The CBB
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/

Standing in the shadows, completed 18/04/08, p.23
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=4081
Author:  Alison H [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:02 am ]
Post subject:  Standing in the shadows, completed 18/04/08, p.23
“I’m just off now, Mrs Garden,” a cheery voice announced. “Unless there’s anything else that you particularly want doing today?”

Primula Garden, née Venables, looking up from the women’s magazine she’d been flicking through and smiled at her daily woman, who’d popped her head round the door of the lounge. “No: that’s fine, Mrs Ashcott. There’s nothing else that needs doing. You get off, and get home before the rain has chance to start again. See you in the morning.”

Sarah Ashcott nodded, said goodbye, fetched her coat and hat and made her exit; and Primula went back to reading her magazine. She’d meant it when she’d said that there was nothing else that needed doing: Mrs Ashcott was very efficient and made sure that the Gardens’ house never looked anything less than immaculate, which was easier said than done given that there were two young children living in it - even though Margaret, who was five, was now at school full time and Jonathan, a year younger, attended a nursery school five mornings and two afternoons a week.

Primula was fiercely proud of the house, which stood in a select suburb of the Devon market town of Etherleigh, where her husband Nick practised as a solicitor in partnership with his widowed father. After all the years that she’d yearned for a home of her own, now that she had one she cherished it.

She had almost no memory whatsoever of the home in Queensland that she’d once shared with her parents, her sister and the three brothers who’d died so tragically young and whom, hard though she’d tried, she couldn’t remember at all. Then after her father’s death she’d lived with friends and relatives, sometimes being passed from one relative to another according to what was convenient for whom, and she’d never truly been able to think of anywhere as home until her sister Daisy had married Laurie Rosomon and she’d gone to live with them. Even then, much as they’d both done everything they could to encourage her to think of their home as her own, she’d always felt ever so slightly like a spare part - until she’d married Nick and they’d moved into the house that they’d lived in ever since. Her first real home.

The house had belonged to Nick’s father, who’d inherited it from a wealthy bachelor great-uncle and rented it out until making it over to Nick and Primula just after they’d announced their engagement. It had been in need of some considerable redecoration at that time and, with the financial assistance of various friends and relatives keen to provide them with something useful by way of engagement and wedding presents, they’d done it up exactly the way they’d wanted. Every room in the house had had their own stamp on it by the time they’d come to live here: it couldn’t have felt any more like theirs.

Several people had remarked at the time that it was a good size for a family home, and within a few years that was what it become, with the arrival of the children. The four of them were very well settled there, and lived a happy, orderly life which couldn’t have been any further removed from the tales that Daisy sometimes told of the Venables family’s days in Australia. It was really a very comfortable life indeed.
Author:  Elbee [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:17 am ]
Post subject: 
Oooh, another story from Alison :D .
Looking forward to more!
Author:  Mona [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:30 am ]
Post subject: 
An interesting start Alison, thanks!
Author:  Lesley [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:10 am ]
Post subject: 
Very interesting - poor Primula was very neglected in some ways, wasn't she?


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Ruth B [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:15 am ]
Post subject: 
Yay! You've started posting it! Thank you shiny Alison.
Author:  Liz K [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 11:56 am ]
Post subject: 
This'll be good, looking forward to more, thank you.
Author:  JackieP [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison - will be nice to read about Primula

JackieP
Author:  Jennie [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:04 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Alison, this looks good. Poor Primula just faded out, didn't she?
Author:  Sugar [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:57 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison - good to see Prim in a drabble as leading character! Glad she's got some stability at long last. Poor thing was very much a suitcade kid packed off whenever it suited with precious thought.
Author:  leahbelle [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 6:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yay, a new Alison drabble! Looking forward to reading more about Primula. I often wish EBD had written more about her and (dare I say it!) less about Daisy!
Author:  Carys [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
I love reading drabbles about neglected characters! :D
Author:  Róisín [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:25 pm ]
Post subject: 
This looks good! *bookmarking*
Author:  BethC [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:50 pm ]
Post subject: 
Ooh, this is looking good!
Thanks, Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Mon Feb 25, 2008 10:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
Looking forward to reading more of this Alison - looks interesting and I always enjoy your drabbles :D

Thanks!
Author:  JustJen [ Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:47 am ]
Post subject: 
Finally, Primula's story is going to be told!
Thanks Alison
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Tue Feb 26, 2008 3:48 am ]
Post subject: 
Yay another Alison drabble. I'm glad Primula's story is going to be told here. Thanks Alison.
Author:  Alison H [ Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:44 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the comments. This is set in the same universe as some of my other drabbles so a bit of it will be set in Austria, but the rest will be set back in Devon. Just for info :lol: !

The legal practice which Nick and his father ran was prospering, and within reason the Garden family wanted for very little. Nick dealt with all their finances, of course, and Primula had only to worry about the housekeeping money and the additional sums which she sometimes asked for if she or the children needed new clothes or sundry other items; but she knew that Nick was doing well. He was far too sensible even to think about spending money that they didn’t have, and anyway she’d heard people mentioning his professional success at the dinner parties which they regularly held or to which they were invited at other people’s homes.

Yes, the Gardens enjoyed a good life, and Primula knew it. For example, there was the ski-ing trip on which she and Nick would be heading off in a few weeks’ time. Only yesterday she’d been out shopping and had bumped into Mrs Burton - the wife of Nick’s accountant - who’d asked if they were all ready to go and had then remarked with more a slight note of envy in her voice just how much she’d love to be able to go ski-ing. It looked so wonderful, she’d said! There were always pictures in magazines of the rich and famous enjoying themselves enjoying themselves on the piste – was that the correction expression? It looked absolutely thrilling; and she was quite sure that Mr and Mrs Garden would have the most fantastic time.

Primula had smiled and thanked her, and made a mental note that she really must get organised for it all. Hopefully Mrs Burton was right and they would indeed have a wonderful time, she’d thought to herself, mentally crossing her fingers. She had some concerns about leaving the children - it would be the first time that she and Nick had been parted from them - but she knew that her father-in-law and his housekeeper, with whom they’d been staying, would take excellent care of them; and Nick was so keen on the idea of a ski-ing holiday that for his sake in particular she very much wanted everything to go well. He worked hard: he deserved this break.

It would be early in the season when they went, only the beginning of December, but they’d had little choice about that - they had to be at home in January in order to attend the wedding of Nick’s associate Charles Foster to one of the firm’s secretaries, Caroline Carr, and then the firm had a big case coming up in February and there was no telling how long it might go on for - and in any case they’d been told that conditions were generally just as good in December as they were at the busier times of the season. Anyway, it might be better going when there weren’t as many people around, given that Nick was a complete novice when it came to ski-ing and she not much better, they’d joked to each other!

Nick’s original idea had been that they should go to one of the fashionable Swiss resorts, but as soon as the words “ski-ing holiday” had been mentioned Primula had eagerly suggested that they go to the Austrian Tyrol. That way, they’d be able to combine their trip with a visit to her cousin and close friend David Russell, now living at the Tiernsee with his wife and baby. Nick had smiled and apologised for not thinking of that in the first place; and so it was to Tyrol that they were going, to a hotel that David himself had recommended.

Of course, Mrs Burton hadn’t meant anything unpleasant by her comments about their holiday: she was a pleasant enough woman and Primula didn’t doubt for a moment that she sincerely hoped that the Gardens would enjoy themselves. But it was difficult sometimes not to be aware that they did have a rather easy life – or, at least, that she had a rather easy life. Part of it was due to circumstances – they’d been very lucky that Nick’s father had had a house which he’d given to them as a present, whereas she knew that the lifestyles of many other couples their age were dictated by the demands of rent or mortgage payments – and part of it was due to Nick’s constant hard work. She frequently couldn’t help feeling that she herself, with Mrs Ashcott attending to much of the domestic work, really didn’t do very much at all.
Author:  Mona [ Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:55 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison!
Author:  Lesley [ Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:02 am ]
Post subject: 
Did Primula not go to the Swiss CS or Welsen/St Mildred's then? Can't actually remember but suppose she can't have done if she describes herself as little better than a novice at skiing.


Thanks Alison - this looks really interesting. :lol:
Author:  Alison H [ Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:55 am ]
Post subject: 
Lesley wrote:
Did Primula not go to the Swiss CS or Welsen/St Mildred's then? Can't actually remember but suppose she can't have done if she describes herself as little better than a novice at skiing.


Thanks Alison - this looks really interesting. :lol:


She had one year at Welsen, in the academic year that began with Barbara, but it was a long time ago :lol: !
Author:  Ruth B [ Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:05 am ]
Post subject: 
Hmm. Do I spot little inklings of cliffs dotted around that post?
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Feb 27, 2008 8:48 am ]
Post subject: 
There’d always been a lot of talk at school about the importance of young girls like them growing into strong, helpful women, who’d be of use to their families and play a role in their communities … oh, all that sort of stuff. Of course, schoolmistresses were supposed to say things like that, especially at assemblies and prizegiving ceremonies and so on, but it had very much been a part of the ethos of the school and of her upbringing … and now what was she doing with herself? Mrs Ashcott did most of the domestic jobs and even came in to help with the cooking and the washing up when the Gardens were entertaining; and with all the new-fangled gadgets around these days housework wasn’t nearly as difficult as it had been in the ‘30s or ‘40s anyway. And the children were at school for much of the time now, and past the age where they needed watching all the time even when they weren’t.

Primula looked down at her magazine in distaste. It wasn’t even interesting: she was only reading it for something to do. Some of the articles in it were about sewing and knitting, she noticed: maybe that was what she ought to do, take up a hobby. But there was nothing of that sort that she’d ever been very good at, not like Tom Gay with her woodwork or Nella Ozanne with her carving or Clem Barrass and Polly Winterton with their painting.

She wasn’t really particularly brilliant at anything; and she was conscious that she’d always been rather shy and silent to boot. It was no wonder that she usually seemed to be introduced to people only as “Nick Garden’s wife”, she thought. But then it had never really been any different. At school, she’d always felt that people outside her own form thought of her primarily as either Lady Russell’s niece or, more usually, Daisy Venables’s sister.

Daisy and Laurie were now living in Armishire where the Russells, Venableses and Maynards had first moved during the War, and since returning there just over three years ago Daisy had been combining her role as a doctor and her role as a wife and the mother of three children and doing so with great success. She and Primula were close and always had been, especially since their mother’s early death. Primula adored her elder sister, and was also intensely proud of her.

How could anyone not be proud of a sister like Daisy, after all? At school, she’d been the very model of everything that most of the girls admired and in many cases either openly or secretly longed to be. She’d been one of a tightly-knit trio, but at the same time had been popular with everyone else around her too, girls and mistresses alike. She and her friends had led their form from an early stage and, when they’d reached the upper echelons of the school, had led all the rest of the girls as well. She’d become a heroine to all when she’d carried Elfie Woodward, who’d fallen and injured her ankle, through a snowstorm; and she’d both excelled in her academic work and represented the school at several different sports.

Then, she’d gone on to become the first former pupil of the school to qualify as a doctor, at a time when female doctors had still been a rarity; and on top of that had won countless awards for her research work. People who’d never even met her had spoken of her with awe. Carola Johnstone, for example, had related the tale of her unexpected first meeting with Dr Daisy Venables in the same tones that she might have used to describe an encounter with a member of the Royal Family or a leading Hollywood film star.

Primula had never for a moment resented always being in Daisy’s brilliant shadow. But, at the same time, she’d never been able to help feeling slightly inadequate because she herself had never particularly shone at anything.
Author:  Ruth B [ Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:18 am ]
Post subject: 
Poor primula!
Author:  PaulineS [ Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:59 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Primula had never for a moment resented always being in Daisy’s brilliant shadow. But, at the same time, she’d never been able to help feeling slightly inadequate because she herself had never particularly shone at anything.


It must be difficult to live in someone elses shadow. I was grateful when my brother and I went to separate secondary schools. Primula not only had her sisiter but also her cousins to be compared with. She was a quiet member of Bride's group in some books and ignored in others. Some times with Daisy at Joey's and others on her own with Madge. Not suprising she is confused now.

Hope she can find something she excells at.
Author:  Carys [ Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
Poor Primula, EBD really forgot she existed didn't she.
Author:  Becky [ Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
Very happy to see another Alison drabble, thank you! :lol:
Author:  JustJen [ Wed Feb 27, 2008 6:41 pm ]
Post subject: 
Poor Primula. It must have been hard for her to be compared to Daisy
Author:  Lesley [ Wed Feb 27, 2008 8:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
Wonder what she is going to do? She's obviously starting to become unhappy with her lot.


Thanks Alison
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:40 am ]
Post subject: 
Poor Primula, for feeling that way but I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting to devote your time to raising your kids and husband but she does feel a bit empty with it. Wonder what she's going to do now.
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Feb 28, 2008 8:50 am ]
Post subject: 
Admittedly, at any school there were only a very small minority of pupils who could be described as leaders. Or who were brilliant academically, or outstandingly good at sports or art or music, or able to keep everyone entertained with their quick wit, or drew admiration because of their good looks. Or, for that matter, who were the focus of attention because of their bad behaviour or unpleasant ways. The vast majority were like herself - ordinary. But she’d been brought up with a group of girls who’d all distinguished themselves one way or another. Every single one of them, apart from Sybil - and she’d been noted for her artistic abilities and always drawn attention because of her undisputed beauty – had actually ended up as Head Girl, even Peggy who’d never seemed to have that much about her.

The only single one of the entire group who’d never done very much was herself. She’d been reasonably good at her work, but she’d never made any particular mark in any particular area; and she’d got on well with most people but she’d never really had any particularly close friends. And the possibility of her being made a prefect would probably never have arisen even if she hadn’t missed most of her last year at the main branch of the school to be taken to Canada, where her uncle had been attending a series of important conferences. David, the same age, had remained behind in England because neither he nor his parents had wanted to risk damaging his chances of public examination success by taking him away from Winchester at such a crucial stage; but the interruption of her schooling hadn’t seemed to be an issue to anyone.

Well, no-one had ever expected very much of her. Which was a good job really, because she’d never really achieved very much. Certainly not when compared to someone like Daisy. Or to their Auntie Madge, who‘d set up her own school at the age of just twenty-four. Or to Joey Maynard, a successful and famous author.

She thought back, as she so often did, over her time at school. From an early age she’d been considered “delicate” and, like the various other “delicate” girls at the ultra-health-conscious Chalet School, had for that reason never been pushed. Although they were all much of an age she hadn’t even started school at the same time as David and Bride had, when the Chalet School had moved up to the Sonnalpe in 1938. And although she’d achieved an acceptable standard once she had been at school she’d certainly never been encouraged to exert herself.

Or maybe that was just an excuse, she thought guiltily. Robin had also been considered delicate, probably even more so than she’d been; and Robin had gone on to achieve an Oxford degree - even if her health had led to her giving up the settlement work that she’d initially gone into after graduating. Primula had sometimes thought that she’d like to get involved in settlement work or something similar herself, but after what had happened with Robin she’d known that her aunt and uncle would never have countenanced it for a moment had she suggested it.

Anyway, by the time she’d completed her year at finishing school, Daisy and Laurie had been married and ready to welcome her to share their home and regard it as her own; and having a real home had been far more important to her in those days than any sort of plans for her future could ever have been.
Author:  Elbee [ Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:28 am ]
Post subject: 
Poor Primula, feeling forgotten :(

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  Karoline [ Thu Feb 28, 2008 11:56 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you Alison, it's interesting to read Primula's pov
Author:  Carys [ Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
I really hope Primula achieves something that shocks the rest of her family!
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Thu Feb 28, 2008 12:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
Given her history I can understand why having a home would be so important to her and she may not be able to go into settlework when she was younger but that shouldn't stop her now. Hope she finds a niche for herself
Author:  abbeybufo [ Thu Feb 28, 2008 3:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
This gets more and more interesting - poor Primula; she realy has been in the shadows, hasn't she - what sort of light has she been hiding under that bushel, I wonder?
Thanks, Alison
Author:  Fatima [ Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:09 pm ]
Post subject: 
Poor Primula, I hope she can find some way to shine now.

Thanks Alison.
Author:  Lesley [ Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:00 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yes, all the other girls in her family have achieved more or had significant artistic talent - no wonder she's feeling left out.


Thanks Alison
Author:  keren [ Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:05 am ]
Post subject: 
Its the sort of thing that people talk about today in education that children fulfil what is expected from them
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:53 am ]
Post subject: 
With hindsight, maybe she’d have been better going away, to do some sort of work or further education or training somewhere where no-one would have known her. She’d had her languages if nothing else: perhaps she could have found a job something like the one Beth Chester had had with the Maynards for a time, working as a nanny for an English-speaking family living on the Continent. It would probably have done her good. Con Maynard had, like her, spent her schooldays living in the shadow of other members of her family, but Con’s confidence had come on by leaps and bounds once she’d been at Oxford - well away from the Gornetz Platz and everyone who just thought of her as “the middle triplet” or “the dreamy one of Joey’s large brood”.

But it just hadn’t occurred to her at the time to do anything like that; nor had it occurred to anyone else to suggest it. What she had done, feeling that she had to do something whilst she was living with Daisy and Laurie – it would hardly have been fair to expect her brother-in-law to support her, or to ask her uncle for handouts – was to find a job in an office near their Devon home. She’d worked there for about five years and found almost every moment of it dull - apart from the memorable occasion on which Nick, her boss’s solicitor, had come into the place to attend a meeting and left with her promise that she’d meet him for lunch the following day - and hadn’t had one single regret about finishing there on the day she’d left to be married.

Maybe if she’d had a more fulfilling job back then she’d feel some sort of desire to return to work part time now that her children were at school, as Daisy had done and as Bride - a teacher - had also recently done; but as it was she could think of few things that she’d rather do less. But surely, she thought tentatively to herself as she sometimes did, surely even though she had no special skills and no special training, there must be something, of some value, to someone, that she could do with her time. Something considerably more worthwhile than reading a boring magazine as she’d been doing for the past half an hour.

She folded the magazine up, placed it neatly on the table; and sighed. Maybe it was just the cold damp November weather that was getting her down and making her feel that she wasn’t doing as much as she could be with her life. Maybe it’d be better once she and Nick had had a break. Now that was something she could do: make a list of everything that they’d need to take on holiday with them and ensure that there was nothing that they’d forgotten to buy.

Yes, everything would doubtless seem a lot brighter once they’d had their trip away. Roll on Austria!
Author:  Ruth B [ Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:16 am ]
Post subject: 
*Hugs* for Primula.

Where are we, date wise? Has the Open University been established?
Author:  PaulineS [ Fri Feb 29, 2008 4:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
Who is David married to in this drabble? If its Gretchen she may be able to help. Primula needs to talk to someone about what she is good at. She is competant at several languages, could she be a translater for a publisher?
Author:  Lesley [ Fri Feb 29, 2008 8:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'm sure someone in or around Innsbruck will be able to help Primula.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
Poor Primula - if this is indeed the universe where David is married to Gretchen, I should think Gretchen would be very good for - and to - her.
Thanks, Alison
Author:  Alison H [ Sat Mar 01, 2008 8:08 am ]
Post subject: 
Yes, it's the same universe :D . Just under a year after the Christmas drabble.

Mayrhofen, Tyrol

“Well, here we are!” Nick said, heaving a bag of heavy ski gear from one shoulder to the other. “Good job you speak German so well: I couldn’t understand a word that that chap you asked the way was saying. Yes, all right - if I’d read the directions properly we wouldn’t have gone wrong in the first place: I know! Oh well, never mind: we’re here now.” He looked at the outside of the prettily-decorated, typically Tyrolean-looking hotel appreciatively. “And it looks like a pretty decent place, doesn’t it?”

“I’m sure that it’ll be lovely,” Primula said. “David wouldn’t have recommended it otherwise; and Bride and Simon have stayed here and I know that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves. I should imagine that Karen and her husband run things pretty well: Karen always had things running very efficiently at school!”

She laughed. “She’s a formidable lady, is Karen! Frau Braun, I should say. When I first went out to the Oberland with the Maynards – it was whilst Daisy and Laurie were on their honeymoon - we all stayed at the school until we’d got everything unpacked at Freudesheim; and Jack and Joey went out early and left the kitchen window open, which of course got Karen thinking that intruders had broken in. When she found out that it’d actually been them who’d left the window open she ripped the pair of them to shreds; and they both just sat there and took it because they didn’t dare not! I was still in bed at the time, but I heard about it all afterwards. Can you imagine anyone yelling at those two as if they were a pair of naughty schoolchildren?” She sighed. “I wish I had the guts to do something like that.”

Nick laughed too, but with a slightly bemused look on his face. “What on earth would you want to yell at Jack and Joey for? I know that they can be a bit much sometimes – Joey in particular! – but I thought you all got on like a house on fire. You’re always saying how good they were to you and Daisy when you were kids.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean that I wanted to have a go at the Maynards!” Primula corrected him hastily. “No – I just meant that … well, I wish I had …a bit more about me, sometimes.”

“Hey, what’s brought this on?” Nick patted her arm lightly. “Don’t go putting yourself down! Although if you mean that you wish you had a bit more self-confidence, then maybe you’re right. You do seem very unsure of yourself sometimes - and you’ve got no reason to, you know.” He patted her arm again, then looked a little self-conscious and made a move towards the hotel’s front door. “Come on: let’s go in. If I don’t put all this stuff down soon I’m going to end up dropping it all over the street: it weighs a ton. What do you reckon are the chances of us being able to get a hot drink and some cake or sandwiches or something once we’ve checked in and unpacked? It’s freezing out here – don’t let me leave the hotel without putting on some of that warm gear we bought in Exeter – and we haven’t had anything to eat since leaving Munich: my stomach feels like my throat’s been cut!”

“Very high, I should say,” Primula assured him. “Karen’s famed for her coffee, and even more so for her cooking! And I should know: I’ve known her since I was two.” He smiled. “The hotel really does look nice, doesn’t it? And I can’t wait till we go to David and Gretchen’s later in the week: I’m dying to meet the latest addition to the family! Oh Nick, we’re going to have a wonderful holiday: I’m sure we are!”
Author:  Lesley [ Sat Mar 01, 2008 8:51 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice to see the support from Nick - and to hear of Karen's reputation from Primula! Glad to hear of that 'new addition'!


Thanks Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:36 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison
Glad to know Nick is likely to be a support rather than part of the problem!
Author:  Mona [ Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:42 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison! Really enjoying this.
Author:  Ruth B [ Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:54 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
my stomach feels like my throat’s been cut


How does that feel exactly? :shock:
Author:  PaulineS [ Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
With Karen and Gretchen and Nick's support Primula has a good chance of finding her role,
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Sat Mar 01, 2008 11:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, glad Nick was supportive
Author:  Alison H [ Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:43 am ]
Post subject: 
Self-indulgent catch-up with characters from previous drabbles because I'm kind of attached to them and miss them when they're not around ... I'm very weird like that ... :oops: :lol:

Karen had asked the receptionist who was working that afternoon to call both her and Rudi to the reception area when the Gardens arrived.

It wasn’t that she felt the need to make any sort of extra-special effort for guests with Chalet School connections: it wasn’t like the early days when, any time that someone she’d known in her role as Chalet School cook and head of domestic staff had come to stay at the popular hotel – as many of them had done over the years - she’d been desperately anxious that they should get a good impression of the place and determined to ensure that there shouldn’t be even a minor hiccup during their stay there. No; these days, over ten years since the hotel had opened, she was much more confident and secure and only as concerned that mistresses or former pupils and their relations should enjoy themselves as she was that all the other guests should. Which was considerably so: she and Rudi might be easy-going with their staff and on excellent terms with them all, but the two of them had high standards and no-one was ever allowed to forget that.

However, she felt that it would only be polite to greet this particular Chalet School Old Girl and her husband in person. Primula was her goddaughter Gretchen’s husband’s cousin, after all; as well as being someone whom she herself had known for almost thirty years, and so she and Rudi would make time in their busy day to meet her and Mr Garden when they arrived.

They were busy days indeed: although it was still early in the main winter sports season, the hotel was full almost to capacity. And they were already completely booked up for January, February and March, the busiest months of the year. Looking back, she could see now - as, wrapped up in her new-found happiness, she hadn’t entirely done at the time – just what a risk they’d taken in opening a new hotel, especially at a time when Austria had still been recovering from the War and its aftermath; but it was a risk that had paid off richly.

The hotel was prospering, with a widespread reputation both as a good place to stay and as a good place to work: many of their guests came back year after year, and many of their staff had been with them since the early days. They worked very hard, she and Rudi, and neither of them were as young as they’d used to be; but she enjoyed her life and had no real complaints, only considerable gratitude for the way that her life had turned out.

She knew that plenty of people had thought that she was taking a huge risk too in agreeing after only four days to marry a man whom she hadn’t seen prior to that for over twenty years, but she’d known on their wedding day that she was doing the right thing and, ten years and two children later, she’d never regretted her decision even for a moment. They were a happy family; and they were also comfortably settled within the local community, something that she’d missed badly during her years in Britain and Switzerland. It wasn’t easy to become part of anything when you were a stranger in a strange land, and when even apart from that you were always seen as “one of the people from the school”, but now she and Rudi and the children were very much part of Mayrhofen life and that meant a lot to them.

She still took nothing for granted and she never would; but she was a happy woman, and it showed on her face as she walked into the reception area to welcome Primula Garden, once Primula Venables, and her husband Nick to Mayrhofen.
Author:  Lesley [ Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:22 am ]
Post subject: 
Lovely to see Karen so settled and successful.


