Letter – Page 29 – A Family History in Letters

October 19 1950

Oct. 19th, 1950

Dearest Mommy,

Each evening this week I have meant to write to you, but we have had three days of real Indian summer with temperatures in the 80s, and so by evening I have been in a coma! Summer clothes put away long ago of course, so everyone is sweltering as well as amazed and feeling very lazy! I am having a busy time at work this week too, as we are having a conference of the travelling supervisors. They are the people (8 women & 2 men) who travel all round the States & engage the interviewers and train them and supervise their work, & they come back to Ann Arbor two or three times a year for meetings, discussions etc. They are having this conference in another building, so I haven’t even seen them yet, but all my bosses- Charlie ( Dr. Charles Cannell Head of Field Office)- Shirley, (Assistant Head)- Edie (Secretary) – have all been there – so I have been holding the office together – or feel as if I am!

Sylvia – the girl who shares the room with me- has been away most of the week with a kind of tummy flu that is hitting everyone, so I have been All Alone! I feel very important answering the telephone and making momentous decisions on my own- Big Business Woman! I might add that there are hundreds of people milling around in the rest of the Institute, so don’t think my responsibilities were too enormous!!

Cec is in the midst of one of his horrid sessions of hard work, and toils from morning till early morning again – as I leave him still working when I go to bed each night. He has got most of his equipment by now, & besides building that, is working on some stuff for Dr. S. so has more than enough to do.

We got a letter from Len Bovey written on board ship, today, & poor things – he & Connie had both had a hard time the first few days. Len said he was feeling better (3rd day out) but apparently Connie has had “nervous debility” for the last month or so, so wasn’t too good anyway. Len has had unofficial word that his PhD is O.K. so we are very pleased about that and hope they like it in Ottawa. Did I tell you about your friend Charlie being married? I think I did in my last letter – we heard from George Lindsay, who is also in Ottawa now.

Because Cec has been working so, we haven’t done much, but last weekend I had quite a busy time. On Sat. morning Mr. & Mrs. Kaufman took me to the Farmer’s Market, & when I got home I cleaned the flat. Then in the afternoon I walked up to the Sutherland’s and helped her get ready for her dinner party for the Bishop. I peeled potatoes, made carrot sticks & celery curls, made cocktail snakes & canapés, & helped fix the table- also gave moral support! I met the Bishop – he seemed nice, but very Bishop-y! Gunborg was having 10 people, & she had a coloured girl, Viola, in the kitchen, & Anne & Kirstin were to wait on table! I rang up this week to hear how it all went, & Gunborg said it was fine- the food was good- everyone seem to enjoy themselves & the children waited very nicely & were a great asset!

On the Sat. evening, Cec & I went to the Student’s Cinema League, to see “Great Expectations”. I was so delighted to get a chance to see it after all this time, & we both enjoyed it, except the fact that either the film was old & broke, or else the fellow running it didn’t know how! Anyway, in all the exciting parts it faded out & you can imagine the indignation from the students!

On Sunday I had some of the girls from the office to tea. They were all tickled to bits at an English tea, so I asked Edie, (she brought a friend of hers, Arloa, too), Milly & her husband, Jerry, and Dawn & her husband, Bert. Eight was quite a squash in our little room but we all got in! Edie, Milly & Dawn are the girls I go out to coffee with, morning & afternoon, mostly. Edie is my immediate boss & is a very sweet, quiet, nice (single) girl – sweet-looking & wears glasses – she is by far the most popular girl in the whole place I think, because she is so nice & friendly & always the same & always has time to speak to everyone. Milly is a Canadian girl- small & is one of the secretaries. She is quite nice, but Cec &I didn’t like her husband much- (he is a student) he is very dark & Italian-looking & wears a bow tie! He has a funny accent- either broken English or Brooklyn! Dawn is a funny girl & I like her immensely- she is thin & looks slightly Katherine Hepburn-ish, & has Dottie’s downright way of talking & is very amusing too- we both liked her husband too- he is nice & easy-going & friendly & is studying law.

I had egg sandwiches, (with chopped chives) liver pate & cucumber sandwiches, orange cake, fruit cake, cream puffs & shortbread & they all had a wonderful time & we forgot our diets & ate & ate! I made the fruit cake, orange cake & shortbread one evening, & on the Sunday I filled & iced the orange cake, made the cream puffs & sandwiches & shined the silver, so as to do my best for an English tea! All the girls wanted to know who the photo of the “beautiful lady” was in the bedroom so I hope your ears burned!

It is getting late, so I will retire to my squeaky bed! We were going to Til & Lois’ this weekend to see their new house, but have postponed it till next weekend (27th) as Til has a concert on Sunday.

My love to Auntie Moo & to Auntie Ettie if she has come too- also to the cousins.

With lots & lots for my little Mama

from Cynnie

October 8 1950

803 Granger,

Ann Arbor. Mich.

8th October 1950.

Dearest Mummy,

We are having a wet Sunday afternoon- nice – and I am writing letters and ignoring the chores! Cec was going to go back to the Lab. & do some work, but the rain has discouraged him & he is sitting reading- supposed to be writing letters too! He is busy again at work – building up his apparatus, having at last got some equipment. Dr. Sutherland brought him 2 things (tubes) from England which Cec has had ordered here for months but couldn’t get – so Dr. S. got permission to bring these 2 which Cec had used in Cambridge. Wasn’t that nice?

Talking of Cambridge, reminds me that Cec got a letter this week from George- remember the fair, shy, nice Canadian? He is in Ottawa now working there, having finished his thesis etc. but not heard the results. He tells us that your friend Charlie is finished too & is out at the Univ. of British Columbia in Vancouver, & puts in brackets (married) so I am bursting with curiosity!! Bob Stewart he says is also going to U.B.C., but doesn’t say if he is there yet- I am wondering if Veronica really did have another baby or not. That means that all of his friends have really left Cambridge now, but it will be nice when we are in Ottawa because besides George working there, Cec says that most of the others will be going there fairly frequently, so we will be able to keep in touch with them.

Connie and Leonard will be sailing from Liverpool on Tuesday, and I am going to write & have a letter waiting for them when they arrive in Montreal. I wrote to them when we got back from Canada & wished them a nice crossing etc. & invited them to come and spend Christmas with us, which I think will be fun. Cec had vaguely talked of going to Lee’s for Christmas, and Joan and Ray were very insistent that we come & spend it with them, but with seeing Lee this summer we don’t feel we have to go again, & although we would like to see Joan & Ray again, we would rather spend Christmas at home, and Cec suggested asking Connie & Len & I thought it was a lovely idea. Dr. S. saw Leonard in Cambridge & Len told him they would be here for Christmas, so that seems O.K. Len said in his last letter that Connie hadn’t been well, but I didn’t think much about it. However Dr. S. says that she had a kind of nervous breakdown, but I hope she’ll have a nice time coming over & feel better when she arrives.

