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

Nevards Trip To England

June 4: Gifford took us to see Carlton Church. We saw Aunt Annie's and her parent's graves. After dinner we helped in the garden. I took a snap of Walnut Tree House.

June 5: We walked to East Green Farm and took a snap of it. We visited Sammy and Violet after supper and saw Leslie there too.
June 7: Christine drove us to Sternfield. Later to Benhall and Framlingham. We visited Leslie and Martha after dinner.

1975 Trip To England

Bill Nevard returned to visit the land of his birth , Suffolk and Essex, U.K. in the summer of 1975. A few entries from his brother's journal follow.
May 27: John Strudwick drove us to the airport and we had a nice trip over.
May 28: We landed at Heathrow at 11 am. I phoned Muriel. We went and saw Buckingham Palace.
May 30: We went to the National Maritime museum at Greenwich by river boat. We went to Foyle's book store and then to The Book restaurant for supper. I phoned Kelsale and Gifford answered.
June 1: We went to Holy Communion in St.Paul's cathedral. After dinner we went to Trafalgar Square and saw Nelson's monument and the four lions guarding it. Then on to the National Art gallery.
June 3: We went by taxi to Liverpool Street station and then to Saxmundham where we were met by Gifford. We had a royal welcome at Walnut Tree House. Gifford took us to see Kelsale Church.

Headlands Picnic 1943

From the daily journal of Bill Nevard.
June 29, 1943
Dad and Uncle Horrie both went to Lipton with wheat. I was cultivating. Jubilee seemed to find it hard work so I let him out after dinner and got Spark instead. I found out this afternoon that Violet has a wire cut in her fetlock so I let her out tonight.
Roy and Joy went to Balrobie dance.

June 30: I caught Embers this morning and went on 25 with the John Deere gang plow. Dad had put the new shares on but it soon cleaned and is working alright though plowing rather deep. Not an awful lot of tall growth on the stubble yet excepting stinkweed. Joy and Donald went to Headlands picnic and all three of them went to the dance.

July 15 1947

In the summer of 1947 Bill Nevard was working on the new barn.

July 15 I dug some of the West wall in the morning. Then I caught Gleam and Embers
and hauled two loads of gravel after dinner. Mr. Fisher brought Dad home and they
rode up to Cliff Barton's to see about a building that Mr. Fisher wants to buy
and move to Lipton where he and Mrs. Fisher are going to live.

July 17 Raining a bit this morning so Roy and I made 20 more half blocks in the
stable. It cleared off after a bit. Bud, Carol and the baby went to Lipton and
went to Lipton sports with Bill Miller. Mr. Fisher came along and took Dad, Uncle
Horrie and Donald down to Lipton sports. Roy and I got 2 loads of gravel after dinner.

Election Day 70 Years Ago

June 11, 1945.
I plowed in the morning and in the afternoon Dad, both Uncles, Bud, and I went to vote at Balrobie in the democrat with Gleam and Embers. Mrs. Ernest Senft was D.R.O. and Bill Peake was polling clerk.
We saw Sid Phillips and his family there . Also Mrs. McCullough, Sam Smith, Bernice and their 2 children, Jack Mintzlar, Howard Van Luven, Robert Senft, Charlie Huber and Red Schmidt on the way home. Lutzs' overtook us and Bud went with them.
Didn't have time to do anything much after we got home. There was a letter from Dick in the mail. We were listening to election returns on the radio and heard that the Liberals are returned to power with a smaller majority.

This is actually a photo of Kate Hobetzeder in a "democrat" since I do not have one of the Nevard's conveyance. Chances are good that some time that same election day that Kate and family showed up at Balrobie to vote.

V.E. Day

Yesterday, May 8, 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of victory over Europe day. It was a momentous day and mention is made of it in a letter home from Dick Nevard who was stationed in England at the time.
Bill Nevard makes reference to the event in his journal on the 13th of May.
May 13, 1945: Sunday, a special Victory celebration service at Headlands school today at 2:00 pm. Dad and I went in the democrat. Bud and Carol rode with us. Uncle Arthur walked but we caught him up before we got to the school. Uncle Horrie, Joy and Donald went in the cart.  Mr. and Mrs. Tom North and daughters. Ed, Ethel and Bill Dodd. Mr. and Mrs. Millward and Ivadelle. Mr. and Mrs. Radwell and Mrs. Bowman and John. Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Barton and Geoffrey. Mrs. Bordass, Mamie and Malcolm. Mrs. Wheale, Mary and Shirley. Mr. Tingey and the same man who was with him the last time.
Roy was home for a while. He has been working for Tom Heggie and now he is going to work for Rudolph Hiske.
I finished writing my letter to Dick. In the evening I went and caught Firelight and Frank, who were both in Uncle Arthur's land, ready for work tomorrow.
Dad went up to Silver Birches.

. A photo of a Church service at Headlands school a few years later in 1951.