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Transcription of Letter
From
J R Derbyshire
62 Friars Avenue
Delapre
Northampton
England
To
John Derbyshire
14 Legion Drive
Valhalla
New York 10595
U.S.A.
62 Friars Av
Dear John,
We received your welcome letter on Monday It was nice to read about your trip Coast to
Coast, it must have been a wonderful experience & well worth the trouble & strain & must give full marks to
the old banger. As you
say, about the best buy you will ever make.
I am surprised, as you had snow we didn't get any as we usually do but the wind changed from N/E
to SoW, right off the Gulf Stream, hence lovely Spring Sunshine very little rain & very nice, but if we don't get
some seasonal whether we will
be in the cart cropwise. how about 5p that's 1/- old money, for 1 spud.
Bacon £1 a pound Bread 3/-
loaf, beer 4/6 pint whisky
£3-10 bottle. thats because of Common Market Shop Stewards & Politicians. I never thought I would live to see
this. It seems as if
people have just become insane Its quite plane what has to be done, but no one will do it. If 3 years ago the
Government had done what they are
now thinking of doing, we would be sitting pretty now the same with Ireland history points out that we will
have to get out in the end,
as we did in all our former countries of the Empire after doing what we are now doing in Ireland apart from the cost
£60,000,000 a year for 6
years & nothing to see for it. We are borrowing Thousnads of Millions of Pounds from the Oil Companies & giving
most of it away to our former
colonies who turn round & spend it in other countries & none here, thus causing a balance of payments crisis.
We just lent India
190,000,000£ & now they are going to charge us for flying the Concord over thier country. From my experience
of past I can see years in the
future & believe you me I dont like what I see. If we still had our empire we could recover as we had half the
world on our side now we
stand alone & with no assets & there is only one way downwards I hope you dont think I am looking on the
black side, these are facts,
so whatever you do stay put were you are dont risk not being able to get back.
As you know your Mum is decending on you in June so hold your hat on.
thanks for the invitation there is nothing I would like better than to see you & shake your hand but I am proud of
you & I am sure you will
get on if you look after yourself & who knows I may be spared to see you when you can come here without risk, even
if it was my funeral as there
is no future here for the young people & I hope you will have your Mum for many years & you can be proud of
her. Well I dont know what you
will think of my ramblings but as the years roll by, think back & you will see I am right. You never said whether
you got our Xmas cards I hope
you did. things go on much the same here fumbling along living from day to day everything getting dearer & scarcer
& I dread to think what
will happen when we have to start paying back the money we have borrowed I am thinking of diging part of the lawn
up & growing some Spuds
Beans Peas etc to help out next year. I dont know if I shall manage to. I feel OK but in a morning I have to make an
effort to get up when I waken, I
just feel as if I want to stay in bed. by the time I have had my breakfast & read the paper I feel OK. I have a
good walk & enjoy it, but if
it comes to digging I dont know whether I could manage it or not. I think the weather has a lot to do with it. In the
summer I feel I could do
anything but only thinking about the cold & sitting over the fire depresses me. I never tell Mum as she is always
worrying about me so I try to
be cheerful for her sake. It will leave a big void in her life when she is on her own & I am learning the Harp up
there but I tell she has you
& Judith & Noel so she should be OK. in any case once you are gone you are soon forgotten & if there is
another place it can't be worse
than this.
I am alone as Mum has gone to Judith's as Tessa is having Gymnastics
training so
no knowing when she will get back I am watching Wales & England Rugby Match at
Twickers.
Well I have managed to get to finish after 3 days. There has been a dreadful crime — a little girl, from
Judith & Tessa's school was
raped & murdered on Sat they gave out on the Radio tonight that they had got the man. Tessa wont go to school as
she is afraid Judith
brought her here to stay with us for a few days. I know Mum keeps you up to date on the General news so that only leads
me to moan I hope you
can put up with it. As you know it is the one thing left to us old un's. having been through we know what you feel
& I think you are working to
hard & will burn yourself out, no one will want you then. I dont suppose you have tried Yoga yet. you would be
surprised the difference it
makes you can unwind completely in half an hour. do try it otherwise you will suffer later on & always
remember a good Bank Balance is
still your best friend. Well all for now & I do hope you can read my writing. it gets worse Wishing
you a prosperous New Year
love Mum X X X
Dad