1940 Letter From Ipswich

                                                                                                            51 Corder Road
                                                                                                             Ipswich
                                                                                                             29 September,1940

My Dear Horace
You are naturally wondering how we are getting along during these terrible times. Well, thank God, up  to the present , fit and well. We of course get Nazi bombers over most nights and as an air raid warden I have to report at the Post and then wait for the bombs to drop. Fortunately none have fallen in my sector. For although I have passed a course in first aid, well I should be rather sorry for my patients.

We have had a number of bombs dropped around the district and some in the town. One broke most of the stained glass windows on the South side of our Church but no structural damage.
Four people only have been killed altogether. 3 on one occasion and then 1. Mostly from shock.
England has not yet been invaded and no attempt made. Believe me if Hitler and his crowd attempt it he will have a warm reception for the vast majority of people will fight to a man. We haven't got the wind up, neither have the people of London. I speak from my personal experience for Ethel, Daphne and I spent a week with Ethel's father in London.
The barrage is terrific, not pleasant, but you can live through it.

Leslie came home this weekend and he is quite fit and still working at the same place. Louie and all her family are still the same. Poor old Louie misses her treatment her poor legs are as bad as ever. Muriel has been moved to Nayland and she cycles over to see us occasionally when she has a day off. Its 13 miles from here so quite a good ride.

I have not yet heard from you since I wrote about Emily. Its hard to part with your mother and your sister but considering all things one can not feel but that they are better off. For when the air raid goes it is advisable to get downstairs and when you are aged or unwell that is far from pleasant, and as likely as not get a chill.

As to food there is plenty in the shops. I can see no difference from pre-war times and prices have gone up, but very little. The only thing I personally miss is sugar. I wish we could have more than a half pound per week per person per week. This is for cooking and everything. Butter goes down next week from 6 ounces to 2 ounces per person per week. But  there is plenty of margarine to make up for it.
I went to Lexden yesterday afternoon to see Horace. He is now a full time special constable doing clerical work in the Chief Constable office. He misses Mother and Emily very much but is still carrying on the house at Lexden. He will not have to go into the army and Ethel (Hall's) husband is exempt for some time.
Daphne still works at ---------- and is now in the cashier's office. Plenty of money about but not for Daphne.
Can now hear a German bomber going over but its very dark and cloudy and he is up so high (3 miles I suppose) so he doesn't know where he is fortunately.
Well have no more news so must conclude with fond love from all the family to all the clan of Nevards.

