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9. The Royal Crescent…Sunday September 1965. The Royal Crescent

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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.

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All The Letters

  • From Earl Shilton… 1 , Friday August  2nd 1963 Black Sail Hostel

    From Earl Shilton… 1 , Friday August 2nd 1963 Black Sail Hostel

  • 2.  Sunday August 4h 1963 Eskdale Youth Hostel

    2. Sunday August 4h 1963 Eskdale Youth Hostel

  • 3 . Wednesday August 6th, 1963. Coniston, Coppermine Youth Hostel.

    3 . Wednesday August 6th, 1963. Coniston, Coppermine Youth Hostel.

  • 4. Borrow House, The Lake District…  Saturday August 9th 1963. Derwentwater.

    4. Borrow House, The Lake District… Saturday August 9th 1963. Derwentwater.

  • 5. Zion Hill …  Saturday Winter 1964. And finally college after a shambolic education.

    5. Zion Hill … Saturday Winter 1964. And finally college after a shambolic education.

  • 6. Bath … Saturday, Winter 1965. The Elms , Bath and the misery of unrequited love.

    6. Bath … Saturday, Winter 1965. The Elms , Bath and the misery of unrequited love.

  • 7. Newton Park… May 22nd 1965. Richard, a dull and joyless relationship but lots of postcards.

    7. Newton Park… May 22nd 1965. Richard, a dull and joyless relationship but lots of postcards.

  • 8. North Walsham… Saturday September 1965 Freedom…and North Walsham.

    8. North Walsham… Saturday September 1965 Freedom…and North Walsham.

  • 9. The Royal Crescent…Sunday September 1965. The Royal Crescent

    9. The Royal Crescent…Sunday September 1965. The Royal Crescent

  • 10. Glasgow Art School… Friday Autumn 1965. Glasgow Art School

    10. Glasgow Art School… Friday Autumn 1965. Glasgow Art School

  • 11. The Royal Crescent … Sarurday, Autumn 1965 . The Royal Crescent

    11. The Royal Crescent … Sarurday, Autumn 1965 . The Royal Crescent

  • 12. From Earl Shilton… Saturday, Late November 1965 Church Street.

    12. From Earl Shilton… Saturday, Late November 1965 Church Street.

  • 13. All Night Party…Friday, December 3rd 1965. All Night Party.

    13. All Night Party…Friday, December 3rd 1965. All Night Party.

  • 14. From Earl Shilton… December 1965. Christmas Post …The Prefabs.

    14. From Earl Shilton… December 1965. Christmas Post …The Prefabs.

  • 15. From Earl Shilton…Friday March 1966 . Beatnik? Hippy? Lost?

    15. From Earl Shilton…Friday March 1966 . Beatnik? Hippy? Lost?

  • 16. From Earl Shilton… Late March 1966. Works Bonfire…Terror in Church Street

    16. From Earl Shilton… Late March 1966. Works Bonfire…Terror in Church Street

  • 17. North Walsham…Saturday, The Early Autumn 1966 . Alex…six three, long hair and a gold earring!

    17. North Walsham…Saturday, The Early Autumn 1966 . Alex…six three, long hair and a gold earring!

  • 18.Bath in 1967… Marriage-pregnancy- miscarriage- becoming a qualified teacher- hitch hiking -cheerful destitution and then Liverpool.

    18.Bath in 1967… Marriage-pregnancy- miscarriage- becoming a qualified teacher- hitch hiking -cheerful destitution and then Liverpool.

  • 19. Arthur Brown’s Marmalde…1968. Granby Street, Paddington Comprehensive  and Dave , the poet.

    19. Arthur Brown’s Marmalde…1968. Granby Street, Paddington Comprehensive and Dave , the poet.

  • 20 .Liverpool…1969 . Trouble brewing … The end of Dave the poet, John, Henry  and the Odd Spot.

    20 .Liverpool…1969 . Trouble brewing … The end of Dave the poet, John, Henry and the Odd Spot.

  • 21. Liverpool…1970 …Approaching the bottom of a downward spiral.

    21. Liverpool…1970 …Approaching the bottom of a downward spiral.

  • 22… Autumn 1971. Rock bottom or  almost drowning then learning how to swim.

    22… Autumn 1971. Rock bottom or almost drowning then learning how to swim.

  • 23.Liverpool…1972  The Monte Carlo chip shop, love, The Oriental Club and Venice in half a day.

    23.Liverpool…1972 The Monte Carlo chip shop, love, The Oriental Club and Venice in half a day.

  • 24. January 1973… Neuralgia, worse than childbirth or a slipped disc.

    24. January 1973… Neuralgia, worse than childbirth or a slipped disc.

  • 25. Summer 1973… An allotment plot and back to The Oriental Club.

    25. Summer 1973… An allotment plot and back to The Oriental Club.

  • 26.  August/ September 1973 . Camping chiefly next to picturesque Irish castles but …

    26. August/ September 1973 . Camping chiefly next to picturesque Irish castles but …

  • 27. Autumn 1973 An abortion.

    27. Autumn 1973 An abortion.

  • 28. Early November 1973… Still very sad but write home cheerfully.

    28. Early November 1973… Still very sad but write home cheerfully.

  • 29. November 18th  1973… Too old to plant a tree! Dad’s seventy-third birthday.

    29. November 18th 1973… Too old to plant a tree! Dad’s seventy-third birthday.

  • 30. Late November 1973… Bean Stew.

    30. Late November 1973… Bean Stew.

  • 31. Late November 1973… Gardening and common ground.

    31. Late November 1973… Gardening and common ground.

  • 32. Early December 1973… Chris visits Liverpool and muck spreading.

    32. Early December 1973… Chris visits Liverpool and muck spreading.

  • 33. Early/Mid December 1973… Piss Quick and Shit Quick.

    33. Early/Mid December 1973… Piss Quick and Shit Quick.

  • 34, Mid December 1973… A monstrous pile of cardboard flung all over the place in the biting wind.

    34, Mid December 1973… A monstrous pile of cardboard flung all over the place in the biting wind.

  • 35. March 3rd 1974… Rosemary for memory.

    35. March 3rd 1974… Rosemary for memory.

  • 36. March 1974… Sweeping the chimney and exploding lumps of coal.

    36. March 1974… Sweeping the chimney and exploding lumps of coal.

  • 37.March 1974… Panic! A wet and miserable time and I have just found out that I am pregnant again.

    37.March 1974… Panic! A wet and miserable time and I have just found out that I am pregnant again.

  • 38.March 1974…The reality has begun to sink in. Despite the sickness I was glad to be pregnant.

    38.March 1974…The reality has begun to sink in. Despite the sickness I was glad to be pregnant.

  • 39. April 21st…The pregnancy is now an accepted fact.

    39. April 21st…The pregnancy is now an accepted fact.

  • 40. April /May 1974… Cup final, the flood and a pub crawl!

    40. April /May 1974… Cup final, the flood and a pub crawl!

Bonny Braeside
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