Reference
Z699/315
Title
To Hal [Edward Halford Strange] from Dad [Samuel May Strange] 19 Nov 1893
It comes round again to my turn for the epistle and it is very nice to have another talk on paper with the old boy. Your last letter was very welcome and the next being greedily anticipated. You send us such very nice long letters and you take so much pains to make them interesting. We hope your influenza business is now subsiding and that you have not come within its range. We hear of many cases about here, and I have seen some.
Today is very cold indeed but is more endurable than yesterday when a veritable blizzard came upon us and very forcibly reminded us of the stormy 18th January 1881, though not so severe of course. The barometer has been falling very rapidly indeed, and went down as far as 28. A strong wind was blowing with rain, which after a while changed to snow, which has whistled along at a prodigious rate up the street. As it was not quite freezing it did not lay long, but towards the afternoon symptoms of which appeared on the higher lands and on the roofs. The effect was to clear and keep clear the streets, and prevented a great number of people from coming to Stroud and the consequence of that was business was very flat and we only took 13 up here, the lowest record for very many years.
I think we shall be sure of more snow before it is warmer. One man told me that he had experienced -60 degrees in Canada but it was more endurable than standing by his fish truck yesterday afternoon.
At last the antivaccinators in Stroud are coming under the heel of the law and about 15 of them were sentenced on Friday to a fine or 7 days. They all refused to pay the fine and would all go to gaol instead. Some have paid I hear, under protest however. Messrs Redheart & Soper were going tomorrow after performing their Sunday duties but we hear someone has paid for them. This will be much against their wish as they had taken all precautions against having a distress levied upon them by turning over their household goods to their respective wives. Several went on Friday evening and I am told a Gloucester Band met them and escorted them to prison. I think the magistrates here will get into ill odour, at any rate Mr Hyett will as he was one of the Guardians who appear as prosecutors and now he poses as judge. It would have been more seemly if he had absented himself on this occasion.
Mother has been looking forward to a quiet afternoon at home today, but as we went to Chapel this morning instead go to Nailsworth. Mr Spencer embraced the opportunity of securing her Miss Ashmeads class and I am left alone until they return. So I am devoting time to you and wish very much that the chappie was here to keep me company. I do not know whether Mother told you that Charlie G. came for chess last Monday and gave me a good thrashing. I had one game nominally, but he adroitly let me have his queen so I don't reckon on that. Mr Blake came in on Thursday and I beat him all 1, 4 - 1 I think. The one pleased him so much and I think it will be necessary to let him get one if he does not capture it properly. He is a little testy as you know.
So the coal strike is at an end but it will be some time before we have the article cheap again. We paid 26/6 for Hackley nubs which is a great advance on what we have ever given before. And this cold weather we shall need extra large fires as small ones are not much use. Wilf got 6 for his paper this last week, and I think he is encouraged. The lecturer is very charming and makes his subject extremely interesting. He said he had the largest number of papers from Stroud than from anywhere else. This time he had 54. And now I must conclude with our dearest love,
I remain,
your ever affectionate, Dad.[Samuel May Strange]
Date free text
19 Nov 1893
Production date
From: 1893 To: 1893
Exent
No. of pieces: 1
Format
paper
Level of description
item