Tag: Garden

Tuesday 13th October, 1964

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1964 letters, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks for letter and cut-out enclosures from the girls duly received first this morning. Very sorry to hear June has been feeling off colour and hope she is better or at least on the mend now. Carol too in the wars again but glad to hear not really serious and hope marks have gone by now.

Yes the fog was a surprise Alec and it was so prolonged. Even after leaving Chippenham on the Marshfield Road cars were approaching us with lights on and we soon found out why as it got thicker the further we travelled. I did not really see the last of it until we reached Keynsham. Clevedon had had no fog but after posting the letter to you saying we had arrived home safely I had hardly got back home when down came the rain and in no small measure either. Since then we have had heavy rain, thunder and lightning, but yesterday and today has seen a return to the Indian summer except for the sharp white frosts in the morning. It has really been glorious and I’ve been able to work outdoors without a coat. Mum has been busy too. Today she dug out all the geraniums in front garden and then dug over the whole plot.

Noted that you have you also have had a great deal of rain and cold weather. I must say your garden was looking very well and the superlap fencing at the bottom makes a wonderful improvement and gives you more ground for shrubs etc. and certainly a lot more privacy. Just as well to be able to get all grown stuff in position as soon as possible to enable it to take root before the winter sets in. Hope June did not catch the chill working in the garden.

Yes there were a few accidents on the road last Monday and I thought the safest place was on the M4. Kept to the slow lane and let all the fast merchants pass as they pleased. It was queer in High Street Langley though – had no idea where I was and had been looking out for the traffic lights for some time. One seems to lose all idea of distance in a fog.

Very interested in your short comment on the journeys to Norwich and Welwyn Garden City. If the opportunity occurs some time in the future should like to run over that section of line between Liverpool Street and Norwich again.

Glad to hear it was possible for you to take Susan to the Brownie sports events and that she took part in the wheelbarrow race. I suppose the change in the weather affected her a little causing the sore throat etc. We actually lit our Rayburn heater on Saturday evening it was so cold and each evening since Mum has lit up after tea. Have not kept it in all night as at present no need.

What a journey you had to pick up your new receiver. This is getting right into the thick of it and I should not like to attempt it. Presumably you part exchanged your old receiver. Obviously when you wrote you had not had a fair test of the new set but shall be pleased to have report in due course. Just as well Peter was about to give you a hand up the ladder with it.

Noted he has his new car and that it is a good one. Seems to have been fortunate in getting a good price for the old one. Let’s hope he does not have much trouble now as he was having with the ?Pathfinder. Very good of Kay to be making something for Carol. Perhaps we shall meet her next time we come to Ruislip.

By the way June I hope you had a dig at someone about that 31 minute sermon. It was our harvest festival last Sunday and I thought about it when our vicar was in the pulpit.

Noted Peter took back the white campanula roots last Saturday. They should keep in good condition as they were practically sealed in the polythene bag.

How did you get on repairing the ceiling? Was the beaver board satisfactory? You certainly put your foot well and truly into it.

Do you remember the Virgins who used to live next door to us at Westbury? We hear Mr Virgin died suddenly last week in Bristol where he and his wife were living in retirement. Only Edna the oldest daughter is living in England (Sheffield). The other two are abroad. All are married. Roy Hewitt came round this afternoon to tell us the news but I had already noted it in evening paper and assumed it was the Virgin we knew at Westbury. Roy is walking very badly again and has to see his specialist tomorrow in Bristol about a larger boot. In a week’s time he has to see another about his hip and the broken pin. Had then them to tea last Friday and it was such a shocking day that I had to fetch them and take them home later. Fortunately it was choir practice night (postponed from Thursday) so took them home about 7 pm. Strange to say it stopped raining about 7:30 p.m. and remained dry throughout the night.

Looks as if you are going to have an interesting time with the Scouts on Saturday but what if June happens to be in hospital? Shall be thinking of you on the 16th, June, and hope if hospital treatment is necessary you will not be there many days.

Well now I expect you would like to know how I have been getting on with the SW set. Fixed it up in garage on the day after our return and tuned in immediately. Everything satisfactory. As you say not much local reception but plenty of foreign although I have not identified any so far. One station – calling itself ‘the State of Israel‘ – is persistently asking for a long distance stations to identify themselves and report strength at position B. Heard a direct transmission from Prince Edward Island when the Queen actually landed there. Came through very clearly. The other set I have now fixed up in greenhouse and without aerial or earth can get many stations just as clearly as with aerial. Before I can move SW set into house I shall have to erect an aerial and provide an earth. Your suggestions for actual listening noted and I must have a go at the times given. So far I have not fixed up the loose condenser you gave me and require a
⅜” drill to pierce the case. Mr Palmer looked in this morning and when in garage spotted the set so I asked him about a suitable drill and he’s going to lend me one. More about this at the time.

Had quite a job trying to locate some concrete posts for the panel fencing. The day after we got home Mum and I went out to Counsells at Yatton but they had never heard of them and I suggested that two firms in Weston-super-Mare might have them but they said no as they knew all the products of these firms. Came back disappointed and mentioned it to Bushell who was then on the point of going out to nails to visit his father-in-law. He knocked on our door later at about 1:00 p.m. and said his father-in-law had seen them about and suggested he (Bushell) call up Hobbs at Flax Bourton there and then and enquire. They referred him to their Failand depot where all their concrete products were made. This he did and they said they knew what he was talking about but they did not make them unless specially ordered. With this information Mum and I went out to Failand at 2:00 p.m. and saw the person in charge. He took me out in the yard and showed me two such posts and I told him that was just what I wanted. He said a mould would have to be set up specially so I asked him the cost telling him what you gave for similar articles. Eventually he quoted me 22/6d [£28 in 2024 money] each with another 1/- [£1.25] for delivery each. (1/- each per post for delivery). The bottom two feet were solid so that the fencing would not slip below that level. In these circumstances I thought it would be a good idea to have them and so ordered 18 posts (the two ends can be fixed with two of the wooden posts already on hand). delivery will be effected in three weeks.*

in the meantime I am finishing off the rockery between the garage and greenhouse. Have also taken a lot of plants into the greenhouse out of the frosty elements.

A letter from Tiverton last Saturday says that Joe and Lydia will not be coming up this year and have suggested next spring. Actually Lydia has not yet finished with the shop as the closing date has been delayed until the end of this month and Joe has already resumed his job as bank guard. Both have to attend Exeter Hospital for treatment so reason for postponement of visit quite understood. Another letter from Don suggests he and Joan come up again on the 20th or 22nd inst. It says he is going on all right and has been doing some gardening and firewood cutting.

The unpaid foreman still in evidence but I have not contacted him to date. The building seems to be slowing up a bit but I cannot say why. The weather has had a bearing on progress as the ground has cut up badly with so much rain.

*Total cost in 2024 money £526.50. A similar item today would not be too much different in price, but with free delivery!

[Continued Wednesday 14th October, 1964]

Sunday 11th October, 1964

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1964 letters, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Well here we go again with the weekly epistles. Thanks for yours of 29th September (last before your visit) and that of Monday 5th October* on your return. Sorry you had a foggy run home, and your remarks were quite unexpected as I saw no sign of fog on that day and did not hear any mention of it at the office. I am surprised you should have run into it so soon, especially as it was so close to us at Langley.** Well we hope you enjoyed your short stay with us, and have now recovered from the journey.

Nothing much has changed here except the weather. We have had plenty of rain in the last couple of days, and there was a white frost on the ground this morning. A frost was reported (in office) during the week, but we did not have any our way although it was very cold. Have not so far got round two creosoting the fence and of course the wood is now on the wet side. June has completed putting cuttings and things in the soil right alongside the fence, and the buddleias in particular seem to have taken. Have not cut the lawn, and by the look of things it has now had its last cut for the winter. Our apples are still on the trees except the odd one that has fallen off, and I suppose it is now about time we fetched them off.

