Tag: Baker

Thursday 8th September, 1960

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1960 lettersLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

[Alec’s letter, presumably of Sunday 4th September, has not survived. NB: for a change, Leonard is writing on plain white foolscap.]

Dear Alec June Susan & Carol

Many thanks for June’s letter received on Friday last and Alec’s on Tuesday this week and not forgetting Susan’s splendid effort at drawing. Your week’s leave was a proper ‘washout’ and all of you must have had a terrible time coping with the many preparations for base of garage. Reminds me of time Don & Geoff came to Clevedon to build shed. They had a week’s leave and every minute had to be used or the job could not have been completed. The first day (Sunday) it poured so everything was turned out of front room and the sizing and cutting of timber was done there. We hope none of you had any after effects consequent on working in such weather.

Note from June’s letter you had a trip to wembley on the Monday and did a bit of shopping also a trip to Richings Park then later in week a long run to Westcliffe on Sea with June’s Father & Mother – how nice for them to be able to get away together for once – expect they enjoyed the day out even if not suited regarding bungalow. The map I have of the area shows Hadleigh but not Westcliffe. Which way did you go? Query north of London then South East. We hope they can get fixed up soon as that will be one worry off their minds and what a relief it will be to get away from the shop* and district.

Turning to Alec’s letter again I imagine he was glad to get back to work this week for a rest. I used to feel like that after a good week on the garden in the old days. Note position re: vacancy applications but no doubt you will keep us advised of any developments. Heard this week that Saunders of Yatton is going to Bridgwater (Spl. A) and that Norman Allen had an interview for two jobs at Transom House yesterday – had to see Hallen and Arthur Price.

Yes the bellringing is quite good fun and last Saturday at Portishead we had 10/- each for our trouble. Only two of the regular Portishead ringers were available and they were most glad of outside assistance. Our next one here at the Old Church is on Monday Oct. 3rd – wedding at St. Peters and bells at Old Church. The Old Church at the moment is upside-down, roof off (temporary galvanised sheeting to keep rain out) part of inside sealed off and piano being used in place of organ. All this due to renovations being carried out consequent on work of death watch beetle. Now feared that damage worse than first anticipated and estimated for.

Our house too is upside-down this week as we have Frank James and his assistant in repapering and repainting Hall & staircase. Fortunately since Monday weather has been grand & we can keep doors open & let paint dry quicker and incidentally to let some of the smell out.**

Assume by now you have completed minutes of meeting and had another trip to Cardiff. Presumably progress being made with the scheme in hand for Cardiff area.

Have you heard from Geoff and family since they returned from Italy? Should have been home again sometime yesterday.

Had a line from Don yesterday to say that Mrs Elston (Exeter) died on Sept 1st and that Joan and he went to funeral on Monday. Mrs Elston was a very great friend of Grandma Atkins as I expect you may remember.

Don & Joan are coming up to dinner on Sunday 18th inst. – in style presumably in the new Countryman. Have not told him yet that we have changed cars.*** Your LTA 259 now safely garaged in St Andrew’s Drive and cannot be moved again until it is covered by your Insurance. Quite safe where it is and in the dry. Radio Licences are not transferable hence the desire to renew in your name. We seldom used it when out in car and shall not miss it in the future. Must admit though that if anyone out for a picnic like you were at Richings Park it could be very enjoyable. Query any moves regarding your present car GJO 120?

Shall have about ten pints of elderberry wine in due course and you must have a bottle or two later on. An afraid it is too late now for you to think of getting any berries. The orange wine seems to be maturing all right but a little on the ‘sharp’ side at the moment – more sugar in due course – hope to bottle about nine pints.

Managed to cut grass on Monday but it was hard work even for the motor mower.

Bad luck on football pool effort – obviously wrong week to get an all correct line as you say – still the permutation is good.

Have now passed the 1 cwt mark with tomatoes and quite a number still on the plants to ripen. Runner beans practically finished except for a few odd pounds but I shall have several hundred for seed. Broccoli now turning in and even a few savoys are formed in the seed bed. There has been an unmistakeable sign of Autumn in the mornings down here this week and some fog but yesterday and again today we have had glorious sunshine all day and I’ve been able to get on with hedge cutting – the ground is still much too wet to get on.

A lot of work going on next door now-a-days – somebody there most of the time painting or hammering until 10.0 p.m. nightly. Today an electric cooker was taken in and fixed by Electricity Coy.

Susan made a very good drawing on her own – how did they react to the work being done in the rain last week? Or were they otherwise occupied? Note Pauline was with you part of the time so no doubt Aunty Pauly had a rough time.****

Have asked Don if any more cider available. How did your neighbours like the lot you took back?

Note you may be going Cardiff again next week and if possible will make Clevedon for a short visit. Of course we shall be delighted but, if you can, let us know in good time so I can meet you at station.

Mother has just picked up June’s letter and said she is going to reply later to look out June.*****

Not much more to tell you this time – hope you are all keeping well and that this break in the weather will enable Susan & Carol to get outdoors again.

All our love to you both and lots of kisses for the girls.