Thanks Alison. :lol:
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:31 am ]
Post subject: 
We're 'kind of attached to them' too, Alison - don't apologise! It's good to get an update on Karen :D
Author:  Elbee [ Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:43 am ]
Post subject: 
We like to catch up on the other characters too, Alison! Thank you.
Author:  patmac [ Sun Mar 02, 2008 11:45 am ]
Post subject: 
I've just read this from the start and it's really good - I've now got to read all the other drabbles in this universe!
Author:  Ruth B [ Sun Mar 02, 2008 2:00 pm ]
Post subject: 
abbeybufo wrote:
We're 'kind of attached to them' too, Alison - don't apologise! It's good to get an update on Karen :D


Agreed. Can't believe Karen and Rudi have been married 10 years! :shock: :shock:
Author:  PaulineS [ Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Karen thought

Quote:
It wasn’t easy to become part of anything when you were a stranger in a strange land, ...........


I wonder where Primula thought she belonged? Australia, England, Wales, Swizterland she has not been any where until her marriage to settled down and grow roots in a community. Another cause of her being unsettled???
Author:  BethC [ Sun Mar 02, 2008 6:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Nice to see some of the others back in this!
Author:  Alison H [ Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:44 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the comments :D .

They’d all met at David and Gretchen’s wedding, but there’d been an awful lot of people there that day and both Rudi and Nick had to confess laughingly that eventually all the names and faces had begun to blur together. Karen and Primula soon made the appropriate re-introductions, though; and then the checking-in procedure was completed and assurances were given that hot drinks and plenty to eat would be available whenever the Gardens were ready. It all ended up taking longer than it should have done because Primula asked Karen how long it was likely to take to get from Mayrhofen to Briesau and then the two of them started talking about the Russells’ baby; and eventually Rudi was forced to make his apologies and excuse himself to return to his office.

“I’ve got an enormous pile of paperwork that needs getting through this afternoon, I’m afraid!” he said in his fluent English. “Things do tend to get very busy at this time of year. It’s been lovely to meet both of you again, though; and I do hope that you have an enjoyable stay. Please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything that we can help you with.”

The Gardens thanked him and assured him that they were sure that they’d thoroughly enjoy themselves; and then he turned to Karen. “Er – you’ve remembered that we’ve got the meeting here tonight, haven’t you, my love?”

“You know very well that I always remember when your meetings are,” Karen retorted. “What you mean is, will there be plenty of cake for you to all to stuff yourselves with during it? And, yes, there will be. I’ve even made Linzertorte because that fussy old treasurer of yours always says that it’s his favourite!”

Rudi laughed and put his arm round her. “Just checking!” he teased. “Right – I really must get back to the office now, and get on. I could do with having everything done and dusted before the children get back from school because they’ll have maths homework tonight and for some reason they always seem to think that I ought to be able to help them with it; and I need to have a word with Peter about that light fitting on the second floor that’s playing up; and then of course this evening I’ve got the meeting.”

Karen smiled at Primula and Nick. “Meeting of the … village council, I suppose it’d be called in England,” she explained. “They haven’t got any actual political power – much to my husband’s disgust! - but they do deal with a lot of local concerns. They also eat an awful lot of cake every time they hold their meetings here! Ah, that reminds me – will you excuse me a moment?” She turned back to Rudi. “Speaking of cake, I must take the cakes for the fundraising sale up to the church. I’ll go sooner rather than later so that I’m back before Anneliese and Alexander get home. I won’t be long - they’re all in boxes ready to go and they just need dropping off. Right! Mr and Mrs Garden, if you’d like to follow me, your room’s just up here on the first floor.”

Rudi wished the Gardens a pleasant stay again and then headed off to his office; and Primula walked up the stairs to the first floor alongside Karen, with Nick following a few paces behind and anxiously watching the porter who was carrying their expensive new ski gear.

“Just ask at reception if there’s anything you need to know, either about the hotel or about getting to and from the ski slopes or anywhere else you’d like to go,” Karen said. “And we’ve got some train timetables there as well: we’ve certainly got the timetables for the trains to and from Spartz, and I’m pretty sure that we’ve got the ones for the trains between Spartz and the Tiernsee as well. If we haven’t then just give me a shout and I’ll lend you ours: we usually go in the car but we’ve got a copy of the train timetable as well, just in case we ever need it.”
Author:  Sarah J [ Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:33 pm ]
Post subject: 
Just found this Alison. Looking forward to seeing what happens to Primula and lovely to get an update about Karen & Rudi - I really enjoyed your other drabbles in this universe.
Author:  PaulineS [ Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:55 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison glad to have updates on all the people here.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Mon Mar 03, 2008 6:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good to see Karen and Rudi busy and happy - but is this going to make Primula feel even more inadequate? :shock:

Thanks Alison
Author:  Lesley [ Mon Mar 03, 2008 7:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
It probably will - to begin with - but surely Karen's story will encourage primula to search for something she can do?


Thanks Alison.
Author:  ness [ Mon Mar 03, 2008 8:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, as always really enjoying this.

You are so regular with the updates too.
Author:  Alison H [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:42 am ]
Post subject: 
Primula nodded gratefully. “Thank you very much. I must say that it’s all going to be something of an adventure! Nick – Mr Garden - ’s never done any ski-ing at all, and I haven’t done much – just a bit the year that I was at Welsen. Nick’s been wanting to come for a while, but this was the first year that we felt that the children were old enough to be left – they’re with my father-in-law. Our daughter’s five and our son’s four.” She bit her lip anxiously. “I do hope that they’ll be all right. There’s no reason why they shouldn’t be, but I can’t help feeling a bit guilty about leaving them.”

Karen smiled reassuringly. “I understand. It was our tenth wedding anniversary at the end of August, and we went to Rome for the weekend and left the children with their cousin in Briesau. It was the first time we’d ever been away from them and we couldn’t help worrying; but they were perfectly all right. I think they quite enjoyed the change of scene, to be honest! I’m sure your little boy and girl will be fine.”

Primula smiled back shyly. “Thank you.” She looked up: Karen was considerably taller than she was. “You’ve got twins, haven’t you? I remember that they were bridesmaid and pageboy at David and Gretchen’s wedding. How old are they now – about eight?”

“They were nine at the beginning of October,” Karen said. She laughed. “They were born just over a year after we opened the hotel and at the time I wasn’t at all sure how people were going to react to there being one baby around the place, never mind two babies! But it’s all worked out all right. I worried that it might be strange for them living in a home that’s actually part of a hotel, but thankfully it doesn’t seem to have affected them at all. And everyone understands that out of school hours Rudi and I often do our paperwork in our own sitting room instead of in the offices, so that we can keep an eye on them. Really, the only problem that there’s ever been is that some of the people who’ve been here for years and known them since they were babies tend to spoil them a bit, and we can’t really complain about that!”

“I don’t know how you manage,” Primula said. She blushed. “Sorry – I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I didn’t mean to be rude. I just meant that … well, you and Herr Braun, you run the hotel, and you look after the children. And doesn’t Herr Braun do something with conferences at the Schloss Wertheim as well? And then you’re involved with things like the village council and baking cakes for the church sale as well.” She thought of how hard Karen and the rest of the domestic staff had always worked at the Chalet School, and blushed again. Karen must think that she was a spoilt brat who didn’t know the meaning of hard work.

She tried to think of a way of changing the subject. “Er – do you often bake cakes for church sales?” It sounded ridiculously feeble and she knew it; but at least it was better than making personal remarks as she felt that she’d just inadvertently been doing.

“I do my best whenever there’s any sort of fundraising event going on,” Karen said, noting that Primula was looking rather embarrassed but deciding not to comment on it. “Or when they’re holding sales at the children’s school. I make jam sometimes, as well. You have this sort of thing in Britain too, though, of course? I remember how excited everyone always used to get over the annual sale at the Chalet School! And Marie’s always saying in her letters that she and Lady Russell have been making cakes or biscuits or jam for a church sale or … what’s that organisation that Lady Russell belongs to called again? The Women’s Institute: that’s it.”

“Auntie Madge is always involved with something or other,” Primula heard herself agreeing. “Uncle Jem says that she’s a lynchpin of the community in Llan-y-Penllan.” She certainly couldn’t imagine Auntie Madge, although it was years since she’d been involved in the Chalet School on a day-to-day basis and her youngest children were now away at boarding school, whiling away her hours reading magazines that she wasn’t even interested in, that was for certain. And she’d meant it when she said that she didn’t know how Karen and Rudi managed with all the different commitments that they had. Was it that other people were just a lot more capable than she was? Or was it something else?


She sighed, and for a moment she didn’t realise that Karen had stopped: they were outside the room that the Gardens would be staying in for the next week. She shook her head for a moment. Like she kept telling herself, everything would seem a lot better after a week’s holiday. Wouldn’t it?
Author:  PaulineS [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:25 pm ]
Post subject: 
Primula it will only get better when you find your self confidence.

I feel sorry for Primula, but also want to tell her to start being more positive. Hope Karen and Gretchen can help her.
Author:  leahbelle [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 4:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
I hope Primula can find some confidence and positivity.

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
Primula needs something to get interested in as well as waking up her dormant self-confidence; it looks as if so far in her life nothing has seemed worth the bother as far as she's been concerned.
Karen and Gretchen will be good people to help, if she can open up to one of them.
Thanks Alison
Author:  ibarhis [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 6:33 pm ]
Post subject: 
If she changes that much it will put stress on her relationships. It would be worth it though - she seems to be having a bit of an epiphany atm
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hope Primula can find someone to talk to or decide what she wants to do
Author:  linda [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 8:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
Poor Primula. She suddenly seems to have woken up to the fact that life is passing her by.
Author:  andi [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
I sympathise with Prim - it's hard not to feel inadequate when you're an introvert surrounded by high-achieving extroverts! But realising she wants things to change is a good first step.
Author:  Elder in Ontario [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:21 pm ]
Post subject: 
I always felt a little sorry for Primula, and am enjoying learning more about her. Hope that she will find a satisfying 'niche' for herself after her holiday.
Author:  Lesley [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
Do hope she starts to get a little confidence in herself and her own abilities.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Carys [ Tue Mar 04, 2008 10:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
I've just caught up on loads of this, I hope Primula manages to gain some self confidence while she's away.
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:48 am ]
Post subject: 
Three days into the holiday, Primula was finding that everything she’d learnt about ski-ing during that year in the Oberland was gradually coming back to her; and Nick was starting to get the hang of things and, as he said ruefully, managing not to fall over quite so often. The hotel was every bit as good as David had assured them it would be, and their only complaint was that with all Karen’s wonderful food and all that cream-topped coffee they were both bound to be putting on a horrendous amount of weight.

After a tiring but exhilarating morning on the slopes, they’d returned to the hotel for lunch and were now poring over the train timetable that they’d got from the hotel reception, planning their visit to David and Gretchen’s home the following evening.

“The trains are fairly frequent so getting to the Tiernsee shouldn’t be too much of a problem,” Nick said. “The snag’s likely to be finding our way from the station to David and Gretchen’s house. I wish we’d thought to ask them for proper directions. Any idea of the way?”

Primula shook her head. “I haven’t lived in Tyrol for nearly twenty-five years, and I was only a little girl when we left, remember! I wouldn’t have a clue. It was different when we came for the wedding: there were a whole load of us, and the Maynards were already there and they met us at the station. And w can’t very well ask David or Gretchen to meet us: David might not even be back from work when we arrive, if he’s had calls to make, and it wouldn’t really be fair to ask Gretchen to come out with the baby when it’s cold and getting dark. I’d ring and ask them for directions now, only then it might sound like we’re dropping hints about wanting to be met! We’ll just have to ask at the station, I suppose.”

Then she laughed. “ Oh, what am I saying? We can ask Karen: she’ll know.” She glanced at the clock. “Lunch’ll be over by now, and it’s a while until afternoon tea … Kaffee und Kuchen, I mean. Having said which, she’ll have a lot of other things things to see too, and I don’t want to disturb her if she’s horrendously busy.”

“We could ask at reception about where she is,” Nick suggested. “They’ll know. You’d better go: the girl who’s on at the moment’s the one who doesn’t speak much English and my German’s non-existent!”

Primula nodded. That seemed like the best idea. The receptionist would certainly know where Karen was. The hotel staff worked very much as a team from what she could see, she mused, albeit with Karen and Rudi firmly at the helm. She smiled, remembering a remark that Auntie Madge had once made – approvingly – about Karen ruling her department at the Chalet School with a rod of iron. Of course, that had been during the days when everything had been on ration and there’d been shortages of domestic staff to boot, and so everything had had to be run as efficiently as possible - not to mention the pressure on the domestic staff from the teaching staff and pupils who’d always taken it for granted that the domestic side of things would run like clockwork.

Here at the hotel, by contrast the atmosphere was far more relaxed and, from what she could tell, very egalitarian indeed – but, even so, everything seemed to be extremely well-organised.

It was a credit to the Brauns’ leadership but, she pondered as she approached the reception desk and saw the receptionist smiling at her and the porter hurrying past with someone’s luggage, it was due to the hard work put in by everyone else who worked there as well. It took all of them to keep things running as well as they did. The place needed its leaders, but it needed other people every bit as much – and the same was true of anything, which was probably something that she needed to remind herself of. In a family like hers it was something that was easy to forget, and maybe that was one of the major causes of all her current uncertainties.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Wed Mar 05, 2008 8:55 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison
Author:  patmac [ Wed Mar 05, 2008 9:19 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison
Quote:
The place needed its leaders, but it needed other people every bit as much


Very true, and often forgotten. A good reminder and I hope the realisation helps Primula find her real self.
Author:  Lesley [ Wed Mar 05, 2008 10:13 am ]
Post subject: 
She needs to listen to herself a little more and start to realise that she has just as important a role.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  jennifer [ Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:25 am ]
Post subject: 
Poor Primula - it's like she's been an observer rather than a participant in her own life.

I can see how she feels overwhelmed by the rest of the family - high achieving extroverts is a good description - but she really needs to find something that satisfies her and fits her own personality.
Author:  PaulineS [ Wed Mar 05, 2008 11:51 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison. :) :) :) :) :)
Author:  leahbelle [ Wed Mar 05, 2008 4:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Alison. Primula was always overshadowed by Daisy and all her dozens of cousins. I hope she can start to find herself.
Author:  JustJen [ Wed Mar 05, 2008 7:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
It must have been hard for Primula growing up in the Russel/Maynard house; always the outsider looking in.
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Mar 06, 2008 5:54 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yay, it's working again!!

Karen was in her sitting room attending to the menu planning for next week, but she wouldn’t mind being interrupted if a guest needed help with something, the receptionist said. “Just go through there - can you see where that door is? And knock. It won’t be a problem.”

Primula couldn’t help feeling slightly apprehensive even so; but Karen insisted that she didn’t mind in the least and said that of course she could tell her how to get from the station to David and Gretchen’s house. “It’s not too difficult,” she assured her. “If it were summer then you’d be able to get the ferry from Seespitz station over to Briesau, but unfortunately the ferries don’t run at this time of year; but there’s a bus, and I’m sure David’ll drop you at the station on the way back. Now, from the bus stop, you need to turn right … actually, I’ll write it down for you.”

She’d just picked up her pen when the door opened and Rudi walked in. “Oh I’m sorry: I didn’t realise you had company,” he apologised. “Everything’s all right, I hope, Mrs Garden?”

“Everything’s fine, thank you very much,” Primula told him. “We’re having a lovely time. Kar ... er, Frau Braun’s just giving me directions from Seespitz station to David and Gretchen’s house. We’re going there tomorrow night.”

“Oh, that’s nice!” he said with a smile. “Give them our best wishes. I just came in to get last month’s purchase invoice file: I managed to leave it in here this morning when I got distracted by Alexander wanting me to help him find his school reading book. Ah, there it is! Right, I’ll leave you to it, then. Have a good time in Briesau!”

Primula thanked him. He picked up his file, but before he could leave the room the door opened again and the girl from reception rushed into the room. “Sorry for barging in like this, but please will one of you come out to reception?” she asked breathlessly. “First accident of the season, I’m afraid! You know Herr Grossmann, that big man from Augsburg who’s in the end room on the second floor? He had a bad fall on the slopes and they think he might have broken his leg, and they’ve brought him straight back here. Frau Grossmann’s with him: she isn’t hurt, but she’s worked herself up into a right state, and I think that’s making him feel even worse.”

“Well, if he’s broken his leg then we need to get a doctor over here as soon as possible,” Rudi said practically. “I’m sorry, Mrs Garden – would you please excuse us for a little while? I’ll go and tell them to bring him in here: if he’s already been carted all the way from the slopes then he certainly won’t need carting up the stairs as well, at least not until his leg’s been set. Marta, would you mind ringing the doctors’ surgery and telling them what’s happened, and asking them if they could please get someone over here as soon as possible, if that’s all right? Oh dear, the first accident of the season, and it’s only the beginning of December! Poor old Herr Grossmann!”

“I’ll go and see about getting him a hot drink … or maybe a Schnapps’d be better, help with the shock,” Karen said. “I’ll go and see if Frau Grossmann wants anything as well: she’d better come in here too, or maybe it’d be more sensible to take her through to the dining room and get her sat down there until she’s had chance to calm down. I’ll see if there’s anything that the stretcher-bearers need, as well.”

She looked apologetically at Primula. “I’ll finish writing those directions out as soon as I get chance, but if you’ll just excuse me …”

“Oh, of course!” Primula said hastily. Karen smiled at her, and then bustled out of room to see what she could do to help. Unfortunately, accidents did happen on the ski slopes and they were used to emergencies of this sort, but it was distressing all the same. Dear oh dear! Still, at least it was only a broken leg and nothing worse. Right, a Schnapps for Herr Grossmann, and whatever Frau Grossmann and the stretcher-bearers wanted …
Author:  ness [ Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison

I'm glad the boards back I've been waiting for this all day!
Author:  patmac [ Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:25 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison.
Author:  Caroline OSullivan [ Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison :D :D
Author:  Lesley [ Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:54 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison - have a mini inkling as to what Primula might be able to do..
Author:  roversgirl [ Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:38 pm ]
Post subject: 
have just found this after two weeks away from the board. thanks! Primula is someone I've always wanted to know more about :)
Author:  PaulineS [ Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hope Primula can find a role here. I can think of one at least.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Fri Mar 07, 2008 12:57 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:51 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the comments - hopefully Primula will sort herself out, but it might take a bit longer. (I tend to forget that these people aren't real ...)

Fortunately, it turned out that Herr Grossmann’s leg wasn’t actually broken, only badly bruised. By the time the doctor had arrived and made the diagnosis, the injured man was sitting up sipping his Schnapps and chatting to Rudi about football, and Karen had succeeded in calming Frau Grossmann down and provided both her and the stretcher-bearers with coffee and cake.

Primula, not wanting to get in the way, had slipped out of the sitting room and back to her own room as soon as Karen and Rudi had gone to attend to the Grossmanns. She and Nick returned to the ski slopes later in the afternoon, and didn’t get back to the hotel until darkness was starting to fall. Nick, who’d taken a few tumbles during the afternoon, said that he felt a bit achy and could do with a hot bath, and whilst he was in the bathroom Primula went downstairs to see if she could find Karen and enquire about the man who’d been hurt.

Karen was at the reception desk, having a word with the receptionist about next week’s staff rotas. Primula, not wanting to interrupt, stood to one side, but Karen saw her and smiled. “I was going to come and look for you later on: I was going to write down the directions to Gretchen and David’s for you, wasn’t I? I’ll do it as soon as Marta and I have finished sorting out next week’s reception rota, if you’ve got a few minutes now? We won’t be long.”

Primula nodded gratefully. “If you don’t mind, that would be wonderful. How is the poor man who broke his leg?”

“He’s all right, thankfully – nothing broken after all. I don’t think he’ll be doing any more ski-ing whilst he’s here, unfortunately, but they were going home the day after tomorrow anyway. And the main thing is that it was nothing serious, thank der liebe Gott.” She smiled at Primula again, then turned back to the receptionist. “So … you’re off next Tuesday, Marta, but you’re doing the late shift on Thursday: does that sound all right?”

Marta smiled and nodded and said that the arrangements were fine, and then Karen guided Primula to one of the big settees in the reception area and sat down next to her “We won’t go through to the sitting room if you don’t mind: Anneliese and Alexander are doing their homework in there and I don’t want to disturb them,” she explained. “They’re very put out that they missed all the “excitement” this afternoon, as they saw fit to put it – honestly, poor Herr Grossmann! I’ve told them in no uncertain terms that there’s nothing exciting about someone having an accident!”

“The accident … you were wonderful, the way you dealt with it, you and Herr Braun,” Primula said shyly. “I’d think I’d just have panicked: I wouldn’t have had a clue what to do.”
Author:  roversgirl [ Fri Mar 07, 2008 8:56 am ]
Post subject: 
thanks for another update :)
Author:  PaulineS [ Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:46 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you for the update.
Author:  Mona [ Fri Mar 07, 2008 12:09 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison!
Author:  brie [ Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:00 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison! Great to see another drabble from you!
Author:  leahbelle [ Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the updates, Alison!
Author:  Kathy_S [ Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:50 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you, Alison. Very realistic!

But is it bad that when my eyes first jumped to "broken leg," I thought it was Primula's? One to keep her under Karen's influence more than the designated week? :lol:
Author:  Lesley [ Sat Mar 08, 2008 1:10 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison - Primula really does have no self confidence, doesn't she?
Author:  Alison H [ Sat Mar 08, 2008 8:39 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the comments :D . I always feel sorry for Primula - she and Daisy lost the rest of their immediate family when they were very young, then got passed about like parcels between the Russells and the Maynards, and whilst Daisy got to be a big CS success half the time EBD seemed to forget that Primula even existed :( .

“Of course you wouldn’t have panicked,” Karen said briskly. “And it’s hardly as if we did that much, after all – we just sent for the doctor and made a few drinks. Regrettably accidents do: we just have to cope with them. And you might not have to cope with ski-ing mishaps but I’m quite sure that you’re well able to cope with the things you do have to deal with.”

“I don’t have to deal with anything, really. Well, only ordinary everyday things.” Primula looked up. “And … well, it’s like I said the first day we were here. You run everything so well, and you’ve got the children to look after as well; and you even make time for things like baking cakes for church sales. And Daisy – my sister – she’s a doctor, and she practises even though she’s married with three children. Well, you know that, of course, because she used to work with David. And I just don’t do anything very much.” She looked down at the floor. “Sorry – I must sound pathetic. And I’m sure you don’t want to be hearing all this: I’ll go and leave you in peace now. Thanks for the directions.”

Karen shook her head. “There’s no need to rush off.” She tapped her fingers on the arm of the settee. “People’s lives are different,” she said carefully. “It's always been that way: I should know. And doing “ordinary everyday things” is hardly nothing: looking after children and a house is hard work!”

“I’ve got someone who does most of the housework for me, and the children are at school now,” Primula confessed. “I just feel that I should be … making more of a contribution, somewhere along the line; but I’ve never really been very good at anything. I don’t know what I could do that’d be of any use to anyone.”

Karen shook her head again. “Everyone always has something that they can do,” she said firmly. “For many of us it isn’t a matter of choice, either about what we work at or whether we work or not: I was working in the kitchens of the Kron Prinz Karl when I was only a few years older than my children are now. You’ve had a good education: there must be plenty of things that you could do if you set your mind to it.

“And if what you want is to do something useful, then there is always a great deal that needs to be done. You mentioned baking cakes: it isn’t that much for me to make a few extra cakes, so that I can take some for the church sale, and with all that everyone contributes together hopefully we’ll be able to make plenty of money for where it’s needed. You understand that – you used to make things for the school sales in your free time, didn’t you? And you have the facility to do things that people who have to put earning money first may not always be able to do because they don’t have the time. There must be all sorts of other things that you could involve yourself with if you wanted to, surely?”

She stopped. “I’m so sorry: I didn’t mean to lecture you – and you a guest in my hotel! I can be too blunt for anyone’s good sometimes, I’m afraid. I do apologise.”

Primula managed a half-smile. “That’s all right. I said to Nick on the day that we arrived that you were a formidable lady – and I meant that in the best possible way! Everything you’ve just said is quite true. I’m surprised you didn’t say more: you must think that I’m just some lazy spoilt madam. Maybe I am, compared to people like you. And my sister. And Gretchen, doing her work for the San and looking after the baby as well.” She managed a proper smile this time. “Thanks again for the directions: I’m so looking forward to seeing David and Gretchen again, and meeting my newest cousin.”

Karen smiled too. “I know that they’re looking forward to seeing you as well. Now, take these directions and put them in your bag before they get lost; and be sure that you have a good time in Briesau tomorrow. And be sure that you enjoy the rest of your holiday too. No more talk about being pathetic or anything of that sort, not one more word; and, believe me, if you want to find something more to do when you get home then there will only be yourself stopping you.”
Author:  Mona [ Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:20 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison.
Good sensible advice from Karen there. What will Primula decide to do about it?
Author:  Lesley [ Sat Mar 08, 2008 10:01 am ]
Post subject: 
Good for Karen - Primula needed that. :lol:



Thanks Alison.
Author:  roversgirl [ Sat Mar 08, 2008 11:23 am ]
Post subject: 
thanks for the update :) i hope Primula finds something to do!
Author:  PaulineS [ Sat Mar 08, 2008 12:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
Karen said

Quote:
believe me, if you want to find something more to do when you get home then there will only be yourself stopping you.”


Lets hope Primula takes the advice. She will be happier if she can find something she wants to do
Author:  Alison H [ Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:39 am ]
Post subject: 
Daniel Russell, eight and a half months old, was somewhat surprised and really not particularly impressed at being placed in his high chair in the kitchen when it quite obviously wasn’t yet time for his evening meal. He immediately cast an imploring glance at his mother, and held up his little arms in the hope that she’d lift him back out and set him down on that nice rug on the living room floor.

