20 June 65 : Unemployed again! : Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This continues the letter dated 16 June 1965 which began: 

Dear family,

Saturday 20th June

Well, we moved into Vi’s last night after signing off with SKF. We said goodbye to them all and our ex-boss brought us up with all our gear.

We have the top bedroom which is up in the attic, and consequently gets very hot during the day, but thankfully cools off during the night. Also it only has one fairly small double bed – so it’s not too great!!

However we do have a very nice pool in the garden (and a very nice garden too) so we can’t complain. We shall do all our own cooking and cleaning, so it won’t be any extra work for Vi.

We felt a bit awkward when we arrived, as unknown to us Herb had moved in a month ago – and was he using the top room. He is now sleeping on the settee in the lounge. He doesn’t seem to mind a bit, thank heavens. Unfortunately he has to be up at 4am every morning, so we can’t watch TV after about 10pm – which is a nuisance.

Vi has said we can have her car whenever we want it, she usually goes out with Herb in his car – so we now have a white convertible to drive around in.

I have just been in the pool and have been cleaning it up a bit. It doesn’t seem to have been used for some time, and the filtering plant had been turned off and there were some bugs on the water. I was fishing them out, and saw a wasp struggling for its life, and being in a generous mood decided to save it. I gently put it in the sun to dry off, which it soon did, and then it promptly stung me – whereupon I killed it!!

We have been out getting some food in, and bought a melon. Melons are extremely cheap here and very big too. We saw them growing in the south everywhere and I’ve been eating a lot lately. They are so cheap that you don’t just get served a slice as in England, but a complete half and very nice they are too.

Well, I can’t think of much else to say so I will end now. I hope my great news (that Tony was briefly returning to the UK for his sister Carolyn’s wedding) pleases you, I think it will. (Vi told me that you had said, in your letter to her, how sorry you were that I wouldn’t be there at the wedding).

Still that’s all changed now, and all being well I will see you on the 23rd of July.

All my love,

Tony xxxx

< Previous letter | Next letter >

You can follow us at www.facebook.com/Tones1960stravels, feel free to say hello or ask Tony a question 🙂