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My dearest Margaret,
I
was delighted to get your lovely long newsy letter and to hear all your
news – especially about Paul – Give
him my love and tell him how proud his grandma is!
It takes me back to the days when John’s
and Peter’s reports came in and were duly
examined by Alfred – in detail!! I am sure Peter must remember those days with pleasure
and a grin – “the grin” in fact!
I have been wondering which day you leave for Venice?
I was terribly disappointed to hear from Peter that he
couldn’t make it after all (Dad’s
ship, HMS ARMADA, stayed in Trieste and didn’t visit Venice, but he
got leave and travelled up for a few days) – I couldn’t
have been more disappointed and upset if it had been me!
(I seem to remember a similar story in which Mum
once got on a slow boat to China (1947?) to visit Dad in Hong Kong, and
as soon as she arrived his ship took off.) But I
hope you’ll enjoy Venice I’m sure you will – I loved it and
specially getting out of the train and into a gondola to get to the
hotel steps! I was only 20
and thought it the most romantic place I had ever been to
- specially when the Italians sang as they floated past in their
gondolas! I thought “If I
ever marry I’d love to come here for my honeymoon”.
But when I married a Habershon the honeymoon was spent in the
south of England! .......
When in Venice we made a trip to the island of Murano.
“We took a gondola and went along numerous canals till we came
to a lovely blue lagoon. We
went past the island cemetery across a lovely blue stretch of water till
we came to the Island of Murano. Here
we went to see the Salviati glassworks – most fascinating – first we
were shown into a kind of storeroom full of great bins of white sand or
dust. This we were told was
brought from Fontainebleau. There
was some other red mineral stuff of same consistency.
Next we went into an enormous “blacksmiths” shop with wood
furnaces in the centre. The
workmen were sitting around and young boys waiting on them.”
I have quoted all this from my own diary written in 1913 which
you must see when you come. There’s a full description of these works, mosaic floors,
pottery etc. The diary
continues – “after we left this solace we went in a gondola to the
side of the island to see the Museum.
This had lovely old glass of the 16th and 17th
centuries. The Venetians were never allowed to disclose the secret of
making the glass. It
takes 10 yrs for a man to reach perfection.
In the evening we walked to St Marks to see the sunset –
indescribably beautiful”. I
can’t quote more but I thought this might be an interesting trip to
take. There were no motor
boats then but I believe there are now so fear the charm and silences
must have gone – just the swish of water which of course is a
wonderful sounding board for the best Italian singers.
Please
could you do one thing for me – that is if you are able to of course.
Could you bring me 2 plates (pudding size) in best Venetian glass
- full of colour specially reds etc not necessarily exactly alike but to
go together on my sitting room wall near my desk instead of the 2 common
ones I have got.
(I have still got some of the Venetian glasses which Mum and Dad bought
for themselves) They are something I have always wanted and
they are an investment and worth having to hand down.
I enclose a cheque and if it + the customs is not enough let me
know. Perhaps they could be
sent direct to save you bothering?
If you find it a sweat don’t trouble. I
see in my diary that we bought a liqueur set which my stepmother pawned!
As I write the storm has gathered overhead and it’s terrifying.
I’m all alone too! The
lawn is under water and I feel sure John’s crops will be flattened.
I expect he will be on his way home form Lasham by now as the
gliding championships finished yesterday.
He has been away 10 days and had good weather!
I expect as we have. With
the gliding being in “Lasham Hants” I wondered how near it was to
you or the Mardens.
(2pm)
When I went to have lunch I found the porch flooded and a bit
under the back door so I had to mop up – cussing!
....... the Skegness house .............
you were leaving. I knew it
was the Sat or Sunday as you had to get Paul ready for school that week.
I hope that it fitted in with your plans with the Peppers.
I have quite decided not to let the house next year except to the
2 people who have had it every year for years and are excellent tenants.
I could have done with it myself these last 10 days and if I
don’t let in holiday times it will be free for you, Joan or me at a
moment’s notice. Greetham
always visits in Feb and this year I was so afraid the L. (Lincolnshire?)
Authorities would commandeer empty houses for Hungarian
refugees! (Soviet
Union had invaded Hungary in 1956)
I have had a good deal of experience of them in Rotherham and am
afraid a lot are not genuine refugees.
I am proposing to go to Pendennis (Skegness
house) for the day with Mrs Banks on Aug 31st and
make up the beds and see that all is ready for Maureen and your little
lot. Please can you just
jot down anything particular you want doing with the beds and we’ll
make them up accordingly – ie, where you are going and where Maureen
and Don would be sleeping? The
cot and the camp bed can be placed neatly in whatever rooms you want. I would also see that there were fresh eggs, milk, groceries
etc for that weekend to give Maureen a chance to to turn herself around
and settle in. She’s such
a kind soul and it will help her to get her family away without
troubling herself. We’ll
take a piece of pressed beef too to “go at”.
You might give me any ideas re food please and quantities for
milk. At the end of your
visit I thought I’d go the Crown on Thursday (don’t tell Lill!),
have a glimpse of you all on the Friday and help you to get off on the
Saturday and deal with laundry too.
I shall take some from here as Joan will want some for her party.
She has asked me to stay while they are there but I can only stay
a weekend as I have to be at a War Pensioners meeting on 18th
Sept – all the Yorkshire Chairmen are invited to meet “the
Minister” in Leeds. You’ll
be fed up with this screed so I’ll stop. I hope you have a most lovely
holiday and will see more of Peter than you
think, just now thought I must say I wish could have “made” Venice
too.
I enclose a cheque for my
glass. It’s sure to be
expensive but it will be genuine and if it’s more let me know.
Genuine Wedgwood etc is v. expensive too! By the way, Hubert (Winter
I think) brought up some rather pretty blue plates for me.
I have put them in a parcel for you as they would look nice on
your sideboard or round a room….
I remember that Venice trip very
well, because Paul and David
got to go and Ricky and I
were left behind in Havant, in
the charge of what we thought then was an evil witch. I'm sure she
was a very nice lady, but she sure kept us in line. The whole
experience has scarred me for life, and I've yet to visit Venice.
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