathe although it is more moisture than air, but in this stuff it is like trying to breathe with an eiderdown jammed over the nose. The soot that goes down inside is nobody’s business. Everyone goes about with a nasty hacking cough which disappears only when the fog lifts. I had no difficulty in getting to work or getting home because of the route I take***. My only difficulty was fighting to get down the escalator. this latter is a bit tricky as they only let a certain number down when crowds build up. A bell rings then perhaps fifty to a hundred search forward to get into a space about two persons wide. This of course gets one a bit compressed by the time you get near the escalator onto which you get literally squirted.**** However, this apart, the rest of the journey is uneventful and only the walk from the station in the fog remains. This is probably the worst part, as by that time the temperature has dropped to freezing, and the density is at its worst. Needless to say we were all very glad to see the rain on Friday.

I am afraid that following Susan’s bilious attack last week, we had a further instalment of the same this week, only June was the victim. She had the morning in bed on Thursday, but was much better in the afternoon. I had the day off to do the bits and pieces, and it was a relief not to have to battle with the fog, although naturally we regret the cause.

Yes our 8th wedding anniversary has come and gone – still as hard up as ever – but that looks like being a permanent state.

Did not know that Hillman’s were going to deliver the firebrick to Clevedon as I imagined them to be a Weston firm. Not bad I suppose, 6/6d. Now you can at least use the fire. We used to have some firebricks at the back and sides which cuts down the space requiring to be filled by coal. We are glad you like it.

Now that Mr Richings has had his driving instruction I have been informed that I should do the same so that madam can have the benefit of the tuition passed on*****. I have not seen any advert by the local police to that effect. No more driving for June. We really shall have to get down to it, but of late the main object of life has been to get there as quickly as possible and get back in the warm.

Talking about the car, I had a bit of trouble in the week. I thought I would start up the car on Thursday just to get the engine moving and loosened up. Touched the starter and got one faint whirr out of it and finish. As it was dark and had the garage doors closed I did not bother to get it out to give myself room to fit the handle, but just gave it up as a bad job. The following night, wishing to go out in it, I opened the garage doors and pushed out the car. I applied the handle and could not get the engine round, it seemed to have jammed solid. I imagined this to be due to the frost. No antifreeze in yet. I routed round until I could find a watering can, and got it sorted out. (The can) then poured in some very hot water and attempted to get it into the radiator. All this in the dark mark you. A lot of the water dropped over the top and went down the outside of the radiator. I think this latter must have done the trick because as I turned the engine it progressively got easier and eventually it started up. Have  had no further such trouble as it has been a lot warmer. Yesterday I got a pane of clear glass from the ironmongers in Eastcote and fitted it in the window frame in the garage. It is surprising how much putty it takes. I bought a 4lb tin and have used half of it. The fitting of the window will mean that the garage will be that much warmer – I hope.

I see your police have caught the vicars wife who crossed the double white lines. A bit near home?§

Regarding the vacancies, I gather certain people have already been identified with the new posts. These include McDonald Productivity Assistant – R.J. Hill (in whatever capacity he will act) – F.D. Pattison Divisional Manager Plymouth – Hilton Divisional Manager Cardiff. These are the only ones so far that I know. The others will be named soon no doubt, then the rest of the jobs will be up for applications. I gather that one of the innovations will be the dispensation with the title of Assistant. Every officer will have a title in his own right, and will not be an assistant to anybody. This is as it should be, and a proper delegation of authority can take place. My frequently made statement that no one on the railway is responsible for anything will just become out of date??

I note you say ‘is something the matter with the ignition of the car’. I believe you may be right as when trying to start up in the dark with the bonnet open I noticed a number of blue sparks coming from the plug leads. This means that there are points where the electricity is being shorted. I must have a look at these soon.

Notley was under McDonald when in the Work Study Section but when he went into Traffic Costing on promotion to Special B, he came under Walton. Now McD takes over Traffic Costing in his new capacity and back comes Notley into  his staff. We do not know what will happen to Walton. Some say he will land one of the Divisional Productivity jobs.