Carol had a slight accident in the week. at school she got herself tangled up in her skipping rope and failed head first onto the concrete. I don’t know how it occurred, but she obviously landed on nose and upper lip simultaneously, and both were quite a site. Leg also came in for some scraping, but by the time I got home from work she was interested in other things so it could not have been lastingly painful.***

June has not been at all well in the week. She would seem to have had a severe chill, and was quite groggy on Thursday and Friday. She seems to be a little better now. Obviously the change in the weather is having its effect as I hear of similar cases elsewhere.

Note you say there were a few accidents about on the day of your return. I supposed they were accidents (pure) are not accidents (foolhardy). I think with the improvement of the roads, and the making of more and more motorways, there should be fewer of the former, but possibly more of the latter****. Also note that at the time of writing you had not taken out the radio. I expect that by now you have got it assembled somewhere and have tried the local conditions. There should be fewer local stations to be heard at your end, but I should have an occasional listen on a Saturday or Sunday morning (say 11 am to 1pm) on 28 M/c and occasionally in the evenings to see if there is anyone about.

Well I see that the sun has come out and is shining quite brightly. The children, all wrapped up, are out with their scooters. What a change from the time you were here – seems more than a week ago.

Had a couple of good trips in the week. The first to Norwich, and it was quite a good run through interesting country. The line turns north at Colchester, and actually passes an arm of the sea at Witham. We passed through Ipswich which is quite industrialised, and so on to Norwich which is just two hours run from Liverpool Street. Had a very short look at the town while waiting for the train back, and it seems pleasant enough. Welwyn Garden City of course is much smaller, and we did not get an opportunity to see much of the town as there is nothing much near the station. May have to go to both places occasionally.

Yesterday was the Brownie sports day, and Susan was supposed to take part in two races. We were in some doubt as to whether she should go as she had a sore throat and was obviously not 100%. June was unable to go as still feeling the effects of the chill so I accompanied her with the object of bringing her home after her races or if she felt not up to it. The afternoon promised rain, and dark clouds were gathering when we set out. Found the chosen sports field which was a pleasant place called Pinn Field alongside the river of that name. It is a part of Ruislip I had not visited (or known about) and ideal for their purpose. We arrived just as the first of the guides was arriving with a tent and pegs and things. For very short periods a hot sun burst through and it was fine, but it all seemed a bit precarious in regards to weather. However Susan told me she had been picked to take part in a wheelbarrow race as they were short, and racing began. When it was Susan’s race I noticed she was ‘the barrow’, and they had picked a hefty guide to wheel her along. However she was not strong enough to support Susan’s weight, and by halfway Susan was down on her elbows so that was that*****. Anyway they were not last so some improvement there.

Shortly after that they had a long-winded thing called ‘Throwing the Ball’. Most of the girls threw the ball about 20 yards or less, and the spectators gathered at that spot until one stronger than the others sent the ball sailing past their ears, when they retreated. Whilst this was going on (it was quite cold standing about) the rain came, and turned into quite a downpour causing us all to run for the trees at the side of the field. After about a quarter of an hour of this Susan said take me home so we made our apologies and our exit.

Peter arrived last evening with Kay, who is making something for Carol (and wanted some measurements) and asked me to pop outside for a minute. He has his new car, and it was standing outside. It is a grey Rover 3 litre****** in immaculate condition 1959. He sold his other for about twice the current market price.

As I told you, I had decided to change my receiver, and had been on the lookout for an SX28. Found a shop that had got one so decided to go and get it yesterday morning. The shop is in Lisle Street (off Charing Cross Road). Could not carry either set far so had to take car up. Went along Western Avenue, into Bayswater Road, past Marble Arch into Oxford Street. into Regent Street through Piccadilly into Shaftesbury Avenue, into Cambridge Circus, thence into Charing Cross Road and into Lisle Street. This took about an hour from home. Coming back I ran out of the other end of Lisle Street in to Wardour Street, and after that I couldn’t tell you where I went to except that by devious means I found myself on the Great West Road A4 after passing along the Cromwell Road. Turned right at Boston Manor Road and home via Hanwell. Peter was around last night as I said, so he was able to give me a heave with the SX28 and it is now in position.

June has brought a square of beaver board for the ceiling******* so looks as if we shall do that job this afternoon, or start it.

The cuttings you brought up from Mrs Baker were taken back by Peter last evening. We had not taken them out of the bag and they were looking quite moist and fresh. I see our ice plants are now in flower.

Not much else to report this time. Had another visit from the Boy Scouts yesterday to make sure I would be helping next Saturday. Looks as if I shall have a couple of hours there. I shall have to report what happens.

So for now then must close. Love from us all. 

*Absent from the archive, but was probably only a very short note or card.

**According to online information the average height above sea level of Ruislip is 54 metres/177 feet, and the average height of Langley (near Slough) is 0 metres/0 feet, which is a considerable difference in elevation. Fog tends to settle in low areas near bodies of water – Langley is in the Thames Valley and surrounded by reservoirs; Ruislip isn’t – so on the whole Alec’s surprise is, in itself, surprising.

***Notice the developing narrative: Carol has occasional little accidents, Susan is just clumsy.

****Figures posted on Wikipedia and admitted to be incomplete do not distinguish between ‘pure accidents’ and ‘foolhardy’ ones, but suggest that in the short term at least Alec was wrong. There were 6970 recorded fatalities on UK roads in 1960 and 7985 in 1966, suggesting that at the time the number was trending upwards – probably due to the lack of seatbelts and the ‘ton-up kids‘ who saw new motorways as race-tracks and couldn’t wait to put their feet down/twist their throttles and show the rest of the world just what their particular shiny new toy could do.

*****Arf arf, my child is so heavy she’ll never be any good at sports! The fact that I’d never attempted this particular feat before is of course utterly irrelevant.

******Similar to this one, although I seem to remember the colour being a bit darker.

*******Ummm, yes, following on from the ‘Woburn Abbey picnic’, here’s another of my most vivid childhood memories! Carol and I were still in our beds one morning – we shared a room at that stage, but that ended soon afterwards – when all of a sudden Alec’s foot appeared through the ceiling. He was up in the loft and had stepped off a beam and onto the plasterboard at a point just inside our bedroom door. The image of that solitary right foot dangling down will stay with me forever! I hadn’t realised, however, that Leonard and Eva must have been staying with us at the time, and no doubt Leonard was also up in the loft with Alec looking at the radio equipment when the incident happened. To be clear, the radio set-up was located directly above June and Alec’s bedroom, with the loft hatch out on the landing outside the toilet door, so Alec was nowhere near the boarded-out portion of the loft when he missed his footing and fell through the ceiling.

Tuesday 29th September, 1964

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1964 lettersLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Just a quick line to thank you very much for your letter received this morning and to confirm our journey to Ruislip on Thursday the 1st prox. to arrive during the early afternoon. You evidently had a busy weekend with the fencing and this will be one item to inspect when we arrive. Have not done anything to the main fence here to date and shall start next week weather permitting. The detached house is being completed and it will be necessary to have fence in position as quickly as possible although I am not aware if the place has been sold.

Noted you were off duty yesterday in order to take Susan out to Mount Vernon and good to know she will not be wanted there again for a twelvemonth. Does she have to continue to wear glasses?

By this time you will have heard from Mrs Baker of her holiday here. We hope she reached home safely and not too tired after such a long journey. I was going to get a couple of records for the girls this morning but as they did not let us know this item must be dealt with after our arrival that possibly on Friday or Saturday. If it is your night for Radio Club on Friday Alec please do not put it off because we are coming up. Have only just thought about this.

Have been busy here yesterday and today in trying to set out the shape of proposed rockery. Looks a bit flat but when soil put in the spaces the picture improves a little. Paving slabs all down now and I must say it looks a nice job and will ensure a clean walk to garage and greenhouse. Have cleaned car this afternoon but not polished it.

Peter’s car still out of commission then apparently. Mrs Baker tells us he uses a bicycle in these circumstances to get to and from work. Bad luck you could not have his assistance on the holes again.

