Wednesday 28th February, 1962

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1962 lettersLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan & Carol

Many thanks for another long and interesting letter to hand on Monday also some really nice drawings from Susan and Carol. Glad to hear that at time of writing apart from a sniffle* or so from the girls you are keeping all right.

Yes I’m afraid I spoke out of turn regarding the weather and although it has been bitterly cold and we have only had a flurry of snow where as according to press and TV you have once again had a heavy fall. Cannot do a thing outdoors and temperature in greenhouse only keeps just above freezing point so have spent most of the past week indoors. The 25 hundredweight [1.25 Imperial ton/1.4 U.S. ton] of coal we started the winter with is fast disappearing and I shall have to order a bit more to see us through – we  shan’t go cold for the sake of a lump of coal.

The wind is due east and this is when the residents of the Swiss Valley feel it most for as you know the valley runs direct east to west and the wind cuts through between the hills  on either side.

Glad to hear your house roof came through the gales without damage – I noticed no repairs are yet being affected on the two houses next to us. Bushell by the way is the name of the young couple who live next door where the Cummings formerly lived. Since demobilisation a twelvemonths ago last summer he has been working at Hales but this week changed his job and is now a full-time member of the Portishead First Aid Station. He is a fully qualified member of the St John Ambulance Brigade and will have to work 8-hour turns of duty round-the-clock. Apparently there are opportunities for promotion in due course.

Note you have fixed the downpipe to stop it rattling – noise a bit of a nuisance when trying to get off to sleep.

I thought Sellotape was too strong for the quality of paper envelopes were made from and rather suspect that I sealed them up completely causing them to burst like a balloon when cancelling stamp used by Post Office people – note last Saturday’s budget arrived safely in new type of envelope but half-expected you to tell me you had to pay a surcharge because of the extra weight. Anyhow so far so good.

You are right about the construction of the brick walls outside the two houses in Old Church Road. Incidentally when going to post last Friday I met Mogg and asked him if he could remember taking you round the corner many years ago but he could not. By the look of him should think he would have a job to get round himself and nowadays. He is so very bad on his pins.

Noted lawn not likely to be finished by the time we come up – quite frankly did not expect it to be but I think you have done a lot to it already and if you have a go at odd times you will eventually have the work completed.

Interesting about your efforts to get car out of garage with a flat tyre – did you find out the cause? Must be something wrong for it to go like that. Query a nail right through outer cover.

So Notley looked you up the other Sunday – did he get the job you mentioned in an earlier letter? Note you opened up the cellar and also that you came across a good brew of apple wine. I’m still having a daily dose of Blackberry here.

Our forsythia is very slow in coming into flower this year due to the adverse weather conditions but Mum cut off several branches and put them in a vase of water in living room and at the moment the flowers are out fully. If yours have died must try and get some cuttings to take root – let us know further please.

Remarks of Baynton-Hughes noted and there is probably a lot in what he says. It seems to be the era of Work Study in everything and opens up tremendous possibilities. As I see it you are only on the fringe of it yet.

I think you are right about the grouping of stations and you can rest assured Beeching and his immediate advisors will probe every possible means of economy. According to TV South Wales local news – which we get following West of England news – the South Wales people are kicking up an awful rail about closures of stations and branches in that part of the country.

Sprained my left thumb about six weeks ago but as it did not get right again as quickly as should have liked went to Doctor who tidied up to keep joints from being used. Bandage due to come off now and I’m sure there is a marked improvement although it may take months to return absolutely to normal.

Still no typewriter as you can see – have not seen my contact lately but I’m not disturbed. I shall get a machine as soon as Houghton has one he can recommend.

No further news on Mr Gardiner – still in hospital and Miss Weekes not yet moved out. Vicar still on sick list and now Curate as well so Parish now in the hands of a couple of pensioned clergyman – one of whom has a high-pitched voice and the other low so it’s a case of “Sing hi – Sing lo”.

Still no news of the boy missing at Hayes – his parents must be frantic. There seems so little that can be done as all possible clues have long been followed up.

So you have no more information re: your neighbours’ movements – you will hear when they have made up their minds as to when and where they will be going.

Very little local news this week and no gardening activities to report. Mum and I have been trying to keep the fire warm. The lorries are still rushing along the seawall with loads of filling to repair the damage done in January – high tides are expected again shortly. The New Hall was opened last week as you will see in Mercury and there is also an interesting article on the future development of the seafront.