Mum & Dad

*There do not appear to be any photos of the shop – at least, I haven’t found any. I remember it as being narrow and dark, with an odd little triangular garden filled with nettles. I was told as a child that it was being bulldozed ‘to make way for an extension to the runway at Heathrow’, although a quick look at the map shows this to be patently ridiculous. It was clearly bulldozed at some point in the 1960s-1980s, though, as the address is now a branch of Aldi.

**Anyone familiar only with modern paint can have no real idea of how much paint – even emulsion – used to stink in the 1960s. It was foul, and it took a very long time to go away!

***This one-upmanship over cars is a seriously unattractive trait IMHO, but mercifully not genetic; as long as a car does what you need it to do, who cares what bells and whistles it’s got? (Although I must admit heated seats sound more attractive as one gets older.)

****Because looking after children is such an imposition. Good job there are women about to do it.

*****And yet more disrespect towards women; clearly a letter from Eva couldn’t have any value whatsoever and is something to be avoided if possible. The self-importance and belittling comments about other people get very old very quickly, don’t they?

The mystery of the missing brother

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Teddy in approx. 1924 and 1944

Now we come to one of the sadder chapters of our family history, the story of June’s missing brother. That is to say, he wasn’t literally ‘missing’ – he didn’t go off hiking one day and never come back, or anything like that – but he was deliberately expelled from the family for conduct that has never been specified, and there was no remotest possibility of forgiveness or reconciliation for the rest of his life.

William Edward Frank Baker (Teddy) was born at 112 Tenison Road, Cambridge, on 26 March 1922, the first child of Frank – then a cinema manager – and Edith (nee Mullinger). There is a photo of him as a small child, certainly less than two years old, and then a gap in the record until he joins Lindisfarne College, Westcliff-on-Sea, in January 1934 at the age of 11.

I have a full set of school reports, which seem to suggest that he was ill during his first summer term and missed quite a lot of school, after which he struggled to catch up. His strengths were maths, ‘handwork’ (presumably carpentry) and, unexpectedly, French – although he clearly enjoyed larking about and was not particularly serious about his work. As far as his conduct goes, his headmaster – one Edward Daws – repeatedly refers to him as a pleasant and good-natured boy; not academic, perhaps, but practical and straightforward, and one who should do well in later life.

Of course, you have all worked out already what’s coming young Teddy’s way; he was born in 1922, and would therefore have been 17 at the start of the Second World War. In 1939 he was living with his parents at the Victoria Hotel in Wolverton (‘The New Queen Victoria’), and was described as an ‘Assistant Hotel Manager’. His father was the manager. Teddy’s parents, two sisters and his baby brother (June, Pauline and Peter) all lived there as well; so did his maternal grandfather William and his mother’s sister Nell – plus a barmaid, the barmaid’s child, and another couple who were probably lodgers. This is a household of ten people, and although the building is quite large it was operating as a hotel and may also have had letting bedrooms – which would have been more than enough to keep the family busy cooking, cleaning and otherwise catering for themselves and their guests.

Details of Teddy’s wartime career are not available at the moment; the MoD will not release them without the consent of the next of kin until 25 years after the individual’s death. He was in the RAF, he was not a pilot, and he served in the Far East; that’s all I know.

In 1943, Frank and Edith inserted a notice in one of the Southend newspapers (not yet identified):

BAKER: Of age on March 26th 1943, William Edward Frank (RAF) eldest son of Mr and Mrs Frank Baker, late of Strand Cinema and Mascot Cinema. Now of Tower Arms Hotel, Iver, Bucks. [2739A]

And then there is silence. We have Teddy’s own word (in a letter to Alec Atkins after Edith had died) that he ‘lost contact with his family in the 1950s’. June’s only comments about this ever were ‘he was a tyrant’ and ‘he broke his mother’s heart’. Alec went to considerable lengths to track him down via the secretary of the RAFA at Uxbridge in 1987, because Teddy had been left a small legacy in Edith’s will. Teddy decline to benefit, and asked that the money should be sent to the World Wildlife Fund instead. Alec was quite brusque, saying that he didn’t know why Teddy had remained apart from his family and he didn’t want to know, and there the correspondence ended.

In late 2003, June was contacted by an heir hunter in connection with Teddy’s own estate; Teddy had apparently died in early 2001 – about six months before Alec, as it happens – and there was a small sum of money to be distributed between his heirs. As Pauline had also died by then, and had no children, June and Peter shared the legacy between them; June was reluctant to accept the money, but recognised that it would enable her to help her grandson, Robin, so put most of it into an account for him.

And now there’s nobody left to explain how and why a family member was so effectively shut out that his death wasn’t known about until more than two years after the event. Nothing about Teddy’s school reports indicates a ‘tyrant’ in his youth; he was never in trouble with the police as far as I know, but until I can access his service record it’s impossible to know what may have happened to him during the war. My best guess at the moment is PTSD, which changed his behaviour, or possibly some involvement in the infamous RAF mutiny of 1946. Or, indeed, both.

Teddy never married, nor had children, and the rest of his life is a mystery. He may have worked for the RAF in a civilian capacity, as I received the garbled impression that he was a steward in the Mess at RAF Hendon, but unless I can make contact with someone who knew him towards the end of his life this is unlikely ever to be resolved.

