Monday 3 July 2017
From St Albans : 27.6.91
From St Albans
27.6.91
Dear Alan, Lorna, Melissa, Jolene and Stacey,
Thank
you Melissa for your lovely letter. No-one is having a birthday here at the
moment. The next birthday is Ben’s friend Daniel Griffin who is 12 on the 13th
July (in our school holidays).
Dennis’s
sister Pauline is 20 on the 30th July. However she and her friend
Anthea will be in Hobart from approx. 21-29th July. Anthea grew up
in South Africa but her family migrated to here some years ago. They are great
friends. They are going to Tassie by boat and driving their car around.
If you
would like I can give them your phone number and they can tell you all the
“gossip” about Vicki etc.
Vicki
does all the normal baby things:
-she
does not sleep much during the day.
-she
wakes a lot at night.
-she
“sicks” on your shoulder.
-she
likes to be walked around while you are holding her but she is usually very
happy and healthy. She smiles and talks a lot.
Next Saturday
my year 7 at Sunshine High School (1967) are having a big reunion. Teachers that
are definitely coming include Barry Rayner, Mrs Hart (Mr Hart has recently
died), Robert Moore, Mrs Denise Leahy (who still teaches).
It
should be an interesting night as most of the people I have not seen for 20
years.
Over
110 students of the 147 starters have been “found”.
On the
14th may 1991 Darryl and Sue had a girl Stephanie and on the same
day Ross and Lindi had a girl Georgia. The last time Ross had a baby girl Iain
also had a daughter on the same day. I don’t know how he does it!! Darryl rang
me up last Saturday and I said “Darryl Who?”
He said “your cousin” then we had a long conversation (about babies).
I swam
4olaps yesterday which is the most I have ever swum in one session. It is a lot
for me. I am trying to get fit in my old age. Dennis goes for 2-3 hour walks
around St Albans and has lost a lot of weight. He is about 11 ½ stone. I am 9
stone.
I hope
you are all well and enjoying the winter which so far is not very cold,
much
love from
Anne
XXXXXXXX
From Hilton : 18.4.91
From Hilton
18.4.91
Dear Lorna, Allan & family,
Sorry I have taken so long to write. It was very nice to receive
a letter from you. I have been so busy sewing you wouldn’t believe it. After
doing the stretch knit course, we did the quilted jacket course. I made two
jackets, one for Fay, one for myself. They are lovely, but what a lot of hard
work. I am now doing the gift course which is making things like quilted oven
gloves. It is so nice to see all the wonderful things one can do. I am also
busy doing a bit of sewing for Jonathon’s school.
Neal has been staying with us this week. Gee it is lovely to
have him. The children just love him. In fact he looked after Nicholas this
morning while I went to have my hair permed. He has been helping Lionel at the
factory. Sheila is coming up next weekend to look after my kids. We are having
a school reunion (ten years out of school) can you believe it? There is a pub
lunch at Nottingham Road on Saturday, a dinner dance in the evening; a braai on
Sunday at Midmar. Because Ma is not going to be here, Sheila said she would
come up for the weekend. My kids are so fond of her; so happy with the
arrangement. Nicholas is so fond of Tarryn as she spends all her time playing
with him. They usually spend their holidays here.
I must tell you that we are busy doing plans for building
our house. I am so excited about it I can’t tell you. It is going to be lovely
to have our own place again. We are not going to do it ourselves. Lionel’s friend
who is a builder is going to do it for us. We are probably going to start when
we come back from our holiday in Margate in June.
Send love to everyone; write again soon.
With lots of love
from Debbie, Lionel, Jonathon, Fay; Nicholas.
From England : 25.2.91
From England
25.2.91
Dear Mum, Dad, Alan, Lorna, Melissa, Jolene and Stacey,
Well
the sun shone today, the snow has completely disappeared and the mild weather
seems to have finally arrived.
But all
is not well in good ol’ England. You probably have heard of the terror of
travelling on the tube. First it was the snow, second a huge shambles after the
fire episode and now the bombs. The fatal morning at Victoria St was pretty frightening.
I was going to go to London on the day of the fire. The Central line is the
line I use. And this morning more bomb scares closed all stations for a while –
so a second attempt to venture into the centre has been postponed.
On my
way to work last Saturday we all had to alight not too far along the journey
because a train further down the track was on fire!
It must
be incredible unsettling for the daily commuters. Mary and Derek’s 25th do was very
lovely. I became the unofficial photographer merely because no one else was
“happily” taking snaps. They had hired the old Ongar Council Chamber in the
main street which feels like a big lounge room with photos of old Ongar on the
walls, lovely side rooms even plastic hydrangeas. There was game, salads, meat,
and a lovely avocado mousse – nothing terribly adventurous. But that’s English
cooking. Solid and plain.