No more just now. Looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday. All our love to you both and lots of kisses for the girls.

Mum and Dad.

P.S. Have it in mind to return to Clevedon on Monday 5th October. 

Tuesday 22nd September, 1964

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1964 letters, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks for the usual budget of news duly to hand this morning but no enclosures from the girls this time. Perhaps with your weekend operations of one sort and another they could not manage a line.

You will be pleased to hear Mrs Baker arrived on Monday evening but coach was later this year not reaching Weston until 8.5 p.m. However we went into Weston in the early afternoon and had a good look round before sitting in car waiting for the coach. It was a glorious day and there were crowds of people about in Weston but after the sun went down it turned cold very quickly. We got home at about 8:45 p.m. and had supper and a bit of a talk and so to bed. This morning Mrs Baker and Mum walked to Hill Road and back to see the shops whilst I got on with some outdoor work. This afternoon we went to Portishead and parked car near the swimming pool and walked up over Battery Point etc. Another very hot day. Too hot in fact for Mum to stop on the coast road coming home. Tomorrow we go to Lyng and may call at Burnham in the morning and have picnic lunch there. Hhope we shall not have sand in the sandwiches this time.

Yes we think the Taunton doctor at the hospital has made a big improvement with Don and we shall see tomorrow if what we saw last week has been maintained. Will try and comment in this letter before posting.

Well following up last week’s letter that the gale on Wednesday upset some of the fencing put up a few days previously I strengthened the one upright that was the weakest the following morning and so far as these five panels are concerned I think it will be satisfactory in future. Have had to think again though about the long fence which will be put up at bottom of garden as the force of wind there is terrific. Fortunately when talking to Bushell about it he said I could have all the sleeper lengths from the bottom of the floor of old garage and as these are about 5½ feet long I think I can use them for sloping supports to the fence. He had enough of them to ensure each of the posts supplied by Coates being separately supported and they are now with the others on our side of fence waiting attention.

Noted you have trouble in digging out the holes for your posts. Query if you have flooded the holes with the hose pipe perhaps this would have softened soil at bottom and enabled you to get more earth out. I have a grave suspicion that I shall not be able to use post hole digger here as the swing of the handle will fell the chain link fence already there. The holes will have to be made very close to the fence. However nothing will be done in regard to this until we have been to Ruislip meanwhile I am fully occupied – at odd intervals this week – in trying to lay the paving stones for path. Have completed the distance between greenhouse and garage and now levelling out the soil between garage and end of shed nearest to house to take further paving stones.

To get back to your letter. Noted you think the chap we saw on Church Hill was Scott – maybe. What are the points not strictly correct in regard to his history as given by the Mercury? Did you notice enclosure in this week’s paper of the presentation to Charlie Rust? Should have included it the previous week but overlooked it.

So your neighbours are still away. Having their money’s worth by the sound of it.

Note reason for changing toilet. This is quite a common occurrence and most pipes have to be attended to at some time or another. We had the trouble many years ago. New model wood [be] sure to be different. Everything is when you want to replace it. All makes work for someone you know. Closed shop and for putting in hatches – who holds the hammer?

What a caper you had on your proposed journey to Woburn Abbey. Told Bushell this morning when helping him on a little job and without examination he suggested it might mean the dynamo brushes need renewing otherwise the dynamo replaced. Anyhow I hope it will not be too costly a job. Always something.

So far as the sets are concerned I can only give you the measurements of the set I brought back last year but I can quite appreciate it will be better to leave the big case off altogether and if possible rig up a temporary one. Cannot think of some of the points needing clarification in the radio book just now but will bring it along. Shall have to tighten up the aerial too as I see it is sagging a bit and now touching the tops of the bushes. The gale may have been responsible for some of this.

Glad to hear you were able to get on with the fencing last weekend and even with only eighteen inches of post in the ground I think you will find it sufficient situated where you are. It would not do here though. Mr Gray was soon on the job then when he saw what you were up to and as you have cleared the side hedges – Roses etc. – we shall see a big difference. You have already noticed you have extra room to play with and I am sure you will agree it is a much needed job.

Noted Peter will give Mr Gray a hand with his side of the work. Hope your other neighbour agrees to your suggestion to save cutting off a piece of the panel. This would somewhat spoil the frame and weaken it.

Could not quite understand why the people at the bottom had to bring a van round for the old fence. Could not they have had it over the bottom of garden? We much appreciate your writing us after such a hard day’s work – expect you were all tired out.

Yes visit to Tiverton off for the time being and we have not yet had a reply to our suggestion that they come up here later on for a few days rest.

Fancy taking the water for the dolls picnic to top up the battery – don’t expect that was very much appreciated. How did the dolls manage?

Understand Rebecca likes her job and is settling down to it.

We think Mrs Baker looks much better this year and certainly she seems brighter. Hope the change here will do her more good. She said the journey down was very hot at times. I should think so too for it was a real scorcher at Weston in the afternoon. Heels came back yesterday after about nine days at Derby. They brought back an elderly couple with them to stay for a short time.

I mentioned helping Bushell just now. It was to help carry a bath from the garden at back of houses to the front of house where in his front lawn he had dug a big hole. The bath was to be dropped into said hole and the surrounding filled in again. He intends to use it for fish and lilies. He has already covered it with wire netting to keep the children from falling into it.

There has been no further move regarding our pond so far but I can afford to wait for the time being as am busy on other matters.

Have to start collecting the items to bring up such as peat, hose pipe etc. and if there is anything else you can think of please let us know next letter. Assume June will be all right for us to come up on Thursday October 1st to arrive after lunch. Probably call on route for a meal as we did last year. Hope I have not a cold this time too. If you remember we had to return a day early and go to bed. Today I feel fine and possibly the extra work here has had something to do with this as there is no time to be ill.

Bushell has used some Aquaseal for his guttering and it has done the trick. He needs a downpipe now or the water will still be blown over our side by the wind.

What an amazing spell of weather we are having. Never thought it would hold out for Mrs Baker’s visit but glass is well up and with a bit of luck it will remain fine all the week. The nights get very cold quickly after sundown. Slight frosts in the morning too. Will break off now and continue tomorrow evening with an account of our day out on Wednesday and visit to Lyng.

[Continues Thursday 24th September, 1964]

Sunday 20th September, 1964

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1964 lettersLeave a comment

Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Thanks once again for weekly letter and paper. I have a feeling that the chap we saw on Old Church Hill was the same man as in the photo, but I could be mistaken, it was only a second or two that we saw him. It was an interesting comment on his history with radio, but one or two of the facts were not true.

No sign yet of our next door neighbours. We do not know how long they are supposed to be away for, and they have had at least three weeks so far. No card of course ‘wishing you were here’. As you say the milk would not have been much good for anyone, and it appears we did not get it as ours seemed okay.

Plumber came and did the job for us. Toilet leaked at the back some years ago and I fixed it with Sylglas. It held fine, but June fancied the crockery was a little discoloured so we had a new one fitted. Plumber found that the new model was a little different from the old one, and the inlet pipe would not fit, so he had to come back again and put in a new extension there. He was looking out for a man to do the serving hatch, but so far no luck. We cannot get anyone lined up for the job. It appears it is a combined job for bricklayer and joiner. The joiner makes the thing and the bricky puts it in place. Our plumber friend says he can find a chap to make the frame, but not put it in place.

So far no attempt to carry out any interior decoration. June has some paper for the toilet which will be put up in due course. We await the work on the hatch (if it gets done bracket) before tackling the dining room.

We are all very pleased indeed to hear how well Don now is. It really seems as if the doctor has done the trick this time. The most important part of it all is that he now feels better within himself. The fact that he wanted to have a walk around the beach is astonishing, but in the circumstances of the strong wind he was well advised not to take on too much.

I think there must be some mistake in your comparison between the two sets. I would have said the new one is vastly larger than the old combo but we shall see. I still think the best thing is to keep the new one out of its case which is useless really. A simple wooden framework will do the trick. What are the bits and pieces that you do not follow in the book you got from Sealeys? Perhaps you could say what they are, and I will do best to answer.