Dr. S. himself came back last Monday from England (flew both ways) feeling very tired, and developed a terrible cold & has been in & out of bed all week. Poor Gunborg is pretty well worn out too, with all her work on the house so she hasn’t been feeling very cheery either. On top of all the work of getting the house ready– she has got the job this coming week of entertaining the Bishop of Ely who is coming here for about a week. They knew him in Cambridge – he was a Don or something there before he became Bishop – and he christened the children so they of course are very pleased to have him as they say he is a dear, but Gunborg is in a flat spin at the prospect of entertaining in her present state of chaos! She is having to give a dinner party for him on the Sat. Evening- 10 or 12 people – and has enlisted my aid, so I’ll be buttling for the Bish!

We got two letters from you this week- one mailed on 30th & one on the 26th-, & thank you so much for both of them. I was so sorry to hear that you were worried about us though, because you hadn’t had a letter, but was glad to see by your pencilled note on the back of the envelope that one had arrived. I thought that I had written long before the 22nd, but can’t be sure, as the first week or so that we were back seemed such a muddle. Now that I am organized, I will try and be better. In the first letter I wrote after I came back I know I told you of my raise at work and being on the permanent staff, so if you know about that, there won’t be any letter missing, but you said in your letter about Janie writing to you and your not getting the letter, and I certainly never heard from her either. I have been thinking that I should write and send some little thing for my god son, but thought I would wait till they got home, and now I feel that I might as well wait & send a little parcel at Christmas as we don’t know exactly when his birthday is. The Budleigh Salterton P.O. must have rats or something- Cec suggested that perhaps Bill was still carrying the letters around in his pocket, but surely he’d have found them before now! Tell Janie it wasn’t my fault this time, will you?! What is their new address?

I have just made a coffee cake, & put on the coffee instead of having tea – it seems more like a coffee day! My dieting is fairly good during the week, but is inclined to fall off at weekends, & I don’t think I’ve lost much weight yet! I weigh on Gunborg’s scales & haven’t had a chance recently – all the drugstore scales say different things- one yesterday said 134!! I’m still wanting Patsy’s diet & see what that will do for me!

We have had such a nice week this week. On Monday Cec gave me a surprise! We have begun a new budget since we came back, (saving our money for a car!) and we get $5 each pocket money- bus fares, coffees, stamps, birthday presents etc.! Anyway, when Cec took our week’s money out of the Bank on Monday he told me he had practically spent all his pocket money already as he’d bought something, but wouldn’t say what it was. I’ve been wanting a housekeeping purse, & on getting my P.-money suggested I go & buy one, but when we got to the shop it was very crowded & I left it- only to find when I got home that the surprise was a beautiful red billfold & purse combined which Cec had had for me all the time! It is lovely red leather & has a purse, place for identity card with cellophane cover, place for bills at the back, and a secret place for bills hidden away! It is lovely & I am so proud of it! Just a week or so ago, I got another present- a new band for my watch. The watch was fixed, & Cec got me such a pretty little gold band – tiny hearts & flowers – which goes so nicely with the little flowers on the watch. Aren’t I a lucky girl? Our budget seems to be doing well this time, & with our present rate of saving we hope to be able to get a 2ndhand car by Christmas- won’t that be fun? Probably won’t finish paying for it till Feb. but that won’t be long- then we’ll begin saving for a refrigerator! In Canada they cost at least $300, whereas here you can get a very nice one for $200, & if you have it for over six months you don’t have to pay duty taking it into the country, so it seems worthwhile doesn’t it?

Cyn seated in front, NOT wearing bobby socks!

On Thurs. I was talking to Gunborg over the phone (I have my own telephone on my own palatial desk in my own office- shared with one other girl- at the office now! Important that’s me!) and she said that Gordon’s cold was so bad that he was in bed & asked me to go to a concert that night for which they had tickets. There are 2 series of concerts in A.A. this winter-the Big Series, & the Little or Extra Series- the S’s have tickets for the first, but we thought the Little Series sounded nice & 6 concerts would be just a nice number, so we got tickets for those & our first concert is on Tues. with Laurenz Melchior singing. On Thurs. Gunborg & I heard Helen Traubel sing- she is a great Wagnerian soprano & sings at the Metropolitan Opera in N.Y. She is an immense woman- 6 ft. or so, with a huge bust, but slim hips, so looks top-heavy! We could just imagine her in a helmet & breastplate being all Wagnerian! She sang some German Lieder & negro spiratuelles very quietly & beautifully, but when she stood & bellowed Tristan & the Valkyries etc. we didn’t think much of it!

On Friday I met Cec in town after work & we had dinner, then we went to the pictures. Gunborg & Gordon were to come too, but Gordon’s cold was still bad so Gunborg came alone & we went to see “Kind Hearts& Coronets”. It is an English film you know, & I had hoped to see it, but we didn’t get the chance before we left England, so were delighted when it came here. It was crowded & everyone who has seen it has said they laughed more at it than anything they’ve seen for ages, & we enjoyed every minute of it! It was a huge success – very amusing & well done, & very subtle wit and humour – we all came out feeling very gay, & Gunborg who had been very quiet the night before at the concert, cheered up immensely!

Yesterday, I did my housecleaning & grocery shopping – in the afternoon there was another football game, & Gunborg didn’t want to go, so Gordon, who is feeling a bit better, asked Cec to go, and as it was a nice sunny afternoon and Michigan won this time 27-7, they had a nice time! I gave them a drink when they got back, and Gordon felt fine! Cec got dinner for me, as a treat, and later in the evening we went up to the drugstore and had another Treat- chocolate milk shake! Spoiled!

You were scolding me in your letter about not telling you Anne’s News, but blame her not me! She wrote & told me with great injunctions not to tell anyone etc. so when I wrote back I said could I tell you, & saved her letter to send you all the Cambridge gossip, but now that she writes & says yes to tell you, she has told you herself! Her last letter made me quite cross – I had written all about my job etc. as being my only news, & she wrote back and & said, “Your big news was not news I’m afraid- you’d mentioned it in 2 previous letters- 1 before getting it & 1 after” but as she never answers my letters at all, how was I to know I’d told her! She has told you all the gossip, so I won’t bother to send her letter, but re. the various people – the man Marion Knight is marrying is someone she knew long ago at her home in Blackpool – I think it is nice, as she was a nice girl really & I think John would be O.K. if he had a proper home. Margot’s “Hep” is a funny mousy little man who used to come & see her at weekends & she would always return to him after having been engaged to other people etc.! Sheila’s Bob is a fellow she got to know in Cambridge when I was there & she went to the May Ball with him. He left that summer, & Sheila was on & off with him that winter, & it was supposed to be off when I left, as he was v. serious in intentions & Sheila wasn’t. However her intentions seem to be serious too, now! His photo looks nice, so I hope they’ll be happy- I sent Sheila a card.