I’ve applied for Teddy’s death certificate in case it sheds any more light on the subject, but at the time of posting this it still hasn’t arrived. I’ll update if there is anything of interest to report when it does get here.

Anyway, Teddy was a perfect example of the way the family as a whole tended to deal with problems – i.e. ignore them, and the people who create them, and simply make them go away. There was a similar case in the 1980s when they tried to magic away someone who did not fit their template for an ideal human being – but somehow or another, and to their eternal chagrin, I’m still here, and I’m the one who gets to tell the story.

I’m really sorry, Teddy, I wish I’d known you; I think we’d have had quite a lot in common!

Thursday 1st September, 1960

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Leonard to the family [on the reverse of Table 168: SCOTLAND AND NORTH OF ENGLAND TO SOUTH WALES AND WEST OF ENGTLAND (via Hereford) Mondays to Fridays continued, Saturdays continued, and Sundays]:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

After Mother’s effort yesterday I’m afraid this letter will be more or less a rehash of stale news. Start off with the weather – really shocking. We had a taste of the heavy thunderstorm that hit the West Country last Saturday and at about 3.30 p.m. that afternoon it was raining to such an extent could only make out the outline of houses opposite. This week has not shown a lot of improvement and I’m afraid you must have had a bad spell at Ruislip for your leave.

Glad to hear Carol alright again now – let’s hope she will grow out of it as Susan apparently has done.

As Mum has mentioned we were delighted to hear that Mr & Mrs Baker may now be disposing of their business and we hope they will be settled in a new home before the worst of the winter commences. I’m sure they must both be looking forward to a rest when they can actually sit back and take things easy. Please give them our very kind regards and best wishes for the success of their venture.

Noted conversation with Welchman and that a halt has been called to the backward & forward transfer moves – this is one of the snags of ‘all line’ posting of vacancies. I never thought it a satisfactory arrangement and when it was first introduced it was general feeling that people in the Midlands & North would gradually work south.

A nice day out at Cardiff then with the ‘high ups’ – presume the ‘shorts’ were in evidence before lunch. I had several similar meetings during the War in Great Western Hotel at Paddington. I agree it was a meeting not to be missed even if it occurred on your week’s leave.

There was nothing really wrong with car but Payne noticed a ‘bit of play’ in steering wheel and suggested it be put right here. Frankly I’d not noticed it and doubt if you did when you took car to fill up before we came home at Easter so that will give you an idea how closely Payne looks into things.*

I renewed car radio licence this morning and had it made out in your name so enclose same herewith. I always kept it inside Driving License cover for ready reference. Note you will let us know when to forward log book.

Mum has given you further details of our car – colour etc. Apart from a couple of trips to Six Ways and the village we have not yet been out for a long ride – weather really against it. Wonder how Geoff and family are getting on in Italy? If it’s anything like the weather they are getting at the Olympics they won’t be very cold.**

I used the other paper a fortnight ago as thought with so much to tell you (about car) I should be overweight with this paper (one side usable only) for a 3d stamp – this was the only reason.

The Orange and Elderberry brews are going on nicely – the latter a lovely rich plum colour. Did you get your supply from West Drayton alright? Note your tip re: sugar for orange wine – will add later if required.

Heard yesterday that the proprietor of the New Cafe on the beach – where Susan saw the kitten – a man of about 40 has died suddenly. No other details at present – must wait for local rag.

Reading your letter again I see one place June’s Mum & Dad have in mind is Westcliff on Sea. Have never been there and cannot imagine what it’s like. How many miles from Ruislip?

Sorry to hear about accident to Roy’s car but it should come out of repair looking like new again. It’s surprising how well these jobs can be done now-a-days. On the question of Insurance the two Companies involved will sort that out but it should not affect Roy’s ‘no claim’ bonus because he was not responsible for accident.

Don’t worry about your grass – I cannot get at ours and it’s pretty long already. Much too wet to get out on it at the moment.

Any more news of applications? Or must you return to work before hearing anything?

No more now – hope you are all keeping well.

All our love to you both and lots of kisses for Susan & Carol.

Mum & Dad

*Or just possibly makes them up out of thin air?

**I have been unable to trace weather records for the 1960 Rome Olympics but the pictures I’ve seen show glorious sunshine. I wonder why Geoff and family chose that particular time to go to Italy?

Sunday 28th August, 1960

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Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Thank you very much for last letter, note you have gone back to the old paper.  What was the result of the experiment?  Carol soon shook off the effects of her car jaunt and was as right as ninepence when we got home apart from being a little tired.

Still no news of the applications. Saw John Welchman ( who went to L.M.R. ) last week and he told me that he had the tip off from his own Staff people that the bar had been put up against other Regions taking W.R. staff ( Work Study) and a similar bar also applied in the reverse direction.  This has damped his ardour a bit as he has been campaigning as hard as possible to get back to W.R.  The bar also applies to Manning who was the first to go. As you may expect those of us who sat tight are feeling a little smug now. I hare heard on the Grape Vine that interviews for the W.R. Out of Cats will take place on or about September 20th.  There is considerable amount of time lost when it is viewed from the pocket angle but I suppose from the Organisation’s point of view little time has been lost as the Section has not been set up yet.