I had Boots’ own antifreeze last year, and it is quite good. It is also cheaper than Bluecol.

Things not too bad in the loft although I have not been up there this weekend. Have ordered more wood to finish it off, but this will not be for a week or two. I have also a couple of hinges for the trapdoor. I think I can fix it so that it swings open. This will save scratching the paint every time it is lifted off. Both the girls have been up in the loft. They insisted in going up, Carol in particular. When it was time to go down she kicked up a fuss and did not want to go down the ladder and would not be persuaded. In the end I had to grab her and plank her on the ladder above me while I went down first. Never heard such a squawk. She has asked to go up again, but once bitten.??

Once a month my colleague Unwin has to act as chairman of a discussion group at the Work Study School. For the last two occasions he has cried off for various reasons, so I have had to do it. It is only for an hour in the morning, then in the afternoon we put onto films for the purpose of checking their rating ability. We have anything from 15 to 25 at a time and they come from all departments.

We are paying guests at this party. Last year we charged everyone and that was probably the reason that Bob Hill did not come although he said he would.

No more news (good or bad) about number 17.

Imagine Soole with a moustache – what a combination.

I hope you remembered me to the Bristol people you met. It is a long time since I saw any of them.

I shall not be in a position to apply for anything for at least a couple of years, as this is frowned on and not supported. I also gather that when the two years are up one does not go on to [illegible] Max as on W.R. but you get another 10% increase on the minimum and the rest some time later (after another two years I believe). I am not very worried about this as I have not been on a maximum for many years. I think I only reached Max twice on Class 4 and Class 2. (The only two promotions I got in the Freight Train Office in a total of 11 years with them.)

Bad luck on the sloes then. I must tell Peter he will have to find the sloes for you. A messy time of the year to go digging in the garden. Probably like digging glue.

Note your news re: Richings and Saunders. Will also read the mercury in due course, but have only just glanced at it at the moment.

I will be down on the 9:05 a.m. Paddington on Saturday (if I get up in time) and return on Monday morning. Hope this is all right by you.

Well I have been having trouble with the typewriter this week. The full stop sticks and so do the ‘1’ and the ‘o’. Makes life difficult so will close and try to clean. Love from us all for now.

*At a time when the Saturday service looks likely to disappear altogether (and rightly so IMHO) Alec’s complaint about a ‘late’ delivery on Saturday morning just looks petty and entitled, although clearly Sunday was his only available day for replying.

** I have distinct recollections of being out in a thick London fog with a yellow tinge, when we had been taken up to the city centre to ‘see the lights’ just before Christmas, and I’m assuming this would have been in 1962. Really, for a family known to have bronchitic tendencies, and who had been advised to take their children to a drier climate – preferably South Africa – for their health, this seems pretty irresponsible in hindsight. I don’t know about their other child – we are no longer in contact, thank goodness – but I still have bronchitic problems to this very day.

***Logic seems to suggest that he would have left the Central Line at Notting Hill Gate and transferred to the Circle Line as far as Liverpool Street. I have no idea why this was considered preferable as the Central Line would have taken him right through the heart of the city, but maybe it was because the Central Line trains were more frequent or likely to be less crowded. Or, indeed, both. I must admit that it’s a tactic I’ve always tended to use myself.

****Am I the only one shuddering in horror at the thought? This sounds incredibly dangerous, but of course it was just this sort of outmoded procedure which led to a number of tragic accidents in later years.

*****And once again we have Alec’s incredibly disrespectful attitude to women – all women, even his own wife and mother. If only they’d just sit down and shut up and make sure his tea’s on the table and his shirts ironed, how much nicer life would be!

§ Cutting enclosed with this letter:

Vicar’s wife fined

The wife of the Vicar of Failand, Bristol, Mrs Eirene Foster Young, of The Chantry, Failand, was fined £5 and had her driving licence endorsed at Calne Magistrates’ Court yesterday for crossing the double white lines in her car while overtaking another car.