I was sorry to hear about your missing Patsy’s boat & not getting to see her off- also not being able to give her the cloth. I hope she has a good trip and keeps her elegant figure till she meets Tony! Cec and I laughed like anything over Alex Hughes flying to Barbados & being so scared – he sounds a dope! And from what you tell me about his being so conceited and bossing Peggy around etc. the more I hear of him the less I like the sound of him. Did the other girls ever say anything to you about him? When you write about them all visiting each other etc. I can’t help thinking of when Peggy got engaged writing pathetically to Brenda “that of course she realized they would never receive her or Alec in their homes” but it doesn’t seem to matter out there much, does it? I was amused about Patsy saying to you & A. Moo about Jean fussing so & never being content – it seems that other people think as I do!

I must stop now & go & cook dinner. I’ll answer the rest of your letters & send it by sea, so that this won’t be too heavy!

Lots & lots & lots of love from Cynnie

[Cec’s Handwriting] Dear Mom,

Yes, we are planning on getting a brand new 2nd-hand car, so sometime! we may be able to drive down part way – Too bad you are on an island. Cyn is ever such an important executive now – no longer licks her own stamps. Bye for now.

Love Cec

[Then in pencil at the start of the letter, Cec writes: PS I just beat Cyn at cribbage & she’s sulking & crying same as she used to. Love Cec.

October 1 1950

Sunday. 1st October. 1950.

Dearest Mummy,

I still haven’t got around to that long letter answering yours, but I still intend to, so it will be coming! I got yours of the 18th on Monday, & was so pleased to get it & glad that you were having fun painting!

On thinking back, I remember that it is 1 1/2 weeks since I wrote last, as I meant to write again at the weekend, & then got caught up in ironing etc. instead! I also managed to write to Irene for her birthday & send a box of candy- it wasn’t a very original present but I was so horrified when Dottie wrote & told me that she’d had to pay £1 on the waist petticoat I’d sent her for her birthday, that I thought I’d better send something that had no duty on. I intended sending “Les Girls” nylons at Christmas, but I think I’d better ask them if they want them first.

Cec & I have had quite a busy week, & the time seems to have flown, but thinking back we don’t seem to have done much. Last Sat. we went to Mary & Arthur Dockerill’s & chatted & had a cup of tea etc. They have a flat on the top floor of a big house owned by an old Physics Prof. & it is atticy & rather like our Cambridge one, but they have their own shower– bathroom. It is nice although not so modern as this one. On the Sunday, Cec went down to the Kaufman’s & watched a baseball game on television. The K’s had also taken us to the Market on the Sat. morning & among other things we bought a lovely bunch of mauvy gladiolas & on the Sun. we walked over to the Sutherlands & gave them to Gunborg. She is very busy with the house- painting etc. & it really is looking very nice.

Mon. I ironed (also Sun!) & on Tues. Cec & I & Gunborg went to see “Sunset Boulevard” which was very good. It is a film with Gloria Swanson in it as a star of silent days & she acts very well in it – looks awful though, I think!

Wed. we did nothing, but on Thursday Cec & I had hardly arrived home after work, when Kirstin came & asked us to come up as her Mummy was ill, & they had no one to cook their dinner. She was on her bike, but we set off walking & arrived in about 20 mins. to find the kids finishing dinner which was already cooked & Gunborg had told Kirstin to ask us to come later! However, we sat down & ate the remains! Poor Gunborg had been sick & felt v. poorly, but got better, & we saw the girls to bed & left her to have a good sleep.

We went to a big Michigan University football game yesterday afternoon, but M. lost & we were v. disappointed as it was slow & not much fun. We played bridge with Cec’s friend from the Lab. Pete & his wife Mary Jo who used to take me shopping – it was fun.

Must stop now, but will try & write again this week.

Lots of love

Cyn

September 21 1950

Thursday 21st Sept.

Dearest Mummy,

I have been meaning to write ever since I got home, but I have been that busy, & even now I have decided just to write this Air Letter, & write a proper answer to your letters at the weekend. I have all sorts of letters to thank you for because I found a lovely swadge when I got home, & then got another nice one with snaps last weekend – thank you so much, honey bun. I have letters dated 15, 21, 29 Aug. & 5 & 12 Sept. so I’ll save them all to answer at the weekend & will bring you up to date with our news in this one, except that I want to tell you that I thought the snaps of Bequia were fun, but was only sorry there weren’t more with you in, & as you say they are blurry etc. which is a pity. But one of Patsy & Tessa is the best as you say, & in it Patsy looks just like Jean I thought & not a bit fat! I am most intrigued at her loss of weight & want you to sit right down & send me her diet!! Since my holiday I have been trying to diet – no potatoes, puddings, pies or cake – only 3 slices of bread a day- no sweets- no coca-cola or sweet drinks – I feel very virtuous, but can’t see any effects yet!

When I last wrote to you we were in Ottawa & I think I must have told you that we had planned to speed things up a bit & get back to A.A. on 10th-, as I had been worried all along about taking more than a month from work, & Cec thought he should be back too, so we stayed a day less with Merle & Lee & in Ottawa & then flew to Toronto on the Fri. & spent till Sunday with Cec’s Auntie & Uncle. They were very sweet to us & we went shopping on Sat. a.m. & Cec bought a new navy Burberry & I got a new winter coat- dark red- quite plain, but with a chamois lining which will zip in & out- lovely & cosey warm! They have a big Exhibition in Toronto every year, so we all went on the Sat. night & saw a beautiful fireworks display as well as other things.

We arrived back in A.A. on Sun. afternoon & on Mon. I went to work- & what do you think? They had a great surprise for me – I am now in the permanent staff at the salary of $2260 a year! Isn’t that something? Cec & I feel so wealthy & so pleased we came back on time!

Our evenings have been busy because the Sutherlands moved into their new house on 15th, so we went along most evenings & helped them pack linen & china & stuff, then on Sat. after the move we went & helped them unpack. To complicate matters, Dr. S. flew to England on Sunday for a fortnight for a conference, so Gunborg is left to cope with things & is very disconsolate. The house still has painters & workmen etc. in, but will be lovely when finished – will tell you more about it later.