Your affectionate Brother
Cecil

1906 Letter from Alice Hall to Horace Nevard

                                                        Grove Farm Saxmundham
Suffolk, England
July 6, 1906
My Dear Horrie
I expect you are beginning to look for a letter from me but I did not receive your letter till this morning so I could not write before. It was an extra long while coming this time and I began to wonder if it was lost. I don't know what sort of flowers they are which you sent me which you got on the prairie but some sort of Canadian flower I should think. I am sending you two little pansys out of our garden just for a remembrance and two daisies off the meadow. The summer has really come now and we have had some hot weather since I wrote to you last.  I expect you find it very hot at work. I hope the mosquitoes don't worry you so much now. I expect you have seen Mary and Ernie by this time. I expect Ernie thought it took a rare long time to get  to Canada. I hope they got there alright. We shall not be able to hear yet for a few days I don't suppose. Mary sent a post card to Emily from Londonderry and Emily  forwarded it on to us. It was very good of Emily to go to Liverpool with them. Louie is home again now. She came back on Monday. I expect Cecil will be coming to stay with Louie for his holiday at the end of this month. Annie is coming home tomorrow just for the weekend and going back on the Monday and then she is coming home again on August the seventh for a fortnight's holiday. She told me when she wrote to me last that she wished to be remembered to you and to tell you that she would welcome you for a brother one of these days. I had been looking for the postman to bring me a letter for over a week before it came and Willie said he expected you had got another girl out there in Canada just to tease me. But Dick said I must not pay any regard to that  because they used to tease him just the same when Maud went to Derbyshire and he expected you were too busy to write. I was so pleased when Mother brought me the letter this morning. It came while I was turning the separator. I am writing this in a great hurry but I hope you will be able to understand it. I am going to the town this afternoon and I want to post it when I go. I have just had my dinner and I expect you have just had your breakfast but I don't know what time you have it though. We got 41 pounds of butter this week and we took 36 pounds of it to the town and my arm did just ache when I got there. Father was going to carry it for us and then they were so busy so I thought I could carry it. They are very busy with the hay now and we are having beautiful weather for it and hope it will continue to till the hay is done. Willie bought a clipper or grass mower at the show so that will help them on a bit. We have got such a lot of gooseberries in the garden but we didn't have many cherries. Although the tree was so full in bloom as I daresay you will remember and what few there was the birds were soon after them. I went to the Girl's Friendly Society Festival last Wednesday afternoon at Kelsale Rectory and I enjoyed myself very much. I saw my cousin Mary from Leiston. She is Daisy's sister you know who is at Colchester and we had quite a nice time together. I expect they are all coming here from Leiston on August Bank Holiday so we shall be quite a party. I had a nice big card given me at the festival for 5 years of faithful discharge of duties in the employment of my parents. I was quite surprised as I did not expect to get anything as I had always been at home.
Last Saturday week we had a lot of company. Father's brother from Ipswich and his wife and their son and his wife and three children came here and stayed to dinner and tea. My cousin Walter has not got any work and there is ever so many in Ipswich out of work. He is thinking of going out to Canada but I don't know whether he will. He is a bricklayer by trade, You can read some of this letter to Mary if you like or else tell her as I have no doubt she will like to hear all the news. Give our love to her and I hope she is better now and kiss dear little Ernie (Bill Nevard) for us all. I expect he will help to cheer you up and keep you lively. He didn't seem to mind leaving us at all but I don't suppose his little mind could realize that he would not be coming back again yet awhile. It is a good thing that he is so happy. I don't think he will ever really forget us. I am sure they must miss him very much at Lexden.
I don't think I must stop to write much more. I will keep the piece of Canadian money and the flowers for a keepsake . you pressed them out very nicely. I do so wish I could see you sometimes but I ought to not to write so I suppose. I hope you are not downhearted because although we cannot see each other we can write although its not quite like talking. I think of ever so much I want to tell sometimes and then I go and forget it. Annie said Herbert was quite well and was coming home in October I went to Saxmundham Church last Sunday morning and to Rendham Church in the evening. Is the Church you go to anything like Lexden Church?

Hoping this will meet you quite well. With love and kisses I remain your ever loving Alice.

Narratives of the Nevards continued

In 1933 the Reverend Cleesby came to assist Reverend Badham.
In November of 1933 a steer got into a storage well that we had dug. The only way to get him out was with a rope around his neck which, unfortunately, strangled the steer. Bill skinned it. The same thing happened some years later but that time Bill and Uncle Horrie chopped a trench in the frozen soil and got the steer out. Wet and thoroughly chilled, but ok. That year of 1933 we had all bull calves born. Bill named them, Hero, Zero, Nero, Gay Caballero and Qinque.
On the night of August 17, 1934 the worst wind storm we had ever experienced occurred. Our threshing separator blew over and was rendered useless. Our stable was pushed out of plumb. Two haystacks had their tops blown off. An open bin on a rise was flattened. One wall was scattered for a quarter mile to the East. The wind came from the West. Bob Miller, six miles to the West of us, also lost his granaries, two in number. This was a dry year. We only dug ten pails of potatoes. The following year we dug 37 bags which was , I think, our best year ever.
Dad put new roofing on the chicken house. We called this building "the Jew shack" It had been on Uncle Arthur's South quarter and Mr. Fastofsky had originally homesteaded that quarter. He was of the Jewish faith. Bill also referred to it as "the Israelite's cottage".
In July of 1935 the Reverend Hillary came as our rector and held services at Headlands. On Sunday, September 17th Bill and I took cousin Roy to St. Michael's Church in Lipton for confirmation.
Down through the years the Nevard family had an assortment of dogs and cats. Rustler had a family of kittens. One was Little Vengeance, another was Sunflower . Possibly a ginger cat or tortoise shell. Bill named them all. I believe he got the names from Treasure Island, a novel by Robert Louis Stevenson. A story that Bill was very fond of. There were also two dogs, Bud and Snookums. Uncle Arthur had Bud and we had Snookums. We may have got them from Hobetzeders . Their rather short lives were ended by getting poisoned from a carcass on the way home from town.
Uncle Arthur also had a dog named 'Pants" . He got his name in the following manner. When he was a pup he was fond of grabbing and pulling on pants legs. Roy was just learning to talk and he said "Pants!" in disapproval. Uncle Arthur heard this and was highly amused. From then on he called the dog Pants. On December 21, 1935 Bill recorded: "Pants went to the happy hunting ground". And the following March, another obituary notice, "Sad demise of the venerable Grip from an attack by an unknown assailant. Grip had been Uncle Horrie's dog.
Christmas day of 1936 was spent at our home with the usual family gathering. That year we had a Christmas pudding made by Grandmother Nevard in England who was well up in her eighties at the time. She was the oldest resident living in the village of Lexden at the time.