Gretchen shook her head regretfully and kissed his forehead. “I’m sorry, darling. I know it’s not very exciting in there, but Mummy needs to get on with the cooking and it really wouldn’t be a good idea for you to be crawling about in the kitchen. Anyway we don’t want you getting yourself all mucky before Auntie Primula and Uncle Nick have seen you, do we? But if you’ll just give me a second I promise that I’ll get you a rusk to eat and some toys to play with, and then it won’t seem quite so bad!”

She glanced at the kitchen clock and groaned. “Oh dear, we really are running a bit late, aren’t we? They’ll be here before we know it; and I’ve still got to finish getting the food ready, lay the table, clear everywhere up and get washed and changed. I don’t know why the powers that be at the San had to want all that typing doing just today! Oh well, at least Herr Doktor Mensch’s calling round to collect it on his way back from his meeting in Schwaz, so we won’t have to take it up to the Sonnalpe in the morning. And now that all that’s out of the way I’ve not got much to do tomorrow, so as long as it doesn’t rain we’ll go for a walk down by the lake, and then we’ll call in at Wald Villa, and then we’ll come home and you’ll be able to crawl around on the living room rug – yes, I know that that’s where you’d rather be now, instead of sitting in here! - to your heart’s content!”

Daniel beamed at her and she laughed. “I wish I knew how much of what I say to you you understand!” she told him. “Some people say that you’re too young to understand anything much, but I think you take in every single word, don’t you?”

She fetched him the rusk and toys that she’d promised, and he settled down happily to amusing himself with them whilst she busied herself with finishing preparing the meal for the Gardens’ visit. Despite all the rushing about she was really looking forward to the evening. She’d known Primula since before she could remember, after all, even if their lives had gone in very different directions since they’d left the nursery. And she knew how much David was looking forward to seeing Primula and Nick for the first time in over a year and a half. These days he didn’t get to see any of his side of the family that often; and he and Primula had always been close.

Thankfully the food all turned out well; and by the time she’d finished in the kitchen it was time to put Daniel in his cradle for a sleep, which gave her chance to set the table and get herself ready. After that she set about tidying everywhere up, but unfortunately, she hadn’t quite finished when the phone rang and she had to listen to a lot of chatter from her cousin Sabine who wouldn’t seem to take any of her hints that she really had to be going. Then Daniel woke up; and then the next thing she knew the doorbell was ringing.

“It’s typical that people should arrive early when we’re running behind and Daddy isn’t even home from work yet, isn’t it?” she said to the baby, laughing ruefully. “Everything in Auntie Primula’s house is probably permanently immaculate! Oh well, not to worry. The food’s all ready and that’s the main thing, eh? And it will be lovely to see them.” She kissed the top of his little head. “Come on, let’s go and let them in! I can see them standing on the doorstep, and it’s cold outside!”
Author:  roversgirl [ Sun Mar 09, 2008 9:45 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the update. nice contrast with Primula's p.o.v.
Author:  brie [ Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:10 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison. nice to see Gretchen again!
Author:  Mona [ Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:21 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison!
Author:  Lesley [ Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:54 am ]
Post subject: 
Lovely little snippet of Gretchen's life - and Daniel sounds adorable. :lol:


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:38 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks alison, that was lovely and sound advice from Primula
Author:  Alison H [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:39 am ]
Post subject: 
Primula had been so anxious to avoid being late that she’d insisted to Nick that they get a train far earlier than they really needed to. She liked Gretchen but had always been ever so slightly in awe of her, despite the fact that the other girl was two years younger than her and had, as the daughter of the domestic staff, held a rather ambiguous position in the Russell household in which they’d both grown up.

Gretchen had stood up to Sybil’s bullying far more than she’d ever done – it was a long time ago, and these days Gretchen and Sybil were close friends and Primula herself got on with Sybil well enough, but the jibes about not really belonging had hit very hard at the time – and later on Gretchen had had the guts to move herself back to Austria as she’d always wanted even though her parents and brothers and sister had remained in Wales. She’d worked hard to get herself a good job despite not having had the opportunity to stay on at school long enough to get any qualifications there; and then she’d stood up in no uncertain terms to Primula’s Uncle Jem and Auntie Madge over their initial disapprovement of her engagement to David.

And now she held down that job and ran a home and looked after baby Daniel. She probably wonders what on earth I do with myself all day and no wonder, Primula had found herself thinking unhappily. Well, I’m at least not going to risk looking stupid by turning up late. And so instead they’d ended up being early. She’d wanted to walk around for a while but Nick had pointed out, quite reasonably, that it was freezing cold out and that anyway they didn’t know the area and would probably only end up getting lost. And so here they were, standing on the doorstep. It was strange that David should have ended up living back here all those years after they’d left, she thought to herself. It had been a big decision for him to make, but make it he had and she knew that he’d never regretted it.

Gretchen opened the door with baby Daniel in her arms and at her first sight of her youngest cousin Primula temporarily forgot her worries. “He’s absolutely gorgeous!” she exclaimed when greetings had been exchanged and Gretchen had apologised for David’s not being home yet: he’d been called out to see a patient on the far side of Spartz. “He’s just lovely!” She laughed. “Even if he does look just like David – apart from having blue eyes like you. May I hold him: is he all right with people he doesn’t know?”

“He’s very sociable most of the time!” Gretchen said. “And he’s just had a long sleep so he’s not tired, so he should be fine. There, darling: you go to Auntie Primula. He’s actually very good as a general rule, if I’m not tempting fate by saying so. We’ve been very lucky: I’m not sure how I’d manage if he were the sort of baby who cried every five minutes!”

“I’m sure you’d manage perfectly,” Primula said. “I mean, you look after Daniel and you do your work and you look after the house: I think it’s amazing the way you cope with it all, I really do. I think Karen’s amazing as well, the way she runs everything at the hotel – we’re having such a lovely time there - when she’s got two children to see to as well.”

“Oh, Rudi’s always helped a lot with the children, and even so Auntie Karen gets a bit harassed sometimes,” Gretchen said. She smiled. “She works very hard, though: I’m glad to hear that you’re having a good time at the hotel because I know how much effort she and Rudi and all the others there put in behind the scenes there.

“As for saying all that about me, thanks for the compliment but believe me it gets a bit manic in here … er, as you can see.” She bent down and hastily removed a squeaky rubber toy and a cloth ball from their path. “Sorry: I didn’t quite have time to get everything tidied up in here because I had a load of typing to get done. Herr Doktor Mensch is calling round to collect it, which is a good job because otherwise I’d’ve had to take it up to the San and we’d have been eating very late … although I couldn’t have complained because I’m very lucky that they let me work from home. I don’t know what I’d do if they didn’t, whilst Daniel’s so little.” She glanced at the clock. “I thought he’d have been here by now, actually, Herr Doktor Mensch I mean. I hope he hasn’t forgotten! Anyway – enough about my typing! Now, would anyone like a drink?”

She poured drinks for the Gardens and herself, and the three of them sat down to chat and wait for David. Daniel sat on Primula’s knee for a while, playing with her necklace, then decided that that wasn’t really very interesting and looked longingly at the rug on the floor until Primula laughed and gently set him down so that he could crawl about. Soon afterwards they heard a car drawing up outside, followed by a ring on the doorbell.
Author:  Lesley [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:50 am ]
Post subject: 
Primula's opinion of herself seems to be at odds with that of everyone else - perhaps she should listen to them?

Thanks Alison
Author:  roversgirl [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:44 am ]
Post subject: 
I agree, Thanks :)
Author:  patmac [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:03 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you - just caught up with 2 posts :P

I couldn't help thinking how like real life that was - Gretchen thinking that Primula's house was probably immaculate and Primula wondering how Gretchen managed to work and manage the family.
Author:  Mona [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 1:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
Who's at the door? Surely David has a key?

Thanks!
Author:  PaulineS [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:01 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hope there is no problem at the San which has made Herr Doktor Mensch late and needs Gretchen to do something.
Author:  Kathy_S [ Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:45 pm ]
Post subject: 
Maybe Herr Dr. Mensch? Or something to help Primula's image of herself....

Interesting that Gretchen isn't quite so embarrassed to show that she's a little frazzled.

Thank you, Alison.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Tue Mar 11, 2008 12:19 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison.

Gretchen's too busy to worry about stuff but she did until she worked out what would make happy and what she wanted in life, whereas Primula is still going through all of that. Hope she finds her way.

BTW Are we ever going to see Elsie Bradshaw again? I loved her :D
Author:  Alison H [ Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:45 am ]
Post subject: 
:lol: I'd nearly forgotten about Elsie! None of this is set at the CS so no for the time being ... but maybe she'll turn up in another drabble some time.


“Nothing personal, but I’m not planning on staying long – which you’ll probably be very glad to hear!” Gottfried Mensch joked, as Gretchen answered the door and he followed her through to the living room where the typed papers were waiting to be collected. “Gisela was expecting me home ten minutes ago but I got stuck in traffic coming away from Schwaz. You know what that main road can be like at this time of day, and … oh, I’m so sorry: I had no idea that you had visitors.”

He looked at Primula and Nick for a moment, and then a smile of recognition spread across his face. “Oh – it’s Primula Venables, isn’t it? Well, I know that it isn’t Venables any more but I’m afraid that your married name’s slipped my mind – it must be old age making me forgetful! How lovely to see you, anyway! How are you, my dear?”

“Very well, thank you! And it’s been Primula Garden for the last six and a half years,” Primula laughed. “This is my husband, Nick Garden. Nick, this is Herr Doktor Gottfried Mensch, who used to work with Uncle Jem. You probably met at David and Gretchen’s wedding but I know that there were a lot of people there that day and everyone got a bit confused about who was who!” She smiled as her husband and Gottfried shook hands. “It’s lovely to see you too, Uncle Gottfried. And how are you?”

“Very well indeed, I’m pleased to be able to say! Ah – will you excuse me?” He smiled at her again; then turned to Gretchen who was waiting to present him with a large cardboard box containing a pile of neatly-filed papers. “ Gretchen, I can’t thank you enough for much for getting all this lot done today at such short notice. What we’d do without you I don’t know: I think the place would grind to a halt!”


Gretchen blushed; but she seemed pleased by the compliment, Primula noticed. As well she should be. Once again she felt that feeling of inadequacy coming over her … no, she couldn’t sink into one of her low moods, not here where she was a guest in someone else’s home. Mentally she shook herself and made herself speak, be sociable. “How are Auntie Gisela and Natalie and Maria and everyone else, Uncle Gottfried?” she asked.

“All very well, thankfully,” he said, nodding. “And Maria and Walter and the children are coming to us for Christmas, which we’re very much looking forward to because we don’t get to see nearly as much of them as we’d like to. They’ll be arriving a week beforehand and staying until after New Year. Actually, Gretchen, I know that Gisela wants to have a word to you and David about that. Will you be taking the Chalet School’s Christmas box to the children’s home in Innsbruck this year? Because, if so, she thought that maybe she could suggest that Maria and Walter bring it with them when they come: I’m sure that the Maynards’ll be seeing them some time before then, and they’d be able to bring the box from the school and pass it on. Gisela just thought that it’d be easier than having to get it delivered.”

“Oh, that’d be wonderful, as long as they don’t mind,” Gretchen exclaimed. “Tell Frau Doktor Mensch thank you so much for thinking of it! We were discussing it only the other day, as it so happens. I’d thought that maybe David’s parents’d want to take it themselves – you know that they’ll be here over Christmas? - but it’s turned out that they won’t be getting here until the 23rd and really that’d be leaving it a bit late. So, yes, David and I’ll be taking it like we did last year.”

She looked at Primula and Nick. “We’re talking about the children’s home in Innsbruck that the girls at the school make clothes for and send some of the proceeds of the school sales to,” she explained. “David and I went there last Christmas, with a box of things from the school. We felt a bit uncomfortable about going because we weren’t sure what they’d think of us, but they couldn’t have made us any more welcome. They do a wonderful job there and it’s not easy; and they really did seem glad of everything that we took for them. It just makes you realise how lucky we all are.”
Author:  Mona [ Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:43 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison. I'm really enjoying this!
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:47 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison. This is great
Author:  Becky [ Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:13 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, really enjoying this :D
Author:  roversgirl [ Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, this is brilliant :)
Author:  macyrose [ Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:02 pm ]
Post subject: 
Really enjoying this, Alison. I wonder if Primula would consider volunteering at a place like the children's home? She might find herself really making a difference in people's lives.
Author:  Lesley [ Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:01 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison.
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:41 am ]
Post subject: 
Primula nodded. The Chalet School’s links with the children’s home to which Gretchen was referring went back to the days when the school had been in Briesau, but during her own schooldays the War and its aftermath had made any association between the two institutions impossible. However, contact had been re-established once the main branch of the school had relocated to Switzerland, and various members of the family had referred to it in their letters or telephone calls over the years. Joey had visited the children’s home several times, she knew; and both she and Madge had sometimes made mention of their daughters making clothes for the children there.

Doing as much as they could for “those less fortunate than themselves”, as it had been termed, was something that they’d always been encouraged to think about at the Chalet School: in her own time there they might not have been in touch with the children’s home in Innsbruck but they’d always tried to raise money for other good causes at the annual school sales. It was an ethos that went back to the very early days of the school’s existence, when pupils had begun raising money to help fund treatment at her uncle’s sanatorium for those unable to pay for it. Not long afterwards, after discussions with the local parish priest, they’d also begun to raise money for the children’s home in a poverty-stricken area of Innsbruck, at a time when life in Austria had for many people been very difficult.

She and Daisy could have ended up living in a children’s home, she thought suddenly. What if their mother, who’d never enjoyed particularly good health, had died in Australia, as well as their father and brothers? She and Daisy wouldn’t have known to ask anyone to contact their Uncle Jem: they hadn’t even known that they had an uncle until their mother had told them that they were going to a far-off place called Austria to find him. And when their mother had died, they’d been lucky that they’d had relatives to give them a home: so many children in that position didn’t. Life might have taken a lot from her and Daisy but they had much to be thankful for as well, she thought. There were so many children, and elderly people too, who one way and another were left without relatives or friends nearby to care for them when they needed it.

She was still musing on the subject when Gottfried left, but was shaken out of her reverie soon afterwards when David arrived home. The two of them had been close friends ever since their early childhood and this was their first meeting in well over a year and a half: they greeted each other joyously, with Gretchen and Nick watching and smiling. The four of them chatted for a little while, and then David bathed Daniel and put him to bed whilst Gretchen sorted the food out. “I really am sorry about being late and keeping everyone waiting for dinner,” he said apologetically when he returned downstairs. “It just couldn’t be helped.”

“Oh, don’t even think about it!” Nick exclaimed. “We know what it’s like for doctors: the last time we stayed with Laurie and Daisy they both ended up being late home the night we arrived! And, whilst I know it’s hardly the same thing, there are plenty of nights I’m stuck in the office long past normal working hours if we’ve got a big case on. There really isn’t anything to apologise for, David, honestly.”

“These things are sent to try us,” Gretchen laughed. “I have to admit that sometimes David arrives home on time only to find that dinner’s running late because I’ve got my nose stuck in a cash book or my fingers glued to the typewriter!” Nick and David both laughed; but Primula had gone silent, she noticed. She wasn’t sure why, but determined to try to draw her into the conversation. “Anyway, enough talk about work – you two are meant to be on holiday!” she said brightly. “How’s the ski-ing going?”

Primula didn’t answer: Nick did. “Getting there!” He grinned. “I didn’t realise that it’d be quite so difficult at first, though.”

“Oh, you should have seen me trying to skate when the Tiernsee was frozen over last year,” David laughed. “I’m hoping I’ll do a bit better this year, though! It was my first attempt for well over twenty years, to be fair.” He looked at his cousin: he’d also noticed that she wasn’t joining in the conversation. “Remember how we used to drive Mum and Dad and Rosa mad to let us go skating when we were kids at Die Rosen, Prim? They were always worried that one of us’d have an accident: I blame Auntie Joey and her exploits for that!”

Primula answered him briefly, but she didn’t say much after that and he found himself wondering if she were all right. Nick didn’t seem to particularly concerned, so probably he was imagining things … but then Nick saw Primula all the time and maybe this sort of withdrawn behaviour from her wasn’t unusual these days. Not that she’d ever been a particularly talkative person, but she wasn’t usually this quiet. Although she’d been ready enough to chat when he’d first got home – had something that once of them had said since then inadvertently upset her? Maybe it was nothing; but he knew Primula very well and he could usually tell when something wasn’t quite right with her. And he was definitely getting that feeling at the moment.
Author:  Lesley [ Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:03 am ]
Post subject: 
Hmmm, I think Gretchen is staying silent because she feels she has nothing to add - she's not a doctor, a lawyer or a manager of the San - hope David can help.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  roversgirl [ Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:39 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice to see that David noticed that something is wrong. Hope that means someone can help her no.w Thanks :)
Author:  Mona [ Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:01 am ]
Post subject: 
Poor Primula. Other people talking about their busy lives is bound to be making her self-conscious in the mood she's already in.

Thanks Alison!
Author:  keren [ Wed Mar 12, 2008 9:36 am ]
Post subject: 
On the one hand girls in that day and age were actually not really brought up to do anything apart from helping at home.
On the other hand it is indeed surprising that someone like Primula who was what could be called a "dependant" was not in fact encouraged to learn some sort of profession so that she could cope for herself and be independant financially since she did not have her own family.

Seeing all those busy ladies was probably an exception to the rule in those days.

Maybe they should move to live somewhere different where she can have a better social life, since charitable activiy is often part of social activities (helping to do things in the school or church womens group or institute)
Author:  Elbee [ Wed Mar 12, 2008 10:14 am ]
Post subject: 
Poor Primula must be feeling very inadequate listening to the others talking about their jobs. I remember when my children were very young, we went to a large dinner party and I was the only one who didn't work at least part-time, let alone full-time, and I felt very left out whilst everyone else was talking about their busy life/work etc.

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  PaulineS [ Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
At least Primula has realised she wants to more then a lady of leisure, even if she does not know what to do, her office experience knows what she does not want to do. Hope the discussions will help her and that David can assist her.
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Mar 13, 2008 7:49 am ]
Post subject: 
Perhaps she was worried about the children, he thought. Then again, she’d seemed fine earlier on so that idea didn’t really make sense. He wondered whether he might just be imagining things, but he mentioned his concern to Gretchen when the two of them took the dishes from the first course to the kitchen and she nodded in agreement. “She does seem a bit out of sorts, doesn’t she? She was saying some strange things earlier on, you know. Like that Auntie Karen and I were both amazing!”

“Well, so you are!” David said, kissing her cheek. “Nothing strange about anyone saying that! All the same, I think I’ll see if I can get on her own and have a quick word. She knows me well enough to tell me to mind my own business if there is something up and she doesn’t want to talk about it, after all.”

He got the chance to do so when he announced that, seeing as Gretchen had done so much already in preparing such a lovely meal for them all, he was going to do the washing up if everyone would just excuse him for a little while. Primula offered to help and, whilst he’d normally have insisted that guests should sit back and relax, under the circumstances he made an exception and the two of them departed together for the kitchen, leaving Nick and Gretchen chatting about the preparations for the 1964 Winter Olympics which were to he held in Innsbruck.

“Everything all right, Prim?” he asked, as he washed and she dried. How could he best put this, he wondered. “You just seem a bit … quiet. Is it that you’re worried about Margaret and Jonathan? I’m sure they’re fine, you know: someone would have let you know soon enough if they weren’t. And you’ve only left them for a week, after all; and they’re with their grandfather; and it’s hardly as if you make a habit of it. You and Nick are entitled to a life of your own, you know.”

“That’s just it: I haven’t got a life of my own,” Primula burst out. He looked at her in surprise – Gretchen might be given to making outbursts from time to time but Primula wasn’t and never had been – and instead of meeting his eyes she looked down at the kitchen floor miserably. “I mean – look at me, David. I don’t do anything. Daisy’s a doctor, and Gretchen does so much work for the San – Uncle Gottfried was here earlier, collecting some papers, and he said that he didn’t know how they’d manage without her – and Bride teaches, and Joey writes; whereas I … well, I just feel like I don’t make any sort of contribution to anything.

“And don’t say that I look after my house and my children because the children are at school most of the day and Mrs Ashcott does most of the housework. I just … well, I don’t know what I do. Oh, I know that I probably do as much as Peggy or Josette or a lot of other people, but Josette at least went to university, and Peggy’s seen a lot of different places because of Giles being in the Navy. I’ve never done anything. I’m just … that little woman, Mrs Nicholas Garden.”

David said nothing for a moment, standing over the sink and scrubbing away at the plate that he was holding. Then he put it on the draining board and looked at his cousin. “I wasn’t going to say anything about Peggy or Josette,” he said quietly. “I wasn’t going to say anything about Daisy or Bride or Gretchen or Auntie Joey either. And I certainly wasn’t going to agree with you when you say that you didn’t do anything. You do plenty. All right, you don’t work, but neither do plenty of married women, especially when they’ve got young children.

“What I was going to do was suggest that you have a word with Mum.”
Author:  keren [ Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:56 am ]
Post subject: 
That's nice.

Sometimes we forget which drabble world we are in (i.e which sort of Madge we are talking about), but the one here was OK.
She is the closest thing to a mother Primula has, and she can probabaly give Primula some helpful advice
Author:  PaulineS [ Thu Mar 13, 2008 1:57 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good idea of David's Madge or Mollie Bettany could be a big help to her.
Author:  Sarah J [ Thu Mar 13, 2008 2:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
Just caught up on a big chunk of this - thanks Alison.

What a sensible suggestion of David's. Madge would completely understand what Primula is feeling.
Author:  Elder in Ontario [ Thu Mar 13, 2008 3:38 pm ]
Post subject: 
Definitely a sensible suggestion from David there - I hope Primula will indeed talk to Madge or to Mollie Bettany.
Author:  Lesley [ Thu Mar 13, 2008 9:27 pm ]
Post subject: 
Oh well done David - yes, Madge might have an inkling as to Primula's situation -after all until she was 24 all she'd done was keep house - hope she can help.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  patmac [ Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:54 pm ]
Post subject: 
Indeed, well done David! Madge went form 'Madame', head of the CS to 'wife of a famous doctor' in no time at all and must know what Primula is going through.

I know just what Keren means as well - lots of alternative universes to keep up with!
Author:  Kathy_S [ Fri Mar 14, 2008 4:40 am ]
Post subject: 
Oh, good, she's able to open up to David -- and Madge may well be someone who can understand. Especially fine if they can meet up over here.... but were Primula & Nick planning to stay until the 23rd? *has lost track*

Thank you, Alison.
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:49 am ]
Post subject: 
“Auntie Madge?” Primula asked, startled. She was fond of her aunt, of course she was, and they got on well enough; but she would never particularly have thought of approaching her about this. She couldn’t see what Auntie Madge could do about it. Except maybe tell her that she was being silly and worrying about nothing, which wouldn’t make her feel any better at all.

“Well, she’s the only mum I’ve got – who else would I mean?” David asked, laughing. “You didn’t half sound shocked then, Prim! Yes – Mum. Your Auntie Madge! She’ll understand.”

Primula shook her head. “Why? How? Auntie Madge is absolutely nothing like me: her life’s been nothing like mine. Look what she’s achieved. It’s incredible when you think about what she did, setting up her own school, when she was only twenty-four and with no-one to help her except Mademoiselle Lepattre, and in a foreign country as well. I’d never have the guts to do anything like that: I don’t think most people would. And look at it now – hundreds of pupils and more coming all the time.”

David nodded. “Yes. It’s been a huge success – and long may it continue to be so! But Mum’d be the first to admit that, although she’s still consulted on all major decisions, it’s Auntie Hilda and Auntie Nell who run the place on a day-to-day basis, Prim. It’s been that way for years. Even Auntie Joey has more to do with the running of it than Mum does, because she’s on the spot and Mum isn’t. And it’s Dollie Edwards who deals with things at the Carnbach branch.

“Mum’s close involvement with the school effectively ended when the main branch of it moved to Switzerland and she and Dad didn’t because Dad was in the middle of some important research at the San in Wales. Maybe even before that – when she and Dad went off to Canada, and when the School left Armishire and moved miles away to St Briavel’s.

“Dad’s work came first, and although I don’t think Mum’s ever argued with that – certainly not given some of the advances in TB treatment that Dad’s been involved in bringing about - it was still hard for her being cut off from the school which, as you’ve said, she set up from scratch when she was very young. And for a while, certainly once Kevin and Kester were past the baby stage, she felt very much as you do now - that she wasn’t really doing as much with herself as she felt she should have been. I remember her saying once that she’d heard someone referring to her as “that sweet woman, Lady Russell” and that she hadn’t known what to do first – scream or cry.

“But Mum found other things to do, Prim. Things that don’t involve having a job, I mean. And they’re important things. Think about everything that Mum’s concerned in these days. She’s the chairwoman of her local branch of the WI; she’s on the church ladies’ committee; she gets involved with all sorts of fundraising events … she has, as Auntie Joey once put it, “a very full life”. So, if you feel that you’re not doing as much in life as you should be or as you want to, then think about Mum; and speak to her about it. And you want to find something to get involved with, then there’s plenty.” He put a cousinly arm round her shoulders. “Take it from me – and, if you won’t take it from me, take it from Mum.”
Author:  keren [ Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:59 am ]
Post subject: 
It's like the flylady thing really, you think that some people have some sort of secret knowledge that you do not know, of how to be organized, and you can't do that , however you can learn or be taught.
Here it is the same, you can't know by magic how to be useful, or feel needed or help others, some people have a very outgoing character, but others have to be given the babysteps of how to go about being a useful part of the community life and Madge is definitely someone who can teach her these things and give her all sorts of tips and help her learn to be more outgoing and feel better about herself etc.
Author:  Mona [ Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:20 am ]
Post subject: 
Good advice from David there. I hope Primula takes it.

