Thank you so much for your nice long letter about your holiday in Mustique – I am so glad you had such a lovely time & that the trips there & back weren’t nearly as alarming as you expected. We were all very interested in your description of the island & tell A. Moo that the map is very clear! The letter arrived this afternoon & I am very sorry you were disappointed in getting no mail from me – I know by now you will have, but I have been slipping from one week to two lately I’m afraid. I like Carman very much at & I’m delighted to have him with us, but there is no doubt about it that I am kept busy with 2 babies and 3 men! I get up at 7 as Carman has only one bus he can catch & pack lunches for both him & Cec – he has no canteen where he works & it is ‘way out in the country – isn’t it silly? Of course with him here I cook & bake a bit more- cookies etc. & although I don’t do his personal washing there are extra towels, sheets, etc. & the children seem to wear more & more clothes all the time! Claire has been coming fairly regularly recently thank goodness, so that has been a blessing.
Carman’s present for his brother! I remember him as very good at presents, and am sure they enjoyed it.
Since I wrote last, who do you think we have seen? Your old friend Charlie Barnes & his wife! She is an Ottawa girl & they are here from B.C. visiting her family, so we had them over on Wed. evening. Of course I was very curious about Mrs. B (Phyl) (ex-air-hostess) & she is very nice- slim & dark with short hair- vivacious & slightly gushy!! But Charlie is FAT! Yes, & of all unbecoming things has a chin like a bullfrog!! But still nice! They have a little girl of 9 mths, Nancy. On Sat. evening George had a meeting of the ex- Cambridge Canada Club with Cec & Charlie & one or two others (Jim couldn’t go) so I had June & Margie over & we had a Girls’ Gossip! I knew Margie was curious to meet June, so I am now all ears to hear what she thought of her! But she is so much nicer & more content now. She has got a Fellowship at N.R.C. for next (academic – Oct.) year, so will be doing congenial work again too- is keen to start a family though!! Poor Margie has been having a bother again- she asked Cec & me & Carman & Pete & Lu to dinner last Fri. evening (Lu’s baby due a week today) & on Fri. morning had to cancel it as Danny had ‘flu. She was so fed up as the boys have had coughs & colds on & off & the baby has never really been good, so she has had such a time. However, as we had Donna (the babysitter) all ready & I didn’t want to cook dinner (!) we took Carman & collected Pete and Lu & went out to the Island & ate Chinese food & of course enjoyed it as much as ever!
I can’t remember if I told you in my last letter, but it is so important – your Grandson has 2teeth! He was fretty for 3 or 4 days after we had him to the Dr. & we thought it was the shot & then Cec suddenly found 2 front bottom teeth! Don’t worry about the overalls being big – he is wearing all the clothes now that Lindy wore at 1 yr. & will soon be out of those! Lindy wears all the dresses she wore last summer- I turned down hems of 3 or 4 & then found they were all too long & the unturned ones looked far better!
I have been thinking of poor little Irene all week & know you will be too – I can hardly believe it yet. I wrote to Bill & Mrs. Scott, but there is nothing to say except that I loved her & miss her already.
I seem to get worse & worse about writing letters, but somehow I always seem to be odd- jobbing in the evenings these days – and – like you – Cec & Carman & I play cut-throat once in a while!
Thank you so much for your Air letter which came today (29th June) & A.M (25th) & a long A.M. letter (22nd June) which came last week. You were all set for your trip to Mustique (?) & I hope that you had a simply lovely time, not marred in the slightest by the whale boat! 2 1/2 hours didn’t sound a very short or quick trip to me, but as Jean’s descriptions often tend to be a bit dramatic, I hope that this was the case & that you didn’t find crossing nearly as bad as you expected. The bathing & picnicking will be fun & I’m sure you will be enjoying the change.