This cutting seems to have been taken from one of the Bristol evening newspapers, date unknown, as an advertisement for a local Bristol business appears on the reverse. It is not known why Alec would have seen this before Leonard, unless someone had just happened to bring a Bristol even paper into the office. (Or left it on a train, of course.)

Tuesday 4th December, 1962

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1962 lettersLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Once again many thanks for letter received this morning – second post – and the enclosure from Susan. Note our last letter did not reach you until Saturday. Must be the Christmas build-up or the weather. This is really the reason we try and post on Thursdays so that if one day is missed you are sure to get it on the Saturday and not be in suspense as it were over the weekend.

Very sorry to hear the cold or flu has got to down on the chest – it will want some shifting from there but we hope you can do just this before long. How are you keeping June, and the girls? Hope you have shaken off your illnesses.

Looking at the date we see it is the anniversary of your wedding – 8 years ago today. Congratulations to you both and very best wishes for the years to come.

Yes we had a very sharp frost here on Sunday and although sun came out later it remained cold all day. This morning we have a dense fog – in common with most of the country – and I cannot see the trees at the bottom of the field from the house. Mum went into the village this morning and said not many about and all cars had headlights on. I’ve not been out – this kind of weather gets on my chest so I stop indoors as much as possible. Went down to greenhouse about 10 a.m. just to have a look around and get some Savoys for dinner.

Hillmans have delivered the firebrick (cost 6/6d) [equivalent of £7.75 in 2022 currency] and I soon put it in position. This morning Mum lit up there for first time and everything going fine. It was worth going to the trouble to get the proper fitting and I can assure you the fire grate looks really nice in the sitting room. We told the other firm from whom we purchased the wallpaper to keep the odd roll until we came for it which might mean a fortnight or so. Expect it is there by now but they must hang on to it for the time being.

Understand Richings saw an advert in local paper from the police inviting motor car drivers to visit the police station and receive instruction from police drivers on how to improve driving. After so many lectures they were taken out on the road by police drivers and shown how to put theories into practice. That was all there was to it but no examination or test. Just a demonstration but expect it was very interesting.

Position noted re: Baynton-Hughes. Have also heard of the abnormal vacancy lists out on the W.R. Understand most of the jobs are being advertised at salaries lower than those now obtaining for the posts but the present occupiers will not receive any reduction of salary. Future occupants of the posts will however be subject to the new rates. Perhaps you were also aware of this.

I thought Notley was already under McDonald. If this was not the position who did he come under hitherto?

Noted June has not had any more driving experience lately – sorry about trouble with car – is it something to do with the ignition? Ours is still going well. Have not had Bluecol put in yet but Bushell said if I got the stuff from Boots he would put it in for me. Have had no further news from tyre people re: faulty tyre and to date have not paid for the new one. The local firm said leave it until we hear from tyre people.

What a shocking state of affairs at number 17 Eccleston Road. It is just as well though these things are coming to light now and not later when Mr and Mrs Baker have settled in there. That would be about the last straw.

Could not agree with you more regarding Christmas being an expensive time. It is absolutely devastating – good job it only comes once a year.

Thought you would remember Bray. I first met him at Westbury D.S.O. when he had just joined the service as a messenger and before being supplied with uniform he wore short trousers and I reckon at that time (1919) he was about 14 years of age. Expect you know Hallard left the service altogether to take up other work during the war. Sid Guy is the Passenger Train Inspector in place of Bill Hodge who retired last year. No you have not told me about John Belcher, he must have been mad to get up to tricks like that.

Position in loft noted. How do you find things up there query all nice and dry. There is certainly a nice bit of room there if you can fix things up to your liking. You evidently think the girls will not get that far. You never know. What was your session at the Work Study School for? Query a refresher or just an afternoon out.

I remember your party last year when it was such dreadful weather that the number attending was affected and even June did not get there very early. Hope you do better this year. In any case you will presumably be guests.

Talking about house repairs again I understand quite a lot has to be done to the bungalow into which the Curate moves on the 13th. This is Miss Emly’s former bungalow as I expect I have mentioned before.