Have just been writing to Connie & Len – they sail on the 10th from Liverpool in the Empress of France, so will be in a tizzy now. Must stop- bedtime – Love to A. Moo & Les Girls! – Lots & lots for you

from Cyn & Cec

[Cec’s handwriting] P.S. It’s past her bedtime- as usual. Love C³

September 7 1950

Thursday 7th Sept.

Dearest Little Momma,

Here we are in Ottawa, and staying in an elegant hotel, the Lord Elgin, for a few days. Cec is fixing money with the Bank, & is seeing all the people he knows at the National Research Council. It is practically certain he will work for them when he finishes in Ann Arbor, & they have given him a $1500 scholarship for this year – isn’t that nice of them? Dr. Herzberg is the head of the Physics Dept & Cec used to work under him when they were both at Saskatchewan, & they seem to have a mutual esteem for each other!

I like Ottawa very much from what I’ve seen- it is a bit like an English city, but not so big & not dirty & smoky! The Parliament Buildings are lovely – all granite with green copper roofs & in a lovely position in parks on a hill overlooking the river. You can see the Laurentian Mountains in the distance, & the countryside looks pretty & wooded. I am quite excited at the thought of coming here to live next year & think it will be very nice. It is much more like home than Ann Arbor & Cec has quite a lot of young friends here already. Did I tell you Connie & Leonard were coming here next month? So they’ll still be here when we arrive to live! We have been looking at the House for Sale Ads in the paper, & they seem to be more reasonable than Ann Arbor & sounded nice! We got quite thrilled over picking out the ones we liked!

When I last wrote to you we were on our way to Regina to visit Merle. We arrived there on the Wed. evening, & found her with the 2 boys, John (10) & Lorne (7) & the baby Bruce (3 1/2 mths) all waiting for us. Dixon was away at the time & didn’t come back till the evening we were leaving which was a pity, but we enjoyed visiting with Merle. The 2 boys were full of fun & out playing most of the time, & the baby was a pet. He is chubby & full of smiles & Cec & I had a lot of fun with him. We left Regina at 2 a.m. & arrived in Montreal at 2 p.m. & went out to Lee & Wendy’s where Lee was very proudly waiting to show us her son. He was a pet too, but only two months old, so of course seemed small after Bruce, but I got quite hot at changing nappies, & feeding bottles & burping! Lee also has a cat & 2 kittens, so we were always nursing a baby or a kitten & had a lovely time. We stayed in Montreal from Sat. till Tues. a.m. then flew here – only 50 mins. but it was bumpy & I was sick! We leave tomorrow & stay in Toronto with Cec’s Aunt & Uncle & then home on Sunday – it will be quite nice to be home again. Some of your letters should be waiting for me as we didn’t get letters forwarded after we left Saskatoon. Have just written Aunt Ettie, to wish her a happy trip on Sat.

My love to Auntie Moo, with

lots and lots for you from

Cynnie.

Cec’s aunt and uncle, Lillie and Milton Costain, lived in the same bachelor apartment in Toronto all their married life. Milton was a partner in a business that made custom cabinetry for commercial enterprises.

August 30 1950

The Costain Brothers: Cec, Russell, and Carman.

30th Aug. 1950.

Dearest Little Mommy,

Thank you so much for your last letter, posted August 25, which Gunborg forwarded to me. I was so glad to learn that Jean had a son – I had been telling Mom Costain about it just that morning, & was so tickled to open your letter & see the news first thing! I was most amused at serious Peter rushing around blowing his horn after the birth of his son! Give Jeanie my love when you see her again.

I was sorry to hear that it was so hot & humid in St. V. now – it must be very uncomfy. Since we got here the weather has improved, & although it was so cold at first, it is lovely now, because the sun is warm yet there is a cool breeze & it gets quite cold at night. Just after we arrived we heard on the radio about a big hurricane heading for the W.I’s & we at once thought of you but it seemed to head further north & we didn’t hear of it doing any great damage. I hope that St. V. will escape & that you won’t have any bad storms.

Since I last wrote we seem to have been busy dashing around & today is our last day here. At 7 o’clock this evening we fly to Regina and stay with Merle & Dixon until Saturday, then we fly overnight to Montreal. I wrote last Wed. then on Thurs. Cec & I went into town again & I bought a pretty skirt – it is in pastel colours – sort of plaid in yellow, grey & pale blue. We also had tea in town & had cream puffs made in the shape of swans!! On Friday, Mrs. Costain had invited Mr. & Mrs. Moor & Pete & Lu to dinner, so she had a busy day. Cec & I went out & picked strawberries- yummy! – & I shelled peas & scraped potatoes & set the table etc. We had fried chicken which was lovely & for dessert we had Saskatoon pie! Saskatoon’s are kind of berry like blueberries a bit, & it was a lovely pie! Afterwards Pete & Lu had to leave early & Cec went with Pete to the University to see the work he is doing on the Aurora – he does things with it and radar & spends all his nights there & Lu is disgusted! He is trying to get Cec interested too & Lu keeps warning me, but I don’t think Cec is very keen! We saw the Northern Lights one night, very bright & lovely, but the night Cec was with Pete, they only got echos from 500 miles away & he came home about 3 a.m. That night Russell (the 2nd youngest brother) came home for the weekend, but he was late, so I didn’t meet him till Sat. He is big too, & tough as he works on the Govt telephones, but he doesn’t look like Cec & Carmen & Lee – he is brown haired & brown eyed & has a shorter, squarer face with a ruddy complexion!

Mrs. Costain & I washed that day & in the afternoon we were all so upset because Laddie, the lovely collie dog got knocked over by a car. He came home feeling very sick with a great scar in his head, his ear bleeding, his nose and mouth bleeding too & looking so badly. Cec washed his cuts & we tried to do what we could but his nose after we’d cleaned the cuts on his nose and ear so Cec called the Vet. (a lady) & she came & examined him, & put some sulpha ointment on, & gave him 2 great aspirins, so he finally laid down & went to sleep. He seemed to feel a bit better the next day, & by now is practically himself again. He is such a sweet dog – very affectionate & gentle & friendly & lovely looking – just like Lassie Come Home.

Elida, Henry, Russell, Cec, Carman, and Laddie.