Since we last wrote Charlie has been christened. It was on the Sat. afternoon (27th) & just Cec. & Lindy & Charlie & I were there as Boris had a previous engagement at a wedding. The Rev. Stuart was very nice indeed – so sweet with Charlie, who chuckled & “talked” through the service! Lindy was most intrigued with the brass plate jug etc. by the font & Cec had to keep grabbing her to prevent her grabbing them! The original idea was that Boris & his girlfriend Joan & Jim & Lee & Barry would come to a buffet lunch on the Sunday at 12:30. However, a very sad thing happened to some friends of Jim & Lee’s- a young Jewish couple called Leon & Toby whom they originally knew in New York. They moved to Ottawa about the same time is J. & L. & have a little girl Robin about Barry’s age & now have a baby boy 3 mths. old. Well, Leon was killed in a car accident driving from Toronto & the funeral was on Sunday, so J. & L. & Barry went & looked after the children for Toby while it was on. Boris & Joan couldn’t change their time because of other arrangements so we had a kind of busy day – they came to lunch at 12:30 (Chicken Tetrazzini, salad with stuffed eggs, hot cornmeal muffins, christening cake & ice cream) then left at about 3:30. Boris brought Charlie a lovely little silver christening mug & is having his initials put on it – this was the first time we met Joan, his girlfriend, by the way & although she is pleasant, we don’t think she is nice enough for him! The Ganders arrived about 4, just exhausted. It was a terrible hot, humid day & Barry’d had no rest, so we had tea & fed the children & put them to bed, then later had a salad supper around 8 & played a hand of bridge. I was tired!
Wednesday was Dominion Day & Cec & Carman had a holiday, so we went a little picnic to Rockcliff Park in the afternoon – Lindy loved it. We had Charlie to Dr. W. for his 6 mths. check up a week ago on Friday- he weighs 17.6 & is taller than average- says he is doing fine. He got his 2nd shot & was quite fretty (for him!) for 3 or 4 days & had us up at night or so – however last Sat. Cec discovered 2 new teeth- bottom front! Have some snaps to send taken after christening.
You will of heard by now of Ruth’s son & also I expect from Nan of Irene’s death. I got Nan’s letter today & can hardly believe it- poor little Irene- she loved life so much. Nan & Dottie had said she wasn’t well, but I didn’t realize how bad it was. When you are away you can’t help but think that people are the same as when you left. I feel so sad for Bill & Mrs. Scott – they will miss her so terribly & so many other people will too.
Lindy & Charlie send hugs and & kisses. With lots of love from us all – Cyn.
Friends in England must have sent Cyn the Daily Mail newspaper from Coronation Day with the Everest headline and the details of the ceremony, and then the Illustrated London News from June 6th, a magazine with a few colour photographs and lots of black-and-white ones covering the whole day.
Wed. 10th June. 1953.
Dearest Mummy,
I have two nice letters to thank you for since I last wrote- one long & one A.M. form, 28th & 31st May. I have been meaning to write all this week, but of course I have been busy!
The last time I wrote was the day before Coronation Day & I wrote you a note on the day with the new C. stamp, but I sent that ordinary mail, so you won’t get it for a while. Coronation Day was nice, but somehow very wearing & we all felt exhausted next day! There was a church service at St. Margaret’s at 11:00 & I wanted to go, but I had invited the Garretts with Margie’s Mother & Father to come over for coffee, so I phoned Margie & explained & we arranged that they would come between 11:30 & 12. Charlie had me up at 5:45 a.m. for his feed, so I turned on the radio & listened to the broadcast from England. It was just before the Queen arrived at the Abbey, so I sat & listened until 7:30 just as she was crowned, then I felt so sleepy I went back to bed for an hour until Lindy got me up! I dashed around & tidied & made breakfast (& cookies!) & got to Church on time. It was a Communion Service & the little Church was full- the Vicar gave a very short, but nice little address, so altogether it was quite a long Service. The Garretts had arrived when I got back, so I chased around & made coffee & we had quite a pleasant – but confusing! (7 adults, 3 children & 2 babies) little visit! After they left we had a sandwich & at 2:00 we listened to the round-the-world broadcast & then Churchill & the Queen. There was a big procession & display etc. in town & the Queen’s speech broadcast in the Square & just after was a big Air display, so we just went out on our front grass & saw the planes going over – the climax was a group of jets flying a perfect E II in formation & they were excellent. I then went in to do all the washing up & get dinner ready & had just begun when Mrs. Hughes called me to come in for a moment- the television had begun & the Queen was on & looked lovely, so I went in & they had quite a few neighbours in. Cec & Carmen took it in turns to come in & I sat & waited & waited to see the Queen – saw all the other people going into the Abbey etc., but of course she didn’t appear for ages & then just as she did, I realized Carman had come for Cec & I went too & found it was 6 o’clock & both my children crying, poor little things! After we finally fed them & got them to bed & had dinner & drank the Queen’s health & washed up atlast! Carman & I went back to the Hughes’ & saw more of the television- there had been a delay in a part of it arriving, so they were showing it over & we saw the Crowning & the remainder of the whole ceremony which was just what I wanted to see.
