Reference
AU10/102/1/180
Title
Typewritten letter
Date free text
9 May 1969
Production date
From: 1969 To: 1969
Scope and Content
"The arrival of the parish magazine reminds me that I have not answered your letter of March 20th. I am very sorry for poor Mr.Colls. Looking after three parishes, and with no curate until recently, seems to have been too much for him: and no wonder. And now there will be a new Rector imminent ... the fourth since me!
I have been going and coming a good deal since I last wrote. Anne, and her husband, Dr.George, arrived on March 15th. returning from their holiday in Austria and stayed over the weekend. Monday morning I decided to drive with them up to Yorkshire to their lovely 18th. c. house near Northallerton, which gave me an opportunity to see my relations including my mother's cousin ("Aunt Christina") who is Anne's grandmother, and still flourishing, with all her faculties, at 97. She is devotedly looked after by her daughter, "Aunt Nan", who is a wellknown Yorkshire pianist: I may have mentioned her to you: she has given recitals in Selby Abbey in the past and played with the Halle Orchestra: but of recent years she has had to drop it on account of looking after her mother. We quite expect her to make the century. On my return south, I spent a few days at my club in London, saw some friends, did some theatres, got back here for Easter, when I had a succession of guests for short visits. I then went to Winchester to visit the Norburys. Lady Norbury is Anne's sister. While I was there, it came out that Robin (the baronet) was thinking of taking a trip to Istanbul while Christine went up to Yorkshire to visit her parents and Anne. One of the places I have missed on my voyages, and always wanted to see, is Istanbul! I feel I should die happy if I had stood inside St.Sophia ... for a thousand years the greatest church in Christendom, then a mosque for 500 years: now a "museum" - which means that - like those wonderful cathedrals of the Kremlin - they are no longer used for religious purposes. So Robin and I decided to join forces and go together. We are now in process of arranging with OCEANWAYS a date - Dover to Venice by rail: Italian ship to Athens and Istanbul. May is apparently completely booked up: now we are waiting to hear if June is possible. All this means that my visit to Normandy is in the air. It looks as if you will be flying off to Canada when - and if - we set out for Istanbul. I do hope your trip comes off. After all the years you spent teaching in Ampthill, and looking after your mother, a comple change will do you a world of good. I was in Vancouver early in 1965, on that wonderful voyage I took from Genoa on the VOLTA to California and up to Vancouver. I may have sent you a p.c. from there!
I always enjoy reading your letters and their news about people I knew so long ago (22 years now since I left!). Do tell me who live in the two terrace houses where Miss Ambler and Mrs. F. Downes lived. I remember there were two ancient Miss Smiths (great friends of the Eagles) in that terrace too. I always thought Mrs.F.D.'s house very charming, with a garden up some steps at the back. Early in the war she went to friends in Cornwall, and she let the house to friends of mine (Brooke-Pikes). Brooke-Pike had been in the RAF with me in the 1914-18 war. But Mrs.B-P behaved rather foolishly, upset Miss Ambler ... and the end of it was that Mrs.F.D. came home, and Mrs.B-P had to find other accomodation. For a time she lived in rooms at Miss Hopkins' house: later in a house near the station ... but I lost contact with them, and have never heard of them since!
Yes, the cliff work is now complete, and the terrace balustrade replaced. But we have had to fork out another £100. each flat. However, the engineers inform us that we are safe for at least another century. There are comings and goings in the flats. My neighbour Mrs.Olley, who has been visiting her daughter in Tasmania, is sailing for home today. She should be hear sometime next month.
Does Joe Jennings' widow still live in the same house?
And is Mrs.Pearson (the fanatical British-Israelite, like Houfe, in my time) still come to church? Dear me, she must be quite an old lady now. I expect Houfe has abandoned the British-Israelite business by now? What a pity and waste it all was! He made himself most unpleasant towards me ... what is his son doing now?
And what of those two strange sisters ... Mrs.Moore and Connie Hetley?? A tragic family. Whoever would have thought, in 1939, that the Moore family would be completely wiped out?? Mr.Moore dead, Mrs.M committing suicide in Brighton, and Dezzy killed in the RAF. Mrs.Moore 2 will have a good pension as Dezzy's widow, I expect. Oh dear, what I went through with Mrs.M. 1 when Dezzy was intending to marry Mary Hetley!!
Spring has come at last ... but it is still cold here. But soon the laburnum (which loves sea air) will be out and make a wonderful show.
Yours sincerely,"
operas
Level of description
item