That evening Cec & I went down to the Officers Mess at the Naval Barracks & had quite a nice little party & singsong & spent the night at Pete & Lu’s. We came home for lunch & to see Russell, & then in the evening Cec had work to do with Pete, so I went & sat with Lu. The next evening one of the Profs at the Univ. Dr. Petrie, & his wife (a young couple) invited Cec & I & Pete & Lu over for drinks & yesterday we went to lunch with an older prof Dr. Mackay & his wife, & Cec gave a talk to the Physics Dept on his work & I did the ironing! So we have been busy! Yesterday evening we spent at home & all had a jolly time playing Chinese Chequers!

We have had a very happy time here, & I have enjoyed it all so much. At first I was a little shy, but the longer we stay the more at home I get, & I feel quite sorry that we are leaving now. After we go to Montreal, we spend about 3 days with Lee, then go to Ottawa for about 3 days, then to Toronto & home about the 12th. The railway strike is still on, so we are very lucky to have our air tickets.

Must stop now & get the packing done. Love to A. Moo – Cec would send love, but is downtown just now. Lots & lots of

love from

Cyn.

August 23 1950

Russell, Cyn, Carman, Elida, and Henry Costain. All smiling at Cec taking the picture!

Wed. 23rd Aug. 1950

Dearest Mummy,

Here we are in Saskatoon at last! We’ve been here nearly a week now, & the time has flown although we haven’t really been doing very much, except having a wonderful rest & being very lazy!

I wrote from Windsor, so you should have our news up till then – at least I hope you got the letter all right, as I hadn’t any idea of its weight or the cost, & just stuck on a whole lot of stamps & hoped for the best!

We got up early next morning & got the bus to the airport at 7:30. We were quite annoyed, because we went into the Hotel dining room at 7:15 for a cup of coffee, & they were so slow that it arrived just as we had to leave, but when we were on the plane, we got a cup of coffee & some biscuits, so we didn’t starve! We got to Toronto about 9, & had about an hour to wait there, so we had breakfast in the Airport Cafeteria & it filled in the time nicely. The next plane we got was the big trans-continental four-engine liner, & it was very comfortable, but very noisy. There was only one stop at Winnipeg, & when we came down there, my ears popped so, that I was as deaf as a post, but when we went up again I was O.K, so when we got to Saskatoon I chewed gum furiously & it was much better! We had lunch on the plane which was fun, & arrived in Saskatoon at 3:25 – it was really 5:25 by the time we left Windsor, as we lost 2 hours on the way! Understand?

Mr. & Mrs. Costain & Carman were all waiting for us with a taxi, so we were home quite quickly & I soon got over the qualms at meeting my in-laws, & we get on fine! Gunborg had made us laugh before we left by telling us how nervous she was when Gordon took her to meet her future in-laws, that she had diarrhoea all the time! But you’ll be glad to hear I didn’t follow her example! Mr. & Mrs. Costain are both easy & jolly & very homey, so I don’t have any trouble feeling shy with them, & Carmen is just a slighter, younger edition of Cec, so he is fun, & Cec & he have a good time kidding each other. The other brother, Russell is coming home this weekend, so we will meet him then. Everyone of course is exclaiming about Cec’s size, & I feel quite proud of my accomplishment! Cec gets a great kick out of meeting people & watching recognition slowly dawning on them, & they all say it suits him to be fat!! Of course no one knew me in my slim days, so they just think I’m a natural podge!!

Sutherland is about 3 miles out of Saskatoon & is really in the country. There seems to be a great deal of sky to me, & it is most unusual for me to be able to look & see such a huge lot of land around, as of course it is flat prairie. The city is nice, built along the banks of the river, & I keep feeling surprised that everything is so new, but Cec says the whole province was only opened in 1905, so the city is younger than that. I’ve never been in such a young city before!

When we arrived it was bright & sunny but quite a breeze blowing, which was a nice change from the heat of A. A., but Mrs. Costain was saying that it was the coolest summer she ever remembered, & the previous night they had quite a frost which had nipped quite a lot of her garden. Since then it has been cold & windy, & yesterday the wind got icy & last night there was another bad frost, so Mrs. Costain is very sad about her garden produce. She says it has finished all the corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, beans & squash, which is such a shame as they have a great big plot, with all the things just ready to ripen. We have already had lovely strawberries, raspberries, peas & green beans from the garden, & Mrs. Costain has been canning peas & beans & rasps & peaches, but she says it is just nothing compared to what they usually have.

The very first night we had gorgeous fried chicken & fresh eggs every day, so we are living in luxury! You will probably have heard that there is a big railway strike on here which began this week, & everyone is very worried because there will be no coal, so that will curtail electricity, & eventually food shortages & so on, but with all the chickens & eggs here, we don’t have to worry! We are very lucky to be travelling by plane & to have all our reservations as we would be stuck otherwise. We went down to the Air Office yesterday to check our reservations & the man there told us they were worth their weight in gold, because of course everyone is rushing to try & get air passages now & they are booked solid for a month ahead.

The first few days we were here we didn’t do much, except sit about & talk, but on Sat. afternoon Cec took me to town & I was tickled to bits because I went shopping at the Hudson Bay Company! It made me feel as if I were in the outposts of the Frozen North, but they have a nice modern shop here, & I bought a yellow cardigan made of nylon! Also a new suspender belt & brassiere!! We went to the pictures to see “Twelve O’clock High” with Gregory Peck, & then had ham & eggs & chips in a restaurant & went home!

On Monday we all went to dinner with Mr. & Mrs. Moor- they are Merle’s husband’s parents & a very nice old couple. We had a lovely dinner, & then Mrs. Moor showed us her garden which was very pretty, but I got eaten by mosquitos! I simply love the gardens here, as they are so lovely & well-kept, with a beautiful show of flowers, whereas in A.A. now there’s not a flower to be seen. In that way it is very like England here, & I enjoy it so much.

Yesterday morning Cec took me up to the university to meet some of his old professors. He, of course, had been up before but he introduced me to Dr. Harrington, the head of the Physics Dept. & two other Profs & I met Pete there & some other fellows. I also saw the Betatron which is a great big thing they have there & with which they are experimenting with in the treatment of cancer & meeting with some success.

In the afternoon we went downtown again, & Cec went to the Bank etc. & then we shopped for him & got 6 shirts, 6 prs. pants, 8 prs. socks & 2 ties! We were to go to Pete & Lu’s for dinner, but we were so exhausted soon after 4 by all our shopping, that we phoned Lu & went out there early! Their little girl, Leslie, is 10 months now, & is the sweetest little thing – red-gold hair, lovely pink cheeks, & big, slightly slanting blue eyes like her Daddy! She can stand & walk holding onto things, & has 2 teeth & says Dada, & Mama & Baby! We loved her & she was cute, but a little doubtful of Cec!

