Letter to my father

12 Shrewsbury Ave
Beckenham, Kent
England
22nd December 1953

Dear Daddy, I hope you got my last letter, did you?We are settled in Shrewsbury [new house in Beckenham] now.I hope you are not pining for us too much. We are going to the Edwards' for Christmas.Auntie Pamela [a friend] is going round the new house with Mummy and viewing it, just now she came over.

I am not settled at Marian Vian [junior school in Elmers End] I am staying at Alexandra [junior school in Penge] for this year. [this was the year of the 11plus exam for all children, to decide which secondary school they should attend]

I just got up today from having influenza. Gillie has got the symptoms and has been rather miserable latley [spelling sic]. For Christmas I am giving Gillian a dolly cot, I am making the bed-clothes, with a dolly in it. Mumy [sic] is having some bath-cubes,(from me), some soap (from Gillie), some ivy (from Claire) and from all of us, some hand-cream. And Gillie is giving her a clothes-brush.

Then Gillie will have a bunny (a bugs-bunny) with wire inside so you can bend it whatever way you want. We are giving you two lovely presents. I wish you were here to see Gillie's face when she opens her present [Gillie was aged 2 ½.] We are giving Rufus [our red cocker spaniel] a collar and a dog biscuit in the form of a bone. I wish we had never got Rufus, frankly. A cat would be much more practical. Well, it's no good crying over spilt milk, so good-by till the 25th of December when I will tell all about Christmas Day.

Good Night — Bon Swau [I had picked up a few words of French!!] —Wendie