Thanks Alison!
Author:  brie [ Fri Mar 14, 2008 10:20 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison. I'm really enjoying this.
Author:  Becky [ Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good advice from David there.

Thanks Alison, loving this as always :D
Author:  Jennie [ Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Alison.
Author:  Lesley [ Fri Mar 14, 2008 7:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good for you, David! :lol: Hope Primulas can find help from her Aunt Madge.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Kathy_S [ Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
Very perceptive, that David. :)

Thank you, Alison.
Author:  patmac [ Fri Mar 14, 2008 8:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
Very perceptive - both David and Alison.

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  Elder in Ontario [ Sat Mar 15, 2008 12:42 am ]
Post subject: 
That's all such sensible advice, given to Primula so sensitively by David, who has known her since she was a youngster sharing his nursery. He's perhaps the only person she knows who would have been prepared to give her that type of advice - and who she would listen to. I hope she will take his advice and talk to Madge, though.

Thanks, Alison - that was a very effective scene.
Author:  Alison H [ Sat Mar 15, 2008 8:51 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the comments :D .

The holiday in Tyrol was over all too soon, but during the remainder of their time there and then during the journey home Primula spent a lot of time thinking about what both Karen and David had said. They were right: there was always a lot of work that needed doing … and maybe there was something that even someone with very little training, no qualifications and no particular skills could do. She also found herself mulling over Gretchen’s remarks about it being difficult to juggle everything sometimes - maybe other people didn’t manage their various commitments quite as easily as she’d convinced herself they did, and maybe, she told herself tentatively, that suggested that she wasn’t quite so inadequate after all.

By the time she and Nick got home she’d decided that she was going to go ahead and contact Auntie Madge, who as David had said was probably the member of the family best placed to advise her. However, by the time she’d finished unpacking and she and Nick and the children had all settled back into their daily routine, the approach of Christmas meant that other matters were demanding most of her time and attention. Nick’s father and various other members of his family were joining them for Christmas dinner and again on Boxing Day, and then on December 28th she and Nick and the children were driving up to Armishire to stay with the Rosomons until after New Year.

Writing cards, buying presents, putting up decorations and planning meals just seemed to eat up her time, and before she knew it Christmas was nearly upon them and Auntie Madge and Uncle Jem had departed for Austria.

David would have told her that there was no way that she’d been too busy to spare the time to make a phone call or write a letter, all the same; and she knew guiltily that he’d have been right. It was just that, whilst getting involved with the sort of work that Auntie Madge did sounded like a good idea in theory, she couldn’t help feeling rather nervous about the thought of doing so in practice. She wasn’t sure that her aunt would entirely understand that. She didn’t doubt that everything David had said about his mother having needed to find a new role for herself was true, and that in that way she might be able to empathise with her, but … well, it was different for people like Auntie Madge.

For one thing, Auntie Madge was a lot older than she was. Maybe she was wrong, but she always associated organisations like the ones her aunt was involved in with middle-aged women and older women, rather than with women in their thirties such as herself. And Auntie Madge was a strong woman who was used to taking charge of things and organising them - she’d run her own school, when all was said and done - and she was also good at talking to people and getting to know them.

Every time Primula tried to imagine herself turning up at a committee meeting of any sort and introducing herself she shrank from the idea. She couldn’t help having the horrible feeling that these ladies’ organisations, where everyone else would already know each other, might turn out to be adult versions of some of the cliques of girls who’d dominated things at school. If she lived near the Russells and Auntie Madge could introduce her to people, or even if Nick had a mother living or perhaps a sister or sister-in-law then perhaps it’d be a little easier; but as it was she had no idea whom to approach or where to start and the whole idea made her feel extremely nervous.

She pushed the whole issue to the back of her mind over Christmas - which wasn’t difficult with so much going on. They nearly didn’t go to Armishire after all, because heavy snow fell on Christmas Day and for a while it looked as if they wouldn’t be able to travel; but in the end they made it safely to Daisy and Laurie’s home where the two families enjoyed a joyful reunion. Daisy would normally have been the first to notice that all wasn’t well with her younger sister but Primula, well aware of that, made a conscious effort not to let Daisy realise.

And, in any case, the two of them were kept busy preparing for the party that the Rosomons were holding on New Year’s Eve.
Author:  Lesley [ Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:13 am ]
Post subject: 
Unfortunately Primula is going to have to take that first step, however daunting she may find it, or she will probably sink into Depression.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Mona [ Sat Mar 15, 2008 10:37 am ]
Post subject: 
Oh, poor Primula! I hope she can find a way to talk to Madge and make those first steps.

Thanks Alison!
Author:  roversgirl [ Sat Mar 15, 2008 11:21 am ]
Post subject: 
Just caught up with this - Hope she gets help or takes the first step quickly. Thanks :)
Author:  PaulineS [ Sat Mar 15, 2008 8:55 pm ]
Post subject: 
Primula needs to take that first step of going to an open meeting, She does not understand that you do not start at committee member.

It is interesting that she has not made friends with her children's friends mothers who could help her get involved with people of her own age.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:13 am ]
Post subject: 
Am glad to have quite a bit to catch up on. Thanks Alison

I think Prim talking to Madge is a great idea for Primula to do. She would understand that and she doesn't have to take on what Madge does as there are loads of charities out there that she could do like orphanges or with children
Author:  Alison H [ Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:38 am ]
Post subject: 
Daisy and Laurie were gregarious people with a large number of friends, and had invited as many guests to the party as would comfortably fit into their house. Unfortunately for Primula, most of them were people whom her sister and brother-in-law had met since settling in Armiford and whom she and Nick hadn’t met before. She’d expected Daisy’s schoolfriend Gwensi, who lived nearby to be present, but Gwensi and her husband were away spending the festive season with relatives in mid Wales, and of course the Russells were in Austria.

Daisy and Laurie, aware that the Gardens wouldn’t know many people there, made sure that they introduced them to a few people; but Primula couldn’t seem to think of very much to say to any of them. It was no wonder she didn’t feel confident about getting involved with any sort of voluntary work, she thought unhappily: she was hopeless with people whom she didn’t know. Nick was soon chatting away to a fellow solicitor who was Laurie’s squash partner and, not wanting to seem as if she was clinging either to him or to Daisy who was busy circulating, she retreated into a corner.

She was very relieved when she spotted a familiar face approaching her – that of Nancy Moreton, formerly Nancy Chester, whom she’d known since they’d been children in Guernsey and whose husband had replaced David as Daisy’s partner at the medical practice. They were much the same age and, although they’d usually been in different forms at school, they’d often seen each other during the holidays when they’d been young – Nancy’s sister Beth was one of Daisy’s best friends, and the Chester family had been friendly with both the Russells and the Maynards – and had spent a year at the Chalet School finishing branch at the same time. Nancy seemed genuinely pleased to see her and, after exchanging their own news, the two of them fell to discussing old friends.

“Julie’s fine: I saw her at Christmas,” Nancy said. “Bride you know about, of course. How she finds time to teach with two little kids I don’t know, but she seems to be enjoying it and Simon evidently doesn’t mind. And presumably she’s told you that Elfie’s taking over as head of PT at Carnbach after Easter? Oh, and Tom put a long letter inside the Christmas card she sent me. I must say that the life she leads wouldn’t do for me; but you have to admire her. It can’t be easy doing what she does, especially being a woman dealing with a load of naughty teenage boys; but she’s doing the most wonderful job of it and she really makes a difference to those lads’ lives. Oh, you know Tom, she plays it down; but all the same that’s the impression I get. Makes me feel rather inadequate by comparison!”

“Oh Nancy, how can you possibly say that?” Primula exclaimed. “Honestly, Tom’d go mad if she could hear you making comments like that. And she’d be right to. You’re a trained nurse - think of all the people whom you’ve made a difference to.”

Nancy smiled “I suppose I have done, when you put it like that. I miss nursing, sometimes, I must admit; but there’s no way that I could go back to working all those irregular hours with Luke and the children and the house to look after! I can just see Luke’s face if I suggested it! Anyway, I’ve more than enough to keep me busy as it is!”

“The children, you mean?” Primula asked tentatively. “And the house?” Nancy and Luke had bought David’s old house, she remembered. “They keep you busy?”

Nancy took a sip of wine from the glass she was holding. “Good stuff, this!” she said with an appreciative grin. “Sorry Prim: you were saying? Do the children and the house keep me busy? Well, to some extent, yes. Although I must admit that I don’t do as much around the house as I could do. Mrs Rilk - you probably know Mrs Rilk; she used to do most of the housework for David when he had the house – does a lot of it, and things are much easier than they used to be these day anyway. How people used to manage in the days before washing machines, especially the mess my lot make of their clothes … well, anyway! And the children’re at school in the daytime, of course. So they do keep me busy, but not all the time. I meant other things as well.”
Author:  Lesley [ Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:26 am ]
Post subject: 
Oh now that sounds encouraging - how is Nancy occupying her time now - and could Primula do something similar?


Thanks Alison.
Author:  roversgirl [ Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:29 am ]
Post subject: 
Maybe Nancy is going to give her some ideas then... Thanks :)
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Sun Mar 16, 2008 1:17 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad to hear Primula's run into Nancy and am curious as to what she does
Author:  Mona [ Sun Mar 16, 2008 6:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
Oh I hope Nancy can help. Maybe talking to someone whose situation is similar to hers and seems to have felt the same way will make it seem more achievable for Primula.

Thanks!
Author:  PaulineS [ Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad Nancy shared that she feels inadequate at times, and then she has found things to keep busy.
Author:  Kathy_S [ Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:57 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good that Primula's seeing that inadequacy isn't a unique feeling -- and Nancy seems a particularly useful contact.

Thank you, Alison.
Author:  Alison H [ Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:47 am ]
Post subject: 
She took another sip of wine. “I like to keep occupied, and to be honest when we first moved here I was keen to get involved with things outside the house as a way of meeting people. I go into the children’s school a couple of mornings a week, to hear some of the younger ones read. I think Peter and Deborah found it rather embarrassing at first, having their mother around, but they got over it: it’s hardly as if I’m the only mother who goes in to help with the reading, after all! And on Monday evenings I help out with the local Brownies. That’s Luke’s night for having sole charge of the children: luckily the house isn’t usually too much of a tip when I get back!”

She laughed. “You should hear all the girls calling me “Tawny Owl”! They seem to enjoy it, though: we try to think of different activities for them to do each week, and we organise outings sometimes. I always thought it was a terrible shame that the School didn’t carry on with Guides after the move to Switzerland. Barbara and Janice never got the chance to get involved and I was sorry about that: it was one of my favourite things about being at school, and I know that it was something Beth was always keen on as well.

“And then I go into Armiford General one afternoon a week. I might not be a hands-on nurse any more but there’s still plenty that I can do. Sometimes it’s just a case of taking the tea trolley round, and other times I’ll spend a while sitting with some of the patients who haven’t got relatives or friends living nearby. A lot of my patients when I was nursing told me that they appreciated what the hospital visitors did so hopefully I’m doing something useful; and I make sure that I don’t get in the way of the medical staff doing their jobs.

“So, you see, I keep myself busy! Anyway, that’s enough about me - sorry, I do go on sometimes! So how about you? What are you doing with yourself, now that young Margaret and Jonathan are off your hands during the day?”

For a brief moment Primula thought about admitting that her life seemed to be lacking something at the moment and asking Nancy for advice. But the moment passed. Nancy was obviously succeeding in all the areas where she herself wasn’t, just like all that crowd always had done. Look at them all now. It wasn’t just Nancy. Tom and Elfie didn’t have husbands or children but were making a huge success of their working lives, Bride like Daisy was working as well as bringing up a family, and Julie might have abandoned her plans to become a barrister but she had plenty to do as the wife of a school housemaster.

She just couldn’t bring herself to admit that she felt that she wasn’t achieving very much at all. She didn’t even feel comfortable at the thought of just answering the question: she couldn’t think of a way of saying what she did do with her time without sounding defensive about it. And so she changed the subject. “Oh … er, this and that, you know,” she said, trying to smile brightly. “It’s always a busy time, December, with Christmas and everything – and at the beginning of the month we went to Mayrhofen ski-ing. We stayed at the hotel that Karen – you remember Karen, who used to be the head of the domestic staff at school? – and her husband run. And we went to Briesau to see David and Gretchen and baby Daniel whilst we were there.”

“Ooh, lucky you!” Nancy’s face lit up with interest. “Babs and Jan and Vi all raved about Tyrol when they went that year of the school’s twenty-first anniversary, but I’ve never been: was it good? And how’s David finding life over there, and what’s the baby like? Tell me all about it all!”

They chatted away for quite a while. Primula surprised herself: admittedly she’d known Nancy for years so talking to her was hardly like talking to a stranger, but even so, she dared to think afterwards, maybe it suggested that she wasn’t quite as boring or as bad at making conversation as she’d thought she was. And Nancy had achieved much more both at school and afterwards than she had, but even so she’d admitted, however light-heartedly, that she felt inadequate by comparison with other people sometimes. It wasn’t just her.

And Nancy was involved in the sort of work that both David and Karen had suggested maybe she should be thinking of doing. Nancy, who unlike Auntie Madge, was her own age. And whom she certainly couldn’t imagine ever being unfriendly … any more than she could imagine Auntie Madge being unfriendly, come to that. Maybe she’d been imagining obstacles where maybe, after all, none necessarily existed,

There was something else too – something rather less positive. The fact that she hadn’t felt able to talk about her everyday life – and it was hardly as if anything she did was actually wrong – to someone she’d known for so long said something very worrying indeed. This was silly. She couldn’t carry on like this, going round in circles and not doing anything about it.

She wasn’t going to, she told herself firmly. She was going to do what she should have done as soon as she got back from Austria - discuss it with someone who’d known her almost all her life and whose own life had given her the experience to be able both to understand how she might be feeling and to give her some practical advice on what to do. Auntie Madge.
Author:  roversgirl [ Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:51 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice to see she's realised her problem and actively seeking help. Thanks :)
Author:  Mona [ Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:21 am ]
Post subject: 
Oh good! I was worried when she didn't want to tell Nancy. I do hope Madge can help.
Author:  PaulineS [ Mon Mar 17, 2008 1:37 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad Primula is going to ask for help and that Nancy has given her ideas.
Author:  leahbelle [ Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:12 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad Primula is going to take that very hard first step.
Author:  Lesley [ Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:04 am ]
Post subject: 
Glad Primula was firm with herself - she needs to take some sort of action.

Thanks Alison.
Author:  Alison H [ Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:47 am ]
Post subject: 
Long letter from Madge, part 1 ...

“My dear Primula,

“Thank you for your long letter; and of course I understand that you thought that it would be easier to set your thoughts down on paper than to try to explain them over the phone. I’ve spent a long time thinking about everything you had to say, and I hope that what I’m about to write in reply may be of help.

“First of all, it was lovely to hear that you and Nick and the children enjoyed your Christmas and New Year; and, yes, we had a wonderful time in Austria - thank you for asking. I couldn’t believe how much Daniel had grown since the last time we saw him, but I suppose babies do have a habit of doing that! Hopefully it won’t be too long before we see him and David and Gretchen again, though, because they’re hoping to come over here some time in the spring, before Uncle Jem and I go on our trip to Australia. David mentioned that if it’s convenient for everyone they’d like to get down to Devon for a couple of days, to see you and also to see Uncle Dick and Auntie Mollie, but I’m sure that he’ll speak to you about that himself nearer the time.

“Now, to get to the main point of your letter. First of all, Primula, I couldn’t help getting the impression that you’re feeling rather negative about yourself and being very self-critical. I know that it might sound glib for someone else to say this, but you really mustn’t let yourself get into the way of thinking like that, my dear. Yes, Daisy and Gretchen and Joey and many other people have all achieved a great deal and continue to do so, but that’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with what you’ve done with your life so far.

“Comparing yourself with other people can be very tempting but it never achieves very much: we’re all different and we all follow different paths in life, and you mustn’t undervalue the work that you do in running a home and being a good wife and mother. Also, when you say that you feel that you and I are very different because I set up my own school, remember that I never originally set out to do anything like that. Now I wouldn’t change the fact that I set up the Chalet School for anything, but the reason that I did so at the time was pure financial necessity. I don’t doubt for a moment that put in the situation that I was in, or as your mother was in when your father passed away and she had to go out to work to support you and Daisy and herself, you’d cope admirably. The circumstances have just been different for you; that’s all.

“I can relate to a lot of what you’ve said, very strongly indeed. Having said that you mustn’t undervalue the work that you do do, I do empathise with that feeling of wanting and indeed feeling that you should be doing more, given that with the help that you have in the house and the fact that your children are now at school you’re finding yourself with a lot of time on your hands. That’s exactly how I once felt.
Author:  roversgirl [ Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:54 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you but more please! :)
Author:  Lesley [ Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:58 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice to see Madge is so supportive - hope the rest of her letter can help Primula.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Mona [ Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:12 am ]
Post subject: 
Now what more does Madge have to say?

Thanks Alison!
Author:  Ruth B [ Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:02 am ]
Post subject: 
That all seems very wise.
Author:  PaulineS [ Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
Pleased madge can empathise with Primula. and recognises that negativity Primula is feeling in unwarrented.
Author:  Jennie [ Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
Sensible and wise of Madge. When you come to think of it, Primula had so many things organised for her when she was young, that she never really had a chance to discover what she was capable of achieving. Even the house was given to them to live in, never mind whether she liked it or not, there it was.
Author:  leahbelle [ Tue Mar 18, 2008 6:02 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
Am I alone in wibbling that there's a very large 'BUT' coming up - I hope I'm wrong . . . :shock:

Thanks, Alison
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:46 am ]
Post subject: 
“When I married Jem it was with the expectation that I’d continue to be involved in the day-to-day running of the school even though I wouldn’t always be there in person. And certainly at first even fairly minor things such as lists of prefects’ duties came to me to be approved. But in the end it just didn’t prove to be practical for me to continue like that. First David came along, and then Sybil; and we had Peggy and Rix living with us as well, and later you and Bride and John too; and after poor Ted Humphries died Robin became one of our family as well. Then there was Stacie Benson: you were probably too young to remember her living with us after she’d hurt her back, but she was with us for some time and she needed a lot of care.

“Marie and Rosa were wonderful just as they still are, Marie especially; but even so I just wasn’t able to keep up my involvement with the school in the way that I’d expected. Oh, don’t misunderstand me, you children and Die Rosen came first, but I’d hoped that I’d be able to keep up my involvement with the school too and it was frustrating for me to have to accept that it just wasn’t going to be possible. I found myself stepping back more and more: Hilda Annersley was and always has been a very capable headmistress, and it would have been neither fair nor practical for her to have been expected to deal with matters on an everyday basis but to have had to keep consulting me before taking action on any of them.

“Then, after we made the decision that the main branch of the school should move to Switzerland and that the British branch should be based in Carnbach, whilst we were living first in Howells Village and then in Llan-y-Penllan, my involvement in all but the most major decisions more or less had to come to an end. Maybe it had done so even before that, when we were in Canada all that time, but it was the move to the Oberland that really made it seem permanent. And I struggled with that at first.

“I felt resentful about being cut off from my school that I’d founded. But it wasn’t just that. It was that, like you, I had times when I felt frustrated and guilty that I wasn’t doing more with myself, and when I felt demoralised and even angry about aspects of the course that my life had taken. I had to smile when I read what you’d put about David saying how much I resented being termed “that sweet woman, Lady Russell”; but at the time I didn’t find it amusing, believe me! I felt that I wasn’t my own person any more, that I was just Jem’s wife and the children’s mother – and by then all the children except Kevin and Kester were away at school anyway.

“But there’s a great deal of work to be done in this world, Primula; and you don’t need to hold a job of work or to spend your days doing housework to play your part in doing it. In fact, there are many things that because of constraints of time and money can only really be done by people like you and I, who are in the fortunate position of not having to go to work and of have people to help us in our homes.

“I hope that that doesn’t sound as if I’m trying to pressurise you, Primula. Obviously this is your choice: please don’t think that I’m trying to make you feel obliged to do anything. All I’m trying to say is that there are many paths in life, and many ways to make a contribution to this world. And, when you say that you feel a little guilty about wanting to “do something” partly for yourself, to make you feel better about yourself, then don’t - very few people, if any, ever act from purely altruistic motives!

“And so, to your main question – what can I tell you about the work that I’m involved in and about other types of voluntary work that I’m familiar with.
Author:  roversgirl [ Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:55 am ]
Post subject: 
What a lovely letter - but I want to read about her work! Thanks :)
Author:  Mona [ Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:25 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks!
Author:  PaulineS [ Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
i am glad there was no"but" in the letter, and that Madge can emphasis with Primula. looking forward to Madge's suggestions.
Author:  leahbelle [ Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
Looking forward to seeing what Madge suggests and to reading about how Primula moves forward.
Author:  Lesley [ Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:58 pm ]
Post subject: 
So nice that Madge can empathise so strongly with Primula.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:36 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison - very glad there wasn't a big 'but' in there :lol:
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:48 am ]
Post subject: 
“Well, there are, as you’re aware, various organisations that carry out work in the community. There’s the Women’s Institute, which as you know I’m very much involved with, for one. I know we’ve got something of an image for spending all our time making pots of jam and singing “Jerusalem”, being rather staid and only being for middle-aged and elderly ladies, but it’s not really like that, honestly! The Queen’s a member, after all, and she’s only in her thirties! The individual branches do a lot of work locally, raising money for charity and generally helping out where we’re needed, and we also get involved with various causes at a national level - fundraising for the Freedom From Hunger campaign in conjunction with Oxfam for one example and promoting the Keep Britain Tidy campaign for another.

“There’s also the Women’s Community Service. I know that people tend to associate it with the War, which was when it originated, but it’s still going strong. From what I know, its members do a lot of work with elderly people – running the “Darby and Joan” clubs, as they’re called, and delivering “meals on wheels” to people who can’t get to the shops or do their own cooking, and they also do various other types of work - hospital visiting, for example. Plus they provide assistance where it’s needed in case of emergencies such as accidents or extreme weather conditions: I often think that there should be a branch on the Gornetz Platz!

“Then of course there’s also work that you can carry out as an individual. You mentioned that Nancy Moreton was helping at her children’s school and with the local Brownie Pack: those are things which I’m sure that you could do equally well. Then there are generally local groups which are always looking for help – church committees such as the one that I belong to, or organisations raising money for local charities.

“There are many things that you could do, Primula, and I know that you could bring a great deal to any of them. You say that you feel nervous about the idea of getting involved with people whom you don’t know, but you’d get to know them soon enough and please do rest assured that any extra pair of hands will be welcomed with open arms. Oh dear, Hilda Annersley would have a fit if she could read that sentence, but you know what I mean!

“As for saying that you don’t see yourself as a leader – Primula, take it from one who knows, in any sort of organisation there are almost always too many people who think that they should be in charge and not nearly enough people who are happier not to be! You don’t have to be a leader, believe me. Someone like you, who’d be willing to work hard but wouldn’t necessarily expect to be giving the orders, would be just what many organisations need most.

“Now, on a practical note, I haven’t lived in Devon for many years - and of course Taverton is some distance from Etherleigh anyway - so I don’t know exactly which groups are operative in your area or to what extent, but it should be an easy enough matter to find out. My best advice would be to try to find somebody you know who’s involved with whichever activities you feel you would be best suited to, and to speak to them about it. Maybe a relative of Nick’s, or the wife of one of his friends, would be able to help; or perhaps a neighbour or the mother of one of the children’s schoolfriends?

“You’ve got a great deal to give, Primula. Think about it, talk it over with Nick; and, if you’re sure that you want to commit yourself to work of this kind – and remember that, whilst it can be very rewarding, it will demand your time and effort in just the same way that a paid job would do - go out there and see what there is to do.

“Finally, if there’s anything else that I can help with then please don’t hesitate for a moment to to contact me. I might be a hundred and fifty miles away, but I’m always here for you; and I’m so very glad that you’ve felt able to come to me for advice about this, my dear. I haven’t always been the best of aunts or indeed the best of mothers, I know, but I do care about all of you very much and want you to be happy.

“All my love, and Uncle Jem’s too, to you and Nick and the children,

“Your loving,

“Auntie Madge.”
Author:  keren [ Thu Mar 20, 2008 8:52 am ]
Post subject: 
What I like about your drabbles is that i get a new episode every day!.

I do love the way she ends the letter.
Hope Primula will find this helpful.
Author:  Lesley [ Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:06 am ]
Post subject: 
Awww, what a lovely letter - and Madge sounds so human.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Mona [ Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:12 am ]
Post subject: 
A lovely letter, so full of good advice and wisdom. I love the part about most organisations needing fewer leaders! It's only too true.

Thanks Alison! I really look forward to your daily updates.
Author:  Catherine [ Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:20 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you, Alison.
Author:  Alex [ Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:41 am ]
Post subject: 
What a lovely letter for Primula. Very sensible and caring.

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  Sandra [ Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:57 am ]
Post subject: 
Lovely - thank-you. It's good to see Madge as a nice person again.
Author:  roversgirl [ Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:58 am ]
Post subject: 
A lovely letter and nice to see an admission about her not always being the best and stating that she does care. Thanks :)
Author:  Jennie [ Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
Lovely letter. Thanks, Alison. It might be the push that Primula needs, as long as Nick doesn't raise any objections.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison - just the sort of letter Primula needs - now, what will she do . . . ?
Author:  PaulineS [ Thu Mar 20, 2008 4:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
On page 3 Nick was being supportive
Quote:
“Hey, what’s brought this on?” Nick patted her arm lightly. “Don’t go putting yourself down! Although if you mean that you wish you had a bit more self-confidence, then maybe you’re right. You do seem very unsure of yourself sometimes - and you’ve got no reason to, you know.” He patted her arm again, then looked a little self-conscious and made a move towards the hotel’s front door.


And now Madge is, Primula should be able to go ahead.

