Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Well here’s replying to your latest letter for which many thanks. It duly arrived on Friday. Time now is 11:55 am, and I am now indoors after a spot of lawn mowing. Again we can report a clean bill of health. This must be something of a record. You refer to the weather being a cold wind from the north-east, but for the last few days we have had it warm although for the last two we have had an awful lot of rain. (Good lot of rain according to viewpoint.) We had the white frost at about the time you did, but it did no harm.

Note you had your visit to Bristol for the Newmans and also that you saw Palmer again. Our joiner chap did not finish last Sunday, or Monday or Tuesday when he called again. He has not arrived so far this weekend but he only has the door of the cupboards to do now. This should not take him long, and no doubt having taken the measurements he should be able to do some of the work at his home. Our decorations are now in the final stage. All the painting has now been done (subject to trimming) and the paper hanger calls on Thursday next. I have now to size the walls for him and then it is up to him. We shall both be very glad to have all of this behind us. The cooking as you can imagine was done under difficulty, but it was done, and no one suffered from indigestion. Serving was also difficult as we had to have all the saucepans et cetera in with us.

There is a great advantage in having hinges on our trap door as I am always going up there for odd things, and the movement of the trap to remove it and replace it causes the paint to be scratched every time. The regular swing into place that would come with the use of hinges should remove that trouble.

I eventually took the dahlias out of the basket yesterday. Most of them seem to have suffered badly from mildew, and I doubt if I shall have one successful plant this year. I have put in about five clumps without much hope of anything being alive in them. June planted some sweet peas out all along the wire netting, and also put out some asters and some mesembryanthemums in the front garden. With the Roses and shrubs we shall not do so badly however. Hope the slugs leave us alone this year.

I note about Alexander’s activities from the Mercury. He seems to have been well in with several circles. Lay has had his week away at Watford. I heard of him during the week from one of the lecturers. He also looked in on Friday when I was out and told people that he was working till 9 p.m. one night.

I went to the hospital as you know last Tuesday, but they want me to go back again on June 5th. If the lump has not gone down by then they will definitely have me in again for its removal. At the moment there is no sign of any such thing happening. The chances are there for that I shall go in after you have been up for your week.

I still have a bottle of your elderflower, and I must have a go at it in view of your favourable report. Last time I tried it I replaced it at the very back of the cupboard. ? ? ? [sic].

It does seem that you have paid a lot of money for that little bit of trouble with the car. My colleague has had a crash with his new Ford Anglia and he has to pay £25 [roughly £595 in 2022 currency] for repairs I saw the damage and it only amounted to a small hole in the side (about 1 inch diameter).

I cannot think that office outings offer much of Interest these days. Everybody is grumbling all the time, hardly the diet for a day out.

Your gardening activities seem to be now in full swing. All this food in the making sounds very tempting. Apart from any samples thereof we can do with any spare flowering articles that you may have at the time of your visit.

I agree that the grass is now on the move. the patch we sowed a while back is  covering up nicely. A chap dumped a load of turf on the field on Sunday so we took advantage of it and I extended the amount covered by a yard or so. During the week someone (probably the same chap) dumped several barrow-loads of subsoil on the field so we had that as well. Of course the latter wants some heavy rain to break it down, but it is certainly getting some at the moment.

Well I am told that dishing-up operations are about to start so must clear up for now. Will resume later.

Well here it is now 1:50 p.m., dinner over and a nice cup of tea on the way down. This morning I started by putting a replacement switch in the cupboard as the existing one of old pattern would be foul of the new cupboard door when installed. Hope to get this done before joiner arrived. In the event I had bags of time as so far he has not put in an appearance. After that was over I cut the back (top) and front lawns. The mower is very temperamental but I seem to have fixed it now. I must say it makes a difference to the look of the place when the lawns are cut. I might add that it has been raining very heavily all the morning and the grass was soaking. All that remains now is for the rough edges to be done with the shears.

We went to Ealing in the car yesterday for June to renew her driving licence and also for arrangements to be made for the carpet people to refix our stair carpet. We also went to Harrow where June has arranged with the BSM for a course of six lessons. It will be done in their car (thank goodness) and we have chosen an  A40 1962.

Put the brush over the garage floor yesterday, and my goodness how the muck accumulates. Gradually the scrap wood that was in the way all the time has been disposed of and perhaps in a few weeks we can put that place to rights too.