We had a grand evening with them, with lots of reminiscing & with drinks before dinner we got quite hilarious & thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We are all going in a party to the Naval Barracks on Sat. evening, & expect to have fun – Cec was always telling me about the parties they used to have there! I have to let out my grey & yellow taffeta!!

Do you remember Cec talking about his lovely collie dog, Laddie? Well, he is just beautiful – so big yet as gentle & playful as anything, and of course just loves Carman, although he is devoted to the whole family. Carman has joined the Air Force Reserve this summer, so is away for classes etc. at the Airport each day except Sat & Sun. Mr. Costain is home though, as he is taking his holiday from the Hatchery which he manages, & is working amongst his chickens & garden all day.

Now for your letters – the first one was your last from Bequia & you were telling us about the hilarious party on your last evening & we thoroughly enjoyed it! Especially the bit about Uncle Fred emptying the flower vase of Bren etc. to get you a quiet audience for your song! I’m glad you kept up your reputation as a great singer – you’d probably have done even better though if you’d had 4 sherries! We were so glad that you had such fun though, & thoroughly enjoyed hearing all about your adventures, & the crazy ongoings!

We were pleased that you had a nice time on our wedding anniversary too, & had a nice sea bathe & drank our health! It seems an age ago now, as so much has happened lately. I was interested to hear about Alec going to N. Zealand & feel sorry for Peg that she can’t go too- I would be mad if I were her! But it’s a grand thing for him to be able to go. I’ll be interested to hear how Arthur’s job hunting goes & if they are going to stay out there. I wonder if Bren would really like to settle in England after such a luxurious life in St.V. – it sounds so wonderful, especially when you have children, but of course there are drawbacks.

I was amused to hear about Patsy’s diet sheet, & glad that it is having some effect- I’ll have to follow her example when I get back, but I don’t think my consumption of alcohohol can affect my weight much! I am sorry I didn’t get the typed copies of the paper you sent, done before I left home, but we had such a scramble, & I didn’t think you would want them in a hurry, so I will do them & send them off when I get home. I took the colour films to be printed, but they take quite a while, so I will have to send them when we get back as well – I look forward to seeing them. I had a letter from Dottie after her op. & she seems very cheerful & was going home next day, so I hope she will be all right. Poor Dottie – it sounded horrid & such a surprise too to find she had something like that. She said Pete had been better lately so that’s one good thing.

Was so glad to hear Auntie Mil’s house is so nice – I am longing to know if Jean has a son! I expect you will have written to tell me, but although Gunborg is forwarding letters, none have come yet. My love to Auntie Moo & the girls – with lots & lots for you

from

Cyn.

[Cec’s hadwriting]

Dear Mom,

Sorry to report Cyn went out like a light last night, tut-tut, I had to wake her to bring her home Lu was out as well & Pete & I had to do the dishes. Too much I guess,

Love Cec. [Cyn:] Gross exaggeration! [Cec:] oh yeah!

August 16 1950

Wed. 16th Aug. 1950.

Dearest Mummy,

Here we are in Canada! We arrived here this afternoon, after our usual Costain mad rush at the last minute, and now having got everything organized we are sitting back in our hotel room feeling that we are on our holidays!

You will notice that we postponed our date of leaving, as Cec had some work to finish for Dr. S. and I was just as pleased as it gave me time to do everything I wanted to, instead of every other thing! I finished work on Friday, and since then I’ve washed & ironed all our clothes, mended them (!!!), cleaned the flat thoroughly including scrubbing all the floors, so I feel very virtuous now! I packed my case last night, & got all Cec’s things ready, but this morning what with washing up & cleaning the very last things out of the fridge etc. we had quite a scramble to be ready at 10:30 when Gunborg very kindly came & gave us a lift down to the bus depot. We got the bus into Detroit, which takes about 1 1/2 hrs, then took another bus through the tunnel under the river to Windsor. We had to get here before the banks closed to get our Canadian money, then we went to the Airline Office & payed for our tickets & at last had lunch & we were hungrey! We thought we would go to the pictures tonight to see “Kind Hearts & Coronets” which we missed in England, & then get to bed early, as we have to be ready to get the bus to the Airport at 6:30 a.m.! We go to Toronto, then change planes & arrive at Saskatoon at 3:25- isn’t it incredible, when it would take us nearly 3 days in the train.

I haven’t written to you properly since my Epic, although I did send a sea letter of funny things from Ann Arbor. In that time we got 2 letters from you, & thank you very much honey. I have them with me, & will answer them in this, or if I haven’t time, will answer them in my next from Saskatoon.

We don’t seem to have been doing very much but the time has flown, & of course I have been busy with my chores as usual. We had a grand day in Detroit with the Sutherlands, & I had lovely time. We drove there in their car arriving about noon, & as we hadn’t been able to book tickets for the Ball Game, we went to the stadium & found we’d have to go & get them at 6 in the evening. Gunborg & I were all for having a nice dinner but with having to go so early to the game, we decided instead to have a nice lunch, & we went to a very nice Swedish restaurant we had heard of, called the Stockholm. It was lovely & cool for which we were grateful as it was a sweltering day (I wore my new green suit) & we had an extremely nice lunch- there was a Smorgasbord first (a kind of hors d’oeuvres- all sorts of dishes hot & cold, set out on a big table, & you go & help yourselves) then steak, and I being adventurous had a peculiar dessert that wasn’t very nice, but I didn’t mind!

After lunch we left the S’s to go shopping, & Cec & I went & saw about our re-entry permits for coming back to the U.S. & then to the Airline & arranged about our tickets & paying in Canadian dollars etc. We had arranged to meet the S’s at 4 o’clock, & it was still early, so we went to the great big store, Hudsons, & shop gazed & didn’t buy a thing! We met the S’s, & they shopped a bit more, then we had tea & finally went out to the stadium. We had to queue till 6 o’clock, then dashed in & got tickets & tore up the ramps & got seats!

In no time for seats were all filled (unreserved) & the game didn’t begin until 8:30, so we had a long wait, but it wasn’t dull because all the players were out practising & we had our programs & picked out the ones we knew from the radio broadcast, & it was fun. We ate hotdogs & drank pop, & it didn’t really seem long to wait. The Ball Game was Fun! Detroit was playing the New York Yankees, & they are great rivals, so it was very exciting, & Detroit won! I stood up & yelled & got so excited right at the beginning that Cec was worried my voice wouldn’t last through the game – I had a lovely time & enjoyed it hugely & so did Cec. Gunborg didn’t think it was very thrilling, so we were a little bit disappointed in her! We got back to A.A. about midnight, & I felt very pleased with my nice day.

