Reference
AU10/102/1/53
Title
Typewritten letter
Date free text
30 December 1952
Production date
From: 1952 To: 1952
Scope and Content
"At last I have managed to get down to the business of putting the map in the tube and addressing it to you. I am glad you sent it to me, since I could find nothing of the kind in the house, and I had made a mental note to enquire for one at some stationer's when I was next out shopping. Even so, i have had to cut the map a little at the bottom, but I don't think it has spoilt it. I was very much interested in the Bedfordshire Magazine you enclosed. Miss George seems to have come out as an historian. i wonder that she and Professor Richardson don't get together and write a book about Ampthill, with illustrations in pen and ink by the Professor. I think the Professor's sketch of the marketplace is very good. I do wish Mr.Cooper would get that sketch of the church back on the cover of the magazine instead of that longbearded S.Andrew. Can't you get someone to raise the question at the P.C.C.? I am sure they could reduce the picture to the smaller size of the magazine, or the Professor might do a new one, if asked! We heard, by the way, yesterday that Miss George's aunt had died. Apparently she ceased attending the church after I left. I don't think I ever actually met her, but apparently she used to enjoy listening to my addresses at the 11!
I am now in process of collecting together my gear for the winter sports. That is the only thing I have against them: one has to cart so much luggage: heavy snow boots, ski suit, dinner suit, skates, sweaters. All the same, it is nice when one gets there! I expect you saw in the papers that an avalanche had fallen in Austria (quite near where I am bound for) and killed several Britons.
Christmas this year was essentially an indoor festival here, apart from Christmas Day itself which was like a spring day! I went to a party at White Lodge (where our late King and Queen lived in the early days of their marriage) on Boxing Day. The people living in it now are and Col. and Mrs.Reynolds-Veitch. She is an American (the Colonel's second wife) and is a great friend of my American cousin Cynthia. Her brother is Cary Grant, the American film star: so one always meets someone in the film world there. There was quite a galaxy of them on Boxing Day. I had two or three friends in here to dinner on Saturday night, and on Sunday a Naval friend came to stay a couple of nights. Miss Florence did not get out to church. It is a year ago now since she did so. Her general health continues wonderfully well, but she has become terribly senile. It is impossible to hold a sensible conversation with her, but she talks and talks ... all sheer poppycock. It is very sad ... it would be much better if she were an invalid physically, and had kept her mental powers. But she seems to find life well worth living, and is extremely active.
As my arrangements stand at present, I don't expect to be back until the end of February. I never know quite what is going to happen when I get over on the other side.
A fog is gradually coming on as I write these lines. It will be grand to see some sunshine and clear blue sky.
You must tell your father that I have had a lot of trouble with the Lanchester which Miss Di left me in her will. I think I told you that I sold my dear little Standard (which never gave me a bit of trouble) about a year after we came here. We could not get both cars in the garage here, and you may remember petrol was put on the ration just when we moved, so as Miss Di wanted her Lanchester, I ran the Standard up to Yorkshire and garaged it with my father, awaiting future events. After a year or so, I decided I had better sell it, and I got more than it cost! After Di's death, I had the Lanchester thoroughly overhauled by a firm at Croydon which is supposed to specialise in Daimler and Lanchester types. I had a bill for £58. at the end of it. But something is always going wrong. In the past three months I have had new brake linings, a new battery, and now I have a leak in the radiator. I should get rid of it, were it not that I find it useful for running about locally. I never take it up into Town, as one is up against the problem of parking, and one sometimes has to put it in miles away from the place one is heading for. Central London during the day now is just one immense car park.
The Ampthill News comes every week, and Florence sits turning its pages, but she does not take much of it in! If I go away, they have all disappeared by the time I come back, so I only see it occasionally. All the reports of Mr.Cooper I have had are favourable. I think he is an improvement on Waddy.
I am trying to write up all my letters before I set off on Saturday, so I must finish now.
With all good wishes for the New Year.
Yours sincerely,"
Level of description
item