Alec to his parents:
Dear Mum and Dad
Thanks once again for weekly letter duly received Friday as usual. Thanks also for doll etc for Susan’s birthday, she will be writing herself in a few minutes.
Yes weather last week not so good. This week it has been a mixed bag with warmth at times quite like summer, but every day has been a coat day really.
I agree about the slugs, and wonder how they managed to survive the winter. You said at one time that you were not troubled by slugs your end, but here they are out in force again. Have put down some slug pellets and these have seen off a few slugs, but have had a lot of rain since and although the things are supposed to be shower-proof some of the effectiveness must have been lost by now. I shall have to lay some more.
Cannot have a more powerful set as limited to maximum of 10 watts on this band. I already have six watts, and the additional four will not make all that much difference. The only thing that can be done is to increase the effectiveness of the apparatus by attention to detail of the various parts including aerial system. All takes time, and in the end the effectiveness of the operator counts for quite a lot. You will be interested to learn that on Tuesday I hooked up* with the chap at Cam near Dursley in Gloucestershire, and on Saturday with a man in Cardiff. Gradually pushing further out. Although both these contacts were made, conditions change so quickly during the calls that signals had practically disappeared at the end. Not knowing Cam, I looked it up in Handbook of Stations and found it to be on branch from Dursley to Coaley Junction. It has probably been closed long ago.
I remember the set Saunders made. It was a simple three valve receiver built in a stained wooden box with separate speaker. The corners of both being decorated with beading that had the form of dots and dashes (e.g. .. – – ..).
I planted out the sweet peas in pots as you gave them to us – two at a time. Also put in the beans so we shall see something come up. No more earth since last time. Each bathload goes only a little way, and in fact when scattered on the lawn can hardly see where it has gone. It will all help to cover up the Stones that are now showing too well.
No more from the Eastcote Timber Supplies. No further move in that direction yet. Good idea about the Aunt Sally. I think it will be cheaper in the long run to collect it oneself – less broken glass. If the transfer of the property at the bottom of your field goes as hope, you would do well to collect a substantial amount of topsoil over a period of time, as it all comes in handy. I am not surprised about the dog being sick. Rather him than Mrs Gardner.
When we first went to Clevedon the quarry was used as such, and they used to take an old traction engine down there to work the stone crusher. I think it was just before the war that they removed the crusher and ceased to blast the rocks there. The large galvanised-roof shed that was there was also removed a little later. For a while after stopping the work of quarrying the Council used the site for holding contractors’ railway lines and tipper trucks. The shed before it was taken down housed stacks of these lines, and also large heaps of rotting potatoes – which made very presentable ammunition.
Nothing further about the holidays but a bit early to be definite yet.
Rather a good idea one year to have a go at dandelion wine especially if plentiful. I know the main difficulty is that when they are about you are at your busiest in the garden. You have had rather a lot of trouble with your grass this year. Ours has not been much trouble but wants cutting again. I have only cut the new lawn once but it is getting very straggly now and could do with a haircut.
Susan went to the Brownies on Wednesday and I gather she enjoyed herself. She came home on the bus with some other girls. She will not be going again this week as she has now to wait at home for a letter saying she can be accepted as there is a long waiting list apparently.** There is only one group in the district.
Trouble with the driving business is that now you must take the test when you have had three provisional licenses or before you get the third. It would be a waste of time and money for June to take the test at this stage, and licence is probably nearly out by now.
Your friends having a good time at Dunoon and Malta. you will have to have a trip to Weston to compete.
I had to go to Retford again on Wednesday and stopped the night this time. I may have to go again as there is a lot of information there that I need and it has to be kept up there. It is not a bad place really. I thought it was in Lincolnshire but it is in Nottinghamshire on the edge of Sherwood Forest. Some parts of the country are very nice but the town is a mixture of wealth and poverty. The shops themselves compare more than favorably with some of the London suburbs (West Ealing for example) and the population is about 20,000.
As you will see by Susan’s letter we went to London Zoo yesterday. Our party went by train although the rest of the school went by coach. We were 10 children and five adults for stop. Of course there were the usual muddles and waits for the group to collect for this and for that and most of the time was spent in waiting for someone or something or other. However we went via Marylebone, walked about half a mile and waited for bus to Zoo. (Number 74) As it happened we could only get a few on the first bus, and a couple on the second, and we finished up on the third. (8 minutes service). When we got to the Zoo entrance we had to link up with the main party, that meant waiting for one of our number (on first bus) who had gone to find them. After this we went to a further point and waited for main party to arrive. Once assembled we moved off to Children’s Zoo and had to wait to get in. Once inside there was a general dispersal to see various of the exhibits – chickens, geese, rabbits, ponies and the like. I suppose we were inside here for just about one hour then we made our way to penguins and seals. After this we waited again for the whole party to assemble and moved into the Lion House. Of course we had one bright boy with us who was a plague of everyone’s life. He dropped his sandwiches over the safety barrier and promptly went over after them. I grabbed him by arm and seat of pants and yanked him out. Tiger, which had shown great interest, had a disappointed look after that. Same child then disappeared and we all had to wait till he could be found before moving off. (Said he had been to Scotland.) All then went to the monkey house (usual cracks permissible) and found a few long lost relatives. After that we trooped to the giraffe house and on the way passed the antelopes (and Susan’s crack about unclelopes); last and largest were the elephants (two in number) who stood on a rocky island and passed their trunks over a wall to take food from passers-by. The girls were very keen to have the food but not to hold it out to the animals. The person in charge of the train party had some business to do before going to the station so asked if we would take train party back to Marylebone. We were successful in getting all ten back to station with help of one teacher, and concentrated them around chocolate machines etc. One herb kept putting sixpences in machine for dispensing milk. I told him not to waste his money that way but he said ‘I drink plenty of milk that’s what makes me so intelligent’? I gave up. In the end he took one carton home in bag for his mother – can’t think what she thought of it. By the way we only took light jackets and it turned perishing cold there with a strong wind. As a comparison with Bristol Zoo I would say they have more exhibits and probably a greater variety, but the horticultural side is not so good. There is a whole lot of new building though which promises much in the way of scenic effects.
I see from the window that it is blowing well outside again, but the sun tries to warm things up a bit.
June reminds me that you had a gas water heater to dispose of some time ago and she wonders if it is still available or if you have since got rid of it.
So far as any future holiday (possibly abroad) is concerned, we can discuss that one when we see you.
Well there it is again for another week. Hope you are both well as we are here. Love from us all once again.
*Of course, the modern sense of ‘hook up’ is slightly different!
**This was the 5th Ruislip pack, and I did end up joining – and remember going to Brown Owl’s wedding in my first week – but it was deemed too far to take me after a while. When the 1st South Ruislip opened up I was also briefly part of that – but then I discovered a scheduling conflict (to wit, ‘Batman’ was on that night) and the Brownies ended up suffering.
On The Track 