19521208 Hilda

[?] denotes indecipherable

Frampton Court

                       Dec. 8   1952

Dearest Gerard & Violet

It was so very sweet of you both to want me to come & pay you a visit, but we feel we just can’t.  Perhaps we have lost all energy & ??? in our growing old age !  or perhaps it is partly that we are rather broke, & partly that we can’t stay too long away from home very easily – one is tied to home in so many ways, and now my added tie is the [?] baby & I have no idea how long it will be before the house in [?] is ready to contain her & [?]  as well as the [?] & the rest of the family, 4 all told.

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So we are sticking to our plan of 14 days in Majorca (we had already paid £5 each [£150 at 2020 prices] Deposit in English money, which they take, legally or illegally, in London ! - & of course that helps considerably towards the full cost of our first week there)  & then about 3 days in Spain.

I am hoping that Bridget Scott will be there for our second week & some GLos’shire friends will be there for the first week in Majorca.  If the weather is bad- which it may be, I fear – it will be a bit of a fiasco.  Majorca gets more rain that Spain or Portugal.

I don’t think I have very much news.  We are busy finding a new Conservative Candidate for Stroud &

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Thornbury, as Booby [Walter] Perkins is not going to contest another election/ On Saturday [?]  & I went to help to sort out the 7 possible ones & reduced the number to 3.  Each one (two were women) had to speak for ¼ hr then answer questions for ¼ hr – so it took 4 hours from start to finish & we didn’t get back until 10:30 p.m.  Next Saturday a general meeting selects one from the three, which will be rather exciting as we know the first two very well.  The two women were quite excellent, but were not included in the ??? those chosen.  I don’t think one wants to be represented by a woman unless she is quite outstanding.

I was so interested in all the family news.  We shall look forward

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to seeing Ralph & Diana & the babies when they come hom.  Do tell them to let me know as soon as they arrive  - what will be their H.Q. I wonder ?

I don’t know if Bridget will have moved – I expect so, but I don’t suppose she will have so much room as at Gatehill [?]

We are going up to London for a night next week to see the Ballet “Sylvia” which is lovely, I believe, & the Graham-Clarke’s great neice is dancing in it – a lovely girl.  Henriette is very well, & as crazy about her hunting as ever !  The weather has been simply Gruesome – the worst post-Xmas weather any of us can remember, & the fogs in London terrible – cars stranded by the dozen & babies being born in taxis unable to get to the Nursing Homes !!  All quite incredible.  How lucky you are.

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I wonder what you will think of the photograph Xmas card – Jack looks so old & bald, but hasn’t really aged as much as he appears to have !  The dogs were visitors, except the [?]  which I had for about a year & was the sweetest dog I ever had !  She died suddenly in a fit, never having had a fit in her life. & we never discovered the cause, though it might have been poison.  I was always unlucky with my dogs, which doesn’t encourage one to have another.  Jack still has the Irish Water Spaniel which has populated Glos’shire with 3 litters of puppies & is to be married once more next year.

How splendid of you to [?] [?]  Crispin : his chicken-pox & how clever & independent children are in your country Rhodesia.  I am sure our David

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would have succeeded in losing himself or his luggage !

Rollo might do a bit better !  Yes, I think it is wonderful news about Dorothy, but Bridget Scott tells me that Rosie is almost a nervous wreck – it has been such a strain on her, and Ernest & Dorothy have no idea she is ill - & keep ringing her up & making her come over to help them.  Bridget S. says Douglas is in despair about it.  That was a month or two ago, so I hope she is better.

Lots of love & best Xmas wishes to you all

Your loving

                      Hilda