Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents

Letter to Douglas Hudson from his parents

Writes of prospective visits by relatives and spring in the local countryside. Mentions plants and garden. Comments on letter he sent to another acquaintance which they have been lent. Mentions sending cable and looking forward to his reply. Catches up with news of family and friends. Writes of not being able to buy white bread now and everything was made of wholemeal which made her cake making difficult. Relief to have winter behind them and mentions that they are now on double summer time.

1942-04-13

Two page handwritten letter

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EHudsonP-HEHudsonJD420413

[inserted] 135 [/inserted]
[underlined] 35 [/underlined]
[inserted] 26-5-42 [/inserted]
191 Halifax Road
Nelson Lancs.
England.
Monday 13/4/42
My dear Douglas.
I am expecting Grandad to stay here for two weeks so thought I had better write a few lines tonight. He & Auntie Dorothy are coming tomorrow in Pound’s taxi & are due about 12 oclock. I do hope it will be a nice sunny day. The countryside is beginning to show the faintest green on tree & hedge & many plants hidden away in the dark earth are peeping forth again. The Spring is always a great joy to me. I love to peer among the newly growing plants & renew old acquaintances. We have many plants which originally came from Worsley & revive very happy memories. The auriculas are not making the progress here that they did at Kensal. The evidently prefer the sandy soil. This is very heavy & clayey – more suitable for roses.
Well love it was a great joy to us to have your letter sent to Mr Statham on January 4th. He is apparently very delighted to have it & has sent it to us “on loan” & I shall return it very soon with a little note of thanks for such kind thought. Today has been a grand Spring day with a lot of sunshine & very high wind real April day. Tomorrow I shall go to the G.P.O. to send my usual cable. It is always something to look forward to while
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awaiting the reply. I did not remember to tell you last week that Auntie Una had met Mr Thompson (Crossgates) in town & learnt from him that Pat & Michael are both at Oxford & that they have another brother = a small boy aged 4. They still live in the same house on Selby Road. This morning I had a p.c. from Auntie Maud who is staying with Mollie in Edinburgh. Uncle went with her at Easter but he returned after the week-end holiday. Auntie is thrilled to bits with baby Andrew. There surely has never been such a wonderful child! I have not seen him but hear very good reports. Have I told you that we are not able to buy white bread now. It is all made from wholemeal – all cakes & pastries too & as yet the bread is not too appetizing being rather on the dry side. But my baker hoped we should be patient until they got used to the new flour. They have had great difficulty trying to make cakes etc. as nice as usual. It is a great relief to have winter behind us for a few months. Double summer time started on Easter Sunday & it is now lighting up or black-out time at 9-34 [inserted] p.m. [/inserted] but the mornings are still dark, black-out time is over 6-50 a.m. but it is not by any means daylight then. Now love I am rather tired after a very busy day so Goodnight & God bless you. With all our love & thoughts & prayers from
Mother & Dad.
755052 Hudson
Camp Militaire
Laghouat
Algerie Afrique du Nord.