The question of platform trolleys comes up periodically. I remember it many years ago when the staff at Bristol T.M. would not use any with rubber-rim tyres because they were much harder to pull along the platform than steel-rimmed tyres; did not trouble about the noise the latter made as compared with the former. At Christmas time when additional trolleys were ordered from Swindon to deal with the extra traffic the stores people had to be asked to give preference to the supply of steel-rimmed vehicles. I’ve even seen the rubber-rimmed ones put aside and not used by certain members of the staff. A bit different though when mechanised units were introduced which could haul a dozen or so trolleys at a time.

No more now – all our love to you both and lots of kisses for Susan and Carol. 

Mum and Dad

P.S. could do with that Mediterranean cruise this weather. 

*I find this fascinating. The word Alec used was ‘snivel‘, and it was in the context of his taking the children’s drawing paper to type his letter on … i.e. that we were whining selfishly about losing some of our paper. Leonard has chosen to interpret it to the effect that we had very slight colds and were better than we had been before – a far more generous reading.

Eva to the family on the remaining ⅝ of a sheet of Leonards paper:

 Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Thanks for letter. Thank goodness it is not so cold but we haven’t had the snow you have had. Mrs Bushell next door is still waiting, the arrival was supposed to be last Monday. She is getting a bit fed up about it and has gone to the clinic today.

Our church party next Tuesday and nobody seems to know what is going to be the program. Anyway the tickets are 2/6d so must expect something decent. The New Hall looks a very nice place and is next to Sunhill on same property.

There doesn’t seem to be much news around. Dad’s thumb is better but will require massaging a bit till he gets it back to normal. Men are busy all round this way putting up new poles for electricity while in the Chapel Hill area the sewers are being looked into they have one side of the road exposed.

The box in the church has been broken in again, it needs a 12-hour watch on it it. Somebody must know when Mrs Garland goes to elevenses and dinner. I don’t care about going up there alone to do the brass. **

I have several lots of seeds up but they don’t seem to get any further, it’s too cold. We have freesias coming out in pot, also the cyclamen is out with about 24 flowers. One or two scillas and a few others.

Hope you are keeping well lots of love from Mum and Dad.

**This is an expression which has changed its meaning over the years. What Eva means is that doesn’t care for the idea, i.e. she really doesn’t fancy it. Interestingly these days the Church is locked 90% of the time except when there are services due.

Sunday 25th February, 1962

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1962 lettersLeave a comment

Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Thanks once again for weekly letter, they soon come round don’t they. We managed to get the last one in the box on the Sunday – mainly because June happened to have a stamp. Shall have to do some prospecting later to see if this one can do likewise. Sorry about the quality of the paper, I have some rice paper sacked away at the office, but only wants bringing home. This lot has come again from the children’s supply. A snivel or two from the girls, but otherwise all well this end.

Glad you said the better weather is coming. With the arrival of your letter, or rather one day in advance, the really cold weather started. This has severely reduced outside activity with both ourselves and the children. Carol was saying something about taking the doll for a walk in the pram, but it is far too cold. I suppose it is as cold now as it has been or winter.

Have not had a look round the house to see if anything is missing in the way of tiles. Should not think much adrift there. Last weekend I fixed one of the downpipes which was regularly rattling every time we got strong wind. It was a source of booming noise as the pipe resonated. That has been jammed with a piece of wooden wedging and is now silent.

Have secured the faulty piece of the garage roof with an old door bolt. This rest under the steel cross members and the roof piece is hooked to it and pressure tightened with a locking nut.

I think I misled you about the envelopes. On again looking at the old ones, it was the paper that had given way in front of the Sellotape. No trouble at all with this week’s but can see I shall have to get you some envelopes.

No chance to test the effect of the bread-and-water diet yet, as the girls have been confined to the garden since then, apart from Susan’s going to and from school. There has been no deviation however since that time, so we may have made some impact.

Remember the incident when I asked Mogg to help me. I thought of it afterwards that I could have caught hold of the bricks on the wall in front of Caples bungalow and Mrs Newey’s. I do not know if they have altered them, but they were one flat and one ridged like castle walls.

I should have thought the Swiss Valley was one of the nicest parts of Clevedon to live in – sheltered from the sea winds, not too far from the town, and expanding.