 

Narratives Of The Nevards

In the late 1970s Dick Nevard put together a family history of the Nevards. I added a few facts and photos recently and here is the updated version of "Narratives Of The Nevards". 

This is a history of the Nevard family as accurate as I can compile it. My Uncle Horrie has helped me on some points. I only wish my brother Bill had done the compiling as he could remember the events of the early days much better than I. There are some things I am not clear on. For instance, my father worked at his trade of brick-laying while either Uncle Horrie or Uncle Arthur worked the homesteads. Father worked in Regina and one summer at Nokomis. Just what years these were I can not be certain.
This is not my life story. What I have tried to do is tell the story of the early days of settlement in this area. I believe more people should preserve the history of those times. What is the use of advising others if I do not do likewise?
I hope everyone reading the Narratives of the Nevards will enjoy it and understand a little better the trials of the early pioneers in this part of Saskatchewan.
In the early spring of 1903 my father, Ernest Samuel Nevard and his older brother, Arthur, left their home at 36 Straight Road, Lexden, Colchester, Essex and boarded the ocean liner, Lake Manitoba at Liverpool. There were 2000 immigrants on board. These were the Barr Colonists bound to start a new colony in Western Canada, then known as the North West Territories.
The ship docked at Halifax on April 12, Easter Sunday. Dad and Uncle Arthur got off the ship the following day which was Dad's 25th birthday. They travelled by train with the colonists as far as Winnipeg and then left them as they had heard of land in the Lipton area. I don't know exactly what they did until July but I do know that they went to the United States for a while, then returned to Canada.
In July my father, Uncle Arthur, and two other men filed on section 24. Dad told me they drew lots to see who would get which quarter. Mr. Brown filed first on the N.W. quarter, Charles Fuller on the S.E. quarter and Uncle Arthur on the N.E. quarter. Dad got the southwest quarter.

Photo above is Ernest at left and Arthur Nevard on the right in front of their first home on the farm.
Uncle Arthur built a shack on his quarter and they all lived there the first winter. Dad said it was very cold as it was only one ply lumber. They kept a fire burning day and night and took turns getting up at night to replenish the fire. They slept on bunk beds. Dad was on the bottom bunk so he would get cold first and the others would wait for him to get up and stoke up the fire.
Brown also built a shack on the N.W. quarter of 24. There was an incident one day that could easily have ended in tragedy. One of the chaps had a loaded 22. rifle in his hands. He was messing around with it when it suddenly fired. Luck was on their side as it was pointed to the roof and went harmlessly through the boards. Dad said he never thought anything of it at the time but later realized that it could easily have been pointed at any of them

A Little History From The Hall Side

I don't usually include "modern" letters in the Nevard blog but this one from 1980 covers some fairly old ground that might be of interest to family historians.

Horace Hall (born 1906) was a cousin to Dick and Bill Nevard. The son of Louisa Nevard and William Hall. He was living in Norwich, U.K. at the time he wrote this letter to Dick Nevard.

