Letter from Jean, 15.8.62

This is a letter from Jean to May, on the occasion of her engagement to Ian Campbell. So far, we have only found one letter from Jean written later then this one. I have learned from Elizabeth, that Jean's married name is O'Kines, and that she died two years ago.

27 The Slides,
Hollington,
St. Leonards on-Sea,
Sussex.
15.8.62

Dear May,

It was lovely to hear from you + to hear you are getting married.

We were very touched to get your invitation + I know you will be as disappointed as we are that we can't manage to get up there for the occasion.

Please don't forget us though + remember to send us a long long letter giving all the details + if possible a photograph of you both.

It would have been nice to have met Ian but I expect we will one day, in the meantime give him our regards + I hope he doesn't think too badly of us for not coming to his wedding.

We are glad to hear you have a place of your own to go to. It is nice + central + near to shops + buses which will be a great asset if you have to travel to town every day.

I had no idea you were so clever with your needle. Have you a sewing machine? I do a lot of dressmaking, it is the only way I can manage to cloth my brood - aren't hens lucky, their chicks only need feathers + they come free of charge. I'm not much good without paper patterns, are you?

I am sure you must be out of touch with the children + their ages - Gordon is 15 next month, Ian was 8 last March, Shirley 7 last June, David 3 next month + Bobbie is 14 months + he has just started to walk. You can imagine how much sewing + knitting I have to do, can't you.

At the moment they are on school holidays + don't go back till Sept 11th. Gordon has left school + has got himself a job with poultry.

Dave has just finished his holiday + although you would expect me to have more time for writing during his holiday it seems as though i am busier than ever. I think it must be those "in between" cups of tea + the extra washing up that goes with it. The weather was dreadful, the local paper said the worst since records began in 18 something or other.

We keep saying we are going to take some snapshots of the children but either it rains or we forget to take the camera or something. Dave takes a good photo but I always look ghastly, either slits for eyes or the light shines on my glasses or my hair hangs all over the place or I'm all teeth or tight-lipped - surely I can't look as bad as that in reality, or do I!! You know how frank children can be, well we had a good laugh at Gordon when he was about 6 years old. I was looking in the mirror + trying to fix a small bunch of flowers with a brooch on my lapel + he piped up to his daddy - "Mummy is trying to look pretty, but she can't."

Are you redecorating your flat? What a lot of fun you must be having getting everything ready. It is hard work getting paintwork ready for repainting but it is so rewarding. We have a council house here but all the interior has to be done by the tenant.

Give my regards to Mary + Josh + Nancy + George + all the others to save me naming them. It is a pity we didn't live nearer isn't it. I think I prefer the South if only for the climate, (present weather excepted.) perhaps you would both like it too. The two years will pass very quickly. It doesn't seem as though we have been in this house for seven years.

Love to you both + I hope everything goes smoothly on the 4th. Sept. we shall be thinking of you.

Mum + Dad.
xxxxxxx