Then I came home & Cec went & saw some of the procession back. It was wonderful to be seeing the whole thing actually on Coronation Day, but I was a little bit disappointed in the television. In the Abbey many of the shots were taken from high above & then enlarged so that the people looked odd & foreshortened & some quite unrecognizable- I didn’t know Princess Margaret at all & when Lord Louis Mountbatten & the Duke of Gloucester came in together I couldn’t tell which was which. Also of course, all the time you felt so much was lacking without colour & I am looking forward hugely to seeing the colour film- it is on this week & Cec and I hope to go tomorrow night, if everything is under control. Anyway that was our Coronation Day & I was tired! I bet poor little Elizabeth was too.
After that we all just rested on Wed. & on Thurs. Cec & I went along to our “local” & saw Bob Hope & Bing Crosby in “The Road to Bali” – so nice having Carman as sitter! Lindy & he are quite good friends, but she is at a very shy stage with strangers just now & takes a long time to get used to people- Cec made the mistake of trying to sit her on Carman’s knee in the car, a few days after he arrived & that upset her & made the process longer, but tonight she actually kissed him goodnight. She made us laugh yesterday at seeing a particularly gaudy sweater of Carman’s hanging over a chair, she said “Carman’s? Carman’s pettitote?”!! She is so funny & cute just now – she is full of beans & feeling well – she is outside nearly all day playing in the sand. M. Labelle made a little sandbox for her & Richard (Reeshard!) under the tree at the back & Cec got sand for it & she just loves it. She is quite content if Richard is there playing beside her, but if he tries to take her things (or even his own if she wants them!) she gets quite alarmed & cries- she is still a bit young for playmates & he isn’t old enough either, but he is a good tempered little boy – the language is a bit of a difficulty – I can’t tell him when not to do a thing except by saying “No- no” and he just says “No” back!
Lindy is beginning to say such a lot of quite complicated things now – she realizes that they have names & says “Boy called Richard” & “Daddy’s car called Tabish”! Sometime she gets stuck & doesn’t know what something is- the other day she pointed at a little spot of paint on the window & said “That’s a – that’s a- ” then she stopped & thought & finished up triumphantly with “that’s a porcupine!” with a great grin at me! Sometimes when she begins to cry I’ll say “Who’s making that funny noise? Is it Lindy?” & she’ll stop & say “No” then I say “Is it Barry? Donnie? Tommy? etc. etc.” & she’ll say no to each one & then when I say “Well, who was it then?” She’ll say “A truck!” or “Daddy” or someone else & I’ll say “Well, I am surprised!” & of course she laughs & laughs. Well, last week she was chatting away & said “Daddy hiding round the corner” – (telling me of something that had happened before) – & then she changed it to “I am surprised at Daddy hiding round the corner!!” We think she has a marvellous memory too for her age- yesterday I put on little yellow rompers on Charlie & she said “Charlie’s suit- Mrs. Herzberg?” & sure enough it was the one Mrs. H. had brought him about 2 months ago. Charlie is good & bonny & cute too – he is like Lindy was- such a bright looking baby & so responsive. Other babies seem to lie like lumps in their prams, but he looks around & laughs & coos & squeals – he is so active – thank goodness the mattress for the little bed came today so we can soon get him into the crib. Do you know, he is wearing the little white shoes & socks we got for Lindy when she first stood up at 9 or 10 months? He has kicked & worn holes in all his booties, so one day I tried on the little shoes & they just fit – soon to be too small for him. He is nearly out of the little white cotton rompers I first got Lindy & I can see all her last summer sunsuits etc. will just fit him – if ever we get any nice weather.