I liked the bit in Madge's letter


Quote:
As for saying that you don’t see yourself as a leader – Primula, take it from one who knows, in any sort of organisation there are almost always too many people who think that they should be in charge and not nearly enough people who are happier not to be! You don’t have to be a leader, believe me. Someone like you, who’d be willing to work hard but wouldn’t necessarily expect to be giving the orders, would be just what many organisations need most.



Thanks for the regular updates.
Author:  JoW [ Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:18 am ]
Post subject: 
I spent yesterday interviewing volunteer befrienders to go into families that could do with some ongoing family support. I would love Primula to come and volunteer at the charity I work for!
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:36 am ]
Post subject: 
Encouraged by what Madge had said, Primula tentatively took the step of mentioning to Nick that she was thinking of getting involved in some sort of voluntary work, and found somewhat to her surprise that he was quite enthusiastic about the idea.

“I must admit that I do sometimes wonder if you don’t get bored being in the house so much, especially now that Margaret and Jonathan are off your hands for most of the time, but I’ve never liked to say anything in case you took it the wrong way,” he commented. “It sounds like a great idea. My mother was involved with a lot of this sort of thing, you know. She was the county commissioner for the Girl Guides; and she used to do the parish accounts for the vicar; and she was always baking cakes for some church fete or WI do or other.”

“I can’t quite see myself as a county commissioner,” Primula laughed. “I’m not actually sure what I will be able to do, seeing as there’s not really anything that I’m particularly good at, but Auntie Madge seems to think that there’d be plenty that even someone like me can do and she’s pretty well up on it all. I’m relieved that you don’t mind, I must say. I did wonder whether you might feel … well, that I ought just to concentrate on you and the children and the house.”

Nick shook his head. “Don’t be daft,” he said firmly. “You’re a great wife and mother, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have interests of your own as well. You ought to, in fact! I could see you working with children or old people – you’ve got a lot of patience and you’d be good at it. You ought to have more faith in yourself, you know. So, what happens now? Have you got any definite plans?”

“Not yet,” Primula admitted. “If we lived near Llan-y-Penllan then Auntie Madge’d be able to point me in the direction of the sort of people I’d need to speak to, but I don’t really know where to start here. Apparently some of the children’s friends’ mothers help out at the school sometimes, but really I’d prefer something a bit more organised than that. And I know that Mrs Bravington next door’s the heard of the local nature conservation society but that’s not really my sort of thing! And I feel a bit nervous about just turning up or even ringing up somewhere to ask if they’re looking for volunteers, and I don’t quite know whom to approach: it was the one thing that Auntie Madge couldn’t help with, because she doesn’t really know Etherleigh.”

“Hmm: yes, I do see what you mean,” Nick said thoughtfully. “Unfortunately I don’t know what to suggest … my cousin Amy in Bristol sits on a charity committee but really you’d want someone nearer. Still, we can both have a think. There must be someone.”

Primula nodded. “Well, I suppose that if it comes to it I’ll just have to pluck up my courage and go along to the headquarters of one of these organisations on my own: it won’t kill me,” she said, rather more determinedly than she actually felt. “They can’t eat me, after all. Oh, and speaking of going to places where I won’t know anyone, will you check that your suit’s for Charles and Caroline’s wedding’s all right, because if it needs cleaning we’re running short of time.” The wedding of two of the people with whom Nick worked, the reason that they’d gone to Mayrhofen in December rather than in January, was due to take place that coming weekend.

“I’ve already checked: it’s fine!” he assured her. “And you’ve met Charles and Caroline and everyone else from the office plenty of times, and anyway Dad and the children and I’ll all be there too! It’ll be quite all right, you’ll see!”
Author:  Lesley [ Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:46 am ]
Post subject: 
Glad Nick is supportive.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Mona [ Fri Mar 21, 2008 9:48 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice to see Nick so supportive. (I knew he would be!)

Thanks Alison!
Author:  Elbee [ Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:01 am ]
Post subject: 
I'm glad she's finally plucked up the courage to tell Nick and do something about it.

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  brie [ Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:11 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison
Author:  Becky [ Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:35 am ]
Post subject: 
Great to hear that Nick is being supportive and Primula's building up the confidence to go out and do something.

Thanks, Alison :D
Author:  abbeybufo [ Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:57 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice post - good to see Nick being supportive, and Primula steeling herself to do something she isn't entirely confident about [in approaching the HQ of an organisation] ... maybe there will be someone she meets at the wedding who will solve this problem?
Thanks Alison
Author:  roversgirl [ Fri Mar 21, 2008 12:39 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the update - lovely to see Nick being supportive and I suspect something is going to come out at the wedding...
Author:  PaulineS [ Fri Mar 21, 2008 6:13 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad Nick has checked his suit.

Hope Primula meets someone at the wedding who can help.
Author:  Kathy_S [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 4:33 am ]
Post subject: 
I do like Nick, :) and Madge's letter was just the thing.

Hope Primula hears of an opportunity that particularly interests her...

Thank you, Alison.
Author:  Alison H [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:28 am ]
Post subject: 
Although it was only January and the weather had been cold of late, the day of the wedding proved to be dry and bright and reasonably mild. Primula was very relieved about that for the sake of the happy couple; and also rather glad that she didn’t have to worry about her new dress and hat getting rained on - the marriage was to take place at the main church in Etherleigh town centre and parking was notoriously difficult near there, meaning that they had quite a walk from where they’d left the car.

She kept an anxious eye on the children as they made their way towards the church. The Gardens weren’t regular churchgoers and, although Margaret and Jonathan had been warned several times that this was a serious occasion and that if either of them were to start talking during the service then they’d be taken straight out, she kept having awful recollections of when Len Entwistle (as she now was) had shouted out in the middle of Stephen Maynard’s christening. Not to mention the trouble that Auntie Madge had had getting Sybil to behave during Jack and Joey’s wedding. Oh well, both Margaret and Jonathan were usually fairly well-behaved; and hopefully the threat of being removed from the proceedings in disgrace would deter them from doing anything they shouldn’t. She hoped!

“Any idea what they’re doing about a vicar?” she asked Nick as they approached the entrance to the church. “I’m sure I remember someone telling me that the chap they used to have here had retired and that the new man couldn’t start until Easter. Although I gather that they’ve got a curate taking the services in the meantime, and presumably curates can conduct wedding services? Or can they?”

Nick shrugged. “Don’t ask me: I’m as wise as you are on that score – probably less so, in fact,” he laughed. “However, I do know that they’ve got the vicar from the place where Caroline’s mother grew up to conduct the service. He’s an old friend of the family, apparently. I forget exactly where the place is now, but it’s not far away. I’ve an idea it’s somewhere towards where you and Daisy and Laurie used to live, actually; but the exact name escapes me. Anyway, this fellow’ll be in charge of proceedings, so there’s nothing to worry about on that score!

“Ah, I can see Charles, standing by the door. Look at him – he’s as white as a sheet! Right, shall we go straight in? There doesn’t seem to be much point in hanging around outside: it might be nice for January but it’s still not exactly warm. We might as well go on in and get ourselves some decent seats. And remember, you two – no talking during the service, please!”

Charles did indeed look nervous, but he greeted them warmly as they went into the building. “Nice to see you all. Lovely dress, Primula! Now, feel free to sit wherever you like, but you might be best on my side. Caroline seems to have absolutely hordes of relations so her side of the church is liable to get pretty full up. D’you know, I’m convinced that some of them think I’m not good enough for her. You should have seen the look that one of her aunts gave me when she came in just before!”

“I’m quite sure you’re imagining it, old chap,” Nick laughed. “I bet they all think you’re an extremely good catch!”

Charles smiled reluctantly. “Well, so long as Caroline does: that’s all that really matters. I do feel as if my side’re a bit outnumbered by hers, all the same. Even the vicar’s an old friend of her family. Look, can you see him over there - those two fellows he’s deep in conversation with are two of Caroline’s uncles. And his wife, that blonde lady in the blue dress with the matching hat, is talking to one of Caroline’s cousins … is everything all right, Primula?”

“I don’t believe it!” Primula gasped. She started to laugh. “I never thought! It should have occurred to me when Nick said that the vicar was from somewhere near where Daisy and Laurie and I used to live, but it didn’t.” She turned to her husband. “Nick, would you mind finding us some seats, and keeping an eye on Margaret and Jonathan for a few minutes, whilst I go to speak to her?”

“The vicar’s wife?” Nick asked in bemusement. “Why, do you know her? How come – who is she?”

“I’ve known her since I was two!” Primula informed him. “She even lived with us at Die Rosen for a while. Oh look, I’ll explain later! But I must go over and say hello. I’ll see you in a bit!”
Author:  Lesley [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:45 am ]
Post subject: 
Oooohh, who is it then? Known since she was two - so obviously at the Tyrol - cannot think of anyone who was planning to marry a vicar! :lol:


Thanks Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:12 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison
*racks brains to think of blonde who married cleric & who has been around for that long*
. . . since she was two - but surely she was a little bit older than that when Jo 'discovered' Margot & family? . . . curiouser and curiouser :shock:
Author:  JB [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:16 am ]
Post subject: 
Primula was two or so in New House.

I have an idea of someone who married a Devon vicar .......
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:19 am ]
Post subject: 
I never realised she was that young at first appearance :oops: ... oh well - next time I read through I'll look more closely!!
Author:  roversgirl [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 10:55 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the update but I have absolutely NO idea who the vicar's wife is!!!
Author:  Becky [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 11:36 am ]
Post subject: 
roversgirl wrote:
Thanks for the update but I have absolutely NO idea who the vicar's wife is!!!


Me neither! Looking forward to finding out though.
Author:  Karoline [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 12:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, looking forward to finding out who the vicars wife is.
Author:  Alex [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 2:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
I can think of a blond who lived at Die Rosen for a while and was from Devon. But I didn't know she was married, if it is who I'm thinking of it must have been Alison who did so.
Author:  macyrose [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 3:56 pm ]
Post subject: 
I can think of a blonde who married a clergyman though I didn't know she was from Devon. If I'm right then she has a daughter whose first initial is J.
Author:  Sandra [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 4:07 pm ]
Post subject: 
I can't think of anyone at all! Nick is a real SLOC in this though - where can I find a real-life one?
Author:  Kathy_S [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 4:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
Very promising. :D

Thank you, Alison.
Author:  Sarah_L [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
I know who it is...(I think) :)
Author:  Pat [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
I think I know too. Her older sister became a mistress at the school if I'm right.
Author:  Dawn [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:31 pm ]
Post subject: 
Pat wrote:
I think I know too. Her older sister became a mistress at the school if I'm right.



ooooh - in that case I can hazzard a guess too (thanks Pat :wink: )


and thankyou Alison - i'm really enjoying this
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:34 pm ]
Post subject: 
Dawn wrote:
Pat wrote:
I think I know too. Her older sister became a mistress at the school if I'm right.



ooooh - in that case I can hazzard a guess too (thanks Pat :wink: )


and thankyou Alison - i'm really enjoying this

Ah - in that case . . .
Author:  PaulineS [ Sat Mar 22, 2008 9:50 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the clue. Thanks for the update Alison.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 12:05 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks to all the hints from everyone else, I think I know who it is. I was thinking Ernest Howell, but it seems to be the wife she knows not the Vicar.

Thanks Alison, can't wait to see more
Author:  Cath V-P [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 2:24 am ]
Post subject: 
I was puzzled for a moment, but then it clicked.... Thanks Alison, I haven't had the chance to comment much as the almost-move is time-consuming, but I have been ducking in to read things.
Author:  Liz K [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:47 am ]
Post subject: 
My immediate guess was that The Vicar's Wife might be Eustacia but then I remembered she came from Oxford. Ooohh this is really intriguing now.

Thanks Alison this is a brilliant drabble.
Author:  Alison H [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:52 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the comments, and happy Easter everyone - even if the weather does seem to think it's Christmas :? :lol: !

Nick looked utterly mystified; but he duly went off with Margaret and Jonathan to find some seats that were near enough to the front to afford a good view of events but near enough to the back to allow for a sharp exit should either or both of the children decide to play up. In the meantime, Primula made her way towards the front of the church; where the vicar’s wife, an attractive woman in her early forties, caught side of her, excused herself to the woman she was speaking to, rushed over and issued an exclamation.

“Well, I don’t believe it - Primula Venables! Sorry – it’s Primula Something Else now, isn’t it? I still exchange Christmas cards with Lady Russell and Joey Maynard, and with your sister of course, so I know that you’re married now, but I’ve never been very good with names. Now Gill never forgets a name, but maybe that comes from having been a schoolmistress! Anyway, how nice to see you!”

“It’s nice to see you too,” Primula said with a smile. “And I’m Primula Garden now: that’s my husband Nick over there - the tall man just sitting down - with our two children. He’s Charles’s …well, I suppose you’d say that he and his father were Charles’s bosses. Caroline’s as well, for that matter. They all work at the same place. But fancy seeing you here! Nick mentioned that the vicar from where Caroline’s mother grew up was coming to conduct the service, but it never occurred to me until I saw you that it might be your husband!”

She looked at the elder woman with interest. She had, as she’d just told to Nick, known Joyce Erroll, née Linton, since she was two years old, when she and Daisy and their mother had first gone to live in Austria. Joyce and her elder sister Gillian had been pupils at the Chalet School, and during the holidays they’d spent their time at Die Rosen because their widowed mother had been undergoing treatment at the Sanatorium and they’d had no other close relatives.

At the Russells’ invitation, Gillian had moved into Die Rosen permanently when she left school, as had Joyce when she too left the following year. When the Anschluss and its aftermath forced the departure of the British contingent from Briesau and the Sonnalpe, by which time Mrs Linton had passed away, Gillian and Joyce had moved to Guernsey, keeping in close touch with Madge and Jem and their family.

In fact, it had been Gillian and Joyce who’d been responsible for them all becoming friendly with the Chester-Lucy-Ozanne clan, Primula remembered. The two of them had become friendly with Miss La Touche, the younger Chester and Lucy children’s governess, and they’d been the ones who’d suggested that the two groups of children should meet.

Joyce had married young, during the first year of the War, moving to the outskirts of Exeter where her vicar husband’s parish was. Gillian however had taught at the Chalet School for several years, before leaving to marry Peter Young, an artist with whose goddaughter Clem Barras Primula had been quite friendly at school. The wedding had taken place near the Errolls’ home, and Madge and Jem Russell had been in Canada at the time but Primula and Daisy, along with David and Sybil, had attended with the Maynards, the Bettanys and various members of the Chalet School staff.

When Laurie Rosomon had taken a job in Devon just after he and Daisy had become engaged, Daisy, then working at the Encliffe Children’s Hospital, had stayed with the Errolls when she’d gone down there to visit Laurie and the two of them had been house-hunting. Joyce and her husband had been at Daisy and Laurie’s wedding, but the Rosomons hadn’t really seen much of them after that. In fact, from what Primula had heard Daisy say, the Errolls led a very quiet life and didn’t keep in regular contact with any of Joyce’s friends from her Chalet School days. Joyce in her schooldays placed great importance on always being at the centre of a crowd of people, but she’d changed a great deal since then.


(Most of this is actually "canon". I made up the part about them living at Die Rosen, but they must have lived somewhere between leaving school and leaving Tyrol and that seemed like the logical place even though they aren't mentioned in the first part of "Exile". They were in Guernsey in the second part of "Exile" so presumably they only left Tyrol when the rest of the British crowd from the CS and the San did. Joyce's wedding plans were mentioned when the school reopened in "War"/"Goes to It", and there are references later on to her husband being a vicar in the Exeter area. How she met someone from Exeter in wartime Guernsey, and when - if ever - Gill got any qualifications I've no idea :? :lol:! I can't remember which book the part about Daisy staying with the Errolls is in, but I don't think I've imagined it ... )
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:57 am ]
Post subject: 
Yay! I was right :D
This is really interesting- should think Joyce will have quite a lot to contribute - thanks, Alison

ETA must admit I only got it after Pat's hint, too!
Author:  Lesley [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:00 am ]
Post subject: 
I did guess correctly - but only after Pat's hint! Nice that Joyce is so pleased to see Primula - and that she has changed.

Thanks Alison.
Author:  PaulineS [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 11:12 am ]
Post subject: 
Pat's hint helped me as well. Good to see Joyce again, another character whoslides into the background.
Author:  macyrose [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 1:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
I guessed correctly too.

The mention of Daisy staying with the Errolls is in The Chalet School in the Oberland:
Quote:
In the meantime, Dr. Rosomon is partner to a doctor in Devonshire and has gone to take it up. He will spend what spare time he has in looking for a house. Daisy will go to stay with Joyce Linton, whose husband has just been preferred to a living in the same place, for week-ends and so on, and with help in the search while she is there.

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  roversgirl [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 3:36 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for an update - had not even considered anyone like Joyce - obviously. Thanks :)
Author:  Alison H [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 5:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
macyrose wrote:
I guessed correctly too.

The mention of Daisy staying with the Errolls is in The Chalet School in the Oberland:


Thanks - I knew I'd got it from somewhere :lol: . I assume that EBD just put that in so we wouldn't think Daisy was staying with Laurie when she went to see him :wink: !
Author:  crystaltips [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 6:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
Started reading this then saw references to AlisonH's earlier drabbles so I'm off to the drabble-orum to catch up. Back later!
Author:  Alex [ Sun Mar 23, 2008 9:18 pm ]
Post subject: 
I was totally wrong! But thanks for an update. You are very kind and regular with them Alison.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:00 am ]
Post subject: 
crystaltips wrote:
Started reading this then saw references to AlisonH's earlier drabbles so I'm off to the drabble-orum to catch up. Back later!


They're worth it. One of my all time favourite drabbles is when Elsie Bradshaw takes over from Karen. She's one of my favourite non-Chalet School characters :lol:

Thanks Alison and Pat for the hint. I didn't realise all that background info about Joyce
Author:  Alison H [ Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:47 am ]
Post subject: 
As a little girl at Die Rosen, Primula had always thought that Joyce was rather like a fairy princess. With her golden hair, blue eyes and pretty face she’d looked rather like a real-life version of one of those dolls that Peggy had always been playing with, or one of the pictures in of the story books that Rosa had read to them from. She’d been puzzled by the fact that, whilst Joyce had always had plenty of friends of her own age, the grown-ups had always been comparing her unfavourably with her sister Gillian; but when she’d been a few years older she’d come to realise that Joyce had had a tendency towards being thoughtless and sometimes downright selfish, relying heavily on Gillian even once they were both adults.

She remembered many occasions from her Junior and Middles days on which the girls had been told that Miss Linton had been called away to help her sister’s family and that therefore another mistress would be taking over her lessons for the next few days; and from what she’d heard Joey say Joyce had been the same and probably even worse when she’d been a schoolgirl herself. However, Daisy, in the days when she’d stayed with the Errolls regularly, had often commented on how much Joyce had changed over the preceding few years: the role of vicar’s wife, and more significantly the childhood ill-health of her daughter Jocelyn, had finally forced her to become the sort of mature and responsible person that she’d never been in Tyrol, Guernsey or Armiford.

The two of them had little time to chat at the wedding, unfortunately. Before they had time to do very much other than exchange brief family news Charles’s best man was indicating that everyone should take their seats; and at the reception afterwards they were seated at different tables, and by the time the speeches finished it was getting late and Primula and Nick had to take Margaret and Jonathan home to bed. However, Joyce made a point of coming over to their table and suggesting that she and Primula should try to meet up again some time soon.

“Only if you’d like to, of course,” she said. “It just seems a shame not to finish our catch-up, especially when we don’t live all that far from each other. Gill still sees plenty of people from the old days but I don’t, really; and it’s so nice to see you again. Would you like to come round to the vicarage for lunch sometimes? It’s slightly off the bus route, but it’s not that difficult to find. Maybe on a Tuesday or a Thursday: those are usually the best days for me. Oh – unless you work, of course, or you’ve got other things on on weekdays? Or it’d be difficult with the children – are they at school yet?”

“It doesn’t matter about being off the bus route – I’ve actually got a car,” Primula told her. It had been the one luxury that she’d allowed herself to buy with her share of the proceeds from Uncle Jem’s sale of the San: the rest of the money had been invested. “And Margaret’s at school, and Jonathan’s at kindergarten part-time and one of his days is Tuesday, so a Tuesday would suit me fine. And … no, I don’t work. And I don’t do anything else much. Well, not at the moment, anyway. Not yet. I … anyway, sorry, I didn’t mean to waffle on. What I mean is that, yes, I would love to have lunch with you. Thank you for asking me.”

Joyce looked rather bemused at part of that speech but said nothing about it; and they parted, with smiles on both sides, with Primula clutching directions to the vicarage in her hand and an agreement to meet at about one o’clock a week on Tuesday.
Author:  Lesley [ Mon Mar 24, 2008 9:14 am ]
Post subject: 
Lovely to see such a nice Joyce - she's very kind to Primula - though can understand her bemusement when Primula started babbling! :lol:


Thanks Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Mon Mar 24, 2008 10:55 am ]
Post subject: 
Good for Joyce! - and good for Primula!

Thanks Alison
Author:  Liz K [ Mon Mar 24, 2008 11:26 am ]
Post subject: 
Never thought it was Joyce.

Thanks Alison.
Author:  PaulineS [ Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison. I suspect Joyce could be a great help.
Author:  Mona [ Mon Mar 24, 2008 6:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
Oh good, someone who might make it easier for Prim to get involved. And lovely to see Joyce again.

Thanks Alison!
Author:  Alison H [ Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:47 am ]
Post subject: 
Unfortunately, Joyce’s directions proved to be rather difficult to follow, and Primula took several wrong turns along the way, eventually arriving, at twenty past one, blushing with embarrassment and full of apologies about her stupidity in getting lost.

“Don’t be silly - it’s probably my fault for not making things clear,” Joyce said easily. “And it’s not the easiest of places to find, I know. Anyway, do come on in! Here, I’ll take your coat: go through and make yourself at home. Sorry that there’s not an awful lot of room. Lunch is pretty much ready. I hope it’s all right: I’ve never been much of a cook - you’ve probably heard the tale of the time I managed to put sulphur in the cakes at school!”

Primula laughed and assured her that, although she’d heard that tale several times, she was sure that the food would be absolutely fine; and added that the vicarage was lovely. It was a very nice property and obviously of some historic interest, she thought, looking around; although it wasn’t particularly large and parts of it were undoubtedly in need of some redecoration.


It was funny the way that things turned out, she mused. Had she ever thought about it, she would probably have imagined Joyce ending up as the petted wife of some rich and perhaps much older man, living in an exclusive part of London and spending her time having her hair done, lunching at expensive restaurants with the wives of other wealthy men and spending vast amounts at all the most fashionable boutiques, whilst an array of domestic staff looked after her luxurious home and pampered children.

Instead, here Joyce was, living on what were evidently fairly modest means, and presumably for much of that of her time not taken up with domestic work busy with the parish duties of a vicar’s wife …whilst she, Primula, had a great deal of time on her hands and nothing very worthwhile with which to fill it. Well, not at the moment, anyway. She heaved a huge sigh as Joyce brought their lunch in, and the older woman looked at her curiously.

“Please tell me that that wasn’t because of the food!” she joked. “It doesn’t look that bad, does it?”

“Oh no: it looks delicious, truly,” Primula said quickly. “I was just thinking about … well, about everything that you must have to do as a vicar’s wife, to be honest. Sorry, I must sound frightfully nosy: I didn’t mean to! I was just wondering; that’s all.”

Joyce smiled. “And thinking that I’m the last person on earth whom you ever imagined ending up as a vicar’s wife? Oh, it’s all right: enough people have said it over the years! It wasn’t quite how I ever saw my life turning out myself, to be truthful, but life surprises you sometimes. And, yes, there certainly is plenty to do – visiting people who are elderly or ill and can’t get out of the house, organising fetes and jumble sales and all that sort of thing, and then for some reason everyone round here expects me to be in charge of the flower-arranging committee … and all that’s before you even start with attending the actual services! Oh, and of course there’s Sunday school. I should imagine that all the mistresses who ever taught me would roar with laughter if they could see me teaching Sunday school classes. Especially Miss Norman! But I do it.

“So, yes, although we don’t really go out much other than for church activities, it’s a busy life; and I try my best to do a good job of it. It’s certainly not what I imagine anyone who knew me when I was younger ever thought I’d end up doing, and by that I include my own family. But, as I said, life surprises you sometimes. Sometimes you even surprise yourself.”
Author:  crystaltips [ Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:15 am ]
Post subject: 
Read this through from the beginning last night & this morning. It's lovely, thank you Alison.
Also read your other drabbles in Karen/Elsie/Gretchen-verse & enjoyed them all. I do have a quick question about the Gretchen/David one (Turning the Stars Round?) - read parts 1 & 2; is there anymore cause I couldn't seem to find it.

Anyway, I am already looking forward to the next instalment. thanks again.
Author:  Alison H [ Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:57 am ]
Post subject: 
crystaltips wrote:
Read this through from the beginning last night & this morning. It's lovely, thank you Alison.
Also read your other drabbles in Karen/Elsie/Gretchen-verse & enjoyed them all. I do have a quick question about the Gretchen/David one (Turning the Stars Round?) - read parts 1 & 2; is there anymore cause I couldn't seem to find it.

Anyway, I am already looking forward to the next instalment. thanks again.


Thanks :D .

Part 3 of Turning The Stars Around is here - it's just not in the Index yet.
Author:  Catherine [ Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:39 am ]
Post subject: 
Just caught up on all of this. Interesting to see how Joyce has changed.