I have read your Narratives of the Nevards and much enjoyed it. A few points I recall....I knew that my Uncles, Arthur, Ernest and Horace went to Canada in 1903-06 before I was born. There was no work here but Grandmother was upset when they left. She said she would never see them again but did in fact see Arthur and Horace again.  I recall Aunt Daisy dimly, but not too dimly to recall that she gave me a box of toy sheep. Toys were not too plentiful at the time so I thought that she was great. I was about 4 or 5 but the memory of that gift remains. She was of course, Nurse Winstanley and her father erected the Winstanley lighthouse now known as the Edison off the Western approaches.
Aunt Alice I recall very well. Each year I used to have a week at Grandmother and Grandfather Hall's. I used to enjoy that as Grandfather would let me do things which father would not. Such as riding horses and getting up at 4 a:m and helping with milking. Aunt Alice used to put me to bed and sing an evening hymn. This during the first world war when I was a small boy. At the end of the war Uncle Horrie came back and went with Aunt Alice. I think I was a bit of a nuisance as I was told to walk ahead.
I recall Uncle Arthur coming to Lexden during WWI. He arrived in the middle of the night and I wondered at his strange accent, having never heard anything other than Essex or Suffolk. The next day he took me to town and bought me some sweets and we were ok then.  Uncle Horrie came along later and we got along fine. (Sweets again to start). He taught me a bit of boxing. Grandmother was very upset went he went off leave to the front. Anyway they both came back and went off to Canada. Uncle Cecil and Aunt Emily went to Horrie and Alice's wedding at Carlton Church. Aunt Emily went to Liverpool to see them off but was very upset because she did not see Horrie on the boat. She then came back to Euston station on a non corridor train and that took several hours in those days.
I recall father at Christmas 1920, when I was at Sternfield, telling Uncle Dick that "Alice has got a boy". The first I had heard of it but of course he meant Roy (Nevard).
There was a regular correspondence between Canada and Lexden. Aunt Mary was , I think, the chief scribe, and I recall a number of things. The Goffs were often mentioned. The cold weather was also a topic
A few details I recall of the Nevard family, which I understand derived from the French "Nevare". Grandmother's maiden name was Clayden. Her mother was blind and came to live with us from about 1910 until she died in January of 1916. Grandmother's brother was Robert Wagstaff. He had two sons and three daughters. One called May used to visit us. Lexden in those days was a small village and everyone was well known. Edgar Middleton was the Church clerk and was some relation of Grandmother's.

Sarah Wagstaff Nevard

My great grandmother, Sarah (Wagstaff) Nevard posing in front of her home at 36 Straight Road, Lexden , Essex, U.K. At age 95 she was still capable of baking bread as evidenced by the two loaves she is holding. Pretty impressive.
This photo accompanied a news story in the local Lexden newspaper at the time. I couldn't find it today so just inserted the original photo.

1914 Nevard Wedding

This letter to my grandfather was written in great detail by his sister, Emily,

back in Lexden, Essex. Describing the wedding of their younger brother, Cecil Nevard to Ethel Nellie Cornish.

I was tempted to leave out some of the minute details of the pink helitropes and such
but thought at least one reader might find them of interest.