We ordered our posts and fencing on Saturday last, and the whole lot were delivered on Monday. This is good business. Needless to say we spent the whole of this weekend at it and have done an immense amount. June did the shopping on Friday to leave a free morning for it, and by Saturday night we had got three posts in and two sections of fence up. Had a bit of assistance from Ronnie next door with the concrete mixing, and with the erection. 7 ft posts are supposed to go two feet into the ground, but try as we might with all the tools as our disposal we could not get hole any deeper than about 18 inches into the hard dry soil. The sites for the posts were all fairly inaccessible and could not let a good swing at them so finished up using the axe to try to break up the clay at the bottom of the holes but even that would not penetrate. However by mixing about thirteen good spadefuls of sand with four of cement and putting the lot round the post in one hole we managed to get a firm enough base. Today I used the last of the sand and cement to put in the next post, and we now have four posts in and three of the four lots of fencing in place. Unfortunately the next lot of fencing reaches right to Les’s post without the concrete post being in place, and I cannot do much about that until he comes home. If he is agreeable for the post to lie on his land (he can use it for any fence he likes to put up) then I shall remove the iron post and put up my last length of the fence. If he does not agree, I shall have to saw off a few inches of the fence and then put the concrete post on my side of fence. In any case I am out of material for the time being. The fence that is up looks quite good and very much neater than what was there before. I saw the lady down the bottom and offered our old asbestos fencing to them together with wire mesh as she had no fence on one side. They accepted and brought a van round in the afternoon and took it all away very gratefully, and he now has a really good fence installed down one side. When Doug saw the goings-on he promptly ordered posts and fencing for our common fence, and then proceeded to fell all his trees at the bottom of the garden. Today I fetched out all of the rose-hedge wire and all and burned the lot on a bonfire. Doug sawed up and later burned the trees and the neighbourhood now looks like a desert. The effect is to give the appearance of bigger gardens and much cleaner lines. We have removed a number of bushes and heeled some in for later replanting, and since we have put up some of the fence some of the bushes have been replaced in position. Have been at it all day, and now I have just got round to the letter at 6.30 p.m. as the last of the bonfire smoke dies away. Doug cannot take on the heavy work as a result of his operation, so we have fixed up for Peter to come over and do it for him. This will give him a bit of pocket money.

Sorry your visit to Tiverton is off for a while, but looks as though you may see rather more of them now if the job Lydia does is coming to an end. As you say you will have Mrs Baker with you for a week now, and hope the weather holds up and that you can get about. It would be most unlucky if the weather broke now. These last two days we have had outdoors have been really fine.

Bushell will have to try the Sylglas trick for his gutters.

Brown will almost certainly get into the next Parliament as Labour have a 10,000 majority at Shoreditch. He is about 12 feet high at the moment.

Our trip to Woburn Abbey was a washout. I know my dynamo although working is not charging the battery, and in fact when the speed of car was fast enough for the dynamo to cut in it promptly shorted the battery at the cutout. I had it in mind to get this sorted out in October when due for test, but thought I had enough in battery for our trip for stock. However we started out, and got through Rickmansworth and Watford and made for the M1. Just short of the M1 I had to consult map for route, and stop the car at the side of road. I could not restart for some time, but after messing around for about 10 minutes up she came on battery with no trouble. With this we carried on and got onto the M1. Kept at a steady 35 miles per hour – the speed at which the ammeter registered zero – and got past the Teddington service station. Our turning. Got about one mile off the M1 and within five miles of our destination when the engine cut out. Try as we might we could not get it to go, and made up our minds that if we could restart we could make for home at a gentle speed and hope to goodness that we could get there before lights were necessary. I suppose we stopped there for about half an hour waiting for battery to recover. I topped up the plates with some water the girls had brought for the dolls picnic, and there seemed some life in the cells*. Had another swing with the handle and up she came, so we all piled in and steamed off up the A5. Kept going at a gentle 30 through Dunstable and St Alban’s with the car still going, and made for Watford and then Rickmansworth and we were still going well. Decided to stop on the grass verge of the Denham Bypass and have our picnic and we stayed there for an hour. Had a job to start car again, but eventually it came to life, and with that we got home. The M1 is a good road – what we saw of it – and feels better than the M4.

Borrowed Doug’s charger and put 24 hours worth in cells and we are O.K. again for a bit. Charged up both batteries so have one in reserve.

A lot of people are looking over the property in this road, but I think they have all been sold long ago.

Pity we could not have had the gadget for making holes at this end this weekend.

To repeat about Don, his present condition is remarkable and a welcome change from that which we saw him in when last with you. Can only hope this will continue as will help to [illegible] the winter.

Well I see him to have nattered on about nothing in particular and now near the bottom of page again. Carol has a slight cold but otherwise we are fit and well. It was the girls’ Sunday School outing to Gunnersbury Park yesterday, and I was roped in for taxi service from church to South Harrow station in afternoon and evening. Got eight of us in our car for the return journey.**

Well will close now with love from us all, and look forward to your next.

*I have a very clear recollection of this day and had been looking forward to reading Alec’s account to see how he would describe it. In fact, what happened was that when we stopped the second time there was consternation in the car because we weren’t near any houses, and the parents were muttering about not having any water on board. I piped up that I had some in my ‘Dolls’ Picnic Set’, which was similar to the one shown below and contained two little white and red flasks. [N.B. it wasn’t ‘the girls’, it was me.] At first he said he didn’t think it would be enough, but was somehow convinced it would be better than nothing – it would have been at least a pint/half a litre as they were both full. Rather ungraciously he accepted my offer eventually and went off and poured the water into the battery, and returned my two flasks. I suspect the reason this has stayed in my mind for so long is that (a) it was reluctantly conceded that I had actually done something useful for once, and (b) Alec left an oily thumbprint on one of the flasks which was never possible to remove thereafter, and the poor things were very nearly new. No good deed ever goes unpunished, FFS!

**Yeah, and not a seatbelt between them! It was a short run and he would have been going slowly, but in retrospect this sounds extremely scary!

Tuesday 15th September, 1964

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1964 lettersLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

The usual budget of news duly arrived this morning for which many thanks. I see the girls have been doing some sticking-on pictures for us this week – thank you Susan and Carol.

Yes I thought you would be most interested to read the article about Scott’s career in the radio world but I would not have said the man we saw on Church Hill was much like the photograph in the Mercury – could have been of course and I do not expect there are many if any others who would be so interested in Clevedon to erect a mobile set locally.

Your remarks read the Eddystone type of set noted.

So your neighbours have been to Spain and presumably back again now. Query if any specimens brought back from the bull rings. The milk would not have been much use to anyone after many hours in the sun. I see the newsboy is still delivering papers to Heels who have gone away for another week’s rest. This time to Derby to stay with friends – of course. They went off last Saturday morning and expected back this coming Saturday.

Noted you have plumber booked for the toilet job. What has given rise to this alteration? Is the present arrangement unsatisfactory or has there been some damage? Pity about the serving hatch. Can you not get this underway just yet? What about the decorations? June mentioned these not long ago and said you were about to start operations. Perhaps the continued fine whether has kept you both outdoors as much as possible. The indoor jobs can wait until bad weather prevents work outside.

Yes June mum did get her stainless steel tea set from Eric Wrights of Sheffield.

Had a letter from Don late last week wearing he said he and Joan would be coming up here for lunch tomorrow (Wednesday 16th inst.) if all right with us. He was feeling much better and particularly mentioned his breathing which had improved a lot. He has to go to Taunton today to see Doctor again and unless we get a telephone message (through Mrs Marshall) tonight they will be up as arranged. This seems very good news as on several recent occasions when a visit here has been mooted he has said no very plainly and commented that he was far from well and could not make such a journey. Will try and include a post script with this letter as to what we think of him since his last visit to hospital.

