Item 198 - Letter from Lord Pethick-Lawrence to Lady Pethick-Lawrence

1 folded sheet

Fourways, Gomshall, Surrey.—Has been reflecting on memories of their courtship. Is delighted that she is making such a good recovery.

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Transcript

Fourways, Gomshall, Surrey
Aug 14. 50

My dear.

I have just been listening to the beautiful & stirring music of Wagner. It has brought back to me old memories & the thoughts of how our love for one another was so closely intertwined with Tannhauser, the Ring and the Meistersinger.

I am so overjoyed tht you are making such a wonderful recovery. Soon after you come back to Fourways we shall be celebrating our 49th wedding day, & from then on begins our fiftieth year together. First will come your birthday but I dont think I knew about that fifty years ago. Nor did you know of the date of mine. But you went specially to the pillar box at Friday Street on Dec 27 to post me a letter and it arrived on my birthday morning!

Then we come to the fiftieth anniversaries of our May 12 & May 26 & how on May 27 you and I went together to Paddington to take “our” seat for you on the train to Weston.

Later I went with you to stay at Trewartha {1} & became one of your family. I came to Broadmoor and Littlehampton. We took Clements Inn and the Dutch House tht we rechristened the Mascot. We engaged Rapley who is still our faithful retainer.

Then on October 2 we had our simple ceremony at the Registry Office & the public function at Canning Town.

All these my darling we have to live over again.

So you can understand how glad your laddie is tht you & I will be hand-in-hand to live over again these great & stirring memories.

When we look around us & see so many marriages from which love has faded out it is a pearl above all price with which we have been blessed this love of our which has endured.

My darling
Your very very own
Boy

I shall post this tomorrow for you to get on Wednesday morning when I am due in Edinburgh.

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The abbreviation ‘tht’ for ‘that’ occurs a few times.

{1} Trewartha, Bristol Road, Weston-super-Mare, the home of Emmeline’s parents.

This description was created by A. C. Green in 2020.