PARKES LETTERS & CARDS
Letters from Ethel to her mother and sister:
1. P/C (P28-06)
From Samuel Lister to Sarah (The Manor, Willenhall)
From Ostende, Aug 14th (1910??)
Ostende La Maree Montante
Dear Sarah,
"We arrived here about 8-15 last night. We had a nice breezy passage about 3 1/2 hours over the water. The boat crowded"
2: 3 P/C's (P28-06)
from Samuel to family, 1908:
2/1.
PC from Samuel Lister to Master Howard (franked 22/4/08)
Fontainbleau - Le Chateau - La cour des adieux
April 22nd
My dear Howard, we have just been ?? a Palace here out of ???? we are about 25 miles from Paris. I hope you are enjoying your holiday. With best love from your father.
2/2.
PC from Samuel Lister to Sarah L (franked 22/4/08)
April 22nd
My dear Sarah. It is a little warmer here now. I have not had a reply from you to my letter I had sent you on Sunday. With best love SL.
2/3.
PC from Samuel Lister to Miss Ethel undated but April 1908.
Paris, Champs Elysee from Arc de Triomphe
Dear Ethel, I hope you are enjoying your holiday and that you will have a good lunch with ???? etc.
3. P/C (P28-04)
To Mrs & Miss Lister (date not readable) (P28-04)
Cote d' Emeraude
Saint-Cast - La Pointe de la Garde et les Mielles
Thursday. We shall arrive home on Sat about tea time I imagine. We have had one day's continuous rain. It is a lovely morning again but cooler.
4.P/C (P28-04)
To Mrs & Miss Lister
Post marked Edinburgh 5 Jul 1935
Princes Street Edinburgh.
This is a most beautiful city quite came up to my expectations. Very poor country up to Harrogate tho we're going to Gleneagles today.
Oban, Tuesday
We leave here tomorrow spending 2 nights on the way home. It has been most interesting. We were all day yesterday on a boat visiting Staffa and Iona.
PC from AJP to Mrs L.
Feeding the Gulls, Sidmouth
13.2.35
Glad to get Gladys letter this a.m. We are having a quiet restful time. Going to bed early and getting up late. The weather is very warm. Saw the Duke of C. this am. & Mrs E. Tildesley?
PC from AJP to Mrs L (maybe 1934?)
Saint-Cast - Vue des jardins et de la pointe de la Garde de la terrasse de l'Hotel Ar Vro
PC in Ethel's writing from Menton March 15 1927.
Picture of AJP & EAP.
African Trip 1933/34: (P28-04)
Post Card (P28-04)
to Mrs & Miss Lister
Post marked From Marseille - Gare. 24/11/1933
P & O SS Cathay 15,000 tons gross. Australia Mail and Passenger Service.
We've had a very good journey down. Just come on board 12-45. The weather is wonderful - warm and sunny. I hope we are in for a good trip. We sail at 12 tonight. Going to Marseilles after lunch.
Letter (P28-04):
P&O. S.N.Co.
S.S. Cathay
28/11/33 Tuesday morning
My dearest mother and Gladys.
Well here we are getting near Port Said. We arrive there tomorrow morning at 6. Nice and early to have to turn out isn't it. The boat goes on to Bombay then to Australia. We have had a good trip so far, though for two days it was somewhat choppy. There was a high wind blowing so the ship rolled. I've managed to keep going - not missed a meal though for one day I didn't feel very hungry. It is a most beautiful morning, hot. Everybody has appeared in their summer clothes. We had a very good view of Stromboli the volcano as we passed. Smoke was pouring out. We couldn't see the flames as it was daylight. It very pretty passing through the Straits of Messina between Sicily and Italy. I wish we could have seen it in daylight though. We've had a very comfortable cabin. Only hope we shall do so in the other boats. The people on board are very friendly. At the moment they are all busy playing deck games, swimming in the long tank which is erected etc.
I can't write much as this is coming by air mail and can be only 1/2 oz (14 grs - AM). I had a letter from ??? the day I left. She said she should expect you for Xmas.
Send a card to Nannie and tell her you will expect her about Dec 13th or 12th. I am sure she will be a help to you. Fondest love._
Post Card (P28-04)
to Mrs & Miss Lister Dec 3rd
Cairo - The Mosque of Taghry Bardy
This is a special street. The ??? part of Cairo but of course strangely interesting. We went out to the desert yesterday see the Pyramids and Sphinx - a beautiful day and the colourings marvellous. Hope you are all well. Fondest Love.