36 Straight Road Lexden,Essex
April 16, 1914


My Dear Horrie

Now I have some news to tell you I will write . I went up to London last Saturday and saw Cecil married to Ethel. It was a double wedding as her twin sister Alice was married directly after Cecil and Ethel. Of course one service answered for both.
The wedding took place at St. Mark's , Battersea at 1:30 p.m.
Mother went up with Cecil on Friday morning. Miss Dumm, Mrs. Cornish's aunt, went up with me. We met Will at Colchester Station and the 3 of us travelled up together. It was raining fast when we left here but by the time we reached Liverpool St. it had cleared up fine in time for the wedding. When they left in the afternoon the sun was shining bright. It couldn't very well shine on them in the church as the windows are high and the church is rather dull. Not so bright as Lexden church. The Rector of St. Mark's
married them. Our Rector, Mr. Evans promised Cecil he would go up and marry them and he fully intended to but two youngest girl Spurgeons wanted to be married on Saturday. The Rector tried to persuade them to put it off and tried to get another clergyman to take it but could'nt. You see a great many clergy object to marrying anyone on that day as they consider it Lent.
The service was fully choral. The organ played selections before the service during the time the people were assembling in the church.
We drove in style in a motor brougham. There were 6 motors employed for the bride's guests, etc. The service was very nice. The processional hymn was 281, Lead us heavenly father lead us, and the other was 578, O perfect love all human thought transcending.
The bride looked very nice dressed in cream crepe de chene with long trains. The dresses were trimmed with real lace.
They had white tulle veils and wreaths of orange blossom, carried bouquets of white carnations, lilac and white heather.
Ethel's two bridesmaids were dressed in very pale pink, almost flesh color crepe-de-chene and Alice's were in pale helitrope.
They all wore tunics (which is like a coat without sleeves) of cream lace tied around the waist with a girdle or sash. On their heads they wore little round caps of lace with a frill round. The ones that wore pink dresses carried helitrope lilies, and those that wore helitrope carried bouquets of pink carnations.
The reception was held in St. Mark's hall adjoining the church. It is a very large hall. You could put the institute inside it. There was a long table down each side of the hall. On one table the presents were arranged and the other was for refreshments. The large wedding cake stood on a table in the centre of the room. It was 2 tier, a large cake at the bottom and smaller one above, then a
receptable above full of lovely white flowers and smilax trailing down.

Mr. Cornish provided lunch for all the guests who cared to go to the hall before the service. We had ours at the house. The bridal group with Mr. and Mrs. Cornish and the 2 best men had their photo taken with the cake in center of group. There was plenty of nice dainties to eat, champagne,tea, coffee and other drinks. Piano and two violins played lively selections during the afternoon.

The brides and their bridegrooms changed their costumes in dressing rooms at the hall and each left in a motor about 4 p.m.

Cecil and Ethel for Lowestoft home, Alice and Bob, or rather, Mr. and Mrs. Duminel I should say, en route for Bournemouth.

We left the hall about 5 p.m. and returned to Mrs. Cornish's house again. We had supper and left just after 7 p.m.. Mr. Cornish provided a motor brougham for us to drive to Liverpool St.. We had a good view of London along the embankment. We passed St. Thomas' hospital, St. Paul's cathedral, Bank of England, and a lot of other places too numerous to mention. Mother,Miss Dumm and I came home but Will stayed on until Sunday night, being his first visit to London he wanted to see all he possibly could. We left a party of friends at the house.

Louie went to Sax station to see Cecil and Ethel as they were passing through. She took them some butter, eggs, bread and pickles. Cecil has a very nice house and nicely furnished. Mrs. Newton, his landlady, very sorry to part with him...............

Sister Emily's Letter 1906

This letter was written by Emily Nevard of Lexden, Essex, England, to her brother, Horace, who had emigrated to Canada a year earlier in 1906. It gives a bit of insight into the hardships of travel, homesteading, etc. The date , "guy day" I believe refers to Guy Fawkes day , early in November.