Had a day out with McDonald on Thursday. I suppose he missed his usual sparring partner (Lay) and tacked himself onto me. We went to Maidenhead and then on to West Drayton. At the first named place he stood me lunch (no complaints). He told me he has bought a new motor mower and seems very pleased with it. I told him about yours and he was amused at the incident of the campanulas. He tells me he is looking for a new car. Told him there was nothing much wrong with the one he has (Vauxhall Victor) but I expect he will indulge in another. His wife has now started part-time working and no doubt their joint income is fantastic.

June has just taken the girls down to the Sunday School so have been able to make a bit of progress on this letter. It has been dry for an hour or so now, but the clouds are gathering and more rain can be expected any minute. Well June has just returned and told me that there is another load of turf on the field so I will close and go after it. Love from us all for now, hope you are both well.

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol,

Many thanks for letter received this morning together with drawings from the girls – thank you very much Susan and Carol – yes we quite understand why the letter was later than usual last week and are only too pleased that you can report both young ladies in good health this week. Let’s hope they can keep well and fit for the summer now.

Weather still a bit dodgy in spite of the sun. The wind is in the N. E. unfortunately and until it moves it will continue cold and frosty. Incidentally it was a sharp white frost this morning and it will be another fortnight before we can breathe freely and say they are over until the Autumn.

Am starting letter today as shall not have so much time tomorrow when we are going to Bristol to visit the Newmans. Went to Southmead again last Saturday and found Mr Palmer had been moved to another word. At last they have got down to his trouble as I think I mentioned previously and the doctor has stated he will not be leaving there until he is cured. The bed at Clevedon Hospital has been cancelled. Expect we shall be going up again on Saturday and I will remember you to him. He asked after you last week. No more difficulty in his breathing and presumably they have put that right. It will be many months – if at all – before the next operation is even considered.

Note your progress with the alterations and decorations, you seem to have the place upside down and I expect you are both getting tired of it. Did your joiner chap finish his job last Sunday? How did you manage about cooking the dinner with him poking around? By the way our back bedroom had not been done since 1953 and if you remember last time you came the wallpaper had been torn off in places by the electrician when rewiring early last year. Is there any advantage in putting hinges on trapdoor? I was is loose and the only trouble we get is when a gale is blowing and the window is open, then the trapdoor does a bit of bobbing up and down.

Yes the flowering currant we have is one of the pale flower variety – quite nice though.

We guessed you would have no further news of June’s mother at present and can only hope she will be in very good condition when admitted to hospital and able to have the operation. Query did you take tarpaulin off the dahlias too quickly in view of frost today.

Yes H. A. Alexander was engineer at Bristol and lived at Brockley, using Yatton station. He had an estate of about 7 acres* and kept several cows and other farm animals, employing a sort of cowman to look after them. You will see in this week’s Mercury he was mixed up in all sorts of activities in the area I suppose they could get no one else.

So far I have only definitely located one blackbirds’ nest in the garden but there must be others if only I could have a good search. Unfortunately they will be empty by the time the girls come down but it will be something to show them.

Note you are now going to have a go at Slough station and that your colleague will be having a week away from home at Watford. Not much point in his going if not interested but that’s the way of it. Today you will be visiting hospital again about your neck – perhaps they will make up their mind to cut it out once for all. It will be a good job done.

Your remarks noted re cherry wine – will keep it in store here but as you say it is to be hoped Carol will grow out of the necessity for it. I tried the old elderflower wine last weekend and was rather surprised at the improvement of same. Had put some sugar into the bottles along time ago and this made it at least drinkable. Will put a bottle in for you – can be thrown away if not fancied.

Jim Kelly was in the Bristol Rolling Stock department before Hobbs and retired many years ago. I knew the other two Kellys you mentioned well.

Mum went with the T.G. to Barrow Gurney Waterworks yesterday – if it had been Georges Brewery I might have been interested. Arrived home about 7-0 p.m. but not full of water. This afternoon she has gone to Dial Hill with Mrs Payne (Binding and Payne) to see her daughter-in-law’s new house.

That little bit of trouble with the clutch resulted in an account for over £13**. Apparently the cover plate etc. had to be renewed after the gear had been dismantled. Thought it rather a lot of money but I’ve been very fortunate up to now with this car. It is the first job I have had to pay for, apart from servicing etc.