Thanks Alison.
Author:  Sarah J [ Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:46 am ]
Post subject: 
I've also just caught up on all of this. Who would have thought that Joyce's life would have turned out like this but it just goes to show the 'good stuff' that was always in her. Hope she can help Primula find what she is looking for.
Author:  Jennie [ Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:58 pm ]
Post subject: 
Evenif she can't introduce Primula to anyone, she's still giving her plenty of ideas.
Author:  Lesley [ Tue Mar 25, 2008 7:59 pm ]
Post subject: 
Nice to see how happy and content Joyce has become.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
Alison H wrote:
Sometimes you even surprise yourself


This is the sort of thing that will make Joyce particlularly useful to Primula

Thanks Alison
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:56 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison,
And I agree with Joyce's sentiments, life certainly does change a lot and in ways you never dream of
Author:  crystaltips [ Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote from Alison H
Part 3 of Turning The Stars Around is here - it's just not in the Index yet.

Found it, read it, loved it. Thank You.

Sorry, I don't know how to inport those little quote boxes. :?

*hopes some nice, kind person will send instructions cause I can't find out how to anywhere* :D
Author:  Mia [ Tue Mar 25, 2008 11:17 pm ]
Post subject: 
Just caught up - thanks Alison. Nice to see old friends!
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:50 am ]
Post subject: 
Joyce poured them both a drink. “Anyway, enough about me! Tell me more about your family. Daisy’s back at work, isn’t she? I seem to remember her mentioning in one of her Christmas cards that she’d started working again when she and Laurie left Switzerland and moved to Armiford.”

Primula nodded; and Joyce smiled. “That was another surprise: I thought she’d given it up for good when she got married. Well, good for her! I always thought it was a shame that all that training should go to waste, especially when she was so obviously so good at what she did. Didn’t she win a load of research awards? Put people like me to shame all right: I barely ever managed to pass so much as a school maths test! And I can imagine her being very good with her patients: she always got on so well with everyone, even when she was just a little kid. Gill was always singing Daisy’s praises in her teaching days, saying what a shame it was that the school didn’t have more pupils like her.”

“Daisy was always good at everything,” Primula said proudly. Then she looked down at her plate. “Whereas I … well, I wasn’t bad at lessons, I suppose; but I was never particularly brilliant at anything. It was certainly never suggested that I should go on to university or college. Maybe no-one pushed me much because they were always fussing about my health, but you could say the same about Robin and she went on to Oxford. And I was never good at sports like Daisy and Bride were; and I don’t suppose that I’d ever have been a prefect even if we hadn’t gone off to Canada.”

She blushed. “Sorry: that must have sounded. Daisy’s the most wonderful sister anyone could have; and I didn’t mean that I was jealous of her or anything. It’s just that … well, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how I’ve never really done very much with myself. And how I ought to be doing something more.”

She was feeling awkward now, and beginning to wish heartily that she’d stuck to talking about the weather or some other such neutral topic. Why hadn’t she thought to mention her recent visit to Austria? Joyce had lived in the Tiernsee area for several years: she’d probably have been very interested in hearing about what Briesau was like nowadays. She tried to think of some way of changing the subject, but she’d missed her chance: Joyce was speaking now.

“I can sort of understand how you feel,” she was saying, rather to Primula’s surprise. No-one could ever have accused Joyce Linton of lacking self-confidence, after all!

Joyce smiled wryly. “Are you thinking that that doesn’t make sense, because I always seemed exceedingly pleased with myself when you knew me years ago? I probably did: I have to admit that I was a right little madam at times! But I certainly never achieved anything much at school and no-one ever expected me to – and in my case it definitely wasn’t because people were worried about my health; it was just because I never tried very hard and I was always ragging the mistresses and mucking about. Whereas Gill, by contrast, was always everything that a Chalet School girl was supposed to be. And I relied on her far too much: in many ways, ridiculous as it sounds given that there’s only a year in age between us, she was more like a mother than a sister to me after Mummy died.”
Author:  Elbee [ Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:45 am ]
Post subject: 
I'm glad we're getting the chance to see how Joyce has changed for the better!

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  roversgirl [ Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:57 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the update - I thoguht they might feel the same :)
Author:  Mona [ Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:42 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison!
Author:  Jennie [ Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
That was very honest of Joyce, and she might be just the person Primula needs to give her more self-confidence.
Author:  PaulineS [ Wed Mar 26, 2008 2:34 pm ]
Post subject: 
Pleased Joyce can share her feelings about the past and understand how Primula feels compared to Daisy.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Wed Mar 26, 2008 5:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison - really interesting about Joyce's increasing self-awareness
Author:  crystaltips [ Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
Who would have thought Joyce would turn out so well. I'm sure she's going to be able to help Primula lots.
Thanks Alison
Author:  Amanda M [ Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:25 pm ]
Post subject: 
I've been reading this story and enjoying it. It's nice to see that Joyce has grown up and hopefully Primula may be able to get some direction from it.

Thanks Alison :D
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:48 am ]
Post subject: 
Joyce paused to take a sip of her drink; then continued. “We had no other close relatives … when Mummy died I didn’t know what was going to happen to us, and so I just waited for someone else to sort it out. When our solicitor in England, who was the executor of Mummy’s will, wanted to talk to us about all the legalities and the finances and everything, and when we had to sort out Mummy’s things, and all the furniture and so on that’d been put into storage from our house in England, it was Gill who dealt with it all. We had help from your uncle and aunt, of course - I don’t know where we’d have been without them - but Gill at least realised and accepted that things weren’t just going to sort themselves out or be sorted out by someone else.

“I didn’t. I suppose I just thought that I was only a young girl and that there should be someone else to take care of everything for me. Even after I was married and I’d had the children, in the early days every time Jocelyn was ill – which she was a lot at first, although thankfully she’s fine now – I’d be straight on to Gill. Poor Gill: she must have known the journey between the Chalet School and my home like the back of her hand!

"Everyone must have thought that I was so useless and so selfish, and anyone other than Gill would’ve told me where to go; but I just … well, I didn’t feel that I was capable of coping on my own, and obviously my husband was busy with work a lot of the time. And Gill was always so capable, and believe me I used to wish that I could be more like her … but I’d always been so used to relying on someone else. Oh, Primula, it was years before I finally learned to stand on my own two feet.”

She smiled at Primula. “I don’t mean that I’m comparing you to me, or making excuses for the sort of person that I used to be. What I’m saying is that I do understand what it’s like to lack confidence in your own abilities; and to feel that you don’t match up to other people; and to feel that you ought to change things about yourself and about your life. As far as being like other people goes, I think we just have to accept that we’re all different. Not that that excuses the fact that I was a spoilt, selfish cow for years, but that hardly applies in your case. But as for the rest of it … those are things that you can do something about, Primula.

“Look at me. I used to rely on Gill even to make sure that I’d remembered to do my school prep! These days, I’m not saying I make a brilliant job of everything, but I look after my family and my house, and I get out there and teach Sunday school and deal with the church jumble sales and head up the flower arranging committee … now, if I can do all that then there must be all sorts of things that someone like you could do.” She paused and poured them both another drink. “Or am I sticking my nose in where it’s not wanted? I never was blessed with much tact, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, no – you’re on exactly the right lines, as it so happens,” Primula exclaimed. “I’ve actually been thinking that maybe I could try to get involved with some sort of voluntary work. Nick thinks that it’d be a good idea too, so long as it’s what I want. In fact, I asked Auntie Madge about it - she’s very involved with the WI and the church and various other things - and she was very encouraging: she said that there were lots of things that I could do and that I should find out about organisations locally. The only snag is that I don’t really know whom to ask in Etherleigh, and … well, I’m a bit nervous about just turning up somewhere, or just ringing someone I don’t know. I should have more confidence, I know, but … well, you’ve just said that you understand about that.” She paused to eat the last mouthful of her meal. “This food’s delicious, by the way: thank you so much!”

“Glad you like it! Maybe Frau Mieders managed to get something about cooking into my head after all!” Joyce laughed. “Now, you say voluntary work – what sort of thing exactly? Or hadn’t you thought that far?”

“Nothing that involves children or hospitals,” Primula said. She blushed: this was something that she’d been thinking about but hadn’t yet admitted to anyone else. “That doesn’t sound very nice, I know, but … well, it’s just that that was always Daisy’s field and I just feel that I’d rather do something different. And not the WI either, because Auntie Madge is so involved in it and I don’t want it to seem like I’m trying to hang on to her coat-tails, so to speak. I know that she’s in a completely different part of the country and that people down here might never even have heard of her, and it’s not like they’d know that we were related anyway, but … well, even so. I’d just rather do something that isn’t connected with any other member of the family, if you can understand that. I’m not sure what that leaves, though. Working with older people, maybe.”
Author:  roversgirl [ Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:06 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice to see them both being honest and Joyce's desire to help - Hope Primula finds something she wants to do :)
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Thu Mar 27, 2008 9:11 am ]
Post subject: 
Joyce is so lovely there and its wonderful to see how she's grown and developed as a person. Its very realistic
Author:  PaulineS [ Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Joyce's revalations are so true to life as is Primula wanting to do something different from other family members

I know going to the same school as their sibblings is good for some children, but for others not being expected to life up to an older sibbling is better.

Primula had cousins as well as a sister to live up to it must have been tough.
Author:  Jennie [ Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:50 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Alison.
Author:  RroseSelavy [ Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
It's nice to see Joyce has grown up to be so sensible and understanding. Everyone has been so supportive of Primula - now she just has to make herself get out and do something!

Really enjoying this, thanks Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Thu Mar 27, 2008 6:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Joyce is not only being helpful and insightful, she's allowing Primula to sort out and talk through her own needs and wishes.
Thanks Alison, that was a lovely update.
Author:  Lesley [ Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
Joyce has grown into a lovely woman.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 8:47 am ]
Post subject: 
Joyce drummed her fingers on the table thoughtfully. “I’m trying to think …what about the Women’s Community Service? I’m pretty sure that they must have people in Etherleigh – it’s a decent-sized town, after all.”

“Auntie Madge mentioned that,” Primula said. “I don’t know much about it, though … is it something that you’ve ever been involved with?”

Joyce shook her head. “Not personally. With all my parish work I’d just never find the time. No: the reason I mentioned it was that I know that Mrs Blackstone on the flower-arranging committee has something to do with it. She can be a bit of a dragon – she didn’t exactly conceal the fact that she thought I was a right flighty piece when I first came to live here! – but she’s basically all right. I could have a word with her if you like – let you know what she says and give you a ring. I assume that you’re on the phone?”

“That would be very kind of you,” Primula told her gratefully. “And, yes, we’re on the phone: I’ll write down our number for you. Are you sure you don’t mind? And that she won’t mind?”

“Quite sure,” Joyce assured her. “She’ll be delighted that someone’s showing an interest, trust me! I’ll let you know as soon as I’ve had chance to speak to her. Now, if you’ve had as much as you’d like of all this lot, I’ve made us some cake for dessert: and I promise faithfully that it doesn’t contain sulphur!”

Joyce’s cake was delicious. So too was the cake that Primula found herself eating a couple of weeks later at the home of a Mrs Douglas, the leader of the Etherleigh branch of the Women’s Community Service. Joyce had been as good as her word, and had rung a few days after their lunch together to say that she’d spoken to Mrs Blackstone, who’d confirmed that the organisation did indeed have a branch in Etherleigh and that they were always looking for new recruits. She was sure, she’d told Joyce, that if Mrs Garden felt a little uncertain about going to any sort of meeting or turning up at the organisation’s headquarters on her own then Mrs Douglas, a long-time acquaintance of hers would be delighted to meet her for a chat on a one-to-one basis first.

Arrangements had duly been made, and Primula had rung Joyce to tell her how grateful she was for her help and to say that she hoped that they could meet up again soon. She was feeling a little nervous even in this informal setting; but Mrs Douglas, evidently a no-nonsense sort of woman, didn’t particularly seem to notice, getting straight down to business as soon as introductions had been made, tea poured and cake offered and accepted.

“So, Mrs Garden,” she said briskly. “May I start by asking how much you know about the Women’s Community Service? Purely because I don’t wish to bore you by telling you a load of things that you already know!”

“Not an awful lot,” Primula confessed. “To be honest, I always thought it was something to do with helping people affected by air raids during the War. I didn’t actually realise that it still existed until recently. But I do very much want to … well, to do something to help. I haven’t got any particular skills but … well, I’m willing to try hard, and I very much hope that there’s going to be something that I might be able to do to help.”
Author:  Mona [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:03 am ]
Post subject: 
Good for Primula. I'm sure she's going to be able to contribute a lot.

Thanks Alison!
Author:  roversgirl [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:39 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks - Glad to see Primula has found something :)
Author:  crystaltips [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:42 am ]
Post subject: 
Lovely to catch up on the last couple of posts.
So glad that Joyce was able to help Primula & I'm sure that the Womens Community Service will be good for her.
Thanks Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:43 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison
This is getting even more interesting :D
Author:  Becky [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 12:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yay for Primula! She's made a big step towards helping herself.

Thanks Alison :D
Author:  Jennie [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
The first step is always the hardest.

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  Sarah J [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:36 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad Primula has found something which nobody else from the family is involved with. Looks promising for her.
Author:  PaulineS [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:36 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad Primula has taken the first steps.
Author:  linda [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:31 pm ]
Post subject: 
PaulineS wrote:
Glad Primula has taken the first steps.


Me too. First steps are scary!!!
Author:  leahbelle [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
Well done, Primula. I can definitely relate to first steps being the hardest!
Author:  Lesley [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 6:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hope Mrs Douglas goes gently with her.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Rebecca [ Fri Mar 28, 2008 10:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
I hope Primula can get involved in some way and good for her for taking the first step.
Author:  Alison H [ Sat Mar 29, 2008 8:56 am ]
Post subject: 
“I’m quite sure that there will be, Mrs Garden,” Mrs Douglas assured her. “There’s always a great deal to be done and any help is always most welcome – and rest assured that your time and effort, as long as you’re prepared to give them regularly, won’t go unappreciated. Now, just to give you some background information, you said that you associated us with the War, and that was when we started out - providing assistance to people during air raids as you’ve mentioned, and assisting in hospitals, and in areas badly affected by the bombings trying to provide what help we could to those most in need of it. But we’ve been in operation continually ever since then. We’re still involved in hospital work; and during local emergencies, especially in cases in which people have to be evacuated from their homes, our members do their best to provide assistance to those affected.

“Also, and in particular, we do a lot of work with elderly people. You’ll presumably have heard of the social clubs that we run – the “Darby and Joan” clubs, as they seem to’ve become known? They were started during the 1950s, really as a practical measure because, with the coal and fuel shortages that we had then, in cold weather it was often difficult for people to keep their homes wan throughout the day; but we found that they became popular just as places for people to go and meet up as well. And more recently we’ve started delivering meals to the homes of people who aren’t able to shop or cook for themselves and don’t have family or friends who are in a position to help nearby.

“And those are just a few of the things that we do.” She smiled. “So you see, Mrs Garden, we’re always busy and we’re always delighted to have anyone new on board! So we’d be very glad to have you, if you’re sure that you’d be interested and you’re sure that you’d be able to commit to giving your time?”

“I’m sure,” Primula said shyly. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately; truly I have. What do you think I might be able to do? To start with, I mean. I don’t have any specific training in anything, but, as I said, I’m willing to try hard.”

“Well, I’d suggest that you come along to our next meeting – we meet up at our local headquarters, once a month - and meet some of the other ladies, for a start,” Mrs Douglas told her. “As for not having any training in anything, I’m quite sure you know as much as the average person does when they first start out, so stop worrying about it! And in fact, if you’re really keen to get stuck in, there’s a blood donation session, in the hall attached to the main church, a fortnight on Tuesday. We serve drinks and refreshments to the donors afterwards. You’d need an apron, but I’d see to it that one was provided for you. If a fortnight on Tuesday’d be convenient, of course.”
Primula hadn’t expected to be doing anything quite so soon but, having decided that she wanted to start getting involved, she supposed that there was no time like the present. “Yes, …yes, I could do that,” she heard herself saying. “Well, so long as I’m home in time to go and collect my little boy from nursery and my little girl from school. Oh – only, you don’t mean that I’d actually have to do anything on the medical side of things, do you?”

Mrs Douglas laughed. “No, my dear. You certainly wouldn’t be expected to do anything that you hadn’t been trained for: nobody would. No: I appreciate that making tea and serving biscuits might not sound very exciting; but it’s an important job all the same, believe me. When people have just given blood they need their sugar levels keeping up, and the health service doesn’t have the resources to pay people to deal with serving the provisions: they rely on us for that. Although some of the ladies you’ll meet have First Aid training, and training in evacuation procedures as well. If there ever is any sort of emergency locally – let’s hope that there won’t be, but you never know what’s round the corner– then it’s important that people know what to do.”

“We did a bit of First Aid training at school,” Primula said thoughtfully. “We started during the War: I was only a little girl then so our form didn’t really do very much at the time, but we did learn more about it when we were older, in the Guides. I’d almost forgotten about that until now. And I can certainly make tea and coffee! Maybe I do know a few things that’d be useful after all!”

She took a deep breath. “Mrs Douglas, I would like to come along and meet some of the other ladies, and I would like to come to the blood donor session and help with the refreshments as well. And … and if you think that I’d be all right, I’d like to help with some of the work with older people as well. I really would. I’m ready to get involved.”


The "Women's Community Service" is based on the Women's Voluntary Service (as it was then, now the Women's Royal Voluntary Service) as people in the U.K. will possibly have gathered, but I've given it a different name so that I don't have to stress too much about being totally historically accurate!
Author:  Mona [ Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:43 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison!
Author:  Lesley [ Sat Mar 29, 2008 11:28 am ]
Post subject: 
Glad there are things Primula feels she can do.


Thanks Alison
Author:  crystaltips [ Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:21 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Alison.
So glad Mrs D is helping Primula.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Alison H wrote:
I've given it a different name so that I don't have to stress too much about being totally historically accurate!


Thought it sounded like the WVS a bit - even went as far as googling "Women's Community Service" [:oops: how sad is that!?!] to see what they did! Shows how real you're making this, Alison!! Thanks
Author:  roversgirl [ Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:54 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad to see her plunging in :-) Thanks!
Author:  Alison H [ Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:19 am ]
Post subject: 
The blood donation session went well. Primula had spent most of the previous evening worrying that she’d either say or do something horrendously wrong; but Mrs Douglas was there when she arrived and made sure that she was introduced to the other members of the team and that she knew exactly what she was supposed to be doing. Her role for her first session was in any case confined to keeping the kettle boiling, pouring drinks and ensuring that the biscuit barrel was kept topped up; and before long she began to relax a little.

Even though her own job on that first day was fairly undemanding, she noted the amount of organisation that went into the logistics of it all – arranging the rota, ensuring that transport was available for those involved, making sure that the relevant supplies were obtained, and finally clearing up afterwards – and imagined just how much of this sort of work must go on, largely behind the scenes, across the country every day of every week. Her role in it might only be very small but, as Mrs Douglas said, everybody’s role was necessary; and she was glad to be playing her part.

She’d been very nervous beforehand at the prospect of dealing with strange people, but as she went about her work, quietly and carefully, she found that the other members of the team and those they were serving were all pleasant, friendly and appreciative. She didn’t have the confidence to chat with those she was serving as some of the other women in the team did, but even so she found that asking people she didn’t know what they’d like to eat and drink wasn’t anything like the ordeal that she’d thought it might be.

And then, when the blood donation session was over and the clearing up was in progress, she ventured a few sentences into the conversation with the other women and was pleased to find that no-one seemed unwilling to listen to her and that when it was time to leave they all said that they hoped to see her again. She returned home feeling shyly pleased with how it had all gone, and when Nick asked what it had been like she was able to tell him quite truthfully that she was very glad that she’d decided to go, that she actually felt that she’d been of some use and that she definitely wanted to become more involved with what the Women’s Community Service did.

She wasn’t quite sure what she should do after that: she certainly didn’t want to seem as though she weren’t interested but on the other hand she didn’t want to seem pushy either. In the end, she decided that the best thing to do was to ring Mrs Douglas, to thank her for her help, and to say that she hoped that everything had gone all right and that she’d like to ask if there were anything else that she could do, maybe on a more regular basis. She was pleased and relieved when Mrs Douglas said that she was delighted by her call.

“You did absolutely splendidly at the blood donation session, Mrs Garden!” the local Women’s Community Service leader assured her. “Now, why don’t you come along to our next monthly meeting, as I suggested the first time we met – meet a few more people and find out a little more about us. And I believe that we’re currently looking for a few extra pairs of hands at the pensioners’ day club, which is something that you suggested that you might be interested in getting involved with. It’d be during the daytime on weekdays, and you could choose your days to fit in with when your little boy’s at school. How does that sound?”

“That sounds like exactly what I was hoping you’d say,” Primula said happily. “That is – yes, of course I’ll come to the meeting and yes, I’d very much like to work at the pensioners’ day club.”
Author:  Lesley [ Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:37 am ]
Post subject: 
Glad it went well for her - sad to see just how low her self-esteem had become.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  keren [ Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:10 am ]
Post subject: 
But this Mrs Douglas also sounds just right.
She sees she is a bit shy and knows how to encourage her and make her feel comfortable.
Author:  crystaltips [ Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:23 am ]
Post subject: 
How nice of Mrs Douglas to be looking after Primula.

Thank you Alison
Author:  roversgirl [ Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:43 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the updatebut am really sad to see just how low her belief in herself is.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:49 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison - glad it went well for Primula - I like Mrs Douglas . . .
Author:  Alison H [ Mon Mar 31, 2008 7:47 am ]
Post subject: 
Primula stopped outside the front door of the building where the Etherleigh “Darby and Joan” club met, adjusted the collar of her Women’s Community Service uniform, and took a deep breath. Today would be her first day of working here, and she couldn’t help feeling rather like a lone new girl on her first day at school – which was silly, she chided herself! It’d be fine. She’d had a long talk with some of the women responsible for operations here at the recent monthly meeting and they’d all assured her that her help would be very welcome.

They’d explained to her all about the running of both the Women’s Community Service in general and the pensioners’ club in particular; and she’d plunged in and committed herself to volunteering her services for, to start with, two mornings a week. For the first few days, her duties were, by mutual agreement, to be confined to serving refreshments – just until she got used to the place and saw how she went on, Mrs Douglas had explained, adding that she was to remember that it was however a job of which the importance should never be underestimated. There was nothing like a nice cup of tea and a biscuit, when all was said and done!

At first she felt awkward in the strange surroundings, not knowing what to say. She well understood now what David and Gretchen had meant when they’d said that they hadn’t been sure how they’d be received on their first visit to the children’s home. She didn’t for a moment want to seem stand-offish, but at the same time she was concerned in case she inadvertently said anything that might come across as being in any way patronising or otherwise inappropriate.

However, it was a place with a very relaxed atmosphere – it was meant to be an environment in which people could meet friends and generally enjoy themselves, as had been stressed several times when the running of the club had been explained to her – and as she shyly and politely went round with the tea trolley she gradually found herself thinking that maybe there’d been nothing to be so nervous about after all. She just wished that she could find something to chat to some of the club attendees about as easily as her colleagues seemed to be doing, but she’d never been very good at starting conversations with people she didn’t know.

A voice broke into her thoughts. “Sorry, love, mine was a tea not a coffee,” the man to whom she’d just handed a drink was saying, handing her the cup back.

Primula blushed furiously. “I am so sorry,” she apologised in embarrassment. “I’ll get you a tea at once. I don’t know what I can have been thinking of.”

“Hey, come on - there’s no need to take it to heart – it’s only a cup of tea!” he joked, smiling at her as she poured him his tea and handed it to him. “It’s just that I really can’t drink coffee: I don’t like the taste. There now, that’s better. You’re a good’un! Thanks very much.” He took a sip of the tea and smiled appreciatively. “A good cup of tea is that – just how I like it! You’re new here, aren’t you, if you don’t mind my asking? I’ve been coming here a while and I know I’ve not seen you before.”

“It’s my first day,” Primula said shyly. “I’ve never really done anything like this before, to be honest.”

“Well, we’re very glad that you’re doing it now,” he told her. “I’m sure that you’ve got plenty of other things you could be doing, you and all the other ladies, and this place is a godsend for a lot of us who wouldn’t get out much otherwise. It’s very nice to meet you. Very nice indeed!”
Author:  Mona [ Mon Mar 31, 2008 8:38 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice to see Primula starting to realise that she was worrying too much and she'll be OK.

Thanks Alison!
Author:  Jennie [ Mon Mar 31, 2008 9:51 am ]
Post subject: 
That's great, she's broken the ice and perhaps won't be so shy the next time.
Author:  crystaltips [ Mon Mar 31, 2008 2:38 pm ]
Post subject: 
Oh lovely. I hope that this is the start of Primula finding herself.

Thanks, Alison
Author:  abbeybufo [ Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:15 pm ]
Post subject: 
Lovely Alison :D
Thank you
Author:  leahbelle [ Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:19 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad Primula has met such a nice gentleman and I hope his words make her realise that what she's doing is very important.
Author:  Lesley [ Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:31 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:08 am ]
Post subject: 
This is so lovely seeing Primula becoming more comfortable and I can see the man taking her under his wing a bit too!
Author:  Alison H [ Tue Apr 01, 2008 7:37 am ]
Post subject: 
He smiled. “I’ve got a daughter about your age – she’s my youngest, Lucy; the others are all lads. Well, I’m calling them “lads”: the youngest of the three’s thirty-five! Lucy’s out in Australia now, moved out there a few years ago with a friend of hers and then married a fellow she met there. I’ve only been out the once to see her: I’d love to go again but it’s a long journey at my age. Still, I’m hoping they’ll get over here some time later in the year.”

“Two of my first cousins and their families live in Australia,” Primula said eagerly. “And I was born there, actually – in Queensland. I don’t remember it, though: we left when I was only two. My father died, and my mother decided that it’d be best if she and my sister and I came back to live with my uncle – her brother- and his family.” She stopped. “Sorry: I didn’t mean to rabbit on.”