Milton and Lillie Costain, when they visited Saskatoon in 1946.
Carman went to Toronto last weekend to the big Trade Fair & to see his Aunt & Uncle, so Cec & I just messed about at home. It was my last weekend with the sewing machine I rented & I worked hard & got everything done I wanted – I was so pleased & really enjoyed it. Altogether I 1) turned sides to middle of 3 sheets 2) made 2 sheets for Lindy’s bed 3) sewed patches on sheets, shorts, underblankets etc. 4) made a new soiled linen bag for Carman 5) made 2 pillowcases & 1 sm. one for Lindy’s pillow from a bolster case I had (in a set from Sheila- wedding present) 6) made curtains for Carman’s room (material from Eaton’s catalogue! – a slaty blue with a raised white spot- 6d. size- quite a different colour to the one I expected, but o.k. as I wanted something neutral- the couch cover is so bright.) 7) quilted your patchwork cover 8) made 3 cushion covers for the sitting room 9) made Lindy’s dressing gown- atlast! Got the material at Xmas you remember & never got around to it- white Viyella with little blue flowers, faced with plain blue & 10) a little kilt for Lindy made out of my yellow & black tartan skirt! It never hung right & shrunk in the wash, anyway. Wasn’t that a good $6 worth? I really did have fun though & wished I’d had time to do more, but I hadn’t much chance as Charlie has been a bit restless in the evenings off & on so he’s been in the dining room & that is where I had the machine. During the evenings this week Cec & I have also had a spurt on & we have finished & varnished Lindy’s chest of drawers (natural colour) & it looks really lovely. We have also stained the other one we bought 2ndhand last autumn. It was such a wreck- Cec had to use varnish remover by bottles full & then sand & sand for ages & he got kind of discouraged but at last we got to it again & after putting on oak stain it looks quite nice (antique effect!) & we’ll shellac & varnish it too. It will go in Dan’s room (match the desk) & we’ll take back the maple chest of drawers which we loaned out of our room.
With all these “extracurricular activities” I have a pile of ironing as high as your hat & ofcourse owe hundreds of letters. I heard from Amy – she & Charlie will be G.P.s but Boris is going away to Ohio for a week for a meeting, so we’ll wait till he comes back for the christening. I also had a letter from Joan Appleyard- she & Ray are coming to Chalk River (Atomic Energy place 50 miles from here – Joyce & Les Hayward are there) in September, so won’t that be fun? They are having another baby in Oct., so they are following in our footsteps!!
I now must iron a shirt, finish washing some woollens, finish the formula, wash the lunch dishes & make dinner! It is now Thurs. afternoon & I want to get all done so we can go to the pictures tonight. Will answer your letter soon – looking forward to the parcel so much- Cec’s b’day next week, so it will be his b’day present too! I hope that you enjoyed your big C. Day reception
& that you are doing some gadding with A. Trix – Cec & I laughed & laughed over the 4 mths. but know how you feel!
Big xxs & hugs from Lindy & Charlie & much love from us all-
Charlie & I were up at 5:45 this morning & listened into the Coronation Service. It was wonderful to hear it, but of course I had to have my little weep! I expect when we hear the Queen this afternoon I will flood the place!
I went to Church at 11 a.m. (Communion Service) & it was very nice. The little church was full and Mr. Stewart gave a most touching little address. Afterwards Margie, Cy, Tommy, Danny, Baby Peter & Margie’s Mother and Father all came to coffee, so we had a full house! Did I tell you Margie’s Mum & Dad had given them a car? Isn’t it lovely?
This is the Coronation Stamp & I am sending them off to Peter & Ann Sutherland for their collections & they should be dated today.
Not a very exciting stamp…
We heard the news of the climbing of Mount Everest on the midnight news & I was so thrilled. Tonight we go to watch the Hughes television – I wish you could come too.
There were two events to be celebrated. The first was the birth of the baby, and a son at that, so that now they had one of each. Congratulations-such as ‘Clever girl’ on the telegram from her 5 Newcastle friends; best wishes; plants; and chocolates arrived at the hospital for Cyn.