The temporary assignment is getting me into contact with the nobs all right, I have to wear my best suit every day now just in case.  Next Tuesday I am going to Cardiff to a meeting with Pattisson, Moore Bennett and his two Assistants, Hankins and Alwyn Jones. We shall also have someone representing the Docks Manager and no doubt several hangers-on.  As I am on holiday this week, the interruption is not wholly welcome but never-the-less it is not the meeting to miss.

Sorry funds running low on the rose stakes – you will have to have a flag day ( Alexandra Rose ).*  Re Dahlias – went out and picked a large boxful of pink cactus blooms this mornng.  These I believe came from a tuber Geoff gave me and the blooms are about four inches across.  They are very good particularly as they make such long single stems.  Note your business day starts at 5-50am,  What a carry-on in retirement. I should be inclined to change Chimney sweep.**

Note your old car in for steering attention.  Mr Payne is wise to be so careful about steering in the London Area but I would not have thought there was anything amiss with its steering gear.  When I got the petrol and oil at Eastcote for you I thought how well it handled.  I suppose that was by comparison.  I must read up again the conditions to be observed when cars undergo a change of owner ship and will let you know what documents I need. No more progress on the garage yet.  Although I ordered garage last week they want me to fill in their official order form and so that has delayed things one week.  The order will go off tomorrow and I shall order some hard core same day.  I may ring round and get several Quotations, including one for the whole job. 

Had a laugh about Elford.  Note you have started some orange wine.  A tip worth passing on is to give the brew plenty of sugar.  I made some once and it was a good strong wine but very bitter.  I think there may be a tendency to sharpness that can only be counteracted by increasing the amount of sugar.  I shall have a look at the Elderberries promised tomorrow when we go to West Drayton, and pick some I hope.  You have been very busy on the wine stakes – I just do not seem to get round to it.

I note the pattern of your car. By looking at the back of several parked Austins I had worked out roughly what it looked like but you have as yet not said what colour model you have.  Saw one advertised in London Garage on Saturday for £461** but did not look to see what condition it was in or what year for that matter. 

Well we have news this time of the probable acceptance by June’s Mum and Dad of the latest offer for their property. Our latest news is that they have agreed to sell and to be out by the end of October.  Of course this creates something of a hubbub as there is the question of disposing of stock ( at retail price ) finding somewhere to store any furniture, deciding what part of the country to start looking for a house to buy and then finding one and buying it.  I think there is an attraction for Westcliffe on Sea but a reluctance to leave the London Area, where so many friends and relations live.  My own feeling is that all other things being equal the price of property at Westcliffe is likely to be much lower than here.  We shall await and no doubt assist developments.

Roy has had an accident in his car.  It happened last Thursday when he was stationary outside Leslie’s shop in Hanwell.  The brakes of a lorry failed when presumably coming down Cuckoo Hill and ran into the back of Roy’s car and damaged another car as well.  We understand there is substantial damage to Roy’s oar but it is for repair and it should be ready in a few days.  I do not know now he will get off for claim.

We have Pauling staying with us this week-end.  June and I and the children motored over to Battersea yesterday to see the flat and bring her back. The roads were shocking going over, I think we got mixed up with the Chelsea crowd. As Roy’s car is out of action shall probably go over again later in week to take her to their place.**** 

We had a short run out to Pinner Park again today and had a few minutes’ sunshine.  Host of the day has been very wet and depressing but it did come out warm for a half hour or so.  We had a short ride through Pinner and ambled back through Eastcote.

Have still not cut the grass, it is quite long now and soaking wet.  It will become a major operation if I leave it much longer.  Runner beans coming in nicely now but no sign of tomatoes ripening.  One pumpkin about the size of a tennis ball but nothing else to report.  Doug has completed fence down his left hand side of garden.

Well that is all for now except to wish that you keep well untill we hear from you again. Love from us all.

*Alexandra Rose Day used to be almost the equivalent of ‘Poppy Day’ in the UK, with people buying little paper roses to wear in their lapels and the proceeds going to charity. I hadn’t heard of the charity for many years and supposed it might have been wound-up, but on checking I see that they are still in business and are largely concerned with issuing food vouchers to impoverished families – which is great news.

**Would you indeed, Alec? Personally I would value a tradesman who turns up on time more highly than an extra few minutes of sleep; your mileage, as they say, may vary.

***The equivalent of just under £11,000 today.

****Can’t imagine why as the Tube was – and still is – pretty convenient for the journey!

The Fabulous Baker Boys

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Left to right: Will, Rob, Stan, Reg, Frank and Cyril. Date unknown, but certainly inter-war; 1930s perhaps?

I thought we’d done this before, but apparently not. Therefore – since we have recently mentioned June’s uncles Stan (who died in May 1960) and Will (who had a stroke that same year but survived), and we will shortly be mentioning Cyril who also died in 1960, and June’s father Frank is never far from the proceedings – it’s probably time to do them justice.