“Stop apologising, will you! You’ll have me doing it as well in a minute!” He grinned at her. “And may I ask your name? I like to know whom I’m talking to.”

“Primula,” Primula said. “Primula Garden.”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Mrs Garden, as I’ve just said. I’m Bert Manning. And it’s very nice to have someone different to talk to. I’m sorry to hear that you lost your dad so young, though. Must have been difficult for you all. And difficult for settling in England after living on the other side of the world, as well.”

“Oh, we didn’t actually move to England for another few years after that,” Primula told him. “We lived in Austria at first, but then we had to leave because of the Nazis. My uncle was working there. He was a doctor at a sanatorium in Tyrol, in the west of Austria. It’s a lovely part of the world and we were all very happy there, but of course once the Nazis invaded we had to get out. We went to Guernsey after that, but then because of the War we had to leave there as well, and then we moved to a little village near Armiford.”

“Australia and Austria, eh? And Guernsey as well? I bet you’ve got a few stories you could tell: it sounds like you’ve had a pretty interesting time of it so far!” He was evidently keen to continue the conversation, but at that point he happened to look up and he noticed that a group of women sitting at the other end of the room were glaring at him and looking pointedly at the tea trolley. He pretended to groan. “Oh dear: I’ll be getting us both in bother, keeping that lot away from their morning brew! I’d better let you go. But it’s been fascinating talking to you. Hope to see you here again soon. You will be coming back, won’t you?”

“I will,” Primula promised him. “I definitely will.”

It was easier after that. She made a point of introducing herself to everyone she served, and found that many of them were as eager as Bert Manning had been to enjoy a chat. Some of them, especially the women, asked her if she had children, and produced photographs of their own children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; and a number of them had relatives in Australia or Canada and were interested to hear that she’d lived in both countries.

She remembered almost nothing about her early childhood in Queensland, but she had fond memories of her stay in Canada and chatted animatedly about them to one elderly lady, named Alice Wheeler, who had a son and a nephew living in Toronto. The morning passed far more quickly and enjoyably then she’d expected, and she was almost sorry when the time came for her to leave.
Author:  Mona [ Tue Apr 01, 2008 7:55 am ]
Post subject: 
So good that she enjoyed her first session - thanks Alison!
Author:  Jennie [ Tue Apr 01, 2008 9:13 am ]
Post subject: 
So good that she received such a warm welcome from them all on her first visit.
Author:  leahbelle [ Tue Apr 01, 2008 5:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
A great start!
Author:  Lesley [ Tue Apr 01, 2008 7:02 pm ]
Post subject: 
Very encouraging for her.


Thanks Alison
Author:  abbeybufo [ Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:26 pm ]
Post subject: 
That was nice Alison, so pleased Primula has begun to find a way to 'chat' to people.
Thanks
Author:  crystaltips [ Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:35 pm ]
Post subject: 
This is great Alison.
It's good that Primula has her past experiences to draw on & make connections with people. Should do her self esteem the power of good.
Author:  PaulineS [ Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
Pleased she made such a positive start and discovered she could share experiences with the people she met.
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:50 am ]
Post subject: 
The third time that Primula went to the club, she found Alice Wheeler stitching away at some clothes that were surely too tiny for even the smallest of babies to wear. “Oh, they’re not for a real baby,” Alice laughed, in response to Primula’s rather puzzled expression. “They’re for my granddaughter Mary’s new doll!”

“They’re lovely,” Primula said admiringly. “D’you know, I made some dolls’ clothes at school once, but I’ve never tried doing it since. I ought to, really. Margaret – my little girl – ‘s favourite doll could do with a change of clothes urgently. The ones she came with are filthy, and Margaret won’t let me take them off her to wash them in case Dolly catches cold whilst she’s got nothing on!” She smiled reminiscently. “One of the girls at my old school used to make the most wonderful dolls’ houses: she’d make one every year for our annual school sale – in fact, she still makes one every year and sends it on to them - and those of us who were around the same age as her used to make things to fill it with. We made all sorts - the dolls themselves, their clothes, pictures, furniture … oh, we used to spend hours on it all!”

“Sounds like a lot of hard work, but I bet you enjoyed yourselves!” Alice remarked. “Now Jack Woodall, Bert’s pal, he made a dolls’ house last December for his great-niece’s Christmas present. And Betty Marsden over there paints the most lovely pictures, although I’m not sure her eyesight’s up to doing anything small enough for a dolls’ house these days! Normally we only do all the arts and crafts type things in the afternoons, but I’m getting on with this this morning because it’s Mary’s birthday next week and I want these clothes finished in time to give to her then.”

“You do arts and crafts in the afternoons?” Primula asked, interested. Someone had mentioned it to her, now she came to think about it, but she hadn’t realised that they did quite so much. She was just about to say that it sounded like the school Hobbies Club but stopped herself just in time, realising that people might take the comparison the wrong way. All the same … she’d always rather enjoyed Hobbies Club. Admittedly she hadn’t been particularly good at anything, but it had undoubtedly always been good fun. And, so long as she left in time to collect Margaret and Jonathan, perhaps there was no reason why she couldn’t come into the club for a couple of hours in the afternoon once or twice a week as well as doing her morning shifts as long as she wasn’t going to be treading on anyone’s toes …

She asked Catherine Armitage, who was in charge of the Women’s Community Service’s operations at the Etherleigh pensioners’ club, about it before she went home, and Miss Armitage not only said that she’d be very happy for Primula to help out in the afternoons as well but commended her enthusiasm in a way that left her blushing with pleasure. Although it was still early days, she felt that she was coming to know and like some of the other women involved, and she tentatively hoped that maybe as time went on she might find herself making new friends as well as doing something useful with her time. In the meantime, she cast her mind back to her schooldays and tried to remember everything she’d ever learnt about art, knitting embroidery and anything else along those lines; and went home with a smile on her face and feeling happier than she’d done in a long time.
Author:  Lesley [ Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:05 am ]
Post subject: 
Good - she's putting out feelers there.


Thanks Alison
Author:  Mona [ Wed Apr 02, 2008 8:10 am ]
Post subject: 
So glad it's working out for her - not that I ever doubted it would.

Thanks Alison!
Author:  roversgirl [ Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:08 am ]
Post subject: 
Just caught up on the last couple of posts - am happy she's settling in so well :)
Author:  Jennie [ Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
That's great, Alison. Primula will find herself much in demand. There might even be a Sale!
Author:  leahbelle [ Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:04 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good for Primula. I'm so glad she's found something to be so enthusiastic about.

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
It's great that Primula is realising just what she can do rather than worrying about what she thinks she can't :D
Thanks Alison
Author:  crystaltips [ Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:28 pm ]
Post subject: 
Wonderful. An area that Primula really is going to be able to feel confident about plus she can contribute & connect.
Thanks, Alison
Author:  PaulineS [ Wed Apr 02, 2008 5:57 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad Primula can find more to contribute than she expected.
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Apr 03, 2008 7:52 am ]
Post subject: 
Primula carried on serving the refreshments during her morning shifts, but as she got to know the “regulars” she found that she was spending a lot of time chatting. She worried at first that it might look as though she weren’t working hard enough, but Miss Armitage assured her that one of the functions of the club was to provide company for people and that she was doing just fine. A few of the people weren’t as pleasant as the others, but they were only a small minority and she tried not to let them both her, just providing them with their drinks and biscuits and then moving on. She also found plenty to do when it came to the arts and crafts activities: even if usually it was just winding wool, helping those with poor eyesight to thread needles or fetching pots of water in which to clean paintbrushes, it was all helping people.

She did notice that some of the attendees, even those who came regularly, took no part in anything of the afternoon activities. At first she just attributed it to the fact that not everyone had an artistic bent - and it was hardly the school Hobbies Club where, even though it had officially been free time, you’d really had to do something. However, after she’d been going to the club for a couple of months she mentioned it to one of those concerned once, and could have kicked herself for not having thought about it harder when she heard her reply.

“Oh, I’d love to be doing something like that instead of sitting over here with this book that I’m not really interested in,” Florence Bridport, a lady in her mid-eighties, said sadly. “I used to embroider very well at one time, even if I do say so myself. But I can’t do it any more. Arthritis.” She showed Primula her hands. “Oh, I can still hold a needle, but not well enough to do anything properly. And Lettie here’s the same. Getting old’s no fun sometimes, Mrs Garden, believe you me! And it does get rather boring when most of the others are off sewing or whatever else they’re doing. We play cards sometimes, but even that gets boring after a while.”

“There must be something else that you could do,” Primula said thoughtfully. “Oh, I’m sorry – I didn’t mean that to sound patronising! I just meant … some sort of games, perhaps.” They did play bingo sometimes, but that was popular with everyone and so was always done in the mornings when it wouldn’t particularly clash with anything else. What had they done at school, she tried to remember. There’d always been some sort of organised activities going on there in the evenings and at weekends. Paper games would probably seem rather childish, and she could hardly suggest fancy dress parties, but there must have been something else … ah!

“Quizzes!” she said out loud. The two women sitting in front of her looked at her, and she smiled. “Perhaps we could organise some quizzes,” she said. “There are all sorts of things we could have quizzes on. I’ll have a word with Miss Armitage about it!”

Later she wondered whether maybe she shouldn’t have kept quiet until after she’d spoken to Miss Armitage, but the organiser seemed quite keen on the idea. “We’re always open to new suggestions - and that sounds like a very good one,” she said, nodding her head. “And it’s something that anyone could join in with if they wanted to. So – are you offering to write the quizzes, then?”

“Well, yes,” Primula laughed. “I suppose I am!”

“Excellent!” Mrs Armitage said with a smile. “Well volunteered! Now – please don’t feel obliged to say yes, but how would you feel about changing one of your mornings next week for Thursday afternoon, just as a one-off? We’re having a dance that day, and Elizabeth Babington insists that she’s got two left feet and that that makes her the last person who should be helping out at it– even though I’ve told her that she wouldn’t have to dance! - and that she’d like to swap with someone.”

“Thursday afternoon’d be fine, if she could do Tuesday morning,” Primula said. “I’d quite enjoy it, actually, even if I weren’t doing any dancing myself! They were always very keen on music and dancing at the school I went to: I’m hardly an expert, but we we learnt country dancing, and some classical dancing as well. So, yes, I’d love to help out.”

“Wonderful!” Catherine Armitage declared. “You know, Mrs Garden – or maybe it’s time we started calling each other by our first names now? – you’re a woman of hidden talents! May I say that I’m very glad indeed that you decided to join us?”

“So am I, Miss Armitage … I mean, Catherine,” Primula said with feeling. “So am I!”
Author:  roversgirl [ Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:21 am ]
Post subject: 
How lovely! Thank you :)
Author:  Alex [ Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:01 am ]
Post subject: 
My Nan used to come home from the day centre with bits of chocolate that she'd won in a quiz. And at another group she went to she came home once with an energy saving lightbulb (highly amusing and had no idea what it was as it didn't look like any lightbulb she'd ever seen before) as someone had come to give them a talk about energy saving in the context of keeping your bills down.
Author:  PaulineS [ Thu Apr 03, 2008 1:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
Go for it Primula. You do have a lot of knowledge you can use to improve life for others.

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
Author:  abbeybufo [ Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:37 pm ]
Post subject: 
Lovely, Alison. Thanks :D
Author:  leahbelle [ Thu Apr 03, 2008 4:59 pm ]
Post subject: 
Great! thanks, Alison.
Author:  Lesley [ Thu Apr 03, 2008 8:49 pm ]
Post subject: 
She's really starting to carve a niche there, isn't she?

Thanks Alison.
Author:  crystaltips [ Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:00 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good for Primula!

Thanks Alison
Author:  Kathy_S [ Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
It seems to be going very well. :)

Thank you, Alison.
Author:  Elbee [ Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'm glad she's finding that she can be useful, and that she seems to be gaining confidence.

Thanks Alison.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 5:17 am ]
Post subject: 
This is wonderful Alison and am glad I've had a few posts to catch up with. Miss Armitage must be thanking her lucky stars the day Primula decided to help out
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:49 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the comments :D . Apart from mentioning that Madge was involved with the WI etc, which was "off-scene", EBD never seems to mention voluntary work (even during the War) even though it's something that many women from CS-type backgrounds might have done, so I thought I'd put it into a drabble about Primula :D .

Over the next couple of months, Primula continued to help at the pensioners’ club, as well as attending another blood donation session. There was one occasion on which she had to ring up and give her apologies because Margaret was off school with a bad cold, and another on which she couldn’t go either because she wasn’t feeling well herself, but, as Catherine Armitage said, these things were bound to happen from time to time and couldn’t be helped.

As well as her regular work, she sometimes found herself being called upon to wait with one or other of the people from the club at their own homes when they were waiting in for either workmen or deliveries and were concerned about being in on their own when strangers were due to call. Also, as she had her own car, during weeks when one or other of the people who regularly made the meal deliveries or took people to do their shopping were away or unavailable she usually helped to cover for them.

As the weeks went by she became quite friendly with Catherine Armitage and some of the other women with whom she worked, and found herself asking them to join her for lunch or afternoon tea on days when they were all free and being invited to their homes in return. As she said to them all on one occasion, she really couldn’t imagine what she’d done with herself all day before she’d joined the Women’s Community Service.

It wasn’t all perfect. There was always the odd difficult person at the pensioners’ club, and there were always one or two people at the monthly meetings who one way or another managed to cause trouble; but there was never anything that made her regret her decision to take up voluntary work. She began to learn to accept graciously, although not to expect as it wasn’t in the nature of the job, those compliments that came her way, and also to take on board any little hints about how she might do things better without taking them as personal insults. She did worry that Nick and the children might think that she was neglecting them, but Nick assured her firmly that that wasn’t the case and said that he was only too pleased to see her so happy and that he and the children were all very proud of the work that she was doing.

In May she attended two all-day training courses, held at the organisation’s county headquarters in Exeter, on procedures to be followed in case of local emergencies. She was a little surprised at first that she’d been considered suitable to attend; but her confidence these days was a lot higher than it had ever been previously and whereas once she’d have insisted that she’d be the last person who’d be of any use in a crisis now she found that she was able to consider the scenarios presented calmly and rationally and to think that, yes, whilst hopefully it would never come to it in real life, if it did then she’d know what she had to do to help.

Maybe they should have had courses like this at school, she thought wryly. Covering how to cope with people falling into snowdrifts and lily-ponds, perhaps. Or how best to escape if one got locked in the art room. Or, of course, what to do if one caught a burglar. Oh dear: she shouldn’t be smiling about it! What would the people who’d known her at school think about her if they could see her now, she wondered – working at the pensioners’ club and now being trained in how to deal with serious emergencies. Would they be surprised that she was doing something like this at all? Or surprised that she hadn’t done more with herself sooner?
Author:  roversgirl [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 7:58 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice to see how self-confident she is. Will we see her meeting a CS person who will notice the change? Thanks :)
Author:  keren [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:04 am ]
Post subject: 
The school should see itself as a failure for having a girl finish school with such low self confidence (not that this cannot happen in a regular way, but not in the way the CS presents itself)

At any rate, it is quite understandable if you think of everything that she went through and I am sure it is doing her a world of good to be a person in her own right and not just her husbands wife and mother of her children.

(This can get into a complicated discussion, cos if you think, in those days women were not supposed to work if their husbands could support them, so how were they defined, if not as the spouses and mothers. Having the possiblity to volunteer, make a difference, run something, in fact gave them a career even if in the end they were not paid for it, and it made them feel that they had some value)
Author:  Mona [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:07 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
Maybe they should have had courses like this at school, she thought wryly. Covering how to cope with people falling into snowdrifts and lily-ponds, perhaps. Or how best to escape if one got locked in the art room. Or, of course, what to do if one caught a burglar.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks Alison!
Author:  Lesley [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 8:26 am ]
Post subject: 
Good to see her confidence rising - and that the occasional problem either from the pensioners or the other members of the WCS doesn't cause her to go back into her shell.


Thanks Alison
Author:  abbeybufo [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 9:19 am ]
Post subject: 
Alison H wrote:
Maybe they should have had courses like this at school, she thought wryly. Covering how to cope with people falling into snowdrifts and lily-ponds, perhaps. Or how best to escape if one got locked in the art room. Or, of course, what to do if one caught a burglar.

Maybe indeed -
keren wrote:
The school should see itself as a failure for having a girl finish school with such low self confidence (not that this cannot happen in a regular way, but not in the way the CS presents itself)

considering that they didn't wish their pupils to turn out 'spineless jellyfish', they all but did that for Primula :(
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:16 pm ]
Post subject: 
It would be hard though to not have one or two fall through the cracks and it usually is the quiet ones who aren't noticed like Primula
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
Con Maynard would be another whom I should imagine left school very low in confidence (apart from being magazine prefect) - everyone just seemed to dismiss the poor girl as being "dreamy" or "moony". Odette Mercier seemed to be a nervous wreck, and the CS managed to turn Verity Carey from a spirited 10-year-old into a "broken reed" of a teenager :( !
Author:  Jennie [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:04 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yes, shame on them.
Author:  PaulineS [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
Primula may have left school with low self esteem but it gave her the skills she needs to develop as an adult and make a contribution and gain in confidence.
Author:  crystaltips [ Fri Apr 04, 2008 4:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
Alison H wrote:
Con Maynard would be another whom I should imagine left school very low in confidence (apart from being magazine prefect) - everyone just seemed to dismiss the poor girl as being "dreamy" or "moony". Odette Mercier seemed to be a nervous wreck, and the CS managed to turn Verity Carey from a spirited 10-year-old into a "broken reed" of a teenager :( !


I'd forgotten about Odette but you are so right about Con & especially Verity!

Now that Primula is in the real world, dealing with real situations and coping well, her self esteem should go up by leaps & bounds.

*also wants Prim to meet a CS character & impress the pants off them with her new confident personality* :D
Author:  Alison H [ Sat Apr 05, 2008 7:35 am ]
Post subject: 
Primula kept telling herself that she didn’t have to prove anything to anybody else, and even telling herself quite firmly that it was wrong to think too much about what other people thought of her, but even so there was a part of her that longed to hear that the rest of her family, in particular, say that they approved of what she was doing and maybe even that they were seeing her in a different light because of it.

At first some sort of shyness, coupled with a fear of what they might think if it all went wrong, stopped her from mentioning her work with the Women’s Community Service to any of the Russells or even – or maybe especially – to Daisy. But, several weeks after she started working at the pensioners’ club, she rang Daisy and told her all about it; and then she rang Auntie Madge and told her as well. To her secret delight, both of them were very enthusiastic about it all and told her that they were sure that she was doing a wonderful job.

She couldn’t help feeling a warm glow of pleasure inside after that. She reminded herself severely that the point of her work was to help people, not to boost her own ego; but when she mentioned it to Nick he pointed out that it wasn’t hurting anyone for her to feel satisfied about the way that things were progressing, and she supposed that he was right.

She also sent David a letter, to thank him for his advice at the end of the previous year and to tell him that she’d taken him up on it. She tried not to go on about her activities at too much length, but she included a few anecdotes about events at the pensioners’ club that she hoped that he’d find amusing, and she concluded her letter by saying again just how very thankful she was for everything he’d said. She received a reply a week later.

“Dear Primula [he’d written],

“I’m so glad to hear that you’ve got involved with the Women’s Community Service and that it’s all going well. It sounds as if it’s doing you a power of good, and I’m quite sure you’re doing everyone else involved a power of good as well. I’m so pleased about it, Prim. You see, I told you there’d be plenty that you could do! Keep up the good work! Looking forward to hearing more about it in your next letter.

“And fancy you bumping into Joyce Erroll of all people! Remember me to her next time you speak to her. I’d totally forgotten that she was down in Devon, to be honest. And, speaking of Devon, when we come over to Llan-y-Penllan – I can’t believe how close it’s getting, I don’t know where the time goes! - we’re going to be spending a week in Devon as well; that’s definite.

“For one thing, if Gretchen and I and Mum and Dad and Marie and Andreas are all under the same roof for more than a week or so then hair and skulls might well end up flying – you can have too much of a good thing sometimes! More to the point, I haven’t seen Uncle Dick and Auntie Mollie in ages and so I’d like to get chance to catch up with them whilst we’re over; and Gretchen’s never been to Devon and says she’d like to see it. I think she’s looking forward to sampling the scones and the clotted cream! We might even get to Taverton whilst we’re there: would you believe that I’ve never actually been to the place?

“Obviously we’d love to see you and Nick and the children whilst we’re there if it’s at all possible, so – well, as long as you’d like to see us too, of course! - get your diary out and let us know when’d be convenient, if you’re not too busy, and we’ll see what we can arrange.

“Once again, I’m really glad to hear that things are going well for you, Prim. All the best to Nick and Margaret and Jonathan as well, and from Gretchen and Daniel too.

“Love,

“David.”
Author:  roversgirl [ Sat Apr 05, 2008 7:58 am ]
Post subject: 
Glad to see that her family is so supportive :) Thanks!
Author:  Lesley [ Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:07 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice that everyone appreciates what she's doing - and that she is starting to get a little more confident. Love David's comment about the perils of having him and Gretchen under the same roof as their parents. :lol:


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:18 am ]
Post subject: 
Am glad everyone is being supportive and hope David and Gretchen's visit goes well
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sat Apr 05, 2008 8:51 am ]
Post subject: 
What a lovely letter from David :D

Thanks Alison
Author:  Becky [ Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:50 am ]
Post subject: 
Really glad to hear things are going well for Primula and that her family are being so supportive. Thanks Alison :D
Author:  crystaltips [ Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:50 am ]
Post subject: 
This is so lovely, Alison.
Love David's letter & glad the rest of the family are so supportive.
Author:  PaulineS [ Sat Apr 05, 2008 11:54 am ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
get your diary out and let us know when’d be convenient, if you’re not too busy, and we’ll see what we can arrange.


Love the comment about Primula being too busy!

Glad the family are supportive and appreciative.
Author:  dackel [ Sat Apr 05, 2008 9:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
This is great and I'm enjoying it so much - it's lovely to see Primula gaining in self-confidence and finding that are many things that she can do after all!

I've been away and have just caught up with about 10 pages - what a treat! Thanks, Alison.
Author:  Tassie_Ellen [ Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:08 am ]
Post subject: 
Loving this! Thanks, Alison.

cheers, Ellen
Author:  Alison H [ Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:45 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for the comments :D .

David was right, Primula mused: the year just seemed to be flying by - even though, in her case, so much had happened in such a short time. There were only another few weeks before and and Gretchen and Daniel were due to arrive in Llan-y-Penllan. They were coming over right at the end of May: Kevin and Kester would be home from school for half term then, and Ailie was also going to be free.

An idea began to form in her mind. Although Daisy and Laurie and their children had been down to stay with her and Nick a few times since moving back to England, and Auntie Madge and Uncle Jem had visited them there on the odd occasion, she’d never actually held a really big family gathering in her own house. She supposed that at the back of her mind she’d always been worried that something might go wrong if she did - which was silly really, considering that she and Nick had given numerous dinner parties without major problems occurring.

Well, maybe it was time that she took the plunge. High time, in point of fact! She’d check with David and Gretchen that it was all right with them first, seeing as she didn’t want to hijack their holiday; but they were planning to be in Devon for a week and she was only thinking of a weekend, so hopefully they wouldn’t mind. And obviously she’d have to see what Nick thought, but she couldn’t think of any particular reason why he’d object. She’d ask Daisy and Laurie and the children to come down, providing that they were free that weekend, and Auntie Madge and Uncle Jem and Ailie and the two boys as well.

Of course, there wouldn’t be room for them all to stay at the house, but there were plenty of places at which to stay in Etherleigh town centre. She could ask them all for dinner on the Saturday night, and then ask them all to come over for Sunday lunch and stay for afternoon tea as well. If the weather were good then they’d all be able to go for a nice Sunday walk in between eating! She could ask Dick and Mollie Bettany to come over on the Sunday too: Etherleigh wasn’t that far from The Quadrant. She’d try to make it all really special for everyone.

Nick, seeing how keen she was on the idea, welcomed it enthusiastically. So too did David and Gretchen. David was slightly concerned at first that Gretchen might feel that she’d be rather overwhelmed by his relations but, to his relief, his wife dismissed those worries at once. As she pointed out, most of the time he’d be entitled to feel overwhelmed by her relations but he never complained about it. And Marie and Andreas and Rosa were being given some time off to spend with them whilst they were staying in Llan-y-Penllan, and they’d be spending time with Jakob and Josefa and Andy whilst they were there as well, so they’d be having plenty of time with her relations during their holiday too!

Also, this way they’d get to see the Gardens and the Rosomons and the senior Bettanys all at once: they might have have been struggling to find time to get to see everyone for any decent length of time otherwise. So really the idea of a family gathering at the Gardens’ suited them very well, in addition to the fact that it was obviously important to Primula. They told her that they thought that it was a wonderful idea.

Madge and Jem accepted the invitation keenly. They hadn’t seen the Gardens for a while, and Madge in particular always enjoyed going down to Devon. Also, as they remarked privately to each other, it’d provide a change of scene for Kevin and Kester who always tended to get bored during even short school holidays. The Rosomons also accepted at once, Daisy hoping fervently for Primula’s sake that everything would go well. Ailie, who hadn’t seen Primula and her family for over a year, welcomed the idea eagerly; and Dick and Mollie Bettany said that it sounded like a lovely idea and that they’d be delighted to come over on the Sunday.

It was important to Primula. Admittedly, it was only a few meals: it wasn’t as if everyone would be staying with them – only the Rosomons would actually be spending the night at their house, with the Russells staying at a small hotel nearby – but, as well as the fact that she was looking forward to seeing them all, it felt like a chance to prove to her relations that she was a lot more capable than she’d ever believed herself to be or believed that they believed her to be. And she knew that, whilst maybe that shouldn’t have been so important to her, it was.