When she and Charlie came home from hospital, and Cec and Linda returned from their stay at the Ganders, the Costains celebrated Christmas a bit late, and Cyn later sent her mother the usual list of the loot!
Cec, Cyn, & Lindy’s Christmas Presents 1952
From:
Grannie. You know!
Gunborg. Blanket holders– they are green plastic ducks & their beaks open on a spring & hold the blanket & then there are ribbons attached to tie it to the top of the crib. (We don’t need these now- she keeps under the covers nicely)
Coloured wooden toy shaped like this [see above] There are coloured wooden rings to fit over the post & she loves putting them on and off.
Dan. “Stripey to the Rescue”-a nice little book but a bit old for her, so I have put it away.
Wooden Build – a -Train – this is a dear little train which takes apart & puts together very simply & with big pieces. Linda quite can’t quite manage the building yet, so she can “unbuild” it very successfully! She pushes it along and says “Woo-hoo” like trains here do!
Amy etc. 3 woolie jackets for Charlie- all the same pattern as the ones she sent before – two little blue ones & one bigger white one with a blue edging. A whitelamb for Lindy. She is quite fond of it but prefers her old pink bunny & the Teddy Dottie sent her – but on the whole she doesn’t bother with that kind of toy much.
Connie & Leonard– A scarf for Lindy – very nice & soft & warm – camel hair coloured. Illustrated for us – a year’s subscription I presume & am I embarrassed as we only sent a card!
Mrs. Allan – Hankies for Lindy- they are done up so cutely to look like a little folded umbrella.
Jessie & Norman – Panties for me – very pretty white ones with frills!
Diary for Cec.
Dress, cardigan & toys for Linda! The dress is a sweet little white silk one & fits her nicely now. It is quite plain except for a little embroidery on the skirt & has a little round colour & buttons down the front. The cardigan is just lovely – the prettiest one I’ve seen.
It is white with pale pastel pink, blue & green knitted in every few rows like those jumpers Anne made for me ages ago. It is a bit big which is nice too. The toys are really a little young for her but will come in nicely for Charlie- a rattle like a bird in a cage & a pink plastic phone which is a rattle two & a comb & ring in pink to match.
Miss Lefroy – “Animal ABC” for Lindy & a little book for me.
Irene – Diary for me.
Tie for Cec– dark red & gold – a bit startling I think but not too bad & Cec is wearing it!
Bib for Charlie.
Blue sandals for Lindy. These are rather sweet little things made of kind of plastic material but unfortunately are too small for her. She got so mad when we couldn’t get them on & tried to take them away – she howled & demanded them back & kept trying to put them on, so we had to make them disappear! Hope she will have forgotten them by the time Charlie gets them!
Nan.Play Balls– this is a clever toy to0- a stick on a stand & hollow coloured plastic balls which thread on it. This is a bit like Gunborg’s but more difficult so I put it away for a rainy day! Nan said in the letter that my present was coming with a little one for Charlie, but they haven’t arrived yet.
Granny & Grandpa Costain – Socks for Cec- nylon.
Gloves for me – very pretty white wool ones with a tiny bit of red embroidery with pearls! Writing paper for me too.
Panties for Linda – very sweet little pink ones with embroidery! Did I tell you Granny C. had also sent her a pair of white overalls to match her white corduroy coat & a sweet little lace trimmed bonnet? Two little bonnets really- a tiny one for the baby.
Margie, Cy etc. – Cigarettes for Cec.
Chocolates for me (in hospital)
Blocks for Linda – these are hollow square ones with pictures on, that fit inside each other.
Rattle for Charlie.
Mrs. Burrough– Plant for me (in hospital)-pretty African violet.
Dottie – Magazines for me- Vogue- Ladies Home Journal etc.
“One Upmanship” for Cec- a funny book
“Peter Rabbit” Hankie, Toothbrush Apron for Linda. Lindy just loves “Peter Rabbit”- she calls him “Petey” & he & “Baa-Baa” are her two favourites & I’m afraid are getting a little worn looking!! The apron is a little big, but sweet.
After 68 years, it is a little worn!
Auntie Muriel– Calendar for us all.