Had an invitation from the office this morning to the annual outing on Saturday 26th May – to London of all places, with a coach drive to Hampton Court and Kew Gardens. The G.M. has obviously not clamped down on outings yet.

The vicar and Curate were about again last Sunday and it seems there are trying to gradually resume normal routine. The Curate however is very much off-colour still and will have to take things quietly we for a long time.

Since last writing I have put out the dozen tomato plants bought from Gullifords and 32 of my own raisng in greenhouse making the same total as last year. Have also strung them up ready for the plants to climb up. Outside, the top crust of soil is so hard that the hoe will not penetrate and a drop of rain, strange to say, is badly needed. (Drown the world for a cabbage!***) I have managed to transplant about 80 lettuce plants of two varieties and today sowed another boxful for succession. Carrots so far not a success but I’ve put in another lot of seed and hoping for the best. That sown earlier in one of the frames was a failure. Garden peas seem to be doing better this season and I’m hopeful may have some about when you are here. Did I tell you the broad beans, although only 6 inches high, are in full flower? They were badly hit by the East Winds in February and March. Four rows of onions seeds are all showing up well. Planted out the gladioli yesterday but alas about half of the corms had wizened and died during the winter so shall have a poor show this summer. Must get the sweet pea plants out quickly now – these have been ready in the boxes for weeks but the opportunity to deal with them has not occurred. Since Easter Sunday – the start of the nice weather – the trees in the field have made remarkable growth and the new fresh green of the leaves look very nice.

Have not seen anything of the young man who wanted to ‘stable’ his canoe on the river bank, but we had two Bob-a-job lads call last Saturday morning. According to their cards they had been weeding mostly but we took all the waste paper down to bonfire site and told them to light a fire and burn the lot including the rubbish already awaiting attention. They got it going alright and after about an hour gave them 2/6d [equivalent of £3] and sent them on their way rejoicing. They had come all the way from Old Street, and we were the first to give them a job that day.

I have not been down to the river for some time and must have make the journey and see what’s going on. The new people in Martindale have had many fires at the bottom of their garden that that glory-hole must now be looking quite good. The other folk used it for a dump. Our neighbours in Cummings’ old house are getting a move on with their garden and have dug and planted a good piece of it. I have given him blackcurrant cuttings and strawberry plants also Brussels sprout and cabbage plants as well as lettuce and other odds and ends. He has severely cut back the hedge between himself and Drewett’s old house and had all the large fruit trees pruned hard. He is taking cuttings from our hedge to make more hedges for his side. His new job gives him much more daylight time for gardening.

Forgot to mention that on Friday and Saturday morning I put up 210 runner bean sticks ready for this year’s crop. 104 in one row and 106 in the other. The beans are already coming up in the boxes and will be planted out later this week. Then must look out for slugs. Sticks to buy are 4/6d per bundle [equivalent of £5.35] and not so many in a bundle either, but I have managed to get all mine from the hedges and trees in garden except that Bill Aston gave me two bundles the council men dumped on his allotment and which she did not want.

He went away for Easter and I’ve not seen him since but I understand he is busy painting – good luck to him. Roy Hewitt and Mrs are on a visit to relations in Swansea expected back this weekend. It will be our turn soon to get away for a few days.

Grass growing quickly now and motor mower had to be used again last weekend. Working very satisfactorily this season.

Yes we wish you were near to share the broccoli but I’m afraid they will all be gone by the time Whitsun comes. It’s usually the way with this crop – all-or-none. How are you getting on for potatoes? We are buying now and Mum says they are very scarce. A long time since the country was so short. Last year I first dug on June 8th but it is bound to be later this time because not only were they planted later but the weather has been against growth until these last ten days.

No fires on the hills over the holidays although plenty of people have been about. The ‘car park full’ signs have been showing a lot and the overflow have found their way to the quarry at bottom of this Avenue and one or two actually in the Avenue.

Did your sedum (ice plant) survive the winter? If not can replace as have several. Also query tradescantia. Mum’s geraniums from seed doing very well but no sign of the salvias.

Just about the lot for another week, so once more all our love to you both and lots of kisses for Susan and Carol.

Mum and Dad.

*This would have been known as a ‘smallholding’ at the time, but nowadays we would call it a ‘hobby farm’. (Or a ‘lifestyle’ or ‘tree change’ property in the southern hemisphere!)

**Roughly £310 in 2022 currency.

***This sounds as if it’s a quotation from something, but I have been unable to identify the source.