Letters From New York
Monday 24th July 1967
Dear Mum,
Your always welcome letter arrived in Friday and detect your “joy” at returning to Coronation Street, Newtown style after your sojourn in the wilds of Birrong. Pleased to learn that your patient is showing strong [text cut out] recovery though no doubt [text cut out] disappointed at having [text cut out] to the wog. Sorry to [text cut out] Vince’s illness and trust [text cut out] not very serious – the [text cut out] some football [text cut out] imagine! Our patient is [text cut out] quite well. Has a [text cut out] doctor due on Thursday [text cut out] ladies in the Village [text cut out] she’s slinging them a [text cut out] we’re looking forward [text cut out] date news. Except for [text cut out] back condition and considerable inconvenience with the heat & humidity she’s doing fine – though finding the children trying at times. All the [text cut out] in the pink although Anthony [text cut out] off day during the week [text cut out] sore throat & Jenny’s had [text cut out] head cold. Had the “big [text cut out] dentist for a checkup [text cut out] and can well believe [text cut out] get out of his clutches [text cut out].
Glad [text cut out] Travis’ were able to get in [text cut out] you – they still haven’t [text cut out] to set a time to see the [text cut out] and have some time to [text cut out]. Felt sure you’d like [text cut out] if anyone was qualified to give you a vivid account of our settling down here feel sure they would. They’re quite delightful and Lindsay did really miss something in not meeting up with Gail. Sorry your T.V. is still playing up – its proved to be something of a white elephant eh – if we’d know a little earlier you could have had our little one but Kerry and Joyce are using it now and wouldn’t have the heart to recall it. Not sure whether you wrote painting or painter to get in and brighten things up at “57” – hope it was the former; don’t want to be having to worry about you too. Do hope you’re keeping well. Your letters seem cheery enough and was quite content you were being looked after whilst doing some “caring for” yourself – would’ve liked to have seen it continue for some time longer. Can imagine the scene when Marg got home to a sinkful of pots and pans – don’t know how Vic & Lindsay could let that happen realising the tongue lashing they’d be in for.
Another reasonably busy weekend has gone highlighted on the credit side by a marvellous trip – all day Saturday – with Greg and two of his girls to Newport, Rhode Island; scene of the Americas Cup yacht races in September. Jill & Greg, as I believe we’ve told you, are to be guests on the Aust. team’s flagship with Sir Robert and Dame Pattie Menzies and we went up, ostensibly to find and reserve accommodation for them. We left at 6.15AM and returned home about 7.40PM, having motored some 400 miles through some wonderful country. Newport was beautifully quaint; a typical fishing and boating town with old and salty stores & buildings set to the edge of the road in narrow little streets never designed for today’s traffic. Newport is on the way to our proposed holiday site, Cape Cod, and has really only served to whet my appetite for what is to come.
Anthony, Cathy, Phillip at Jones Beach. 12 July 1967.
Yesterday we all (except Greg – who stayed home to prepare his wagon for the holiday which begins a week earlier than ours, next Saturday) piled into my car – nine children and three adults – and headed for Jones Beach very early. Had a marvellous time in quite mild water and fair surf and were home in time for a short rest [text cut out] Mass and a two family [text cut out] dinner in the evening [text cut out] in a torrential [text cut out] downpour. Had Greg’s [text cut out] and his English [text cut out] as well as our [text cut out] (temporarily batching [text cut out] making for quite a [text cut out] hungry gathering. The weather [text cut out] quite humid [text cut out] necessarily being exceptionally [text cut out] we have topped the 90° mark a couple of times making [text cut out] and uncomfortable conditions.
On the debit side had a minor setback with the car. Took it to the U.N. garage during the week for a preliminary check prior to our trip and before I knew where I was found myself up for $80 odd worth of repairs – mostly minor but none the less expensive.
The racial problems, as you’ve no doubt been reading, is really hotting up here as last weeks Newark riots have been followed by more in Detroit (now raging for over three days) and were beginning to get some element of them in Harlem here in New York. The situation is disgusting and the T.V. and paper “sensationalism” cover it is given seems to me to only promote it further. Rest assured what you’re reading and hearing is not affecting us personally.
Well, as usual, leave the back for Joan.
Love from all of us,
Bill
Dear Mum,
Here it is Tuesday morning I did not wait up to write last night, it was awfully hot & sticky so I went to bed with the air conditioner on & had a good nights sleep. As Bill has told you I am keeping pretty well, my back always did [text cut out] old age is creeping on. [text cut out] looking forward to our “Cape Cod” [text cut out] leave on 5 August. I went to [text cut out] again on Sunday in the surf [text cut out] to leave the water it was lovely. All our children are real water rats even Jenny & no doubt with all the swimming I’ve been doing the next one will arrive on a surfboard. Running out of space.
God bless, look after yourself. Love,
Joan