Bar– Brooch for me- pretty & small
Golliwog for Lindy- just tiny (about 4”) and made of pipe cleaners- has a red & yellow coat.
Til & Lois– Petticoat for Linda – so sweet & grown-up – white silk with lace edge & shoulder straps!!
Tile & ashtray for us a greeny-yellow pottery. Cec & I think they are rather horrid, but apparently C’Zelma does them & sells them.
Lu, Pete,etc. Panties for Lindy – just like Granny C’s but white!
Notepaper for me.
Crackles for Charlie.
Phyl Douglas– Notes for me (in hospital)
A Trix– White baby jacket for Charlie – very nice – a bit big & in fact Linda has been wearing it although the sleeves are short!
Lea, Wendy etc.- “Mother Goose”– a nice little nursery rhyme book with pretty pictures.
Mary & Bill Stuart– Dress & panties for Linda. These are really lovely- handmade by Mary of pale blue, white-dotted Dayella with white smocking – just right in size- maybe a little big.
Daddy & Lindy to Mummy.
Sweater – long sleeved, buttoned down the front- dark red with tiny white pearl buttons & very nice.
Nylons– goody-goody!
Slippers– I got these early to go into hospital. They are black quilted satin & are both elegant & lovely & comfy.
Cutting out scissors– a lovely pair from Singer’s.
Pulley Cec made for me in the basement. Did I tell you about it? He made it & fixed it up all as a surprise for me while I was in the hospital – wasn’t it perfectly sweet of him?
Mummy & Linda to Daddy–
Cigarettes box of 50
“Murder Must Advertise”
Wool scarf (grey) These were surprises!
2 Shirts- u.shorts & 3 prs socks he had to have & we got together!
Daddy & Mummy to Lindy –
Cleaning Set – Cec got this while I was in H. It is just cute- a little mop, carpet sweeper, broom, dustpan, hand mop & duster – also a tiny apron – so that she can help me clean! She loves them & carpet sweeps with great energy!
Rubber car with Donald Duck in.
Blocks made of wood with alphabet & pictures on.
Doggie playing a little xylophone which pulls along on a string and goes “plink-plonk”! She gets a lot of fun out of this & is just beginning to get the idea of pulling – she much preferred to push things at first but will do both now.
Dolly – a cloth doll with a rubber head about 1 1/2 feet long – it is a boy doll in blue pyjamas & she has him in bed with her. Before Christmas she seemed crazy for “babies” but now she seems to like her wooden toys more. [I always thought, after I started reading Dr. Spock at the age of 8 or so, that this doll, Tommy, was psychological genius on my parents’ part. Tommy was about the size of my brother, so not only did I now have cleaning tools to help my mother, I also had a baby to dress and cuddle and put to bed.]
Musical book – this is a musical box in the form of a book with the story & pictures in the front. We chose “Mary had a little lamb” & think it is lovely- Lindy is a bit doubtful! she can’t quite turn the handle yet.
Lee, Jim, & Barry– Wooden toy to pull – it has a little bell & tinkles as she pulls it.
I think that is all! Aren’t we all lucky? Particularly our little daughter! Poor little Charlie didn’t get anything from Mummy and Daddy you’ll notice, but we’ll make up for it later!
Still with a King George VI stamp, although he’d died in February.
By now you will know the little old Algy snuck up on us & arrived early! And if I thought Linda was a funny looking little baby, I should have seen this one first!! He is quite the wierdest little fellow I ever saw!! He was 7 lbs. 6 oz. at birth & unlike Lindy, was like a little boiled lobster & still is very red & angry looking. He has lots of dark hair too, but it is like a bristly crew cut & his little face is all scrunched up!
Aren’t we clever having a boy? He is to be Charlie as we couldn’t think of anything better! Actually, it was in the car going to the hospital that we decided, so you can see how long the discussing lasted! If it was a girl we thought of Cynthia Clare, but we can store that one up!
