AU34/21/7/16/22

Letter from R P S Waddy

6 December 1980

From: 1980 To: 1980

A typewritten letter from R P S Waddy (former Rector of St Andrew's, Ampthill) to Honora Grimmer, on headed paper from Maiden Newton, Dorchester, Dorset: "My dear Nora, Your literary parcel arrived yesterday, and was most welcome. I have not yet dismembered the year's supply of news, but I have enjoyed Andrew's book about the church; magnificently produced and worthy of him and it. We particularly liked the view from the gasometer, which I had never appreciated. You have had a busy year, with its opportunities to appreceiate the nicest of all views: to wit, the hospital door as one goes our of it. It is hard work learning to husband one's reserves of energy, but I am glad you achieved the move from Station Road at just the right time. And it is now the 10th; a weekend with Havana and family in between, and the parohial duties of a soi-distant temporary rector. Our man retired in October, and his successor comes with the Ides in March - young, bearded andYouth Chaplain to boot, so we are fortunate (plus a musical wife - too good to be true.) So I have a sung Parish Communion every week - I could not bear Matins-plus-Staying-Behind; and the other four churches in their scattered hamlets are all within two miles or so, so I save my limited energy for Maiden Newton. Needless to say, I am thoroughly enjoying myself; all the doorsteps in the parish belong to me for 4 1/2 months, and I can visit whom I will once more. I shall still be glad to give it up, I expect; but we shall know a lot more about the parish by then. And I do love the sound of my own voice. I have had time to peruse the twelve issues of Church & Town, so I am once again au fait with Beds events. I never knew your father's enthusiasm for flying; nor what a good preacher the rector is (or was in July - we are indeed a Funny Peculiar breed). I did not know that Arthur Davies had died; he really was a 'good and faithful servant' of his Church. So was Gavin Cooper. (Which reminds me; I saw William and Jo Lark in Reading in October, when I went back to Queen Anne's, Caversham to preach; he still looks like a boy.) Thank you for telling me about the Life of Sir Albert Richardson by Simon; I will keep an eye open for it (we have a good library in Dorchester.) I don't get many book tokens nowadays, but I have one in hand for a new Prayer book - the fruit of taking a Retreat in the summer. It is a clumsy book, isn't it? We use Series 3 here, and our new rector is keen on moving the altar down and facing west; fortunately I don't mind all these gimmicks nearly as much as I used to! But I hope to be buried by 1928 rites; and by then I don't suppose I shall mind even that. Havana is still the joy of our hearts. She insisted on being baptised this summer - fruit of a very good Church School attached to Saint Clement Danes in the Strand; and that was a deep joy, with plenty of relations around to share in it. She is clever and doing well; what school she will go to in the end is still not certain, but she won't be wasted. Judy is still at her college job in Goldsmith's, but has also been busy with one of the consortia who want to take over the ITV programmes; hers (Daytime) is competing for the breakfast slot, bit is 16 to 1 against! Their great day of interview is tomorrow, and we shall know before the New Year. I think she may well go back into that world. Meanwhile Christopher and his family are now settled in Caracas, Venezuela; and like it. Another son, Jocelyn, arrived last June. At the moment all but Christopher are in England, because Daniel is to have a second operation on his left hand (much improved by the first a year ago.) So we are going down to Folkestone after Christmas to stay with them; in a nice warm hotel, which is just as well with Kent's reputation for snow. Margaret's knees are much stiffer than they were a year ago, I'm afraid; but she refuses to be daunted. My swellings are in the wrist and fingers, but fortunately they don't interfere with my driving; though they are no better at spelling than they ever were. We do manage to keep warm, and are going to add double glazing when the builder gets round to it - the trouble is, there is not a geometrical window in the whole house. This must get off; and brings our best wishes for 1981. Yours sincerely, Pat Stacy Waddy"

item

Grimmer, Honora Patricia Annie,
Waddy, Richard Patteson Stacy,
Waddy, Margaret,
Stacy Marking, Judith,
Waddy, Christopher,
Stacy Marking, Havana,
Stacy Waddy, Drusilla,
Stacy Waddy, Daniel,
Stacy Waddy, Jocelyn,
Cooper, Gavin,
Davies, Arthur,
Lark, William,
Lark, Jo,
Grimmer, Albert Edward,
Underwood, Andrew,
Richardson, Albert Edward,
Houfe, Simon

CORRESPONDENCE, churches, church services, books, parish magazines, gasometer, flying, deaths, preaching, baptism, illness, Rector, curate, prayers, lecturer, TV, films, banker, banking, travel, School, Christmas, weather, AMPTHILL, Maiden Newton, Dorchester, Dorset, London St Clement Danes, Folkestone, Kent, Venezuela