Letter, Eric Hodgkinson to Mrs. Conole
A letter from Eric Hodgkinson to Mrs. Conole. Eric thanks Mrs. Conole for sending a picture of herself. He reports that he is recovering from an illness and is looking forward to his upcoming holiday to the Scottish Highlands. He hopes to travel to America soon and says that he prefers the American lifestyle to the English lifestyle. Eric intends to send flowers for Irene’s grave.
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335 Whalley New Rd,
Blackburn
Lancs.
2 July ’56
Dear Mrs Conole,
Many thanks
for your last letter and
the picture. I was very
pleased to see your photo-
graph.
Thanks also for the
best wishes for my health
I am reasonably well at
the moment. I think the
darned weather we have here
doesn’t help me a lot. One
day it is warm and sultry
and then the next day it
is really cold. Must try
to keep well though, there
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is a lot of redundancy here,
and one never knows what
will happen. Things don’t
look too prosperous at
the moment. I don’t
wonder when I see the
shoddy things that are
turned out here.
Well it is only three
weeks to our annual
holidays. I am going up
in the Scottish Highlands
and the Western Isles for
two weeks, touring around
on my bike. I’m hoping
the weather will change
a lot by then. We haven’t
had any summer yet.
Yesterday I was out
on the bike in Westdale
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and Kingsdale and after
lunch it absolutely poured
down. A real storm – thunder
and lightening – the lot!
The previous week I
had a very nice weekend
down in Wales. I think
those were the only two
hot days we have had yet.
I love traveling and
I should like to go abroad.
We had thought of going
to Austria this year but
my friends – who are married
couldn’t afford this year but
we hope to go next year.
I should very much like
to come over to America.
Your way of living is – in
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my opinion – much better
than ours. Compared to
your way we only exist.
We are miles behind in
many things and nobody
seems to want to alter it
so long as they are O.K..
Some of your scenery
is terrific. The Grand Canyon
for example – pity about those
two planes crashing there –
stretches from here to London,
half the length of England
and as deep as our tallest
mountains.
I too have been doing
a spot of painting, in
fact I still have the window
frame to do. It seems to
drag on and on when you
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have to do it in the evenings.
Over two months ago
I paid my dues at the
tennis club and have
played three times so
far and it will soon be
winter.
I shall be sending
some flowers to you for
Irenes grave for what
would have been her
birthday I would be
pleased if you would
place them on her grave
for me. Would it were
I could take them person-
ally.
Bye for now,
Yours sincerely,
Eric Hodgkinson