Lexden, Essex
England
1907 (Guy Day)
Dear Horrie
I am just writing to let you know Mother is sending you a parcel. Cecil posted it off today. It is the vest you were to have
taken with you when you went away. You know you put Cecil's on instead of your new one so Cecil had to wear it last
winter and one like the one you took away. Now mother has mended them both well and has sent them to you as she
thought even if you have the money you cannot get them so good out there. Mother has sent another old one as besides
she thought it would be handy for Mary to patch yours or Arthur's vests or pants, or Ern's if they wanted it instead of
darning so much. Unless she would like to make a vest out of it for young Ernie.
You will find a small pair of pants in the parcel. Mother made them for him. The parcel weighed about 3 1/2 pounds before
we put them in. Mother didn't like the idea of paying 6d for the half pound so she thought she would send all she could.
She made the pants in a hurry out of a pair that was too small for either you or Cecil. I hope you will get them alright.
Cecil wrote on the post office form (which we have to put on the parcel) "worn underwear", not subject to duty. The post office
official told him to write on it, "made in England" as he said if it is made in England and there is any duty to pay they deduct
some. You might let us know if you have to pay any duty. You don't ought as they have all been worn and mended.
Mother put one of your white collars in that is marked with your name. There is a skein of wool sewn into the sleeve of one
vest which you can take out and give to Mary. There is a piece of white cotton wool. Mother thought it would be handy if
your toes were sore at any time.
The things were sewn up in brown calico, new. We thought it would be stronger than paper and would come in useful for
Mary. So take care of everything and take them up to Mary when you go.
I do hope you will get the parcel alright as it is worth a good bit as the vest you left is a very good one.
Mother did think of sending them to Headlands but as you are stopping on she thought you might be glad of them.
Mother will be very anxious to know if you have got it. She is going to buy Cecil 2 new vests out of her club ticket.
We are very sorry to hear from Arthur that their corn was frozen. It is very discouraging to Arthur after so much labour.
I expect it will make it bad for you all. How will Arthur and Ernie get on this winter? Do you think they will have money
enough to carry them through or will you have to lend them some? You need not let them know I ask you this as I know
Ern is very much against being in debt to anyone. But if you cannot help being so you must.
I expect Ern gets very worried over it all sometimes. Do you think he wish he never went out? Of course the first few years
is rough to everyone, especially without money.
Will Arthur and Ern be able to sell their corn at some price? I expect they are going to have it thrashed as Mary said something
about the men coming in one of her letters. If I had a nice sum of money I would lend them some.
How will you travel when you get to Headlands, by road or rail? How did Ern go? I hope you won't have a rough journey like
you had last year.
We have had lovely weather for the last few days. We didn't light a fire in the room Saturday or today until just before tea.
Of course its chilly but when we are busy we don't notice it.
I haven't seen one Guy today and we are not haveing any fireworks on the shed at the back.
Friday morning
Dear Horrie
We haven't much work this week. We done the mangling last night. I have a fire in the ironing stove and shall soon make a start.
I often wonder what you all are doing and I expect you do the same of us. Cecil was busy putting panes of glass on the greenhouse
yesterday as there were several off. Mrs. Wilson of Colne Rd. is painting the house in front so we shall look smart.
Mr. Wilson left R. Beaumont's 2 years last March and has been working on his own ever since and have got on well. You see I
reckon he does it cheaper than Beaumont's firm. He do a bit of carpentering or put a tile on where it is wanted so he is the handyman.
Arthur Clayden is still at home. He has no situation at present. We had very nice services at the Church on Sunday as we kept all
Saints day then as it was last Friday. Father used to like "The saints of God , their conflict past".
Grandmother went to the 8 o'clock service on Friday morning and to evening service on Sunday. They are both fairly well, as well as
one could expect for their age. Grandfather still takes the pail and gather manure.
We are all well and hope you are well. I hope you will get nice weather. I shall have to leave off now as Cecil is going.
So goodbye with love from us all, from your loving sister ..
Emily E. Nevard.

Leaving Lexden

This was probably the last letter Horace Nevard (my grandfather) wrote to Alice Hall before he left Lexden, Essex for the new land. On May 10, 1906 he  got on board the  S.S. Victorian with his nephew Bill Nevard and sister in law, Mary Nevard to travel to Canada to be re-united with brothers Ernest and Arthur.
This studio photograph was taken before he left England.

My Dear Alice
I am just writing you a few lines hoping you are quite well as I am up to the present.
It is gettting rather close now for me to be off. I should like to have seen you once again before I went but suppose I cannot. But cheer up, there will come a time some day. I went last night to see my friend off . I expect you will not know who I mean but Louie does. H. Buck. It was not a very nice night but he seemed cheerful. I am just having a look round to see what I want to take with me and the others are talking away. And Cecil is writing labels and marking my things. I went to town today and bought a few more things and had a good look round. I have just been to choir practice for the last time. I expect you have gone to bed by this time. It is about 11 o'clock and don't think I shall be about much longer so goodnight and god bless you........

