Friday 6th Nov.
Dearest Mummy,
I thought I would write a long letter to you this week, but what was one thing & another the time has gone & I think I had better write one of these to make sure I get it finished & posted. Thank you so much for your long letter dated 26th Oct.- got it a week ago today – I did enjoy it. I have a feeling that quite a few of the questions you ask I have already answered in a sea letter, but anyway I am going to begin by dashing through & answering them quickly!
1.) Hugh’s address (last Christmas). Lt. Col. H.G.Brown, U.S.A. Ziya GOKALP BULVARI NRY – KULTUR, MAHALLESI – IZMIR – TURKEY.
2.) Had a short note from Til & Lois- no new news.
3.) Sent a letter of Anne’s to you by sea with news of Cambridge people + Jessie F.!
4.) Jessie Aldridge going to have another baby in New Year.
5.) Anne having a new baby this month.
6.) Joan & Ray had a daughter (ha!ha!) on 17th Oct. – Catherine Joan.
7.) Claire comes regularly now & is v. good, also baby sits sometimes. Poor woman has had to go back to Hosp. for more treatment though & may have to have another op.
8.) No recent news of Lea & Wendy – she & Darryl still in Sask. – he in Italy- studying, not making money!
9.) Haven’t heard from my Father for 6 mths. or more. Have written occasionally & sent a snap of the children. Sent choc. peppermints a week or so ago & will send Christmas parcel.
That I think, is the news in a nutshell! I will answer your letter properly later, but those are the main things you ask. Before I forget, will you please send me your Anna Holmes recipe for Mincemeat with Grapes? You sent it to me at A.A. I know, but I don’t seem to have written it in my book & now I have my own mincing machine I plan to make it. Does it keep well or should I keep it in the frig? Thank you for your suggestion re. my sending your housecoat for birthday & something else now – I’ve been doing my Christmas shopping from Eaton’s & Simpson’s catalogues & as usual it mounts up. However, in this method I can look & look again & cut costs! There is a nice housecoat I want to get you, but it shall be your b. present & I shall send something else now. I think I will send a few dresses for Doris & tuck some things in & only declare things I can’t hide!
The children had colds all last week & still have runny noses- Charlie at least. It has turned much colder so I have kept them in the house mostly & what a job! They were a bit fretty & miserable the first day or so, but not after that except the Charlie got fed up & bored with not going out. He hardly ever sleeps in the morning now – such a blight! At the moment if you saw him you’d have a fit! He has scraped the skin off his whole nose & it is covered with a huge dark brown scab! He looks as if he’d been in a great fight! Poor little fellow – I took him downstairs when I went to do the washing one day (Tues.) & put him in a large cardboard box in a corner. He loved it & was most amused & Lindy was playing with the water & everything was fine till he got a bit fed up just as I was finishing- stood up & hurled himself out onto the concrete floor on his face. What a mess! He scraped his nose, banged his forehead, & split his lip & of course howled & bled profusely! In about 5 mins. it was all over, but the damage + a runny nose looks most pathetic! I have a joke of Lindy’s to tell you- Mr. Shoesmith from work came to see Dan last Sat. for a minute & later in the day Lindy came running up to me very anxiously & asked “Where’s Mr. Toothpaste?”!! When Cec comes home now she tells him all the bits of news & yesterday she announced “Daddy – I spit – I spit in the basin upstairs!” (Cleaning teeth!) She is so funny & loves to “Talk to Mummy” – the talking being mostly “Where’s Grannie’s pussy?” “Where’s Tania?” “Where’s Baby Andy?” etc. etc.!! She has taken to calling me “Mums” which makes me giggle! She is very much my girl just now & Charlie is Daddy’s boy- he will fret & fuss from 5 on & when Cec comes home you never saw a happier baby!
xxxx from Lindy & Charlie. Love from us all. Cyn.
A Family History in Letters 