Since typing the foregoing the fog has become thicker and it is quite dark although only 3 p.m.

I went up to Bristol on Friday last for Gray’s funeral. Not a lot of his old colleagues there really. Soole and his wife (the former Miss Richards) were there and I see he is sporting a moustache these days – looked horrible. Also saw Griffiths, Bill Williams, Yeandle, Vic Cox etc. I went on a bus from the Old Church through to Bristol travelling via Tickenham, Failand then down over Providence to Long Ashton and thence main road into Bristol. Very interesting but not a nice morning by any means. Got home just after 1 p.m. and enjoyed a good hot dinner.

Yes I guessed you would be content to stay with the E.R. and I agree it will probably prove to be the better investment in the long run. The W.R. seems to be in a state of chaos and nobody knows when or where it will end. Budworth now at York then. The W.R. staff are certainly moving all over the place.

I’m sorry cannot oblige Peter with some more sloe wine. Cornish has destroyed all his sloe bushes and it will be difficult to locate others. I did see one or two when out blackberrying in October but not in such numbers as would have enabled me to gather enough for making a drop of wine. Actually I planted some of Cornish’s in our field but they did not take. I certainly like it enough to go after some berries if can be certain of getting enough. Meanwhile the elderberry I made with the shredded wheat is proving a very nice drink and we both like it. The blackberry is still waiting to be racked off from fermentation.

Since writing last week have had a couple goes at digging the plot from which the runner bean sticks were pulled up earlier. Somewhat hard work but to date have done nearly half-way across garden. Another couple of good efforts will see that piece complete it. Have then to tackle the plot beyond the hedge and that is a good mess and will take some clearing. Broad beans put in in October not yet through and now it will soon be time for the shallots to go in (supposed to go in on the shortest day of the year year). Just been looking at Susan’s letter – another very good effort on her part. She uses her words very well in phrasing little paragraphs. How does she get on with her glasses? Rebecca’s birthday today too – 16 this time. How time flies.

It has been so cold down here these last few days that Mum has kept our all-night fire in since Saturday making it up late at night and closing the ventilator and opening up in the morning. Keeps room (living room) nice and warm to come down to. This could now be done in front room if required.

The Richings are expected to dinner on Thursday this week but must tell you about this next letter. Richings is wondering if John Saunders at Newton Abbot will apply for Swindon which is now coming vacant in which case he (Richings) will be an applicant for Newton Abbot. Obviously en route for Penzance where Michael Richings’ wife’s people live.

Heard from Geoff late last week. Says he is going to Taunton to see Don on Saturday the 22nd inst. so he will take a few bottles of wine I ordered down there and I will pick them up on the Monday when I see Don. Will you be coming down here on the 15th as you tentatively suggested earlier on? Get rid of that chesty cold meanwhile as travelling long journeys this time of year is not helpful. You know we shall be pleased to see you if you can come.

There is a lot more in this week’s Mercury about the development of Nailsea and of the proposed lido for Clevedon if you can find time to read it all. Frankly I do not read it to that extent but one can see there is going to be a lot of objection to both schemes.

Sorry you found Roy had been pretty rough when you visited them on Saturday evening and we hope he too is on the mend now. Pity we have to put up with such weather but it is one of the penalties of living in England. What about going out to Tristan da Cunha? Those people will be glad to get back there in spite of the danger from the volcano.

Our neighbour (Heel) is still busy on his garden and on hedge cutting trying to make up for the weeks they were on holiday.

Yes the mag reached us alright – I had not noticed it was just too large to go inside envelope. Roy Hewitt has it at present then it goes to Bill Aston before going to Don. I like reading about the various stations’ work and staff. Something entirely new for a W.R..

Thought I detected signs of a mouse in garage recently so have trap set but so far without results. I may be wrong about it of course but we’ll wait and see. It is the time of year when the field mice seek warmer places and I have not yet blocked up all the places where they could get in.

Down to the bottom of page again so time to close for another week. All my love to you both and lots of kisses for the girls. I expect they are looking forward to Father Christmas – a lovely time for children.