On that morning I got up & felt fine, but a bit odd & a sort of pressure on the bottom of my tummy, but there was no show or anything. Cec went off to work & Lindy & I did the usual chores- I had had the cleaning woman & she was marvellous & had cleaned through the whole house, so I felt very pleased. I began to get funny pains & odd feelings during the morning, but couldn’t decide if it was anything or not. However I didn’t go shopping to Joanisse as I had planned & when I put Lindy to bed & had my lunch I began timing the feelings & found that they were coming regularly. So I dashed & had a bath & washed my hair!! Wrote notes for the milkman etc. packed my case, Lindy’s case, & Algy’s case (all ready except for last minute things really) & then phoned Cec. He was in a Seminar & of course everyone knew why he had to get up & leave! All afternoon the pains were irregular & I sat & ironed shirts & Cec & I had a nice chat & cups of tea! I called Dr. S. & the nurse said she tell him but didn’t think there was any hurry. He called about 6 & the pains were regular & he said to go in about an hour. We put Lindy to bed & Cy came over & baby sat & Cec took me to the Hospital.
He had to just leave me there- not allowed to stay- & I got going very quickly. Not as nice as last time – I know lots more about labour pains & nothing about what happened at the birth- was just flat out. They woke me & told me it was a boy & I just looked vaguely at the little bundle & went to sleep again. Cec came (the babe was born at 11.0 p.m.) about 12:30 & saw us both. I am feeling fine – stitches a bit sore, but no tail trouble this time, thank goodness. Was up this morning for a little. Cec says Lindy is having a grand time with Barrie. Lots of love from Cyn & the grandson!
The Costains arrived in Ottawa at the end of September 1951 and found a temporary home in an apartment in Eastview (now Vanier), a working class neighbourhood with a mix of Francophones and Anglophones. And, to the excitement of Cynthia and Carol, almost immediately Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip came to Ottawa at the start of their Royal Visit and were photographed waving (as they had on their wedding day) to Cyn in the crowd.
And the baby was fine. Arrayed in the lace trimmed nighties and the double breasted cardigan her loving relatives had made her, Linda continued to flourish. ( And I remember that chair, red and white.)
Other babies were arriving, both in Ottawa and Ann Arbor…
Christopher Bovey arrived 5 days after I did, and Mary Jo & Pete and Lee & Bob Mills had boys too.
Cec and Cyn also met the people who worked in the NRC with Dr. Herzberg in the Pure Physics Division, people who were to become close friends: Luise Herzberg, Alec Douglas, Jack Shoosmith are the first 3 in the top photo, Cyn on the sofa in the second, and Dr Herzberg in the third.
As with the Sutherlands in Ann Arbor, efforts were made to be friendly and helpful to newcomers. With the system of post-doctorate fellows coming to the NRC for two year stints, young couples were always coming and going, and the Costains were made to feel welcome. Later, Cyn and Cec, as permanent residents, would entertain new arrivals and help integrate them into their Ottawa life. (I started my baby-sitting career with a post-doc couple’s baby!)
The baby kept growing.
Money had been tight for the beginning months, but the December accounts show a luxury they had not had in Michigan- a telephone.
At Christmas, the gifts sent to England were mostly candy, as described in Cyn’s present list, but the loot that arrived for Linda was amazing. Among the cards which arrived were pictures showing the growth of their friend’s children: they did call us the Baby Boomer Generation.
In January, photos show Linda alert and happy, and she had a new cousin: Terry, another Costain boy, born to Cec’s brother Russel and wife Errol in Saskatoon.
Although I don’t think Cec ordered them, the Tailors and Robemakers’ price for a PhD. Gown and Hood from Cambridge confirms that Cec’s degree had been granted. Dr. C.C.Costain certainly looks delighted, holding his daughter. The February accounts show that Cyn’s money from England finally had been transferred, and they were able to get ‘Cec’s Insurance’ $95.35 (Canada did not have medical care then), splurge on Cec’s clothes, make several withdrawals of ‘Cash’ and pay Carol back $200 for loans made in Ann Arbor and during the move.
In March a Get Well card in the scrapbook suggests that Cyn had German measles, fortunately a month before she became pregnant again. Her birthday in April was celebrated and then they MOVED- two sets of rent in the accounts, and the mover’s fee- to Acacia Avenue, still in the same area of Ottawa, but closer to the wealthy houses in Rockcliff, with a conclave of NRC families close by. It was half a duplex, and the photos show the baby, now crawling, with grass with trees and swings available, something I’m sure Cec and Cyn had been looking for.