William Augustus Baker, 1854-1897, who described himself as a ‘tea dealer and rent collector’ (although we suspect his tea dealing was done from a barrow on a street corner somewhere) was June’s grandfather; however he died nearly thirty years before she was born. He had married Alice Esther Daniel in early 1854, and by the end of that year the first of their nine children was born; this was Alice Edith Macord Baker, 1882-1962, (‘Macord’ being a family name with a fascinating pedigree of its own), who is the Miss Baker (Aunt Eda) who sometimes appears in the letters.

Apart from Eleanor, 1886-1964, who made an interesting marriage and was subsequently the family superstar, all the rest were boys: William Ernest (Will), 1882-1962; Robert Lionel (Rob), 1885-1971; Stanley (Stan), 1888-1960; Reginald (Reg), 1890-1968; Frank, 1892-1963; Cyril, 1893-1960; and Hubert Dudley (‘Bunny’), 1896-1917.

Frank was blinded in one eye as the result of a childhood accident, which kept him out of military service in the First World War when – as far as I know – all his brothers went; however he was able to serve as an ambulance driver. Bunny, who was in the Civil Service Rifles, was killed in 1917 on active service and buried at Railway Dugout cemetery, Ypres. Alice was awarded a pension on his behalf.

All the surviving ‘boys’ except Frank joined the GWR. Again, his disability prevented it; Frank became ‘business manager’ for Eleanor when she was widowed, and ran a number of hotels, pubs, and other commercial operations on her behalf.

As you will have gathered, railways were what brought the family together; Alec Atkins, as a young man, came to lodge at the house in Ealing which was then owned by Eda Baker – and which presumably gave priority to young GWR railwaymen – and there he met her niece, June, whom he married in 1954.

Taken in the late 1950s, so potentially about 25 years later than the picture above. Left to right: Will, Rob, Stan, Reg and Cyril. I would like to thank the ‘boys’ for kindly lining up in birth order each time and making a humble chronicler’s life easier as a result.

In the late 1950s the ‘boys’ were featured in an issue of the GWR magazine; their photo was taken at an annual cricket match and an article was written about their many years of service – which must by this point have totalled about 200 years, a small drop in the ocean of the joined families’ overall service. Five of June’s uncles were railway staff; so were both of Alec’s uncles, his father, his grandfather and a myriad of predecessors dating back to the earliest recorded member of the family in railway service who was a packer in the goods department at Weston-super-Mare.

Apart from Frank the ‘boy’ I have the clearest recollection of is Rob, who outlived all the others. He lived in a house in Ealing – very close to, and possibly later subsumed by, a large branch of Sainsbury’s – with his second wife, Rhoda, and an excitable little white poodle called Pepe. Rob was house-bound and in very poor health, and as result he bought the first colour television I ever saw in private hands – although I had seen a demonstration of colour TV in a department store a short time before that – in order to watch racing in the afternoons. Whether or not he ever had a flutter, I am not in a position to say.

I’m in intermittent contact with Rob’s grandson Christopher, who is one of the many cousins I’ve been in touch with during my family history researches. Chris’s father, Roy, very kindly sent me a whole batch of old family photos before his death a few years ago – some of which I will be reproducing here in due course.

Friday 5th August, 1960

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Eva to the family [on reverse of Table 152: LONDON, OXFORD, BANBURY, LEAMINGTON SPA, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, BIRMINGHAM, WOLVERHAMPTON, SHREWSBURY and CHESTER Mondays to Fridays – continued] –

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks for letter. We have been on the outing & had a good time. It was pouring when we left for Bristol to join Newmans but half way there it stopped & although dull most of the day was nice & dry.

It is lovely country all the way & we got there about 5.15. Starting at 2.40 p.m.* We lunched at Newmans.

Aunt Lydia & Joe had a nice time here. I told her you were enquiring about the bungalow & if you think any more about it she starts booking at Xmas. We are going down again in October for weekend when she finishes up the summer letting & has to go through the bungalow & prepare for the winter let.

Glad you are having a new job & with the old it might mean something later on.

Hope you are all feeling better & that Mr & Mrs Baker & Pauline & Peter are well.

Lots of love & kisses for girls from

Mum & Dad

*Even assuming they were in a coach of some sort, two and a half hours from Bristol to Symonds Yat is slow going; nowadays it would take about half that. They must have gone, as we used to say as children, ‘the wiggly-waggly way’.

Wednesday 3rd August, 1960

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Leonard to the family [on reverse of Table 164, NEWPORT, HEREFORD and SHREWSBURY – HEREFORD, WORCESTER and WOLVERHAMPTON – Saturdays continued and Sundays]:

Dear Alec, June, Susan and Carol

Many thanks for letter received on Tuesday with all the news. Glad to hear the girls are better again now and hope Carol will soon get over the nightly upset.

We thought Susan would remember the kitten but Carol – as you say – is just that bit too young for a retentive memory. The only new cafe on the beach is the one with the kitten which of course you visited once or twice – we have certainly not found another. Susan coming on with her alphabet – shows she is interested which is a good sign.

No I did not know Norman Smith – Geoff also mentioned him in his letter but I was not aware he was a former colleague of yours. Sorry to hear about June’s uncle Will. I see according to the magazine issued about three years ago giving photograph of all five that he is the eldest and would be about 76 now. Hope you had better news of him over the weekend.

