大象传媒

This is the first of a series of letters between Anne Westlands and her daughter, also called Anne who emigrated to USA when she married.

161 Revidge Road,
Blackburn, Lancs.

13th June 1940
My dearest Annie,

There has been no letter from you for some weeks, but I am hoping there will be one soon and that you are all well. We need all the letters to help keep up our spirits in these very difficult days through which we are passing. The weather has been lovely, very warm and lots of sunshine so I have sat out in our very small garden whenever I could manage time. It is pretty lonely for me as Florence is away from 2 till 11 each day and the visitors from Scotland who intended to come this summer are now too busy. No one wants to be away from home at present anyway and those with cars have no petrol. Lysbeth was to have been here with Ernest for a week in May, but his petrol was not sufficient and he had to come by train and leave her at home. Then Margaret Muirhead was coming next week to see us before sailing to join her husband in India but she, too, has had to change her plans meantime. She hopes to see us later. Pat and Willie have managed to get away and are at Newtonmore for 10 days. They got there on Monday. Billy will be a year old on the 25th of this month. Willie had 鈥榝lu in the spring and then had 5 teeth out and Pat had not had a change since baby came, so they will both be the better of a break. Willie had just enough petrol to take them there and back, so they won鈥檛 be able to use it while there. No doubt it will be better for Willie to be golfing and fishing than driving about in a car which he does every day at home. I expect to go north in August if possible. I was not able to go at Easter after having 鈥榝lu. I still have a stiff knee but sitting in the sun is helping it.

Florence is well but very, very busy. She was to have had a holiday camp for the girls in July and had booked a place at Rhyl in Wales, but that, too, has had to be cancelled for this year. Instead she is trying to get a small cottage nearby so that girls can have a weekend now and again as they can get. It is not so easy to find a cottage suitable and within their means. It makes one wish for a little more money to help this good work. Ernest was here for a few hours and had lunch with us. He had no meetings here so he did not stay. He returned to Wigan. He does a week鈥檚 lecturing in the northern counties every year in May. Next month he goes to Scotland for a conference. Lysbeth will be very disappointed not to go too. I had a letter from her yesterday and she said the garden is lovely and full of roses and could I not go to see it. Very tempting, but like everyone else I feel it would not be right to go from home just now.

Now it is time for Florence to come home and I must prepare supper.

Write soon again and give me all your news. Ian and Marjorie will be having their holiday soon. Are Ethel and Florence well and busy? I hope Harold too is well. Warmest love to all of you from Florence and your loving Mother.

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