Now that they were settled in a more satisfactory home, preparations were made for Carol to return to the West Indies after the summer. First she would visit her sister and nieces in New York State- they had visited her in St.Vincent during the past couple of years, but she had not seen their homes or their families. Then she would visit other family members in Trinidad before returning home.
Three generations.
Unfortunately as summer approached, the Costains indulged in a colour film, so the photographs in the scrapbook are not as clear. Linda at 10 1/2 months says goodbye to Grannie standing rather precariously, and I’m sure Carol was very sad to leave. But the letters to her resume, so we get a clearer picture of life in a growing family in the 1950s.
On Thursday Daddy & Mummy & Grannie & I drove from Ann Arbor to Ottawa in MacTavish. We left late on Thursday evening & arrived there on Sunday morning. I was 5 weeks old & slept in my little car bed most of the way or on Grannie’s knee, & at night we lived in cabins. We stopped in Toronto to see Auntie Lily & Uncle Milton. It was 600 miles altogether and Mummy & Daddy said I was very good all the way.
Except for when I woke them all up pulling my hair.
It is funny to read about car travel almost 70 years ago- seat belts unknown, so the baby travels unrestrained in her car bed or on her grandmother’s knee. And I’m sure Cec was smoking throughout, totally discouraged around babies today- I can remember as a little girl MacTavish’s cigarette lighter which popped out when glowing, and the lovely smell of the newly lit tobacco, before the less pleasant smell of actual smoking took over.
They drove on Highway 2 all the way to Prescott, and Cyn’s markings show them stopping at Chatham, Hamilton, Toronto, Belleville, and Kingston before turning north to Ottawa at Prescott. In those pre-Hwy. 401 days it took much longer than it would now- the road goes through the towns rather than bypassing them- and there were no fast food rest stops then, so trips were more leisurely, with stops in towns for food and fuel. And the proud parents wanted to show off the first girl in the new Costain generation to Cec’s aunt and uncle so there was a social visit too.
The September account book shows details of the tidying up needed before leaving the States- the mundane housekeeping bills to Dairy, Detroit Edison, and the Trojan Laundry mingling with one-of-a-kind expenses such as a sum to the Michigan Department of Revenue, and the rather expensive cost of binding and mailing the thesis. However, there is no October entry dealing with the cost of the journey. Normal life resumes in November when they are settled enough to be getting a salary and paying rent in Ottawa.
It is rather nauseating, but “The Book of Baby Mine” entitled all the events as ‘My First _______’ so Cyn wrote all the entries in the voice of baby Linda. These vignettes are interspersed with Family Tree charts; space for lists of Visitors, Gifts, Photos; a Horoscope chart (!); Average Weight Chart; Teeth diagram: Immunization Record; and a Checklist for baby development. At the end are helpful instructions on holding, bathing, feeding the baby and, of course, ads- baby food, furniture, photographers, drugs, shoes, and a Beauty Shop for mom, all specific to Ann Arbor.
My First Home.
1022 Forest Ave. Ann Arbor, Michigan
Mummy & Daddy haven’t got a picture of my first home. It was just a small apartment & we only lived there 3 weeks after Mummy & I came home from hospital. This little squirrel used to visit us there & her name was Mrs. Molly Coddle. She used to eat peanuts & ginger cookies & took them from Mummy’s & Daddy’s hands. She climbed on Daddy’s knee & sat & ate peanuts there.
This is the charge for Cyn’s 9 day stay in hospital.
The Business of Leaving Ann Arbor.
Along with coping with a new baby, Cec and Cyn had to deal with the difficulties of moving- first to their temporary apartment, then with the trip to Ottawa. The congratulatory telegrams and baby presents went to the old address-
the hospital bills had to be paid,
Costain account book for August, note largest expense- U. Hospital.
and goodbyes had to be made to friends.
My First Outing
Went to see the Peters family. I was 2 1/2 weeks old, & Daddy & Mummy took me in the car to see Helen & Jody. They were having their afternoon nap & we waited for them to wake up until it was past my feeding time, but I was a good girl.
A Family History in Letters 