Frances reads five letters, written in July, Aug and Sept of 1909, by Vera, Avice, Edmund, Enid and Bernard.
Vera writes the fascinating sentence - for two days I have been alone in my glory. She also describes the Girls Friendly Society Festival - tea and games in the garden of one of the big houses in Sydenham. But it pours with rain, so 70 people have tea in the cellars.
Dr Cox and four of the siblings are on holiday at the Red Lion in Thursley, Surrey; the pub is on the London to Portsmouth Road. There are motor cars and dust, and Dr Cox is writing his next book – Rambles in Surrey.
Edmund has been to the Church Lads' Brigade camp; at Weston-Super-Mare, and writes all about it.
Enid, Cyril and Bernard have been to France and Switzerland, staying in Chamonix, Finhaut, Arolla and Chandolin. They see the Mer de Glace, the glacier up on Mont Blanc, which in 1909 was staggeringly larger than it is today.
Bernard, still sunburnt from Switzerland, tells a story about a noisy chicken and Mr Morgan, the innkeeper of the Red Lion.
Bernard also talks about the North Pole having been found, but did Dr Cook or Mr Peary discover it first? And Louis Bleriot is the first person to fly the English Channel, the Duke of Abruzzi has climbed higher than anyone else in the Himalayas, Cody has flown further than anyone else in a heavier-than-air flying machine, Neville is home in England again and Cyril has been promoted to Divisional Inspector.
Everything was happening in England in the summer of 1909
0:00 Intro
3:00 Vera's letter, July 28th 1909
9:20 Notes on Vera's letter
12:51 Avice's letter, August 9th
20:36 Notes on Avice's letter
27:58 Edmund's letter, August 23rd
34:30 Notes on Edmund's letter
39:42 Enid's letter, August 25th
46:52 Notes on Enid's letter
51:10 Bernard's letter, Sept. 3rd
57:12 Notes on Ber's letter
You can contact Frances by email - machellcoxletters@gmail.com
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