Mrs Burton, our landlady at The Royal Crescent was a very kind and, on reflection, lonely woman. Sue had a record player and we had two records between us, a Bob Dylan and ‘A Kind of Blue’, Miles Davis. Now, whenever I hear Miles Davis it is night time and snow is gently falling over the Crescent’s back gardens where classical sculpted figures shiver in the icy cold.
My Dear Joy,
The Royal Crescent
The Sturgesses of Earl Shilton were highly delighted to receive the cheery and colourful message from the Sturgess of Bath, and many thanks too. It is indeed heartening to know that you are comfortably settled in such palatial quarters –good food and all the rest of it. Albeit encumbered by the denizens of Railway Cuttings , East Cheam , namely Tony Hancock and Co, I can’t imagine any glumness putting you off your stride. Even your putting up with Mrs Green’s tales of her experiences on the Isle of Wight were taken in good measure. That and other details of what you had to say were all ingredients for a merry laughter-good old Joy, we said. Wish we could indulge similarly, but life with us pursues its same even tenor. Nice to know that you and Sue are happily settled in together again. Seems you had lots to tell to keep you up till two AM. How is Ian keeping? I suppose he is back in the groove once again.
We are still busy churning out stockings at Nicholls and Wilemans and whilst health permits and until something attractively suiting my old age pension turns up I hope to continue so. As I said in my last letter I am mightily pleased that I’m in such a favourable position to face up to these contingencies.
Until Thursday last week was glorious, and being on mornings it was an opportunity to bash and harvest my spuds from the allotment. It was real hard work, but Chris was a great help getting them up the hill for me and now I have almost four bags in home and dry where once I felt that the chances were nil. Yesterday morning I went down and did some clearing up and rough digging ready for the winter. And only just in time too. The rain-it simply pelted it down for the rest of the day and night, you never saw such a morass. I wasn’t sorry that we turned down the Ridgeway’s offer of a trip to Ringwood and I felt in need of a relax and rest after that lot
No luck again on finding the ball and since the jackpot isn’t won either it’ll be £800 next week so we’ll keep in persevering.
If you get to Cardiff to see The Commonwealth Arts Festival for sure you’ll enjoy it. Your mam and I thoroughly enjoyed a half hour except on TV the other evening. It was really most fascinating and marvellous watching the native dancing and orchestration from all over the world.
Here’s mam on again about making some crab-apple jelly. Whilst she’s working with her hands-putting down kidney beans say, her mind’s on some other project to follow on. She seems to tackle mountains of work-does she Everest I wonder. By the way, Jehovas Witnesses called the other day and I had a good few minutes cross-examining them on blood transfusion. They were politely stubborn that those who took blood were cannibals and vaguely inferred that there’s a substitute for it. It never occurred till afterwards that I ought to have said ’Well then, my daughter has helped to make someone a cannibal! I know she’s a little heathen sometimes but a cannibal! Well, I don’t think that’s her line of country.’
The best of Luck, Safe keeping ever, Dad.
I don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was
good. I don’t know who you are but certainly you’re going to
a famous blogger if you are not already 😉 Cheers!