Incidentally except for Sunday night the weather was quite good this end. We went up to Griffiths’ place Sunday afternoon and in early evening they took us out to some famous rose gardens at Almondsbury. Unfortunately the gardens were closed but we had a good view of the roses from the roadway.*

On Monday Mr and Mrs Newman came down for the afternoon with their two nieces who are on holiday from Harefield. They left about 9.15 p.m. in order to get home before the crush after closing time. Tomorrow (Thursday) we join them at Bristol for a coach tour to Symonds Yat hence the start of your letter today.

Note you are busy shaping things up for garage – am afraid I cannot help with the problem of how to keep Susan & Carol off ‘the works’ but surely they cannot do any damage?

Very interested to read about your interview with Pattison, but who is Cecil Moore? Presumably the B.J.C. rep in charge of the investigation in South Wales. It could have course have been one of the Littlewoods Pools brothers and would have been a very good contact. It was strange that things would work out so following your application – might do a bit of good. Did your application go forward, or was it too late by the time Baynton-Hughes got back to his desk? Who is George Jenkins? Cannot say I heard of him when at Bristol. Anyhow good luck to you on this work and it may result in something good for the future.

Gardening this end following usual pattern for time of year. Still plenty of runner beans available and have picked over the half hundredweight now. Also no trouble to sell tomatoes – beetroot & carrot, lettuce etc. Raspberries are finished and this morning I made a second row of the new sort Malling Promise. Have also put in sleepers to form edgeof path in extension of the concrete one between greenhouse and frames – am making a Nursery bed immediately beyond greenhouse where I find the soil is very good. Already I’ve transplanted about 90 cauliflower plants there also carnation cuttings and the potted cinerarias. Cannot proceed further however until a big heap of hay has been burnt or rotted down. Expect you remember one of my mounds of hay was built up at this point.

Understand Mrs Drewett’s house up for sale – think figure asked is £2,500** but cannot imagine anyone giving this for it in the condition it is in at the moment. There is great activity in Cummings’ old house now – the back door has been taken down and replaced by a window and the door will be rehung at the back where the original window was sited. Lawns fron and back have been cut but nothing done to garden yet.

The pond appears to be steady just now at about 1″ deep in the shallow portion and if this proves permanent it indicates slight leak in the sides of the pond and should not be a difficult job to put right.

Note you have not had an response to your advert for car so far and that you are thinking of putting an ‘ad’ in local press. May be a bit difficult to get rid of but must see what Press can do.

Has June heard any more from Insurance people re: necklace? – hope that part of it will be settled satisfactorily. I am afraid I shall get nothing for burst pipes as it was obviously due to ordinary wear and tear.

Well I think this is about all for another week but understand Mum will write a line following our outing on Thursday to let you know how we got on.

All our love to you both and lots of kisses for darling Susan & Carol.

Mum & Dad

*Not sure where this was; Berwick Lodge apparently used to have a formal sunken rose garden but this has disappeared in the interim; however given the lay of the land it’s very unlikely this could be seen from the road. I suspect instead it may have been an earlier incarnation of what is now Almondsbury Garden Centre.

**Just under £59,000 in present-day money. Zoopla has the average present-day value for houses in that road as £335,000 – down 6% since the start of the pandemic.

Thursday 2nd June, 1960

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1960 lettersLeave a comment

Leonard to the family [on the reverse of Tables 118-119: NEWPORT, EBBW VALE, NANTYGLO and BRYNMAWR (Second class only) and 104: LONDON, SWINDON, BADMINTON, BRISTOL, NEWPORT, CARDIFF, SWANSEA, CARMARTHEN, TENBY, NEYLAND and FISHGUARD HARBOUR]:

Dear Alec June Susan & Carol

Many thanks for letter to hand on Tuesday – Mum has already replied to the one she received at Tiverton. Very sorry to hear about Stanley Baker*. I only met him at the wedding but had quite a lot to do with him in the Control days about Rolling Stock matters especially at holiday times.

Saw on TV last night you had had some excitement at South Ruislip with a Northolt plane down on Express Dairy roof – could have been another Southall tragedy.**

Yes we had a very nice weekend at Tiverton and Exmouth and weather was ideal. As Mum has told you we went out to John’s place at Chettiscombe on the Friday evening and over to Pat’s on the Saturday morning before going to Exmouth. The bungalow is quite nice and well furnished. Two double bedrooms – lounge in which is a ‘put-u-up’ which could be used as another double bed – living room, kitchen (electric & gas) and bathroom etc. Situated on what is known as the Docks but in fact is on the estuary of the river Exe and as tide was out on Sunday afternoon we went gathering cockles which Aunt Lydia cooked in the evening and they were much enjoyed for supper.

We arranged for a half pound cream to be sent each to June’s mother & Father and to you, remembering that last time we sent you some from Exmouth you said it was ‘off’ by the time you get home hence the posting on Friday this week assuming you will be home Saturday morning.

Uncle Joe & Aunt Lydia will be coming up here for a weekend 22nd July, that is as far as can be stated at the moment.

Glad you have now all got back to normal health again and hope you will keep fit for your holiday also that all the nice weather will not have left us by then. We do badly need rain now and crops already are being affected by the prolonged dry spell. We picked broad beans yesterday – very nice and lettuces are still holding out.

