13.6.69
[handwritten]
Dear Mum, it never ceases to amaze me how little we really
ever get to know anyone else. I don't think I told you last time
about the situation up at the Crowls. Nina barely made an appearance all
weekend. She was at the crisis point of one of her depressive periods, it
seems. She lives on drugs, because of illness, although if she didn’t she would
be alive, but rather weak. Anyway normally she’s very pleasant, at least to me,
but this weekend she, as I say, hardly appeared, even for meals. On the way
back to the station, however, I mentioned to Reg that Nina hadn’t seemed to be
herself for quite some time (even the previous time I’d been there) and it set
off a reaction from Reg which rather surprised me ˗ not at me, I hasten to add, in case you think I’d been putting my foot
in it ˗ about how difficult Nina was to live with altogether! Apparently she
takes her illness out on them, even more so on Mavis according to Reg. I said
something to him, trying to see her side of it, and he said that was fair
enough but that was no reason for her to be so bloody-minded!! Strong words for
Mr Crowl! Anyway things seemed to have sorted themselves out again up there as
R & M are going on holiday on Monday and Nina is to look after Margaret.
15.6.69
Your
parcel arrived yesterday. Thank you very, very much. I’ve already started on the
fudge and biscuits. The cake, I’m afraid, due to the knocking about these
parcels get, had some of the icing broken up, and I’m afraid it’s a trifle difficult
to read what was on top. Is it Musical
Birthday Michael? Anyway, the icing tastes great and no doubt the cake will
too. I’ll have to eat it all myself probably ˗ Jeff and John don’t eat cake,
and Julie (all the J’s!) who’s barely here these days, never eats anything that
anybody else has, preferring not to risk being poisoned, it might seem!! Mad, I
call it.
The parcel
arrived on Saturday morning when I was
lying in the bath trying to get my back cleaned up ˗ it’s peeling over
everything ˗ and I had to get out and answer the door! Already the same
morning, I’d been rudely awoken (about 10 I must admit) by 3 people wanting to
see the flat. They were very nice all the same, but it’s a bit of a bind having
people calling in when the place is in a mess. You get no warning, you see. They
said they would take it, but so did 4 young ladies who called last week. And I had
a married couple in one other night.
The
weather is keeping up very well here ˗ it’s really hot hot, and seems to want to continue. I’ve been making the most
of it naturally, love Mike.
PS How do
I boil new potatoes and still make them taste nice? Mine always seem to taste
very dry. I’ve been playing with a ‘Fred’ for about an hour this afternoon ˗
think it belongs next door.
