31st Dec. 1953
20° below Zero last night – brrr!
Dearest Mummy,
Cec & I are waiting to see the New Year in & at last I am managing to write to you. Somehow we seem to have had such a busy 2 weeks although we have done very little besides stay at home! Before Christmas I kept saying to myself “I must write to Mummy & tell her about Charlie’s birthday, otherwise I’ll forget all about it in telling about Christmas” & here it is nearly New Year & I hardly know where to begin!
Anyway, most important is that we had a lovely Christmas and to thank you so much for your beautiful & exciting parcel. It arrived in plenty of time, but of course we waited & put it under the tree on Christmas Eve & didn’t open it till Christmas Day. I was so intrigued to see what my housecoat was like & I am simply delighted with it. It fits me quite perfectly & I love the material – it is so soft & silky–feeling & such an attractive pattern & a big change for me as I haven’t ever had a navy & white dressing gown. I think the style is very attractive- Cec makes cracks about the low décolletage of course, but as long as I wear it in front of him & not Dan it shouldn’t matter! Thank you very, very much Mummy dear for such a lovely present & Cec asked to thank you very much too for his expensive cigarettes- he was very pleased & found them most useful over the long weekend.
The children’s presents were all so cute and such fun. Both of Linda’s little dresses are sweet – the pink one with the pretty blue smocking is really lovely & as you remember it is just the nice soft shade of pink that suits her. It is big enough to be still a good size for her in the summer & I know she will look sweet in it. Actually, the dress that everyone exclaims over is the adorable little blue one – it is so sweet & unusual & everyone remarks on how cute it is. Lindy is most intrigued with her “pretty party dresses” & sends a big kiss for her Grannie. She loves her new toothbrush with Donald Duck on, & keeps trying it on her dolls! The two little cow dolls are such fun & she loves them – she doesn’t quite understand the “cow” bit, but likes it that one is a girl & one a boy! I must admit that Lindy plays with all of Charlie’s presents, but that just doubles the appreciation as he loves them too!
First of all, his book for his birthday is a huge success. He loves it & knows it is his & keeps a good hold on it! It is in his bed & he sits up & looks at it & turns the pages like a little old man! You must be a mind-reader to send him a pillowcase as a pillow is to be his first New Year’s present! All the toys are such fun – the funny ball intrigues him greatly & he likes to poke his finger in the holes – Lindy blows the train whistle with great gusto & I love the wee Punch & Judy. A rattle for George indeed! Cec says do you think we’ll be caught that way again??!! But aren’t we glad now we were! Thank you so much for all the lovely things, Mummy – they are all just what we like best & it was so sweet of you to go to so much trouble & send us such a thrilling parcel. I will write a long letter very soon to tell you all about how we spent Christmas & what we did & all our presents etc., but now a Happy, Happy New Year dearest Mummy, to you & Auntie Moo
Xxxs & love from us all- Cyn & Cec,
Lindy x Charlie x
A Family History in Letters 