Jessie Forsyth came that weekend to say goodbye, as she was leaving. We won’t see her in Sask. as her home is in Medicine Hat, but we will see Pete & Lu.

Last week we were busy at the office, & one evening I even did 3 1/2 hrs. of typing at home for one of the men- got paid of course too! Then we suddenly got a card from Joan & Ray Appleyard saying they had been driving out West & were returning to Yale via Ann Arbor & hoped to see us on Thurs. So of course, we were tickled to bits, but they didn’t actually arrive till Friday mid-day. They look just exactly the same (Ray thinner) & had with them a couple Bid & Denis Manon with whom they used to play bridge in Cambridge & used to call the Porkers – I didn’t know them. They had been driving most of the night, & got lost, & the car broke down, so they were in a dirty, sleepy condition when they arrived. We all had lunch in town together, then Cec took Joan & Ray back to the flat while I went back to work. The Manons went to a hotel, but I asked them to dinner & we had quite a successful meal of steak with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, tossed salad & cantaloupe. We asked the S’s over for a drink afterwards & we had a very nice evening. Joan & Ray slept on our sitting room sofa which pulls out into a double bed, & said they slept very well, then after breakfast set out at about 8 o’clock to collect the Manons & go to Niagara & then back home. They are going to stay in Yale another year – they were both asking for you & sent their love.

We have been to the movie & are back & going to bed now. We didn’t see “Kind Hearts & Coronets” as it was a long way away, but went to see “Stage Fright” instead. It was quite good, but there was a stinker on with it, which we sat through to see the beginning of the other!!

Will write soon again from Saskatoon.

With lots & lots of love from us both

Cyn & Cec

So Cyn and Cec were on holiday starting in Windsor, and there also in Windsor Ontario, was a red-haired 4-year-old boy who would grow up to marry their daughter!

Cyn may have been nervous about meeting her in-laws for the first time, but she also was interested in seeing more of Canada, going West, and then visiting more of Cec’s relatives, as well as their trip to Ottawa where they expected to be living in the future. And I’m sure the Costains liked her- Carman would spend a couple of summers living with them, and when Merle and Dix moved to Ontario in the 60s, the two families became close, and shared quite a few more holidays!

August 13 1950

I have already posted most of these photos that Cyn sent Carol to illustrate earlier letters when she was telling her mother about the events. She put the duplicates in her Scrapbook but unfortunately she didn’t copy the ones she thought were poor, so there are no pictures of Dr. Sutherland.

Sunday. Aug.13

Dearest Mummy,

This isn’t a proper letter. It’s just to send you some snaps & some other funny things to amuse you! The snaps are mostly of the Sutherlands, so that you can see what they are like, & I have numbered them on the back.

This is Anne- the oldest one- & is good of her- taken in their back garden.
This is little Mary & Gunborg, taken on their porch. The canvas screen behind is to keep the sun out on a hot day. It is good of them both I think, but Gunborg says it makes her look like the Crown Princess of Sweden- all nose & teeth!
This is the 3 girls – Kirsten on the left – it is cute of little Mary we think.
This is Gordon (Dr. S.- we have been told to call him Gordon) & Gunborg at their front door. It isn’t very good, but will give you some idea of how they look.
This is me with Arthur & Mary Dockerill on the picnic we went with them. Notice our picnic basket prominently displayed! We took one with Cec on too, but forgot to turn it, & took a squirrel on top!
This is our pet squirrel, Blossom, taking a cherry from me. We are on the Campus.
This is Blossom again with a plum! He is halfway through it, but finds it rather heavy to hold! Isn’t he a pet?

I must stop now, as I am very busy! I have just done a Big Wash of all our things to go away, & we have just had tea. Now I must clear away & begin dinner. I have all the ironing to do, the floors to wash, the house to clean & the packing to do, before we leave on Tues. morning! I was just saying to Cec how nice it would be not to have to think of what to have for dinner for the next 4 weeks!

I have been meaning to tell you for a long time, that I went to Woolies to get you some rubber washers, but came away foiled! There were some like what we had in England, but they were for garden hoses, & had all different sized holes in the middle. The wash basin kind were different- like sort of rubber buttons. Anyway Cec said if you could send an old one, it would be the best thing.

The little map is to show you where we are flying on our holiday. From Windsor to Toronto, then to Saskatoon. We go from there to Regina by train, then fly from Regina back to Toronto, then to Ottawa, then to Montreal, then back to Toronto & Windsor.

With lots and lots of love

from

Cynnie

Gossip from England

Cyn had close friends to keep in touch with, as well as her mother, and she was so fortunate that Dottie, Nan, Anne and others wrote to tell her about what was going on in their lives and to gossip about what was happening with friends and acquaintances. In her letters to her mother she mentions Joan Cox’s wedding and hopes that she will hear about it soon. The letter telling her survived and is presented here, showing quite a different voice and tone! Anne Winnick was a colleague from Coleridge in Cambridge where Cyn had taught, and since she was still teaching, caught her up with all the gossip from the school as well as the details of the wedding. And she finishes with a personal bombshell, probably why the letter was kept. Anne had married Tadek, who had come to England as a Polish soldier during the war, but has now become a British citizen and got his degree. Joan Cox’s sister also seems to have married a Pole, and they are the hosts at the wedding, with their son as the entertainment, apparently.

Joan Cox married Don Humphris, June 1950.

12 Haskington Grove

Cambridge

25.7.50.

