8th April 1957
Dearest Mummy,
Thank you so much for my perfectly lovely birthday parcel & your card & all your nice birthday letters. I had such a happy time & thoroughly enjoyed myself all week!
We all loved your parcel – the table mats are simply beautiful & I will enjoy using them so much. The London scenes are so pretty & although they don’t exactly “match” Amy’s little mats as the latter are rather brown-y antique flower prints, they are the same type of course & look fine together. We already had them on the table just for ourselves & they look very nice we think. They were really a big surprise as I didn’t expect anything except the hankies. They are most acceptable & I am putting them to use at once – funnily enough, Dottie sent me hankies (and a pr. of earrings) too so I am doing nicely thank you. Cec was most taken with the pictures of me at a tender age & had fun comparing them to Lindy! (My face was fatter!) It is amusing as Mom C. sent us childhood snaps of Cec not long ago, so we are getting quite a collection! Thank you also for my pink panties- I always seem to need pants! I think the pink & white material for Lindy’s dress is just sweet & I look forward to making it up for her – she will have grown out of a lot of her summer dresses I am sure as she is just sprouting now. Her tooth came out by the way (much to her joy!) & she took it to school to show & lost it! Her new one is growing in already. Both she & Charlie were very pleased with their brooches & books. They have both been wearing their brooches all the time – Charlie particularly pleased as he loves jewellery & is very sad boys don’t wear it!! He loves his scrapbook & shows it to everyone! His favourite picture of course is the little house that opens. He got your letter today & is delighted & has taken it to bed with him. He says “Isn’t Grannie kind?” We haven’t read Lindy’s book yet as we are reading “The Wind in the Willows” each evening, but when it is done we’ll get to it. [That might have happened sooner than she thought, because I distinctly remember being so upset when Mr. Toad was imprisoned that I refused to hear any more and didn’t read the whole book until I was 4 or 5 years older.]
What do you think I got for my birthday from my family? A new G.E. Vacuum Cleaner! It wasn’t exactly a surprise as we planned to get one & I suggested we got it for my birthday. It is lovely – a round swivel–top type & so efficient but so light & easy – I’ve been cleaning ever since! Lindy gave me stockings & Charlie a butter dish! We went to lunch at Daddy’s work on my birthday & on Fri. Cec & I went out to dinner with Margie & Cy.
Will write & tell you more in a long letter soon – sorry I haven’t written for so long – we are all fine but have been very social! Haven’t forgotten your Red Pencil ??s – will answer in next!! The Misses. F’s little saltcellar is sweet. Hugs & xxx from the children- Lots of love from us all & thank yous- Cyn.
A Family History in Letters 