Post Card (P28-04)
to Gladys 6/12/1933 Port Said:
PORT-SAID - Casino and Breakwater
This is the entrance to the harbour. I walked all along that jetty this a.m. A lovely whiff of the sea after dusty Cairo. We left there at 7 a.m. Been here all day and are catching the night train to Palestine. I am writing in the hotel you can see in picture. I feel rather homesick and tired. Fondest love E.
Post Card (P28-04)
to Mrs & Miss Lister Dec 6th
Cairo - General View with Citadel
I was very glad to have your letter. Do write as often as you can. We've had a very interesting time here. Arthur has not been able to do much sight seeing, but I've been taken by some people we were introduced to yesterday. I went into the desert. Amazing. Much love
Xmas Card 12/12/33 of Jerusalem.
Post Card (P28-04)
P/marked Paquebot Aden to Mr & Mrs Lister.
Union Castle Line to South and East Africa.
Intermediate Steamer "Llandovery Castle" 10609 tons
Dec 18th
To Mrs & Miss Lister, 229 Tettenhall Rd
My dears
We arrive Aden tomorrow (Dec 19) at 6 a.m. for 4 hours. We shall all reach ashore. I suppose to see the place. It will be terribly interesting. We've called at Suez and Port Sudan - besieged by natives to buy their wares. Fond Love E.
Post Card (P28-04)
to Mrs & Miss Lister Jan 4 1934
From Nairobi.
We're just off now to Mombasa. Thank you for your letters which arrived yesterday and Nannies. Glad you all had such a happy Xmas. I will write to you on the boat again. These are the native women who seem to do all the work on the land. Fondest love to you both and remembrances to Nannie.
Post Card (P28-04)
Nairobi 29/12/33.
This is a very good picture of the best street. The population of N. is 50,000 but only 17,000 whites in the whole country. Our hotel is on the extreme left (probably the Norfolk Hotel - AM). Hope you are all well, we are. Arthur.
Post Card (P28-04)
to Mrs & Miss Lister Jan 24
Munro Drive, one of the many picturesque Johannesburg roads.
It was a great experience going down the gold mine yesterday. All the same I was glad when we got back on the surface. Write to Cape Town c/o Thos Cook & Sons. We get there March 12 and leave March 23 the Arundel Castle. Arrive S-hampton abt 9. We had a gentle tremor the night before last and torrential rain.
Letter. (P28-04)
Head's Grand Hotel, Port Elizabeth, Monday March 5 1934.
My dearest Mother and Gladys
Thank you very much for your letter (G) this morning. We arrived here on the "Winchester Castle" on Sat a.m. We had a very stormy landing indeed. The weather was so rough that the boat has had to stay an extra day in the bay because of they simply could not get the cargo over to here. She had a lot to get away from this port. We saw Charlie Pinson and Jilly on board. She was very glad to see me. They are on their way back to England and will be home just a fortnight before us. They have only been doing a short trip. Left England on Jan 28th.
There doesn't seem a great deal of news. East London and Port Elizabeth are not particularly interesting.
It has been so terribly squally over the week end that it really wasn't pleasant to be out. We've had the worst weather this last 10 or 12 days that we've had since we left. Its much cooler too. Still we'd better hope for the Cape. We get there next Monday.
No we haven't seen P. George. A.J. was hoping we shouldn't run into him as business is apt to be slack when he is about! As a matter of fact, he left East London the morning we arrived - he'd lunched at the hotel we stayed in. He sleeps always on his train which is specially equipped for him.
I am glad Nannie came and gave you a helping hand. I've written to her today sent a bit of money to buy some flowers for Howard's birthday. I told her Butters must take her and that I expect your mother would like to go. I suggest the Saturday morning before his birthday which is on Monday.
I hear what beautiful weather you are having at home. I hope it will be nice when we land. Everything looks different. You see we are just beginning autumn here. Shops are selling winter goods! Yet everybody goes about in cotton or silk clothes. There is no such thing as daylight saving here. It is always dark even in the summer just after 7.
Well perhaps next mail I'll be able to tell you a bit more about Port Elizabeth or Algoa Bay as its called sometimes. I'm sorry it is such a dull letter. I hope you are both very well. Ethel
We had to be landed again in the basket here. I don't know what you would think of it - terrified I expect and when you saw too how you were tossed about.
