Letter from Burma 22

By jeand

Thu, 10 Mar 2016
  • 3162 reads
11 comments
 

Heinda Mine

Tenasserim

Southern Burma

September 14, 1935

 

Dear Rosalind,

I know you will be going back to school this next Thursday. I hope all goes well for you. Will you be having a new project to work on this term, I wonder. I learned quite a lot from looking up information for you last year.

I think I wrote to you about our new American missionary friends. Vivian wrote,
that “Yesterday afternoon out at the village, the ladies began their first lesson in sewing. I taught them to do smocking and they seemed to like doing it very much because of term exams, the College girls could not go with me to serve as interpreters. You can imagine what a time I had teaching 15 ladies when only one of them understood English.”

I wonder if you have had any sewing experience, either at school or with your Grandmothers.

Her husband, John added, “Last evening we entertained at home 15 college students.
The short wave radio was the main attraction. We also had a few games, anagrams and finance which they seemed to enjoy. The later the hour, the better the radio programs become and I had to almost tell them to go home.”

I expect you listen to the radio a lot too. What are your favourite programmes?

Nothing much is happening around here at the moment. We had some of our good
friends around for a meal on Tuesday – the Foucars, the Barnettes and the Brisbanes. I hope you will have a good school year. I will write again soon.

 

Love,

Mummy

Certificate U
Story
Letters from Burma 1935
Historical Fiction

Comments

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Jean,

you know I love the idea of learning smocking. I remember when I was a maid of honour at a friend's wedding back in the 70s, I wore a Laura Ashley dress which was covered in smock and I felt so good in it. 

As always Jean enjoyed reading.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Jenny

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Bee on

I enjoyed reading this, too. It shows interest in her daughter, especially at such a distance. Makes it seem so natural. 

Bee

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Bee

When Gwenllian was old and widowed, and Rosalind was getting near retirement age, she went to live with her mother in Cornwall (near Truro)  and together they took care of the garden of the property which must have been several acres, full of trees and bushes and on a very steep slope. The house itself was old - two terraced cottage that had been knocked together, but not changed much. The house was only heated by the two open fires, so we always were frozen when we went to visit. There were two small bedrooms each up a winding staircase of the far side of the one big living room. The kitchen and bathroom were extensions added on and very flimsy and cold. They were very proud of their Aga which they used for heating water and all their cooking.

I supose I am telling you this, because it shows that even though they didn't spend much time together when Rosalind was a child - they probably had 10 years very close  together when they were both much older. Gwenllian had a much stronger personality and pretty much got her own way, with Rosalind waiting on her hand and foot during her last years until her death when she must have been 94 or so. Rosalind is nearly that age now, and very senile - and the last report said that she stays all day in bed, and is fading.

They also had lots of cats - 4 or 5 I think.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Bee

When Gwenllian was old and widowed, and Rosalind was getting near retirement age, she went to live with her mother in Cornwall (near Truro)  and together they took care of the garden of the property which must have been several acres, full of trees and bushes and on a very steep slope. The house itself was old - two terraced cottage that had been knocked together, but not changed much. The house was only heated by the two open fires, so we always were frozen when we went to visit. There were two small bedrooms each up a winding staircase of the far side of the one big living room. The kitchen and bathroom were extensions added on and very flimsy and cold. They were very proud of their Aga which they used for heating water and all their cooking.

I supose I am telling you this, because it shows that even though they didn't spend much time together when Rosalind was a child - they probably had 10 years very close  together when they were both much older. Gwenllian had a much stronger personality and pretty much got her own way, with Rosalind waiting on her hand and foot during her last years until her death when she must have been 94 or so. Rosalind is nearly that age now, and very senile - and the last report said that she stays all day in bed, and is fading.

They also had lots of cats - 4 or 5 I think.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Alan Russell on

Nice comfortable down to earth correspondence that cretes an air of normality.

Alan

Ringwood

Great Britain

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Alan

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I expect they could teach/show her some of their sewing techinques too. I used to wish they'd teach more sewing when my daughter was in school, they seemed to do largely craft work; but it must be lovely to learn some of the sewing skills and how to make different garments, even if you don't have to do it much. So much cheap clothing around, home sewing isn't done so much is it? Rhiannon

[I think you need a sentence break in –
I taught them to do smocking and they seemed to like doing it very much because of term exams, the College girls could not go with me to serve as interpreters]

 

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks Rhiannon

I doubt if Rosalind did much sewing at school or anyplace. When I got to know her, she was very much the sort who only wore old jeans and sweaters - and comfortable shoes. Nothing in her house looked pretty or home made. The cats were the main object of her interest, and each had its own chair which we were not to sit on.

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by celticman on

I guess home-grown entertainment was the order of the day. No Top of the Pops. Those woman sure had it hard. 

 

Submitted by jeand on

Thanks CM

Jean

Jean Day