Apart from the height of the R208 which is about three or four inches more the set I have in garage is same as the measurements you give for the one you have got for me. Suggestion for taking it out of case noted and must make up my mind on this when I see it. Glad to hear you have had some success with it to date. Also noted your idea of having a small shed in garden for your set as attic a bit cold in winter. I think a shed would be just as cold and in addition you have to go outside – in all weathers – to get to it. No Alec I shall not be buying any valves down here or anything else for that matter without having a previous word with you. Am studying the contents of the book we got at Sealeys and there are many bits and pieces I cannot fathom so it would not be much good for me to go into a shop and ask for anything.

So you have now ordered the concrete posts and fencing for your gardens. This will make a wonderful improvement – perhaps you have completed the work by now – it was not a bad day here on Saturday. I was rather surprised that Bushell did so well on his journey to Birmingham as the sketch he had from his friend was – in my opinion – very very rough. I think his friend would like to get down this way out of Birmingham if only he could find suitable work near Clevedon.

Yes you say that will be the day when Susan starts work! Well it will not be all that far ahead. Time seems to pass very quickly and Susan already is nearly eight and a half years old.

Proposed visit to Tiverton is offer at least for the time being. We suggested Thursdays because that day is early closing there and Lydia would be home for the afternoon but Joe has to go to Exeter on these days for radiotherapy treatment. Now suggested that as Lydia is giving up the shop at the end of the month – the business is being sold – perhaps they would like to come up here for a little holiday and that we would run down and bring them back. Now awaiting reply.

Next Monday Mrs Baker will be coming down as you know and we shall go to Weston to meet the coach. Hope weather not broken up yet and that we can have some fine days but these last couple of days have seen some very heavy storms and they are on one before you realise it. Still rain is badly needed and the ground is crying out form moisture. Gave Bushell’s roof on garage a good testing but everything all right. He has put guttering up on our side of fence but this needs a little attention as I see water escaping through a few holes.

Expect Saunders was pleased to meet your old colleague Lay – a common interest in the radio.

Yes I had seen and noted that Brown’s brother had been nominated for one of the London constituencies and remembered you saying he was connected with Work Study. Perhaps this will be the means of his getting away from the railway altogether – a subtle move.

How did you get on at Woburn Abbey last Saturday? Hope June and the girls enjoyed the outing. What was the journey on the M1 like?

Sounds as if we shall see quite a lot of alterations when we come up. You would be surprised to see the difference down here too since you were here in August. Surprising also the number of inquiries for the houses and the number walking around inspecting the buildings and obviously interested from a buying point of view.

Mum must deal with you regarding the cacti Alec but you will be pleased to hear June seven of the laburnum seeds are through and looking well at the moment.

Have had a pretty hectic week again here. Ordered half-inch chippings and cement from Crane and paving slabs and galvanised nails from Counsells (Yatton). The chippings (1 ton 7 cwt) [1370 kg] and cement arrived on Friday morning– the overlap fencing arrived the same afternoon and the paving and wrong size nails on the Saturday morning. The nails were refused and returned with lorry driver who was told I was waiting for them. However it was Monday before the replacements arrived. On Saturday managed to get up two panels of the overlap fencing with Bushell’s help and would have had a third in position but for a sudden burst of rain about 4:00 p.m.. Got two more up yesterday and again would have had another up but for a proper down pour which lasted for a long time and finished work outside for the day. In between storms today have managed to get another one with Mum’s help (Bushell gone to work). This completes the five alongside Bushell’s fence between our garden and our greenhouse. Looks quite nice. Did not concrete them in but put a length of half-sleeper with each post about two feet in ground and the same outside to strengthen the post provided by the fencing people. The galvanised nails were used to fasten the panels of fencing to the posts. I do not know when shall get round to putting up the fencing alongside the bottom chain link fence across garden. At the moment it is laying on the lawn adjacent to the old shed and the chippings close to the front doors of garage.

By the way what use did you make of the battery you took back? Or perhaps you have not got round to it yet.

I went out to Norman Baker’s farm yesterday to pick up the tool he uses for making holes for posts. I’ve not tried it yet but I think it will take a lot of the hard work out of post-hole digging and I have 20 to dig for the fence at bottom of garden.

Cornish conspicuous by his absence lately although he is still about on the building site vetting each new arrival and more or less now becoming the receiver-in-chief for the many visitors who wish for information etc etc. He even received the lorry bringing Coates fencing here until he saw me looking at him over the gate. The other day I caught him measuring the width of our gates but he did not see me. I guess he wanted to know the width because the builders here have to supply him and Heel with new gates for the entrances to their respective gardens when the new wall is built. Will break off now and continue after Don and Joan have been up tomorrow.

[Continues Wednesday 16th September, 1964]

Sunday 13th September, 1964

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1964 lettersLeave a comment

Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Thanks once again for weekly letters and the paper. Very interesting cutting from the paper (article rather) about Scott. I have an idea that was the man we saw on top of Old Church Hill when we were with you. He was obviously talking to someone on the Welsh side and could well have been the chap on Flatholm. Odd that the article should have appeared just now, I wonder what started that going.

Our neighbours on the downhill side are in Spain we hear. Rhey did not tell us they were  even going on holiday. We gather they are back today or tomorrow. The relief milkman left four bottles of milk on the doorstep yesterday, which can’t have done it much good. Normal milkman on today has whipped them away again. Hope we did not get any.

We have got the plumber lined up for putting in the new toilet unit. Latter has been delivered and now in the hall. No comment.

Glad the various methods of treatment are having some effect on Don. If he has a lot of phlegm in him it is no wonder he could not breathe very well. Must get rid of it somehow. June asks did mum get her tea set (stainless steel)* from Eric Wright Ltd of Sheffield? I think you may have sown some seed there.

Your radio set in its complete form is rather too large for the house, being 23 in long x 12½ in deep (back) and 17½ in high. [58x32x44.5 cm] – this represents the steel outside case (a dirty grey) in which the set rests. There is also a shelf in this case which has a drawer in which are supposed to be kept spares, valves, flex etc. For indoor use it is best to take set out of case when its height is considerably reduced as is also weight. Out of the case of course all the components are visible but you could easily fit plywood or hardboard top and sides as the framework is there for them to be fitted on. I have the case and the tray in the greenhouse and have taken the rest up into the loft. There are two carrying handles on the front of the works part that makes it easy. I had a listen on all bands on a short piece of wire last week and so far as 20 meters are concerned it is better than mine. Have had many Yanks on it. On 10 meters it is slightly less good than mine which I have souped up for that band. Not a lot doing on 15 meters but I have heard some stations. You can actually get a television sound on it too. As a short-term effort I should be inclined to either keep it in garage, or take the works out as suggested and screw on a light wooden covering. The weight with case is 80 lbs [36 kg] but almost halved out of the case. I have seen some more HROs advertised at around the price we considered, but you never can tell what the condition is and you do not want to be involved in repairs before you can get them to work. By the way don’t ever buy valves your end. I can always get them much cheaper in Tottenham Court Road, or for nothing if I am lucky. Regarding the Eddystone receiver they of course are the Rolls-Royce of receivers, but there are many types from simple to more complex, and of course the prices are high. If they have an 888A for offer less than £80 [equivalent of £2000 in 2024 money] it might be a good buy and something like £40 [£1000] for an 840, but there are a great variety of types and price.

Note your work in garden preparing for the fencing. We ordered some concrete posts for end of garden, and also the fencing. Hope to get them delivered in the week, and perhaps some have to put up fence on Saturday. Measurements have to be very accurate for this job don’t they?

We had our photos back in the week, and although some trouble with one or two, largely they were good. One of Bushell and family was very good. Some journey to Birmingham for Bushell. Thought he knew the route as he had a good diagram to work to. I am not surprised he was glad to get home from Brum as the air is worse there than here.

Interesting to learn that Rebecca now at work. Seems no time at all she was a toddler. That will be the day when Susan starts. She will probably get the sack first day for cheek**.

Hope you get your visit to Tiverton. We did not do the trip this time we were at Exmouth. Never gave it a thought. In any case traffic a lot worse this year than the last time we were down.