Friday afternoon.. We have just finished dinner and Mary is washing up. Who do you get to help you wash up now you have lost the butler? I daresay he will come and help you again some day, don't you think so? Of course you will not be able to answer this letter as you will not know my address but I shall let you know it as soon as possible. I daresay you will think it a curious letter and written rather funny but I thought it would be easier with a pencil.
We had a letter from Arthur yesterday and he said that Ernest was at Indian Head so it will be better for me won't it?
I will write and let you know what sort of a voyage I have. Louie said in her letter that you got home alright. You must not worry you know or you will get thin, and worry killed the cat. And every cloud has a silver lining.

Saturday afternoon.......... I have been packing my box and just been to Pickford's office with it. We had rather a heavy load too. Mr. Beaumont took it on Wednesday. I had a day yesterday of saying goodbye. A job that I did not care about but I have got it over at last and I am just going to have my dinner and off . So goodbye and cheer up. May I always remain your ever-loving boy
Horace

Have just had my breakfast and now am going to look at the boat.

Alice Hall's Visit To London 1909.

Another letter from my grandmother, Alice Hall .

Sisters Annie and Alice Hall

Letter from Alice to Horace on New Year Eve 1909
Grove Farm
Saxmundham
Dec. 31st, 1909
My Dear Horrie
I was very pleased to receive your nice letter. Mother sent it on to me because it came while I was
staying with Annie and Herbert. I had such a nice time at Christmas. I hope you all had a happy Christmas. I should like to have seen you. I went to London last Friday and there was such a lot of people went by that train but I managed to keep a seat for Cecil at Colchester.

When we got to Liverpool St. we did not see Annie and Herbert for twenty minutes as they were on another platform so I was very glad that Cecil was with me or I should have felt quite lost. I stood and waited with our luggage while Cecil went and had a good look all around the different platforms so he found them up.
We went by tram part of the way to Annie's home. Cecil came with us and had tea and then he went on to Victoria to meet his young lady. I did not go about London very much as Herbert was on duty all night and Annie does not know very much about yet to go with me alone without Herbert.

We went to Victoria Park on Christmas day. It is lovely in the summer. Annie and I went to Stepney Church on Sunday morning and we stayed indoors the rest of the day. Herbert's sister came in the evening and stayed to supper.
On Monday we went and saw Herbert on parade with the other policemen but we did not stay out only about half an hour as we liked to be at home best in the evening and then on the Tuesday Annie took me to see the tunnel which goes under the Thames and it is two miles long and lit up by electric light. It looked very pretty but I think it would make anyone deaf to stay there long for it is one continual noise all day long. Herbert went with Annie and I to see some moving pictures one evening and they were very good. I had never seen anything like it before. I think it is wonderful how it is done.

It is a nice quiet street where Annie and Herbert live only the trains run quite near by the house all night long and I could feel the bed shake when they went past. There is some rope works at the back of the house which commence work at 6 o'clock a:m and they make rather a noise. I like Annie's little home very much. It is very nice and cozy and they have furnished it nicely and they are very happy. Herbert told me I could stay a month if I liked but I thought I had better come home as there is a lot of work for Mother to do here alone so I came home by the next and reached Saxmundham about six o'clock. Father was at the station to meet me. Mother was rather worried about me as I wrote and told her I was coming by an earlier train so she was afraid I was gone on to Yarmouth but I am got home safe and sound.

You said in your letter that I must tell you all about my visit to London and I expect you will think after reading all this that I have done so. I would like you to have been with me, it would have been so nice. Cecil wrote to Louie and told her that he had enjoyed his holiday very much. I have been to Saxmundham this afternoon and I feel rather tired today, but Louie says it was riding in the train yesterday for such a long while which made me tired. Dick and Maude and the two little girls came here on Christmas day and went
home on Sunday evening. I expect you have finished threshing. This is New Years Eve but I don't think I shall sit up to watch the old year out and the new year in. It is past ten o'clock now and they are all gone to bed except me so I think I shall soon go too as I don't like to be here alone. Louie sends her love to you and best wishes for a happy new year.
And now dearest I think I will conclude hoping you are all well. With love to all and my best, truest love to you dear I remain,
Your everloving Alice XXXXXXXXXXXX