Document 404

Biggam Collection Letter: 11

Author(s): Madge Taylor Law

Copyright holder(s): Mr William Biggam

London

Dear Joan,

Sorry I haven't answered your letter before this but you know how time flies. We got your post card from Skye, hope you both had a nice holiday.

We are going to John's sister Agnes in Hamilton for a fortnight next Friday. Doll and I couldn't get to see you last year because we couldn't have got the connections for getting home again the same night. The bus you told me about was the same trouble. I wondered if you were going to Scotland at the same time as us if we might all meet, but I expect that you have now had your holiday when you went touring on the bus.

I'm glad to see that you have a job it will keep you busy but happy. I'm not working just now, just as well because Robert hasn't been keeping well since January so I've had to go back and forward to the hospital with him. He is better now but it has been very worrying because they couldn't find out what exactly was wrong with him. The consultant at the hospital says now that it can't be anything serious as it hasn't shown up in his blood. They've been looking for rheumatoid arthritis or fever. He's had about 4 blood tests at different times and when he was at home in bed ill he had a heart specialist in to give him a cardiograph and his heart is perfectly all-right. It seems now as if its just what used to be growing pains. It all started in January with what appeared to be mini-flu. He seems to be O.K. now and he was able to go to Italy with his school for ten days in June and he was all right there. I think the hospital Dr. will soon be satisfied that he is perfectly O.K. he hasn't been in hospital, just attending. The panel Dr. and the heart one thought he should have his tonsils out, but the E.N.T. Drs. have x-rayed his sinuses and say there is no justification for taking them out. I think he's been growing too quick he is taller than me now. Norman has been better except that he is troubled with hay-fever same as me. This has been a bad year for it an awful lot of people have had it.

I believe Chrissie has moved but young Johnie was there at Easter with his fiancee and he says that she hasn't moved very far so I should be able to find the place all right when we get to see her. I haven't let her know I'm coming yet, I don't know whether she's out working or not. We weren't going to have a holiday this year because we thought we might be getting rehoused but our landlord has refused to sell to the council so it will have to be taken over by a compulsory purchase order which will delay us getting moved for a while yet. You see he is getting a rent of £3 -15 a week from the couple downstairs and he thinks he will make more money by getting rent than he will by selling to the council. The result is that the council won't rehouse us until they have taken the house over, because if they move us now he will re-let the top to someone else for a huge rent and that will be someone else for them to try to rehouse. He can't raise our rent because we are controlled by the 1957 rent act which is just as well for us. So you see instead of using money for moving we are having a holiday. I've been learning first-aid during last winter at evening classes I found it very interesting.

Well that seems to be all I have to write just now so I hope this finds you and Arthur very well and as for us I know John and Dolls family are well although Doll had arthritis in her hands in the winter and John T. had rheumatism in his arm and was off work for some time which is unusual for him.

T.T.F.N. Love from all
Madge

Information about Document 404

Biggam Collection Letter: 11