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Transcription of Letter
From
J.R. Derbyshire
62, Friars Avenue
Delapre
Northampton
U.S.A.
To
Mr John Derbyshire
126, Stevens Avenue
Valhalla
New York 10595
U.S.A.
May 18th., 1977
My dear son,
at last, you've made an elderly lady and a little girl very happy. If you could only have seen
how delighted Tessa was with her letter she rang me and said she had had
such a happy week because
Uncle John and Daddy had written to her. She is dying for you to come and swim with her. She is very good, and is
swimming for the school in a
Jubilee gala. No need to tell you how pleased we are to know you are
O.K. you are a devil to keep us
waiting so long for news I shall have to ask Louise to kick you up the
'Kyber".[1]
Last night I went with my club on an evening outing, it was lovely we went a
run all round the country lanes to Bedford and then landed up at The
West End Club there ate drank and
danced and sang all the Old favourites with a very good group, they were great and a good time was had by all, got home
at midnight, Dad was sulky
about it as he doesn't really like me going. He'll get over it, I get fed up sometimes and feel I shall run riot! The
weather has been a pig, but
it's lovely today though somewhat windy, I've done a bit of gardening, I am going to try and grow some tomatoes.
Vegetables here are a shocking
price, the humble cabbage is too expensive to buy without a mortgage!! new potatoes are as much as 28p a pound. Dad
blames it all on the Common
Market!! I am getting one or two new things for the house, bed linen mostly as some of my things are wearing out.
Phillip is coming to
decorate the kitchen for me next week, I want to get it all nice for when you come, I hope Lou can come with you.
Thank you darling for paying
Tom for me, I will settle up with you when you come, it has saved me
a lot of hassle. I did ask
Ginny to let me know if she got her money back from Church's China
Stores, but I haven't heard
anything from her yet, they promised me they would send it right away, I'm sorry she bothered with them, I had to get
really cross with them, and
made innumerable phone calls to them, of course they were cross to lose such a large order I suppose. This time last
year I was counting the days to
seeing you, how time flies, you will soon be 32! I made a mess of that didn't I, quite an old-man. Thank you darling
for the snap it is lovely Lou
looks smashing, and you look very well. I'm glad your room is satisfactory I still wish you had a place of your
own.
I sat outside for a
while and
the wind blew all the blossem off the cherry tree the garden looks as though there has been a snow storm. Last weekend
I stayed overnight at Judy's
while they had a night out, the baby was marvelous went to bed at six and slept till after six next morning, he is a
good little soul. I expect Tess
will come this weekend and stay the night, I hope you won't think I'm crazy John, but I have bought Tess and I a dolls
house to keep here so that I
can have fun furnishing it a bit at a time I've always wanted a house of my own and I do love miniture things. Must be
in my dotage, well, men play
with trains so why shouldn't I play with a dolls house? The telly seems to be conking out I'm hoping Dad will consent
to renting a colour one, I
could manage a rental but not to buy a new one. The license for a colour is £18 and "they" want to put
it up to £25, isn't that
diabolical? Judy rents hers and I think she pays about £60 a year. Anyway we'll have to see.
I think I told you dear that I have
an invitation
to the Council Chamber on the 26th to see Mark Aldridge's inauguration
to Mayor, that is in the
morning and then Dad and I to the official reception at night, of course, Dad won't go, you know his views on pomp and
ceremony. but I'm going. They
always ask after you, I shall also see Mrs Griffiths there and she
wants you to go and see her when
you come. Dad has just lit a bonfire in the garden and I am going to have a bath and go to bed with a book not very
exciting love but the best I can
do now!! Take good care my darling, come soon, I shall have to give you a birthday pressy when you come. Always in my
heart love, love you dearly
though I do get mad when you don't write for weeks on end. Give my love to
Mary and
Jay, won't be long now. Where is Jay living meantime? I think of you all
and relive our times together
last year. Love to Tom and Ginny when you see them and anyone else interested, not forgetting Ma[r]y's folks and dear
old Mrs Bruno. Lots of love my darling, as always
X X X X Mother & Dad