My dear Cyn,

First I must – or rather we must congratulate you both on your wedding anniversary and wish you all joy for many dozens of years to come. Thank you very much for your letter – you let me wait so long that the news piles up and by the time I write I forget it nearly all, anyhow I have such a pile today that I have to spend a shilling on the letter – an email letter would not be enough. By the time you have read it all you will be all out- flat out-exhausted – so you had better find a really comfortable seat & have a glass of something handy & a fan full on- you’ll need it!! Joan’s wedding- Tadek & I both went, it was a glorious day, the best day of the summer so far. Cambridge was even mentioned that day on the B.B.C. for having the highest temps. & the most sunshine. Joan looked very nice indeed in a white lace gown with a train & a little crown & veil – a very pretty frock, no bridesmaids. The groom & all the other gents wore morning suits & looked quite handsome. There were lots of children around and in the church little Stefan Cembrowicz kept on chanting after the parson & when the choir boys kept on kneeling down he called out “we all pop down”! The people were in fits as you can guess. In fact little Stefan was the centre of attraction all day – he is a cute little kid. The reception was held in De Freville Avenue- the house of course – & the garden which looked very nice for a change. The food was excellent & Jerome & Gwen made a good host & hostess- they had about four waitresses from somewhere – plenty of drinks & ice creams- & Stefan running around – once in the nude because his shoulder straps fell off his trousers – you should have seen & heard the dear old ladies – they were afraid to go to the rescue- Tadek had to go to the rescue in the end. When Tadek asked him in Polish where he lived he answered correctly. A telegram from your mother was read out with the others. Edward has some lovely pictures of the wedding in his window-big ones- taken at & in the church & at home. After the wedding they went off in Don’s little car with an assortment of cans & junk tied underneath by the wedding guests. The whole afternoon was really a very enjoyable affair & had a very amusing sequel for me – would you like to hear it – here goes. During the reception I recognized a girl who I thought was a teacher I had seen somewhere & apparently the same went for her because she came up to me & asked me whether she was right in thinking I taught at Coleridge as she was once on the Boys Department etc. & she sent her love to Waddy & Kay Harper. She had come up for the occasion especially from Surrey or Sussex. I gave the message to Waddy but forgot her name it was so funny- Bridie Elmper [?]. After describing her Waddy guessed it & said – “whatever is she doing here – she lives with her husband in Surrey & has no relatives here – the only person she knows lives in Royston where she taught once & on whom she was crazy in spite of being married to a fellow in the army – Don Humphris!!” “Well – that was the fellow who got married” said I- “Good Lord”– said Waddy “he ran around with Bridie even came to Coleridge to take her out when she came here & then met Kay Norman & took her about & the two women had a dreadful row over him & in the end he married someone else who was killed last year by lightning on the Royston golf course”! All this was news to me & I gasped as you can guess especially when Waddy said lots of women were crazy on Don- she apparently even went with the party to a pub now and then because she was very fond of this Bridie. Fancy Bridie coming up to the wedding & tagging her husband along too!! Did you know Don was a widower- do you remember that woman getting killed last year summer- I do. It certainly seemed funny that Waddy should give me the lowdown on this romance. Well so much for Joan.

Marion Knight is getting married in September to a R.A.F. chap from Bassingbourne whom she apparently knew from Blackpool days. She brought him to the school sports & he seemed a jolly nice fellow, not like Marion’s usual types. He is big John, little John is going into a boarding school after Xmas & Wimpole Park of course closes down in Sept. all works out very well!!!

Pearl Cutting is leaving at the end of term- this week & is going to teach in the Open Air School here – she gave in her notice here like Jessie Fisher & had no where to go – but now she has taken this job – I don’t envy her. Jessie Fisher by the way is still in her Naval school, she wrote to Pam the other week that she went to the Ascot races but but does not say whether she was in the Royal Enclosure!!! Pam searched through all the Society Magazines but could find no picture of dear Jessie!!

Do you remember meeting Brenda Brine- the new P.T. in the staff whom you said looked nice – well her life has been one eternal row with Howlett & she has told the office she can’t stick it any longer & is going to walk out at the end of term. I had a letter from your mother the other day saying how happy she was & wanting to know all about Joan’s wedding – I must answer her sometime. I met Ethel Pasquier who came over on a brief visit to England en route to the Continent, she came to Cambridge to see me (or Mrs. Desely who was away) & spent only a couple of hours here. I whisked her around the famous spots & she wrote a few postcards, one to you, gave my two pairs of nylons Marie had sent Mrs. Desely & I, & rushed back to London. She is a sweet little thing- told me of you & Cec & how happy they all are you are back in the States. Ruth & another America friend of hers Mary, were here last week Mon- Wednesday. Ruth is just the same- she came to school one afternoon to see the grand Historical Pageant the kids were giving to the public afternoon & night – you can guess how old Howlett was-Ruth thought she was awful, of course she had quite a lot of information from me first. Pam & Waddy are off to Austria on Sunday but are desperately worried as they have not heard about their passage, ticket, money, passport etc. They went to see about it today & Pam got hers, not Waddy & you ought to have seen Pam, she was more upset than Waddy about it – in the depths of despair & on the verge of tears. Sheila & the other D.Sc. Irene are very good pals now and I am so glad- you ought to hear Sheila tell old Howlett off- she went to her room one night after school & told Howlett she strongly resented her interference in her cookery lessons as had been going on lately. Old H. was so taken aback she began to soft soap Sheila & say how good she is & how grateful H. is to her for everything etc. Her Bob is still going strong – one weekend he comes to her- the other she goes to him – but poor old Sheila is worried lately about her father he has gone to a nursing home for mental trouble & strain – although he & her mother have just spent a long holiday in Norway & Sweden. Well the bigger news is coming up- Rosemary & Bill are still going strong, so strong in fact that Rosemary is going to get married! Not official yet but everyone knows! Bill is just looking for a house & Rosemary for a job in Essex near Saffron Walden where he works! What d’ye know!! She took him to the Pageant the other night- I did not go, I had Ruth etc. here but the others say she would not introduce him – he looked handsome enough with long fair hair plastered down & rather a village type – in fact Sheila says she thinks he smells!!! she could not bear to go near him. Poor Bill- poor Rosemary – but she is terribly excited- she takes him home & she goes to his home & by the things she says to me it is high time they married, if I knew Cec would not read this I would tell you a few juicy tales!! my ears flap and my eyes pop out when I listen!! Well how are you feeling- exhausted yet- well beware here comes the final knockout blow, steady yourself- take the glass in your hand for I am going to have a baby in December yes you read right – I am – Xmas Eve- but no one at school knows yet except Sheila, I dare not to tell old Howlettt I am leaving at the end of September- I shall have to go to the Office in the holiday & tell them the news- I think I shall only ask for a leave of absence now and then they won’t be so mad at me not giving in my notice before. Anyhow I really may have to go back if Tadek does not get a permanent job. Yes – it took us by surprise too – let it be a warning – don’t risk anything- not even once!!!! And to think that Jean Reed is going to all that trouble!! I’m beginning to get a bit bulgy but so far the weather has been cool & I have worn a short jacket, thank goodness only 3 more days of term, no one has noticed yet I think although this is my fifth month- but they soon will- now. Better start knitting old gal – I haven’t yet – in fact I dare not think of it. I have had to go to the hospital for lectures etc. etc. & once went to school only at 3 o’clock after hospital- saying I was not well! Luckily I have been very well- not once sick – so no one can guess. I dreamt you were having one in January – what fun!!! I think I’ll wind up – enough news for one letter & I think it deserves a speedy reply don’t you. Very much love as ever – all best to Cec. Hope you will soon revive after reading this- Anne.

P.S. Keep my baby a secret too.

P.S. Rosemary has had to move digs twice since I last wrote about her new digs – her landladies have told her to go- I wonder why!!!