Family history, a surprising find

Early morning mug of brewed coffee and rusks, and straight to the box of letters to see what grabs my attention.

Dad, always a man of few words had left a post-it note in the box.

'Family history etc. love Dad'

Indeed.

At the bottom of the box was a newspaper engagement notice. No date.

Not  Wedderburn - Van Der Veen as expected but Human - Van Der Veen.

A surprising find.

'Plunge boldly into the thick of life, and seize it where you will, it is always interesting.'

Goethe

Opening the Bowersburn Princess box.

Dipping into the box, I selected this envelop, a hand delivered letter addressed to Miss E.v d. Veen and marked Personal. 

I am a little anxious about peeping into the past and reading letters. It evokes so many memories and I do not always feel prepared for these waves of emotion.

The envelop has been opened with little finesse - top edge is torn and jagged.

The padded feel of the envelop took me by surprise. A handful of short brown hair, lightly streaked with blond had been folded into the letter.

The author is Chippie, J E Wedderburn, written from Records, Main Office. I know this is at the Iscor Head Office in Vanderbijlpark and the one page handwritten letter is to Dear Miss v d Veen, who was working in Publicity in the Engineering Block, also at Iscor, Vanderbijlpark.

I know this, these two people later married and are my parents.

 The Letter:

Dear Miss v.d. Veen
    I'm afraid I don't know your telephone no, or I'd have phoned.
   Please don't think this is a cheek on my part but I would like to take you to a show on Friday night. I haven't been introduced to you that I know, but I have tried and haven't succeeded. I've seen you round a number of times and I've seen you've seen me, or at least I think you have.
   Anyway if you would like to go on friday night, or if you are perhaps going out on that night perhaps some other night then. Just give the sender of this note a reply with your interest or not, if you're not interested please don't mention this note to anyone just tear it up and forget about it.
Yours sincerely
J E Wedderburn
Chippie

ps excuse the untidy mob.

What a treat to have the reply in the same envelop - cool, to the point, call me to discuss.

Knowing the outcome is delicious indeed, they must have started courting either that friday or another friday... maybe another letter in the box will reveal more.

Was it the hair that did it? Here I am, at the desk in the Loft, looking across the fields to the sea and I am holding my father's hair, looking back 60 some years to him finding a girl at work attractive and having the courage to write her a letter.

The vintage red roses Bowersburn Princess stationery box

Looking at the hangers in our cupboard here at the Loft has inspired me to open the Bowersburn Princess box. Both the hangers and the box belonged to my mother. I can clearly recall her knitting covers for hangers, using her wool stash, decorating them with crochet flowers and donating them to our school fetes. Perhaps not all were sold. Even more precious is the odd hand painted hanger, like the one in the photo with it's carnival theme, balloons and black masks.

Its a small box, I thought it may have been a chocolate box but it's a stationary box by Waverley Paper. And jammed full of letters. 

This blog will be the story of the letters that have come into my possession and  the life in the letters.