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27. Autumn 1973 An abortion.

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That Autumn I discovered that I was pregnant and went about the harrowing business of organising an abortion. I knew that had I gone ahead that would have meant no degree and I couldn’t face hurting my parents. At the doctors I cried and after the operation I felt deeply sad/bleak but also relieved. Babies and me! I’d never even held one or wanted to.

‘Cousin Jack’ is another of dad’s many cousins.He was a magistrate and gave my dad £2  yer to cut the grass on his mother’s grave , something my father would have done for nothing .I didn’t warm to him …far too grand.  Our family graves were always trim. When dad was almost eighty he was on his hands and knees cutting his father’s grave and some youths threw stones at him. Dad was such a gentle man!

Autumn 1973

My Dear Joy,

Here I am once again writing to Joy my Friday letter. ‘Fraid I shan’t get very far today though. Cousin Jack and Kitty [Tickner] from Cranbrook , Kent, gave me a call just as I was settling down. He was staying a day or two at Uncle Frank’s , but I only half expected he would drop in. and we enjoyed a pleasant half hour chat. He asked about you and I told him you were in your final year at Liverpool. It appears that he’s a magistrate and said that it kept him busy three times a week on the Bench. He went on to tell me that he had to go to Cambridge to take course in law. Auntie Sylvia had called earlier so that pegged your letter back too. Not that I’ve much of interest to relate.

St Simon and St Jude Church , Earl Shilton.

I’ve been busy tidying up for the winter down the garden . Finished all the hedge cutting , given the lawn its last cut for the year and last Saturday mam and I stripped the tomatoes in the cold frames. Tomorrow I hope to cut the graves for the last time and that’ll be that, unless Chris clears the ground of his beans for a winter dig like a good gardener should. I’ve cleaned and oiled my mower and tools and put them away for another year. You, of course , will still have some rough stuff to do if you take on that allotment[ part of] and it will pay you. I wish I was a bit nearer to lend you a hand and advise but you should make it OK and enjoy it too.

And now we are getting ready for the Harvest Festival. Mam has been busy all day at the OAP centre this morning and decorating in the church in the afternoon. Chris, as always makes his contribution by taking across a wheelbarrow load of marrows, carrots, turnips and parsnips.

Its been a busy day for me too. I was off early this morning to gather a basin full of blackberries for a pie then I went across to the churchyard to give the graves a last cut. In the meantime I found that four sacks of potatoes had arrived so I had to tip them out and sort them for bad ones and stow away.

About yourselves. I suppose you are getting ready for the tempo of another session. We wish you and Mike the best of luck and that you’ll be off to a good start. By the way, anything further about your Japanese prints you spoke of? I often think of Ernie and wonder how he is faring. If you see him give him my best regards.

Well love, it’s been a sultry, busy day for me and now a thunderstorm has come along to cool the air. Chris is off to Bosworth for a peel and its me for a bath and a spruce up.

Best of love and Safe keeping always, 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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