Mum and I are going down to Lyng on Sunday leave here about 10.0 a.m. and depart Lyng I expect after early cup of tea in afternoon. Although it will be Whitsunday the route over the Mendips will not be so heavily occupied as the main road.

When you have finally settled the route you will take from Ruislip to Clevedon please let me know and also approximate time of starting. I quite agree there will be very little about at Bourne End if you pass that way early in morning. Our next door neighbours (Heel) went to Dittisham (on River Dart) yesterday – started about 7.0 a.m. and stopping for one night only so sometime later this evening they will be back. Expect you remember Dittisham from a river trip on the Dart – it is a very pretty place.

Note position re: Work Study Dept. – not very satisfactory – but can only wait and see what happens. Expect your knowledge of work on Paddington terminal committee will have a bearing on matter. You had a nice trip last Sunday to Chessington – this is where you were doing Work Study with a private firm for a few weeks.

So Peter likes the sloe wine then – pity I did not make a larger quantity. Perhaps can have another try this season. None on hand here not but plenty of other varieties.

Have nearly finished cutting the hedges around the garden and today got the scythe out for the first effort on the rough grass – my word it was hot. A little of that goes a long way. Water carrying too is a problem. Last evening I took down 24 gallons to runner beans alone and then had quite a lot of other plants to water. Could do with a good pump to get water up from river.

The people who bought Cummings house continue to be very busy both inside and outside – somebody is there for a short while most days.

John’s place at Chettiscombe has a walled-in flower garden – shrubs and lawn – with a stream of spring water running right through the middle of it. The stream is about 4 to 5 feet across and depth of water about 1 [and a half] feet. Water is crystal clear and you can see bed of stream easily. This is the actual stream which runs through some of the streets in Tiverton. We did not see any of the folk in the shop at Bampton St***. but as Mum as mentioned ran into Aunt Bessie in Exmouth before we had been there a couple of hours – amazing isn’t it? I had just ordered the cream to be sent off and was then looking for a stationer’s shop to get the views [postcards] of Exmouth to send out before returning to bungalow.

So Susan & Carol both busy with bucket & spade. Don tells me that the people who share their house at Lyng have made a sandpit for their two young children and it keeps them busy for hours – but the tide never comes in. Anyhow we shall see this ‘contraption’ Sunday & will report further.

Well I think this is all – three weeks today and you will be with us – we are looking forward to your visit and perhaps I shall be in better condition this time.

All our love to you both and our darling little girls with lots of kisses.

Mum & Dad

*June’s Uncle Stan had died on 23 May aged 72.

**An Avro Anson made a ‘deliberate emergency landing’ on the roof of the Express Dairy building on 1 June 1960 with the pilot and co-pilot being seriously injured but the two passengers walking away unscathed. Apparently one of the passengers, a BBC cameraman, hitched a ride back to work and acquired a camera before coming back to film the aftermath of the incident for that evening’s news! (https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/144469) Fascinatingly, this was not the first forced landing on top of a building in South Ruislip; it had also happened in 1946. There was also another incident with a much less successful outcome near South Ruislip station in 1942. The nearby ‘Southall tragedy‘ occurred in 1958.

***I don’t know the significance of Bampton St unless perhaps it was a monumental mason’s. A large portion of the family was in the stone quarrying business in that area; further investigation is warranted.

N.B. a previous (?) letter from Alec to his parents, presumably breaking the news of Stan Baker’s death, has only survived in part. The only way to identify it as belonging to this period is that it mentions Peter and his girlfriend arriving and drinking sloe wine. The rest of the contents are about parsnips, tomatoes, slugs, beetroot and Doug Matthews – not in order of priority – and it does not seem very sensible to include it here.

Thursday 25th February, 1960

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1960 letters, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Leonard to the family [on the reverse of Table 60, Southern Region via Reading]:

Dear Alec June Susan & Carol

Many thanks for your letter received on Tuesday with all the news. Apparently it was Carol’s turn to get into trouble this time by tipping over the milk – what a good job it was not hot. How nice of Mrs Grey to pass over the two dolls’ prams. To Susan & Carol they would be worth their weight in gold and I expect they are both delighted. They will have such a lot to show us and talk about when we see them. Easter Sunday is seven weeks from next Sunday the 28th inst.

Yes Ron Sprod’s father was parcels porter at Clevedon many years ago – has been dead now I should think for about ten years. No further information about Mr Trimmer and we really have no contact with anyone who might know how he is progressing. Will bear it in mind though. Miss Weeks told mum yesterday she thought she would be able to manage by herself starting next week. No more news of Mr Bishop but he is still in house. There has been some activity next door (Cummings old house) this week. The gas men were there one day disconnecting gas from main so it looks as if the next occupier will be ‘all electric’. Yesterday the Metal Agencies van from Bristol called there with – I think – a new fireplace – and a couple of men were on hand to receive it and take it inside.

We understand the old chap Soole is now in a hospital in Bristol – probably St Mary’s where he has been a patient before. The hospital incidentally is in his old parish of Clifton so he is well known there. Aston’s eye is still as black as ink – a real beauty. He came over yesterday and I gave him one of those large windows out of Marsh Jun. box* so that he could make a garden frame. He has just taken on a small piece of allotment behind Lionel Mogg’s house at bottom of avenue.