Souvenir Letter Card (P28-04)
Arthur's Seat Hotel, Sea Point. (with photos of the hotel and surroundings)
March 14 1934 Tuesday
Dearest Mother and Gladys
Your letter and card came yesterday. I like to tell you so that your know we have received them. We arrived here (Cape T.) on Sunday a.m. after a very "tossy" journey. I spent a great part of Sat. in my cabin and it’s the first time I've missed a meal the whole of the trip. I was hoping to be able to say I was a good sailor. Still I can't grumble - it was really rather bad. We encountered the "Cape Rollers" and I think many people were "laid low"! Sunday a.m. was gorgeous as we entered the harbour like a mill pond and the scenery magnificent. It was just before 7 and the sun was rising at the back of the mts. There are 12 peaks known as the Twelve Apostles and then the famous Table Mountain. It’s a wonderful entrance to a harbour.
Cape T. is rather a fine town. All the municipal buildings in these places are so grand. Of course it is very busy with all the steamers coming and going. We are going out to dinner with ?? tonight. He lives at Muzenburg on the bay. 16 miles away. On Sunday aft. We went one of the finest coast drives I have ever been in my life. The weather is very bright and sunny, but cooler than we've had for many weeks. Not long before we meet now. Fondest love Ethel.
We have nor seen P. George. He is having a very good reception everywhere. They have vary detailed films of the proceedings at the cinemas.
Post Card (P28-04)
to Mrs & Miss Lister
Post marked Cape Town 20 Mar 1934.
Camps Bay, Cape Town.
Thank you for your long letters (G) this morning. We are having a wonderful time here its so beautiful. I've been taken to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope and ?? by some people. The most marvellous coast drive I've ever been. 90 miles. The weather is like ideal English summer weather. Met several very interesting people who have been most kind - Our boat arrived in the harbour today. We've a lot to crowd in the last 3 days. See you soon.
Following Cards in P29-01
1.
POST CARD 22 Mar 1917 of ward at Clandon Park
To S Lister JP, 13 the Manor
Thanks awfully for the interesting news in your Sunday's letter. I am most awfully pleased you didn't say who you forgot and let me know you were in Town. All love E.
2.
3 Post Cards 21 Mar 1917 of Clandon Park
To AJ Parkes 6th Pontoon Park, BGF
3.
Practically the whole place is given over to hospital. It is really rather well equipped.
4.
??? of the back of the house. There are one or two very pretty little Dutch gardens.
5. I'm sending letter by this post. Quite a meal? for you. 3 p.c.'s letter and negs??
From Ethel to RJLM:
(Also in EAP letters)
Tuesday May 16 1944
Darling - We're still here waiting. I think Bunchie must have got a little wrong with her calculations. She's well but bored, naturally. Its all very worry?? For her with the uncertainty of Peter. He rings up daily. Carol Ann seems to be very happy at Lytham. We like the nurse has arrived. She's about 40. Very attractive I think. She has travelled a good deal. Unfortunately she is booked for June 9. We think of by then to get someone else for about a week or so, but its very doubtful nurses are so scarce now. Mrs Nicholls (Belbroughton) rang me last might about nurses for Helen and Bryan are having a baby in November. She (Mrs Nichols) is absolutely thrilled. Hopes it will be twins!!! I think we are wishing we could have a bit of your warm weather. Its freezing here. Literally, we had a ground frost of 11 degrees yesterday. I ??? hope it wont damage the fruit prospects! At the moment we are having our asparagus. Masses of it. Its delicious. Gooseberries will soon be ready. But then you never did crave for them did you? You make our ??? water lolly of strawberries and cream. Darling how lovely you ear rings sound. We shall snatch them off you when you come home. How are managing to safeguard your bits of jewellery and other precious things? Can you lock anything up. How are things going. Hope you had a satisfactory interview with Mrs Chitty and that they will hurry you through a bit. Oh by the way, Johnnie Webb has broken his jaw. Connie said could you go and see him and tell us all about it. Oh you will be sad to hear that Mrs Greene (Hilda's mother) passed on yesterday. Very peacefully. She has been ill, here, at Hilda's for weeks. They will all miss her. ?????? a great bunch of lilac. Its simply beautiful this year. The whole lot? Full and large. I'm hoping to get a photo of it?
My dearest love precious and to Donald.
Mummy
PC from AJP to EUP (@ Lawnside)
(P24-13)
Postmarked Ilfracombe 14 Oct 1934
View of Lea Bay
Sunday,
I am writing this at Ilfracombe. Its been a most beautiful coast road from Lynton where we are staying - Lea Manor Hotel. We think we've found a place for dinner Martinhof? Manor Hotel - perfectly lovely.
Daddy.