TRANSCRIPTION
Post letter addition on top left corner: Forgive the dull letter. I am so tired I cant be entertaining. F
144 Moss Lane
Timperley
4.10.47
My dear Edith,
Your two parcels arrived this week and we are over whelmed by your kindness and generosity. The clothing is a godsend; woollen things are unobtainable – at least wool like [illeg.] is unobtainable. There has been a little woollen [illeg.] clothing for children but so thin and skimpy that Mothers are in despair. [Elsie?] is delighted with Michael’s things, which he tells everyone have been sent him by the “nice Miss Collier” in New Zealand. Dorothy’s jumper fits him like a glove; it was good of her to make it. The vests I gave to John Jenkes as he is in cotton rags that are on their last legs. He and B asked me to tell you how much they appreciate them. I was mending three vests of his when I stayed at Hale last anutumn while B had her “op”, so I knew the state they were in. I couldn’t keep both [illeg.] and vests for myself. The coat is a bit big for me but will not take much altering. Thank you so very much. We are a [illeg.] of beggars aren’t we? It does seem absurd. John gets £150 for a short article on the crisis and cant buy a wollen vest! Isn’t it absurd? It shows you that money isn’t much use if the economics breaks down.
I am sure you are all [illeg.] of us and our plight year after year you shower kindness on us and we go steadily worse. The prospects at present are very grim. I cant see who is going to buy our exports at the quantity we want to sell. America wont have them and Europe cant pay for them! The Far East ‘market’ is in chaos and [illeg.] people cant import much more of our stuff. How are we to get out of the mess?
In the meantime we are swamped in work at Coll [college?]. I have interviewed 445 students this week one by one – eleven hours a day for a week. Of course, I feel a wreck and can hardly speak [illeg.] The ex-service men have poured into the universities and [illeg.] [illeg.] say they are going to emigrate. I was so pleased to
have a letter from Reg’s daughter Helen this week. She tells me she is going to take a degree in music. You New Zealand Colliers do cherish the arts – it is so nice to hear of these young ones carrying on the good work. I enclose a “walkie” snap that was taken at [illeg.] a few weeks ago. I look awful but I am bending down to tell Michael to smile – which he wouldn’t of course! Elsie asks me to tell you she is dressed in American clothes sent by a friend – which is why she looks such a [illeg.]! Michael is a charming child. Again our very best Thanks. My love to you all
Fannie