Show notes
Frances reads four letters, written by Bernard, Cuthbert, Arthur and Vera in March and April of 1909.Bernard again apologies for the Budget being lost in the post.Bernard and Enid are going to be the godparents of baby Leslie.Arthur and Bernard go on a long coastal walk. They get the train from Plymouth to Padstow, in North Cornwall, and walk along the coast to Rock, Polzeath, Port Quin, Port Isaac, Tintagel, Boscastle, and then Crackington, they then walk to Otterham, only just catching their train, to return to Plymouth. Cuthbert says Berkhamsted School is again having an epidemic, but the teachers are getting a pay rise, and the school is starting work on some new buildings. Arthur adds his point of view on their Cornish walk. And we get the first report that Mother is not well; Arthur won’t post the Budget on, until he hears that Mother is out of danger. Many individual letters and telegrams circulated between the siblings whilst Mother was ill, none of which have survived. Arthur tells more entertaining stories about the servants and schoolboys and we hear about Mount House school, on Hartley Road, for the first time. Arthur soon buys the school and he moves for the start of the new school year, September 1909, taking a good number of Garfield House boys with him.Vera writes a short note, she is exhausted as everyone is ill. Vera doesn’t even have the energy to read through the Budget again, to find something to contradict. Machell Cox Budget letters is on Twitter - @CoxLetters. Or email me if you have found this podcast interesting, [email protected] content is subject to copyright, and belongs to Frances Thompson and the Bodleian Library. Intro: 00:00Bernard's letter, 12th March 1909 : 02:56Notes on Ber's letter: 17:36Cuthbert's letter, 22nd March: 33:49Arthur's letter, 23rd March: 40:59Notes on Arthur's letter: 56:50Vera's letter, 7th April: 1:03:22