Note Carol better in car last weekend – let’s hope they both get over the car sickness soon or it will be no pleasure for you to take them out for a run.

Someone at Bristol sent me through the post a page torn from the Daily Telegraph of Thursday the 18th inst in which Soole’s engagement was announced. I don’t suppose it caught your eye.

Sorry to hear very little – if any – improvement in Miss Baker – this weather is enough to upset everybody. Yesterday was the limit. Rained most of day and with a bitterly cold wind. The previous day (Tuesday) was quite good and I was able to do some more rough digging. Today it is rain again but much milder and this afternoon we had one of those heavy mists come in from the sea – quite dark at times too. I put 106 shallots in last Saturday morning and now waiting opportunity to get in some peas but unless weather improves they will not go in this week.

Note no interviews for vacant posts in Work Study Section yet also that nothing in the offing any good to you. Expect the powers that be are now waiting for the Gillibaud report to come out.

Should like to have seen Susan & Carol with the cuckoo clock. Don’t expect Carol would have been shy for very long once she had got used to it. We like the sound of your acquisition of the bureau bookcase. Quite a useful piece of furniture but it was news to me that there was a broken spring in the arm of one of the chairs in front room. Cannot say I noticed it at any time.

The lorries are still bringing stone to the sea wall and have nearly reached the end of the same. Was told by Ted Caple who lives in St. Andrew’s Drive & who was off sick with lumbago last week that he was watching them through a pair of field glasses and saw one of the lorries tip over onto the field. Took Binding & Payne’s breakdown outfit most of day to get it back on bank again. I think the road on top of the bank is being made more for maintenance purposes (i.e. sea wall maintenance) and there is no thought of making a short cut to Weston-super-Mare.

Heels are about again but not on garden yet – he came over Tuesday morning and had a look in greenhouse etc. and this morning Cummings (convalescing after goitre operation) called round for a chat. He is getting on satisfactorily but Dr will not sign him off yet. Randle – who lived in corner house opposite to where Cummings lives now – moved out on Monday. Gone to Corsham as bank manager. The incoming people are from Sheffield but I cannot say if he is in business or coming here to retire – the house is empty at the moment.

Nothing much to report from garden this week but in the greenhouse I’ve taken some more chrysanth cutting and also sown some ten week stock seeds in a seed box. Some of the previous chrysanth cuttings have taken root and accordingly have been potted up separately in 3″ pots.

Shall soon have to think about the things we are going to bring up to you. So far can remember:

  • Window (out of Marsh Jun. Box
  • Buddleia (rooted cutting)
  • Dibber
  • Smallholders (twelve months)
  • Country Lifes (ex-Lyng)
  • ? plants of various kinds if ready in time

This is not complete I know but shall be glad if you will remind me of other items.

No more now – all the best and lost of kisses for Susan & Carol.

Mum & Dad

*Not absolutely certain but I think this may refer to Hallen Marsh Junction signal box. The thought that railway employees were able to take bits of old signal box home with them is an attractive one.

This blog is a year old!

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1960 letters, Fewings, UncategorizedLeave a comment

I’d just been looking at celebrating the 150th post in a couple of days’ time when to my astonishment I realised that it’s actually a year since I started posting!

For anyone who may not have been around then, the justification for this blog is as follows: I have inherited, as well as a lot of family history paperwork, ten years’ worth of letters between (mostly) my parents and my grandparents. I am posting the letters now on the 60th anniversary of the dates they were written, although in due course there will also be some other family history related articles on here. I’m acutely aware, for example, that I’ve pretty exclusively stuck to the Atkins family (as well as their Chinese associates) so far; I also have Baker, Fewings, Mullinger and Macord in my family tree – the last two of which I have researched myself and come up with some fascinating snippets.

I have newspaper clippings, theatre and concert programmes, photographs going back to the mid-nineteenth century, and goodness knows what else. The aim is gradually to reduce the amount of storage needed, which is why I’m posting all these letters online – and yes, destroying the originals. They are valuable not for themselves but for the information they contain, after all.

I’m sorry to have to report, however, that I got short shrift from the second cousin who had previously indicated that she had a lot of family history memorabilia in her loft. She now denies having said any such thing, and reminds me that her father died in 1986. (I knew that, actually.) That was not so much a door closing as a blast door slamming shut and a detonation taking place on the other side of it; there is no route, now, leading in that direction, and although I think that is a terrible shame I have no alternative but to accept it. Her loss, I feel, but clearly this stuff has more value to me than it has to her. I shall at least not feel obliged to consult her about any of this in the future, which is something of a relief.

And so we enter our second year; I know there are a few people reading this now, and I’m not just whistling into the void, so we’ll keep posting and just see what happens. I feel I have an obligation to the people who amassed all this information in the first place to make some attempt to preserve it and share it with anyone who may be interested. I can’t imagine who you may be, or why you’re here, but I know you’re out there somewhere – to quote the words of a song – and even if you weren’t I’d probably still be doing this because I Am Really Just That Sad. 😎