I had heard of the moves re: Phillips and thought I has told you. So far as John Saunders is concerned, I heard from Ken Lay Paddington that he was in on Monday last and knowing from me that Saunders was in the fraternity dropped in on him when going for his train. Apparently they had a good natter, and John saw him off on his train.

I suppose you have noticed the Press in the press that Ron Brown our senior instructor of Work Study School (is George Brown’s brother) stood for nomination for the Labour Party candidate for Shoreditch and Finsbury constituency. He got onto shortlist, and eventually won the final ballot by a good margin. As this is a fairly safely seat this means he will be leaving us to become an MP in the new Parliament unless something goes radically wrong. He is not very popular with top management at the moment.

It is a fine day here and we hope to go to Woburn Abbey this afternoon for the last of the mobile radio rallies of the year. I understand it is a good one and there are amusements for children etc. The place is at Belford which is a short trip on the M1.

The girls have been fairly well although a bit naughty lately. I think I have said that before.

None of my cacti have rotted with over-watering. I have taken a lot of cuttings of them and I’m bringing them on in little trays. The seeds I put in are doing quite well.

I am seriously thinking of buying a small shed to go in garden for radio activities. I am sure it is not all that too healthy to stop long in loft without daylight and in the dust. Cst of putting loft right would be as much as getting a shed which has many advantages. I should have electric light put in garage and extended to shed just beyond. A small self-contained building would be easier to keep warm in winter than a large loft, and certainly get more fresh air in summer.

The buildings are proceeding quite well. two houses are complete, a third well up and a fourth started. The look of the road has changed as if overnight, and I can now see a different each night when coming home. They will not have finished by the time you get here I don’t suppose, but the picture will be clear.

School was resumed without much trouble this year. So far touch wood we have had no trouble and no sickness. Sorry Old Moore*** has said we shall get some bad weather. I suppose we cannot grumble with what we have been getting this year. We have had no rain since I last reported. Have not done any more watering as the morning dew now seems to supply all needs. Ground is still cracked though.

Sorry Mum has been giving cacti too much water. You really must watch it****.

Some fair well for the ‘Posset Flyer’***** then. Sound sense about all these people who complain there will be no trains, but we do nothing about it. In present circumstances railways are a luxury, and local inhabitants are living in a fool’s paradise.

We still have our piano, the people from the church have not yet come for it. There will be a squeal from the children when it is taken. Don’t know what we shall do with the room, but at least we shall not bang ourselves on it coming through the door any more. We still have not fixed up for anyone to do the serving hatch and may have to leave that one out of the plans this time. It would have been nice to have it though.******

Well getting a bit short on news at the moment, so will close once more wishing you all the best. Love from us all. 

*A hopeless mid-century fad.

**Thanks for the vote of confidence, Dad.

***English edition does not seem to be in business any longer, but the Irish version has a website.

****Sigh...

*****’Posset Flyer’ seems to be a nickname for the Portishead (Posset) commuter train from Temple Meads, and has no connection – as far as I can tell – with ‘The Posset Flyers‘ who appears to be a bunch of charitably-inclined car nuts. (From Portishead, no doubt!)

******Well, yes, because taking three or four steps from one room to another takes such a bug chunk out of your day and it’s always better to have a hatch and pretend your wife is a servant instead.

Tuesday 8th September, 1964

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1964 lettersLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks once again for your letters and enclosures from the girls received usual post this morning and glad to hear both the girls are well and presumably back at school as from yesterday. Another holiday over and now lessons for them for a few months. Quite understand telephone conversations should not interfere with the TV programmes but no doubt you avoid clashing as far as possible.

Sorry my comment re: bigger house not understood. Understood June to say she would like another piano one day and thought this meant when you have more room. Agree a bungalow is the ideal nowadays but price must come into the reckoning. You have however property which can be traded for another if and when desired and in the meantime the value of the present house increases yearly.

Noted during that Peter finds the going hard work – no wonder putting in 18 hours per day especially in the weather we have been having lately.

Yes Carol told us of the visit to the dentist. Seems strange though for Susan to have to have a plate to get tooth back into proper position. In the old days the answer would have been to have the offending tooth out but I suppose it would leave a permanent gap which is undesirable. Also noted your neighbours now back from Westgate. This is the second time this year they have been there as they were there whilst we were with you at Whitsun.

Busy time ahead at number 84 then with plumber at work and possibly a carpenter (for hatch) to be followed by decorations.

As stated in post script last letter we visited Don on Wednesday the 2nd inst. found him improving although still very cantankerous with everything and everybody. A letter from Joan yesterday (Monday) says he was expected home again either yesterday or today and that he is much better. Let’s hope this is so. He has been on tablets again and also had a physiotherapist working on him forcing up phlegm he never thought was in him. All to the good no doubt and it will be up to himself now to maintain what the doctors have done. Understand Geoff went down to see him in hospital on Saturday – a letter was waiting at number 169 from Joan when they got back from Austria last Wednesday. Have sent Don and Joan a repeat invitation to come up here to lunch as soon as Don feelss able to travel any distance.

Wed had quite a good day when going to Taunton as we had a picnic lunch just the other side of Shapwick and picked up Joan and her mother’s cousin (who was staying at Lyng) and onto hospital for 2:30 p.m. admission. Back to Lyng 4 o’clock and home again by 6.50 p.m.

Noted Alec you have picked up the short wave set for me and shall be pleased to have the measurements of length width and depth so that I can try and visualise position here. Reading between the lines I think Mum wants it out on the lawn. Good going to tune in Sierra Leone on 10 meters at that short notice. We shall not dispose of either of our sets here but you can have the smaller one whenever you want it after we get the transistor. Position regarding the other set you mentioned previously noted and will leave matter in your hands for development. Incidentally you will be very interested in the ‘Mercury’ sent you yesterday. There is a nice write-up of Scotts set up in Edward Road West and strange to say the first advertisement I have ever seen in the local paper of an Eddystone receiver set for sale by somebody in Ash Grove. This address is on Strawberry Hill close to where the Benns were looking when first house hunting in the area. You will probably remember the locality.*

Mum will comment on the watering of the cacti etc. Yes the peat is some good stuff and I think it may be superior to that which can be bought for 4/- and 4/6d [£5 – £5.50 in 2024 money] per bag. We did not stop to pick up any more last Wednesday but shall certainly have another lot later on. No sign of laburnum seeds coming up yet and may be next spring before signs of life show up.

The hedge (between Bushells and us) is pretty thick and it must be at least three feet otherwise I should not have had so much ground to deal with. Am now out of paving stones, cement and gravel so have had to concentrate on other jobs such as gardening etc. Nothing yet done to pond by the builders and I have now made a template to hold cement in the large depth of pond which will be required to hold one of the posts for the Overlap. This cement will also help to seal up the new end of pond in due course.

Weather still keeps very warm although one or two storms have threatened. Bushells came back from the holiday in Birmingham on Sunday having had fine weather throughout the week. Had petrol trouble going up and only discovered after arrival at Birmingham that a pipe connection was loose causing loss of petrol. Also went several miles out of course – it was their first visit – but eventually completed journey in about four and a half hours.** They were glad to get back out of the smoky atmosphere of the Birmingham area – never felt clean all the time up there. They were surprised to see I had taken down the hedge and cleaned up the ground ready for the wooden fencing. Today Bushell has been finishing off the garage on our side – a good opportunity with hedge gone and the new fence not up. He has also put up some guttering which will keep water from dropping on new fence.

Glad you have news of Doug Matthews again. He has seems to have been properly caught out over the Ibbotson/Feinnes moves. From what you say it would appear he is thinking of finishing at 60. He is older than I thought. Also noted you met Hamblin and Flaxman in corridor of B.R.B.. I did not know latter although have attended meetings at which he has been present.

Yes having regard to previous remark you will have gathered Geoff and family are home once more. Ee understand Rebecca has started work at the Eagle Insurance Co.’s office not having been successful with her Kodak applications. She is however going to try and get into Kodak when another vacancy occurs.