I
cooked dinner last night. A main meal of chicken in coconut milk, garam masala
and accompanied by shallow fried mushrooms, eggplant, broccoli with an optional
gado gado sauce. They all thought it was very nice. Well that is what they
said. Except Bridget, of course, who is still fighting teenage feelings
regarding food? Derek I’m sure prefers meat and potatoes and bread.
I saw
another episode of “Boys from the Bush” last night and despite its faults I
found that I was laughing quite a lot. No doubt because I am not in Melbourne.
The corny language. The cliché’s. They went outback to a dilapidated house and
monosyllabic slow moving resident, they went to the zoo and the ultimate was
when the ‘happy’ family was having a night out at the West Sunshine R.S.L.
Received
your last letter this morning mum. I am sorry to have missed the blackberry
season.
Still
no winner about the state of Australia. Except that, in this country at least,
it affords a wonderful reputation. Everyone and I mean everyone whether they
are inebriated at the hotel or a stranger at the station wants to know why I am
here when I come from “such a lovely country”. Actually I wonder that many times
over. England is not my country. Perhaps when spring arrives it will be more
pleasant. But at the moment life s rather dull. I don’t know how people can
live with so little sun. So little space. Away from the coastline.
Finally
went to London for the afternoon yesterday. Step bought a leather jacket with
the money she was given for her birthday. We didn’t spend long there. Were in
the area around Oxford Circus – not far from the lovely Liberty Shop.
Duomo
is Italian singular for cathedral. My Italian is going along fine. At the moment it is really a revision exercise for
me. The moths of living with the language have been a tremendous help. I honestly
don’t know how people learn a language solely from books and tapes. Everything
that crops I can relate to a personal experience.
Regarding
those two visa expenses from Italy. The shop assistants or simply that is not
that surprising for Italy to be slow with paperwork. The 31st Jan
(Lorenzetti) and the 6th Feb (Benetton) were both purchases on
27.12. I am surprised at the cost. Has the Australian dollar slipped even further?
Trotted
off to London again yesterday. This time on my own. I just wanted to be among
crowds, the hustle and bustle. Saw Bertolucci’s ‘The sheltering Sky’. Finally
back in the solace of a cinema during the day with a good movie to keep me
company for over two hours. I don’t know how I survived for so long without
films!
Have
you seen ‘Cinema Paradiso’ yet? Yes I am a city person living in the country. I
suppose yesterday and last night was the first time since last August that I
have been in central London simply gallivanting and being part of its hub. It
was raining. Beggars in noticeable numbers and my journey home was delayed due
to a security alert at Liverpool St Station! But I liked it – for a day and a
night.
Well
I’m off to see what the employment situation is like for me.
Have a
great Tassie holiday, Lots of love to you all Bev
From St Albans : 18.1.91
From St Albans
18.1.91
Dear Alan, Lorna, Melissa, Jolene and Stacey,
At
last I have some spare time to tell you the news.
You
have another niece and cousin called “Victoria Naomi” born on the 14th
Jan. We are going to call her “Vicki” for short. She looks like the boys did
and she is going to be a pretty baby like they were.
She has
long black hair which I think is a bit curly. She was 8lb 1oz and I week early.
Dennis
and I came to the hospital which is in St Albans about 3pm and she was born at
5:28 pm. Dennis is on holidays for 2 weeks and is looking after the boys. He is
doing a great job and they pulled down the caravan and have taken it to the
Sunshine Tip in pieces. (We have a garage now).
Peter
does not really understand what has happened. When he first saw Vicki he was
speechless for about ½ hour and then he whispered in my ear,”is that your baby,
Mummy?”
Three midwives delivered her and
they liked the delivery. I had no painkillers and no stitches so I was on my
feet soon after. I was really glad it was over but I still did not care whether
it was a girl or boy.
Dennis and I are still getting used
to having a girl. You will see her when you come over whenever that is. Mum and
Dad have been to see her and so have a few other people. I have been given some
beautiful clothes, in pink of course!
When I get some photographs
developed I will send them over to you. I would also like to thank Lorna for
the boys presents – Ben has been wearing his shirt and I have put Peter’s bag
away for kinder which he starts on the 30th Jan.
If this
letter does not all make sense it is because I am tired from lack of sleep.
Hospitals are not the best places for getting a good night’s sleep!!!
Love
Anne
and baby Vicki who is fast asleep.
PS 21st Jan I came home on Saturday and so far
everyone is settling down well to having another baby in the house. She is good
so far. The Health Centre Sister came today and was impressed with her size and
length. She is chubby and was back to her birth weight before she came home
from hospital.
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