I think it’s far too much to expect that the lawn arrangements will have been completed before you come up in the summer. The difficult part is the provision of the earth covering, but I may transfer some of the earth I have in the patch at the bottom to accelerate things. The level of the patch will drop of course, but the household ash can then be dumped there to raise it again, or I can get a load for two of good stuff later on.

How long has the thumb been playing up? I gather there is no pain, but presumably it caused some difficulty prior to first visit to doctor.

Last Sunday after closing down the letter, had a visit from Notley – by arrangement – and got out the wine cellar. While going through it I came across a bottle of the Apple I brewed in October from the fruit you brought up. When I racked it from the fermentation jars into a couple of storage jars, there was an odd bottle which I must have taken downstairs – although I do not remember doing it. After trying most of the available stuff, I tried the Apple to see how it was going on. It was beautiful. Considering it was only four or five months after brewing it was very sweet with a fine bouquet. There is plenty of it so when you arrive there may well be some left.

Note the thornless loganberry will probably fruit in ’63. Can hardly wait. Something like our plum, I believe it has lasted two of the eight years you said it would need. I think we have may have lost the bits of forsythia as there is no sign of life from that quarter, and this is the time of year when movement should be seen. Ran into Baynton-Hughes on Thursday and had a chat with him. He says not to give up Work Study as even greater things are coming. Do not know if he knows anything, but at least he has done well from it.

Interesting to hear that Richings has to take over Weston Goods. He should have little difficulty with it in view of his old experience. We should do more of that up and down the country. I can visualise the time when an S.M. will cover a group of stations, not merely two as usual now. For instance one would cover Reading, one for all stations to Slough including branches, one for Slough, one for West Drayton, Iver, Langley, Staines and Uxbridge (if not closed) etc etc etc. What a saving there could be in the ordering of stock, stationery et cetera.

My visit to Swindon of all things was in connection with the with the redesign of platform trolleys. There has been some waffle going on for years between the Swindon people and our Works and Equipment section, no one seems to know what was wanted so McDonald dropped the problem on our plate. Ibbotson is pressing the matter. Frankly there is not much one can suggest to improve the present design, as it has stood the test to time and rough treatment, is cheap and easy to repair. Cost only £30 each where has the cheapest alternative so far suggested amounts to about £85 each.

Thank you for the paper – I saw the entry about Houghton’s son. As you know Harrow-on-the-Hill is not awfully far from us although not what you would call in the immediate neighborhood.

Sorry about the spelling here today, that typewriter seems alive. Probably the cold weather. Note you are still awaiting yours. Have seen several for sale – new lately but the cost is about £20. Of course you do not require a portable – neither do I for that matter – as long as you can find room to put it out of the way when not in use.

I feel sorry for the railway people of Bristol who are to protest about the closure of train services. There is just nothing they can do about it. It is inevitable, and their action is rather like that of King Canute. They would be far better off if they could only use their energy to work out the best course to take after these changes are brought about.

Note about Mr Gardiner, and Miss Weekes, but who please is Mrs Bushell?

Had a fright yesterday when I tried to get the car out of the garage. As you know I have little room to move in, and after trying for about 5-minutes, could not get the back of the car round far enough to clear the wall of the house and get into the sideway. Could not understand this as usually presents no difficulty, but I was to-ing and fro-ing like a novice unable to get out. I stopped the engine and decided to walk out and think about it. When I get round to the back I found the off-side rear tyre was as flat as a pancake. Pumped it up with the foot pump, and after that it was easy.  So far no sign of it going down.

As I type this letter the snow is coming down in large flakes. The fat-headed chat at the bottom of the garden is digging his garden wearing a leather jerkin and balaclava. After a short break for tea, I see even he has had enough and snow is now heavier.

They are looking for that little boy at Ruislip today. I am told that they are looking along the West End Road somewhere. Peter wanted to know if I would go on the search with him. The local Scout superintendent was telling me that he and the number of others have been asked if they will go on a shoulder-to-shoulder search today.*

Well there is no great news to report this week, the neighbours have said nothing about their plans. Do not see much of them on either side at this time of the year. Eric was home yesterday and was up early and about this morning, but his car has gone now.

Have seen one or two efforts by the children knocking about in reply to your note to them. (Pictures.)

Will close now then with love from us all.

*Billy Holloway, of course. Alec does not explicitly say whether or not he went along but I suspect he did not; the prospect of being out and about in cold weather and potentially finding a body would not have appealed to him one little bit.