I’ve written to Tiverton suggesting we run down there on Thursday this week or next (early closing at Tiverton) to arrive at about 2 p.m. and leave about 4 p.m. in order to get home by dark. No reply so far and it may be that they are at the bungalow at Exmouth for a long weekend.

The Portishead line closed for passenger traffic after the last train last Saturday and transport will now be by bus.

I see Raymond has got himself a little advertisement in this morning’s paper by having his Jaguar car loaded up at Paddington Station. Okay so ‘don’t do as I do but as I tell you’. Bob Hill had to give some explanation to the press on the matter. Is it not about time he retired?

Am surprised to hear the short wave set weighs about ¾ cwt. Shall have to fit it up in house somewhere as cannot do much in garage in winter evenings.

Building continues apace here but at the moment delay is occurring because of shortage of scaffolding. I think I mentioned before good material and good workmanship is being put into the houses and my impression is that Robinson’s must be a very good firm for work. Like yourselves Mrs Baker will see a lot of alterations around us when she comes on the 21st inst. Hope the weather keeps up but cannot expect it to continue much longer.

The Overlap [fencing] from Bridgwater is coming by rail apparently, which I think means loading to Taunton for latter to load to Bristol for delivery events. Should be here any day now.

A letter from Jeff says that G.A.V. Phillips is going into BRB for another post and that Patterson from Plymouth goes to London. Donovan from Bristol to Plymouth and Pallette to Bristol vice Donovan. Strange moves altogether. I see John Saunders had a good write-up in Railway News with special mention of his ‘world-wide radio activities’. He is going to live at Henleaze Gardens*** where he has bought a house. No doubt he will be on the air from that address in due course. May be able to pick him up later on.

Mr and Mrs Heel have been away again for a few days. This time to Somewhere in West Wales returning to Hereford to finish up. Now they are off again soon.

Cornish brought ladder back last week and I could not get rid of him for over an hour. The usual ‘hymn of hate‘ regarding certain neighbours all over again. Yesterday about 3:30 p.m. I happened to look out the front and saw him with a tape measure measuring the width of our gates. Watched him for several minutes but he did not look up and I did not make my presence known. He walked off after a while back to his own dump. Assume he was after actual width of gates to enable him to decide what the builders must put up for him as this is to be their responsibility. Lorries are much in evidence with various materials for the new houses and bricks seemed very plentiful whereas other builders in the district say they cannot get any.

Mum has had a big bonfire with the hedge I cut down last week. These fires must now be nearer the house and one has to be a bit careful when lighting up. Mrss Marshall is back from her Norfolk Broads Holiday looking very fit. Still no news from the Richings at Weston but I expect Michael and his family have been there for part of the school holiday and we may hear or see something of them later this month.

No more now. all our love to you both and lots of kisses for the girls. 

*Also the general area of the dreaded ‘swimming pool’ bungalow as mentioned on 6th September!

**Rome2Rio suggests this would take well under two hours these days, with faster cars and better roads.

***Nothing under £1M there these days, which would have been £40,000 back then…

Sunday 6th September, 1964

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1964 lettersLeave a comment

Alec to his parents:

Dear Mum and Dad

Thanks once again for weekly letters and paper duly received this end. Glad you liked the contributions from Susan. Carol now back with us of course, and as large as life. School tomorrow and not many regrets from any side. She had a nice time with Grandma, and does not now mind as much being away from us. We ring them up each night on the telephone, and look out if we ring up when they are watching a favourite program on TV. We do not then get much of a chat. Susan continues to have these proper moods fractious, defiant etc etc and some times it is difficult or impossible to communicate. However like all things they come to an end.

As you say it does now seem a long time since we were with you but the weeks are drawing on towards your trip to us. Have not worked out how many weeks to go. Oh I see you say four weeks from 3rd September (ominous date*).

Note your remarks about Peter and the jumps. I agree, not the thing I would volunteer for any way. Can’t say I think much of plane travel, it is still too precarious. They cannot guarantee the lives of even the most famous or highly placed when they travel by air**, and money cannot buy safety. Until they have perfected some automatic rescue apparatus the whole thing will still be risky.

Your remarks about bigger house not understood in reference to finding room for another piano later on. June wants a smaller one, not a bigger one, as they have less room for the dust etc. to settle. I think we will aim for a bungalow next time, if there is a next time***. Prices going up by leaps and bounds here and seem to rise weekly. I gather that round Langley way ordinary semi-detached houses are fetching over £6,000 [£150,000 in 2024 money – the price range for an ‘ordinary semi-detached’ in that area now would be about five times as much, depending on condition.] A patch of land two and a half acres large over there fetched £20,000 [£500,000 in 2024 money: cost now would be approximately £6.5 million or thirteen times as much.] What price we should have to pay for a bungalow goodness knows. It depends on where it is of course. That can make a tremendous difference.

Note your trip to Bristol and visit to Mogg’s place. I expect you will look in again some time when you are next up there. We heard from Grandma that you had written and told her that Don was back in hospital, but assume no panic or you would have let us know. Now we find from your letter that he is in for a checkup. Don’t know how long that will last of course, but I like his cheek thinking he should have the treatment at home. I should have thought his own common sense would have told him that he was in best place to sort out what is actually the matter and put right if possible. As you say it was obvious he was not right when we saw him, but the impression I get was that the affliction was not as much physical, but maybe we did not see him at his worst. He was considerably worried it was plain, and it is to be hoped that this time he can be sent home in a better state. Winter is not so far away, and it is vital he should be getting the proper care now.

Thank you for the cheque. I picked up the set for you yesterday, and it is in very good condition electrically. It is good value for the money, but I am afraid you will have to abandon any idea of having it in the living room as it is far too large. I should say it weighs about ¾cwt [38 kg], and in its case occupies several feet in length, width and height. These army jobs were designed to stop a bullet, and this one will do that all right. however it is a start, and it does its job. it is fairly easy to operate despite many fitments knobs etc on the front. I tried it out last night at the vendors house and despite the fact that aerial was wrong for the job heard 9L1HT, a station in Sierra Leone on 10 meters.****

The prospect of the sale of the HRO are not immediate, and we may have to forget that one at least for the time being. In regard to the offer of one of the sets which you still have surplus, if I were to have one I would prefer the small one, but I have immediate need for one, and they will not be a lot of use as spares. If involved plans which I have ever come to anything, I may have need for a small set to cover 160 meters, but we may be able to do the same for [missing word?] anyway. If you have to get rid of one, dump the big one.

We have not moved our cacti to winter quarters as here they are the same as summer ones. We are easing off the water to cacti now and tell Mum not to give too much water now???*****

Glad the peat is good stuff. Maybe the difference in price means a difference in quality too.

Not to worry about the sails of the yacht. They were no use anyway, and only made the ship turn over if used.

No sign of gorse seeds so far and agree with you we may have to wait some time for them to come up.

Note the work you have been doing in the garden and the effect of removing the hedge. It certainly gives you a bit more room, and the Superlap will improve the look of the place. I am surprised to hear you have five feet between greenhouse and the fence. I could just get by between greenhouse and the hedge, so the hedge must have been very thick.

Cannot see an awful lot of progress here now in the building line. The houses are coming on but it seems quite slow really.

I see according to your footnote in biro that you found Don improved when you went down on Wednesday. A good sign, and especially as the improvement is so soon after going into hospital. I wonder if this means that they have found what is wrong.

Saw Doug Matthews in the week and had a chat in corridor. He tells me he has only five years to go. Also says bad luck is dogging him on E.R. just as on W.R.. He wished to be remembered to you and hope you were well. He says he was offered Woodward’s job when he retired, and they had several goes at him to come back and take over, but he said that while Ibbotson was there he had no intention of putting himself under him again. Well they filled the job with someone else, and then Ibbotson probably left Paddington, and Feinnes from the E.R. went there. Apparently Matthews got on well with Feinnes and so there was much anguish. I was surprised to learn he was 55, and would say he still looks a lot younger. Says he has got too old for gardening which is a favourite hobby.

