• Reference
    AU10/102/3/1
  • Title
    Handwritten Letter
  • Date free text
    27 March 1951
  • Production date
    From: 1951 To: 1951
  • Scope and Content
    "Dear Eva, I was intending to write to you in reply to your letter, and now I must in addition thank you for the nice Easter card. It was so kind of you to send it. Both the Miss E's have had a very rough passage in their illness. Florence has been up and about for some weeks and is as strong and vigorous in body, as ever. But it has affected her mentally a good deal. She has been getting rather senile for some time, but now she is definitely a case that would be quite helpless if left alone. She can look after herself and go about the house and do many domestic duties, but she makes mistakes, and gets into muddles, and forgets where things go, and where she has put them, and so on! I don't think she could possibly write a letter. And she cannot reason in conversation now. Still, she is up and about, and that is something. Di is all there mentally, but the illness has left her extremely weak. She is only just beginning to eat anything, and to totter about. But I think a change in the weather would work wonders with her. We want some warm, sunny days - then she could get out into the garden - and I could take her out in the car. But there seems no end to this damp, depressing weather. I would like to fly them both out to my villa at Mentone, but they think they are too shaky now to do the journey. They think they will get on better here at home. I had quite a busy Easter - helping at two churches here, as well as at my hospital. Easter Day was lovely until the afternoon: bright sunshine and blue sky. I took Florence along with me to my service at the hospital chapel, and afterwards drove her through Richmond Park and Hampton Court. But of course the rain came again in the afternoon. This is the fourth Easter since I left Ampthill! How the time flies on! Best wishes from us all. Yours sincerely, John Hillam"
  • Format
    letter headed paper
  • Level of description
    item