We had the first rain since returning from Clevedon, during the night. When sitting in front room at about 9:30 p.m. I could heare faint sound of drops hitting the window. It was more solid during the night, but no thunder or anything like that. I have had to water garden at least twice a week as earth had cracked badly. The grass still looks quite green although now beginning to show signs of all the sun.

Sorry you had a busy road to Lyng and back for your visit. I am afraid at this time of year you can’t expect anything else. Was over at the B.R.B. on Friday and saw Hamblin and Flaxman in the corridor. Passed time of day, but did not stop.

Well I propose to get your set into the loft somehow, and run a few tests with it in comparison with mine. Could do with a block and pulley.

I suppose Geoff and Stella and family must now be back from foreign parts and we may one day see some film. Well hope you are both well, and not working too hard still. Love from us all once more. 

*I can only imagine this was a date of personal or family significance, but the details never seem to have reached me.

**The most recent death of a famous individual in a plane crash at the time was that of the musician Jim Reeves, about five weeks earlier.

***Of all the reasons for wanting a smaller house, this is the oddest. I mean, smaller house=less cleaning makes a certain amount of sense, but one can always *do* less cleaning anyway! They *did* get a bungalow, some years afterwards, but it was not a happy experience: it was so damp it was generally known as ‘the swimming pool’, and they were glad to move out of it into a regular house again later.

****It’s been virtually impossible to track down this reference, *but* I found an intriguing link to 9L1T which was a proposed (but cancelled) DX-pedition – an amateur radio jolly where a group of hams join together to set up a ‘station’ in a place where conditions for communication should be advantageous – in 2018. Two things spring to mind as a result: 1) that 9L was the prefix for Sierre Leone, and 9L1 probably for the coastal area; 2) that, the site for the proposed expedition being an island, there may have been concern that the hams would be able to (or intended to) observe naval manoeuvres of some sort. If I had to guess, I’d say 9L1HT was probably based in Freetown, the capital city.

*****If this is still intended as a joke it’s getting a bit tedious.

Tuesday 1st September, 1964

On By Sue JenkinsIn 1964 lettersLeave a comment

Leonard to the family:

Dear Alec June Susan and Carol

Many thanks for both your letters and the enclosures from Susan duly received this morning. Noted Carol at Grandma Baker’s at time of writing and hope she will keep free of illness there. Pity she was so poorly after so many sweets. June says Susan is in a proper mood. Holidays are very nice but even children get tired of them and generally are glad to return to school. Some comment on TV last night on this very subject with interviews with school children.

It seems a long time now since you were with us but in actual fact it is only just over a week since you returned home. However it is something to look back upon and the opportunity to look forward to our next visit to you which should be four weeks from this coming Thursday (3rd September).

Fancy Peter having the nerve to do parachute jumps! I have no wish to even go up in a plane*.

Noted you are getting rid of piano but have it in mind one day to get another. Perhaps when you have a bigger house you may find room for one. Alec used to like ‘having a bash’ but suppose otherwise occupied nowadays.

We went to Bristol on Wednesday afternoon but having regard to the weather wished we could have stopped here. It was a scorcher and we were glad to get away about 8 p.m.. BertStacey lives near Coldharbour Road and picks up his evening paper at Ray Mogg’s place and he (Stacey) had told Ray we were going up so latter said he would like to see me. It was a Wednesday and early closing at Bristol but apparently Ray’s shop opens between 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. for the evening paper trade so I went round with Stacey but only Ray’s wife was there. Ray had gone out delivering papers owing to being a boy short. There is no doubt he has a fine business there and the shop is quite a big one and well situated. He should do all right.

Tomorrow Wednesday 2nd inst. we go to Taunton again to see Don who is back in the Portman Ward of the local hospital. The doctor dealing with his case has been abroad on holiday and Don had to see him last week at the hospital for a check-up and Dr said he was “a poor advert to him” and he should come in again for about 10 days. Don asked if he could have the the treatment at home but Dr was not having that one and so Don went in last Friday the 28th ulto. Perhaps this time they will put him as right as possible before letting him out again. It was obvious when we last saw him – when you were there – that he was not right and that further treatment was required.

Will include cheque for £7 10s [equivalent of £187 in 2024 money] Alec as suggested and your further remarks read the HRO noted with pleasure. Should like this one of course if you can get it and perhaps as you say the R208 may be disposed of elsewhere. Will leave this in your hands for the time being but if balance of payment required let me know. Have had one or two goes on set in garage most mornings but not much doing then.

This brings me to the question of sets on hand here. As you know we are going to get a transistor soon and if I have a SW set we shall have two ordinary sets spare. Now which one would you like us to bring up for your use (possibly as spares) in the loft – the one you let me have earlier and which is now in garage or the one mum had from Tiverton and which we use at present in the living room? I think you may prefer to have the one you let me have some time ago but you can have your choice.

Yes I expect you saw a difference in your garden in the fortnight you were away but apparently you soon had it under control again. Yes mum is keeping the cacti watered etc. etc. Most of them have been moved to their winter quarters in the small porch outside living room. The peat we brought back is really good stuff and I have already used some online for potting up.

Noted it will be all right to bring up the odds and ends overlooked when you were packing up here. Actually the pinny was found on the lawn near the water butt. Still no trace of one of the sails of the two ships that were in the bath. I think we shall have to wait a long time for both the laburnum and gorse seeds to come up. I believe they are both slow starters.

Started work in earnest this week and have put down more paving stones to form a path from greenhouse to garage. Have completed about halfway and now run out of paving stones for the time being. No they are not cemented in but only laid flat so to their depth of 2 inches in the ground. I may later cement the joints. Having run out of a job in that direction I started to grub out the hedge between garage and greenhouse (Bushell on holiday in Birmingham). This was a dirty and very hard job. Jack Light many years ago had thrown down a lot of glass behind his shed and this was now in thousands of pieces which had to be picked up. Took two days to complete this work and then I had to dig it over to level off and make ready for the lapboard fence to go up. Surprising how much ground can be recovered when a hedge is out. In this case I have a distance of five feet between the edge of greenhouse and fence with Bushell. Managed to get out the sleepers which were forming an edge of a path and they were in good condition in spite of the number of years they have been down. Wrote Bridgwater yesterday and asked Coates to send on the fencing now as soon as possible.

The builders are very busy at bottom of our land. The detached house just beyond the pond is of course of erection and I must say there is some really good work going into the building of these houses. Both the materials and workmanship are first class. Sounds as if your people on the plot nearby have also been busy. Shall be interested to see how things going when we come up.

Bert Stacey tells me that vacancies have been advertised for three Assistant Station Masters at Temple Meads at Special A. These are to replace the three Chief Inspectors all three of whom have been disposed of. Two have retired and the third has got Stacey’s job at same grade viz Class One.

Have not heard of the Richings since their holiday in Finland but no doubt they will look in unexpectedly one Thursday evening (his half day).

Sorry you have such a lot of the new records but this was inevitable until the novelty had worn down a bit. Anyhow it will be back to school next week. What did June say ‘thank goodness’?

Shall have to try your Cold Ashton route from Keynsham as have not been over this road right through to Chippenham. Yes you must keep to the left-hand side of road after passing the Bath Road Loco Dept and a ‘filter green light’ will take you on to the Brislington Road even when the red is on for Knowle. You were lucky to be able to set back as most of the day there is far too much traffic about to allow this.

Well I think this is the lot for another week but will try and include a brief report on Don’s condition as we find him tomorrow. By the way Jeff and family started their homeward trek today from Austria.

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

Mum and Dad

*Peter continued jumping out of planes for the next 20+ years and in fact ended up as an instructor. Unfortunately he eventually made one jump too many, suffered a bad landing, and discharged himself from hospital before he was properly well again. Mental problems, anger issues and dementia were not far behind.

(Continues Wednesday 2nd September, 1964)