She just hoped that nothing would go wrong.
Author:  roversgirl [ Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:19 am ]
Post subject: 
*Fingers crossed* for Primula - I do hope everything goes well. Thanks :)
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:55 am ]
Post subject: 
Oh well done Primula! - how she has come on . . . hope you're not planning any disasters, Alison?
Author:  Lesley [ Sun Apr 06, 2008 10:07 am ]
Post subject: 
It's so nice to see just how much more confident Primula is now - she would never have even considered doing something like this prior to becoming involved with her voluntary work.

Thanks Alison.
Author:  Rebecca [ Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
It's lovely to watch Primula blossom. I really hope nothing goes horribly wrong...
Author:  PaulineS [ Sun Apr 06, 2008 2:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Primula go for it! Hope it all goes well.
Author:  Karoline [ Sun Apr 06, 2008 4:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hope it goes well for Primula, thanks Alison
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Sun Apr 06, 2008 9:13 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hope all goes well for Primula
Author:  Alison H [ Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:47 am ]
Post subject: 
Everyone was genuinely looking forward to going to Etherleigh. Although, as David remarked on the day before the Russells and the Rosomons were due to travel south, it was a shame that the weather for the weekend looked set to be rotten.

The first few days of his, Gretchen and Daniel’s stay in Llan-y-Penllan had been glorious and they’d made the most of the sunshine, going out for walks in the beautiful Welsh countryside, sometimes just the three of them and sometimes with various other members of the family too. Even when they were back at the house they’d been able to spend much of their time in the garden – where Daniel, now toddling about and venturing a few words in a mixture of English and German, had enjoyed himself playing with Kevin and Kester’s football and rugby ball.

However, two days ago the weather had taken a distinct turn for the worse. On the first day they’d gone into Armiford for a look round the cathedral and then a walk round the shops, and in the evening they’d already been invited to go round to see Gretchen’s old friend Susan and her husband and young son; and everyone else had had various things to do around the house; so it hadn’t mattered so much. However, after a second successive day of heavy rain everyone had begun to feel rather frustrated and fed up, and by all accounts it was no better in Devon - if anything, it was worse – and more and heavier rain was forecast for the weekend.

Ailie had kept saying optimistically that the weather forecast was usually wrong, but
unfortunately on this occasion it had been right. The Russells awoke on the Saturday morning to find that it was raining even more heavily than it’d done on the Friday and was showing absolutely no signs of stopping. Still, as Madge said over breakfast, it was hardly as if they were going to get wet sitting in a car, moaning wouldn’t help anyway, and they’d just have to get on with things and hope that it brightened up later on.

There wasn’t room for the entire Russell party in Jem’s car, so Kevin and Kester were travelling down with the Rosomons. That, much to their disgust, meant that they’d had to be out of bed much earlier than they usually were during school holidays so that Andreas could drop them off at Laurie and Daisy’s in Armiford and then bring the car back to Llan-y-Penllan in time for Jem, Madge, David, Gretchen, Daniel and Ailie to set off mid-morning.

They were slightly later departing than Jem had wanted to be, by the time that Ailie had changed her mind several times about what she did and didn’t need to take with her and Marie, Andreas and Rosa had exchanged tearful farewells with Gretchen and David and Daniel. However, they were still in plenty of time, assuming that there were no major traffic hold-ups, to stop en route for lunch and still reach Etherleigh some time mid-afternoon. And they were certainly well ahead of the Rosomons, whom Andreas had reported with a smile had been nowhere near ready to leave when he’d dropped Kevin and Kester off at their house earlier!

The traffic wasn’t particularly heavy, as it turned out; but the poor weather conditions meant that Jem was forced to slow down to well below the speed limit. The heavy rain made visibility poor, and every time they overtook or were overtaken by another vehicle a huge amount of spray was sent into the air. As the rain continued to pour down relentlessly the roads became quite slippery, and huge puddles formed in areas where the surface was uneven. It really wasn’t easy going at all. Madge suggested a few times that they should stop for a little while, but Jem refused, saying that it wouldn’t do any good.

By the time they’d been going an hour, they hadn’t got nearly as far as would normally have done, the weather was getting worse and worse and none of them were at all happy.
Author:  roversgirl [ Mon Apr 07, 2008 9:03 am ]
Post subject: 
And they say Primula can't cope...;) Thanks for the update - looking forward to the weekend bits:)
Author:  Jennie [ Mon Apr 07, 2008 11:21 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Alison. I wonder where this is going?
Author:  PaulineS [ Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:56 pm ]
Post subject: 
Will Primula be there when they get there??? She has done major incident training after all!
Author:  abbeybufo [ Mon Apr 07, 2008 2:17 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison . . . I think :?
Author:  crystaltips [ Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
This looks rather worrying :shock:

Hope Alison isn't planning any nastieness!
Author:  macyrose [ Mon Apr 07, 2008 6:23 pm ]
Post subject: 
I hope there won't be an accident.

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  Lesley [ Mon Apr 07, 2008 6:41 pm ]
Post subject: 
Very ominous! :lol:



Thanks Alison
Author:  Alison H [ Tue Apr 08, 2008 7:50 am ]
Post subject: 
“This weather really is quite dreadful,” Madge said worriedly. “I knew that the forecast was for rain but I must admit that I hadn’t expected anything quite this bad. Jem, are you sure that we wouldn’t be better stopping for a while to see if it eases up at all? We can barely see fifty yards ahead.”

Jem shook his head. “It’s showing no sign whatsoever of easing up,” he said tersely. “If anything, it’s getting worse; and the wind’s starting to get up as well. In fact, I’m inclined to suggest that we try to make it right through to Etherleigh without stopping at all. It won’t kill any of us to have our lunch a bit late for once. The sooner we get there the better: some of those country roads are hard work in this weather, and the longer it rains the worse they’re going to get.”

David exchanged glances with Gretchen; but it was Ailie who spoke. “Dad, we’re going to have to stop some time,” she pointed out. “It could take ages to get to Etherleigh in this weather. Anyway, you’re always saying that it’s not a good idea for people to drive for long periods without having a break, especially not in bad weather.”

“I’m perfectly capable of driving in bad weather,” Jem said testily. “I was driving to and from the Sonnalpe through snow and ice winter after winter long before you were even born, remember. Now, are you all going to let me concentrate on looking where I’m going now or has anyone else got anything that they’d like to say?”

“Look, Dad, why don’t you let me take over the driving?” David suggested. “Like Ailie’s just said, it’s not a good idea for anyone to be driving for too long in this sort of weather. However experienced a driver someone is, it’s very hard going in this sort of torrential rain.” He didn’t add that his reactions were likely to be a lot quicker than his father’s should the need arise to stop suddenly, but he was thinking it and he knew that both Gretchen and Ailie were too.

“I vote that we stop at the next café-type place we see, just briefly – I agree that there’s no point hanging around because things aren’t likely to get any better for the time being, and it’s too early for a proper lunch stop anyway – and get some drinks and see if someone can make us up some sandwiches. I’ll grab what I can there and the rest of you can have yours in the car later on. And if they’ve got a phone there then it might be an idea to give Primula and Nick a ring, to let them know that we’re on the way but that we’re probably going to be a fair bit later than expected - just so that they’re not worrying. And, anyway, I think Daniel’s ready for a stop.”

Daniel was actually perfectly all right - he seemed more fascinated than frightened by the heavy rain and was sitting quietly with his little face turned to the window, his blue eyes round with interest – but David knew very well how stubborn his father could be, and mentioning Daniel’s welfare was likely to be the best way of persuading him to stop. “You don’t mind Daddy telling a little white lie about you to get Grandpa to do the sensible thing, do you?” he whispered in the baby’s ear. Daniel turned round and stared at him solemnly, and despite the worrying situation that they were in it took Gretchen a lot of effort to stifle a giggle.

“Well, in that case I suppose that we better had pull in for a little while,” Jem said, much to everyone else’s relief. “And I suppose it wouldn’t hurt for you to take over the driving either, David. Just go carefully, please. It’s not easy in this sort of weather.”
Author:  Elbee [ Tue Apr 08, 2008 9:22 am ]
Post subject: 
I hope you are not going to let anything nasty happen, Alison :?

Thank you.
Author:  Becky [ Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:07 am ]
Post subject: 
That was very diplomatic of you, David! Hope they all have a safe journey.

Thanks, Alison
Author:  Sarah J [ Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:37 pm ]
Post subject: 
Just caught up on the last 4 pages of this. What to say first?

I'm glad Primula is doing so well - knew she had it in her!

What are you leading up to with this journey Alison? I am anxious for all to arrive safely.
Author:  PaulineS [ Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
Worried about the travelers now instead of Primula.
Author:  Jennie [ Tue Apr 08, 2008 2:09 pm ]
Post subject: 
Alison, this is great









for making us wibble.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:02 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad David managed to persuade Jem to stop for a bit

Worried about the rest of the journey - and the Rosomons/K&K in the other car . . . :shock:

Thanks Alison
Author:  Lesley [ Tue Apr 08, 2008 6:31 pm ]
Post subject: 
Well done David - just what was needed to get through to Jem.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:53 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alisonj. I wondering what is going to happen to them and glad David was about to persuade Jem to take a break
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:50 am ]
Post subject: 
“Yes Dad,” David said, in his most dutiful voice. He smiled at his wife and his sister, but inwardly he was feeling very concerned indeed. It wasn’t particularly far from Llan-y-Penllan to Etherleigh in the general scheme of things and they’d covered part of the distance already, but some of the roads weren’t good at the best of times and the current conditions really were atrocious. Much as he didn’t want to disappoint Primula, he’d have been inclined to suggest turning back had they been a little less far along their route, but as it was there wasn’t really much point: they might as well carry on towards Devon.

He was also worried about the rest of the group: Daisy and Laurie were notorious for never being ready on time for anything other than work and goodness only knew how long after the Russells they’d eventually set off. The rain seemed if anything to be getting heavier rather than lighter, and at this rate the roads were going to start flooding badly before much longer.

They’d gone several more miles before they found somewhere at which to stop. Jem halted the car as close to the entrance as possible so that the others could rush in whilst he parked, and then got quite wet even just running from the car park to the café door. The wind had got up to the extent that it was difficult to keep an umbrella up; and the rain was really lashing down.

Daniel, having found that the rain wasn’t as much fun to be out in – even if only for a few seconds – as it was to look at from the safety of the car, had started to cry, and Gretchen tried to calm him down whilst David rang the Gardens, Jem attempted to dry himself off and Madge and Ailie went to see about getting some food and drinks. It took her a few minutes, but she’d succeeded in soothing Daniel by the time that David came back from the phone. “Your mum and Ailie are just getting some sandwiches sorted out,” she told her husband, putting her hand on his arm for a moment. “Did you manage to get hold of Primula?”

David nodded. “It’s no better down there, apparently. Sounds like it’s worse, truth be told. She was quite upset – said that we should have cancelled rather than set out when it was so bad – but I told her not to worry and that we’d be fine as long as we took it easy. I rang your mum as well, to let her know that we were all right: I told her that we’d ring again once we’d got to the hotel. I hope that Daisy and Laurie and co aren’t too far behind us, I must say: the sooner we’re all safely in Etherleigh the happier I’ll be.”

He squeezed her hand and patted Daniel’s little head. “I’m just going to have a drink and a quick bite of something to eat, and then I suggest we head off again as soon as everyone’s ready. I’m not looking forward to this one little bit, I must admit; but it’s not that much further and the sooner we get going the sooner we’ll get there.”

The rest of the journey was a struggle, and one that the five adults – luckily Daniel had fallen asleep in the car soon after they’d left the café – all said fervently afterwards that they never wanted to have to go through again. David had had to swerve several times to avoid parts of the road that had flooded; and at one point, where the road was narrow and there’d been nowhere to swerve to, a good third of the car had ended up under water. He’d feared that the engine would be damaged if the water had got any deeper, but thankfully it hadn’t done. A few miles after that, the road had actually been closed because of flooding, and they’d had to follow a diversion that took them a way that none of them had ever been before and it had been more by good luck than anything else that they hadn’t got completely lost. All in all they were extremely relieved to have reached Etherleigh safe and relatively sound.

David rang Primula from the hotel reception area, and was thankful to hear that she’d had a phone call from Daisy half an hour earlier to say that her party were making slow progress but were all quite all right; and Gretchen rang Marie in Llan-y-Penllan to let her and Andreas know that they’d arrived safely. After that, they all went to their rooms for much-needed hot drinks and to try to settle down and relax. They continued to feel a little uneasy until the Rosomons had dropped Kevin and Kester off and then rung shortly afterwards to report that they’d arrived at the Gardens’ house, but after that everyone started to feel better and just hoped that the rain would ease off before it could cause any worse problems.
Author:  roversgirl [ Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:04 am ]
Post subject: 
I'm glad everyone got there safely - hope it goes well with Primula. Thanks :)
Author:  Lesley [ Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:35 am ]
Post subject: 
Pleased they all got there safely - wonder if Primula will be called out to help some of her regulars at the club?


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Jennie [ Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:46 am ]
Post subject: 
If the flooding is bad, perhaps she will, then they can see how well she is doing.
Author:  Liz K [ Wed Apr 09, 2008 8:50 am ]
Post subject: 
Lesley wrote:
Pleased they all got there safely - wonder if Primula will be called out to help some of her regulars at the club?


Thanks Alison.



Wouldn't have thought so - not if she's got visitors(family) coming for the weekend.[/url][/list][/list][/code][/quote]
Author:  Mona [ Wed Apr 09, 2008 10:51 am ]
Post subject: 
Are they going to need people who are trained in evacuation procedures, I wonder?

Thanks Alison!
Author:  ibarhis [ Wed Apr 09, 2008 11:33 am ]
Post subject: 
I imagine that Primula has agreed to be available if there is an emergency sufficiently serious to warrant her being asked.
Author:  PaulineS [ Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:02 pm ]
Post subject: 
With four doctors as well as Primula I can see there would be a group who could offer a lot of help if needed, and none of them likely to say no.
Author:  crystaltips [ Wed Apr 09, 2008 12:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
Phew!! Thank goodness they all arrived safely! Hope there are no more incidents & the weekend can go as Primula planned - & impressing the relly's.

Thanks, Jennie
Author:  abbeybufo [ Wed Apr 09, 2008 4:59 pm ]
Post subject: 
glad they all got there safely - what a journey :shock:

Thanks Alison
Author:  Kathy_S [ Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:35 am ]
Post subject: 
Whew! Bet they're glad that's over.

(at least for the moment....)

Thank you, Alison.
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Apr 10, 2008 7:46 am ]
Post subject: 
The rain continued to pour down relentlessly, but the Rosomons and the Gardens were doing their best to ignore it and to make the most of their time together. The five children were engrossed in a board game and the four adults were drinking tea and chatting. Primula had just returned from the kitchen, where she’d been checking on the progress of the food for their evening meal, when the telephone rang; and she excused herself to go to answer it.

Exclamations of regret could be heard issuing from the hall as the conversation took place, and Daisy raised her eyebrows questioningly as her sister returned to the living room. “Problem?”

“That was Auntie Mollie: she and Uncle Dick aren’t coming tomorrow,” Primula said. “She sounded quite upset about it - mind you, I know they were looking forward to seeing everyone; they’ve only met Daniel once - but apparently the road away from The Quadrant’s flooded as it is and there’s more rain forecast for there for overnight. To be honest, sorry as I am about them not getting to see everyone and us not getting to see them, I’m quite relieved that they won’t be coming out in the car in these awful conditions. I feel bad enough as it is, dragging all of you down here in this weather.”

“Prim, you’re hardly to blame for the weather!” Daisy pointed out. “Anyway, we wanted to come: we wanted to see you all! None of us see nearly enough of each other as it is. And I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you looking so well. You seem much happier than you did at New Year: getting out and doing all this work with the Women’s Community Service is obviously doing you good. And of course you’re doing good as well. I sometimes think that without people like you and everyone else who does all this hard work in their own time the country’d grind to a halt, you know.”

“Don’t be silly,” Primula protested, laughing. “All the same, I don’t know what I used to do with myself before I joined the Women’s Community Service; and I’d like to think that I’m being of some help to someone.” The clock on the mantelpiece chimed at that point, and she glanced up at it. “The others should be here soon: I know that it’s only early but I didn’t want to keep the children up late and I thought that it’d be nice for us all to eat together. Daniel slept in the car, David said, so he should be all right to sit and eat with the rest of us: we’ll sit him at the table in Margaret and Jonathan’s old high chair. They were planning to leave the hotel at about six o’clock and it shouldn’t take them long to get here; it’s not far… although in this weather everything’s taking longer than it should do.”

“It looked like a nice hotel – at least, from what I could see of it through the car window in all the rain,” Daisy commented. “Nice location. It must be very pretty down there by the river when it’s dry and the sun’s out! Ah, is that a car I can hear now? Uncle Jem and Auntie Madge were going to drive over with Ailie and the boys, and David and Gretchen and Daniel were getting a taxi - Laurie did offer to go and collect them but David insisted that he didn’t want Laurie turning out in the rain when he didn’t have to … ah, yes, that a taxi, and that’s Uncle Jem’s car just behind it. No sign of the rain stopping, unfortunately!”

Nick opened the door and the Russells all dashed in, dripping water on the carpet. “Sorry about the mess,” Ailie said ruefully. “The weather’s diabolical: I think we’d’ve done better trying to get here in a boat! They’ve closed one of the roads completely because of flooding: it’s a good job the taxi driver knew another way of getting here because none of us had a clue. Hello everyone! Ooh, something smells delicious: I wish I could cook as well as you can, Prim! And it was absolutely lovely of you to think of asking us all. I don’t seem to have seen you for ages. And look at the size of you two!” She looked at Margaret and Jonathan and shook her head. “I was going to say that you’d grown, but I always hated people saying that to me when I was younger! Oh, it is good to see you all.”

“It’s good to see all of you too,” Nick said warmly. “Let me take your coats. The fire’s on if anyone needs to dry off! Then I’ll get us all a drink … and I don’t think dinner’ll be too long, will it, Prim? And Ailie’s right: it does smell delicious! Come on through! Let’s try to forget about the lousy weather and just concentrate on having a good evening!”
Author:  ibarhis [ Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:02 am ]
Post subject: 
Floods and rivers... and someone with emergency training...

Something tells me this evening is not going to be uneventful
Author:  Mona [ Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:10 am ]
Post subject: 
Looking forward to the next installment! Thanks Alison.
Author:  Ruth B [ Thu Apr 10, 2008 11:31 am ]
Post subject: 
Hotel down by the RIVER?!? That doesn't sound good.
Author:  PaulineS [ Thu Apr 10, 2008 11:40 am ]
Post subject: 
Glad the family are at the Gardens and not at the hotel by the river for the evening.

I can see the floor being used for some folk before the evening is out.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:24 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison
Definitely wibbling about the floods :shock:
Author:  Lesley [ Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:34 pm ]
Post subject: 
Well that's set things up nicely! :wink:


Thanks Alison.
Author:  crystaltips [ Thu Apr 10, 2008 10:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
Oh dear, this all sounds very ominous.
Glad Mollie & Dick decided to stay put but I think there'll be a rescue mission before the night's over!

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:50 am ]
Post subject: 
The food tasted even more delicious than it smelled, they all agreed, and the conversation flowed freely during the meal with everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves. All in all it was a delightful evening, and Primula was quietly thrilled that everything had gone so well and only sorry that the Bettanys weren’t going to be able to join them the following day. She was a little saddened when her uncle, after exchanging a quiet word with David, said that even though it was still fairly early he felt that those of them who had to get back to the hotel really ought to make a move; but under the circumstances she understood his reasoning and couldn’t help but agree with him.

“It’s been a wonderful evening, Primula,” he said. “Thank you so much for inviting us all. You too, Nick. But I really don’t like the look of it outside, and I think that we should head on back before the roads get worse. We’ll see you tomorrow: with any luck the rain’ll’ve stopped by then. It can’t carry on like this much longer, surely. And thank you again for a very enjoyable evening. It really has been lovely.”

The others all echoed his last two sentences enthusiastically. Then Nick went to ring for a taxi for David, Gretchen and Daniel, and Jem followed Primula to the cloakroom to get the coats. “You’re a good girl, Primula,” he said quietly. “A good woman, I should say. Margot would be very proud of you. And I’m very proud of you too, for what it matters.”

“Oh Uncle Jem, of course it matters!” She felt tears coming into her eyes and brushed them away, embarrassed. “I always thought … well, I’m not clever like Daisy or David … I didn’t go to university, and I haven’t got a job, and I don’t think I could never be in charge of anything like Auntie Madge was at the School, but … well, I’m trying my best. I really am.”

“You don’t have to try, Primula. You just have to be yourself.” Jem coughed. He’d never been very good at this sort of thing; but he was determined to let his niece know just how genuinely proud of her he was. “You’re a … well, like I said, you’re a jolly fine young woman. Nick and the children are very lucky to have you. And so are all those people at the Women’s Community Service, and I hope that they know that.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “And, as I said, your mother would be proud of you. So very proud.”

Nick had quite a job getting a taxi to come out. It was always difficult getting a taxi on a Saturday night, he said cheerily, but no-one could help thinking that it probably had as much if not more to do with the treacherous driving conditions caused by the rain. However, the third firm that he tried said that they’d have a taxi at the Gardens’ house in about half an hour, and Ailie said that she and Kevin and Kester would wait for it so that David and Gretchen could get Daniel back to the hotel and put him to bed.

Jem proceeded back towards the hotel at a very slow pace, and given that there were several diversions along the way was thankful to reach his destination without getting lost. The roads were flooding badly now, and the situation in the town centre was far worse than it had been when they’d left earlier in the evening.

“I don’t like this one bit,” Madge said anxiously. “Look how high the river is. The only time that I’ve ever known anything as bad as this was that first year we were in Tyrol, when we had the flood.”

“Grandma still talks about that.” Gretchen looked at the water level nervously. “This is awful. If it carries on much longer … it won’t be so bad where Nick and Primula are, because they’re that much higher up, but here … ” She stopped, not wanting to say any more lest Daniel pick up on her anxiety; but she was getting more and more concerned and was relieved when all eight of them were safely inside the hotel. Jem and David had waited in the reception area until Ailie and the two boys arrived.

The staff were all looking worried too, she’d noticed as she’d made her way to the room with Daniel in her arms, and so were the other guests she saw. There was a definite feeling in the air that things weren’t right, and she just hoped that the night would see the terrible conditions begin to ease. Sadly, the chances of that happening were looking more unlikely by the minute.
Author:  keren [ Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:57 am ]
Post subject: 
I waited and waited till you posted

Jem in fact was the closest thing to a father she knew (we meet her in New house she is a toddler) and Maybe madge had told him of Prim's concerns, so what he says is very important
Author:  Mona [ Fri Apr 11, 2008 8:55 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice to see a softer side to Jem there. Thanks Alison!
Author:  abbeybufo [ Fri Apr 11, 2008 9:31 am ]
Post subject: 
Nice Jem - not happy that they are in that hotel by the river in all this wet, though - tension building beautifully here, Alison, thanks :D
Author:  PaulineS [ Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:30 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison a graphic illustration of the weather conditions and the mounting tension.
Author:  Jennie [ Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:25 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Alison. I can see Prim getting called out, and a lot of her old folk telling the evacuated Russells how good Prim is with them all.
Author:  Lesley [ Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Oh well done Jem - even if it was at Madge's prompting you did very well there.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Alison H [ Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:40 am ]
Post subject: 
Gretchen was convinced that she’d never get to sleep that night, especially with the sound of the rain pounding against the windows; but it had been a long day and both she and David dropped off much sooner than they’d expected to. Daniel had fallen asleep almost as soon as his little head had hit the pillow of the hotel cot.

It was just after two o’clock in the morning when they were suddenly shaken awake by the sound of a crash that for a moment made them feel as if the bedroom walls were about to cave in on them. Daniel started crying, and both David and Gretchen leapt up and were out of bed within seconds. “What on earth was that?” Gretchen gasped.

David shook his head, before belatedly realising that that was rather pointless because she wouldn’t be able to see him in the dark. “No idea; but it didn’t sound to good. You see to Daniel and I’ll go and put the light on.”

Gretchen lifted the frightened baby out of the cot and cuddled him close. “It’s all right, darling: Mummy and Daddy are here. David, what are you doing? I thought you were putting the light on?”

“I’m trying to! Nothing’s happening. Here, let me try the lamp by the bed.” He tried that as well and still nothing happened. He groaned. “I don’t believe it: the electricity must have gone. I don’t suppose the hotel provides candles … oh, hang on, I’ve got a torch in my medical bag. See, I told you it was a good idea to bring it! Always prepared, me, just like the Boy Scouts!” Why he was attempting to sound light-hearted he had no idea, he thought ruefully.

“Now, if I can just put my hands on it … ow!” He’d stubbed his toe on the side of the bed as he fumbled about looking for the bag in the dark. “I know it was somewhere down here … right, I’ve found it. Now, where’s this wretched torch? Ah, got it!” He pulled the torch out and switched it on. Gretchen was calm but looking very anxious, he saw at once; and Daniel had his thumb in his mouth and was clutching his teddy bear in his other hand. He walked over to the window, pulled back the curtains and glanced outside.

“Bloody hell!” The words were out of his moth before he could stop them.

“What is it?” Gretchen joined him by the window swiftly, Daniel in her arms, and looked out. “Oh dear Lord.”

“The river’s obviously burst its banks,” David said tersely. He could hear voices in the corridor: other people were obviously up and about and trying to find out what was happening. “All right: let’s not panic. I’m just going to pull some proper clothes on and then I’m going to go down to reception and see what’s going on. I think it’s best if you and Daniel wait here – even if the water’s got into the hotel, it won’t get up here to the second floor. Will you be able to manage all right if I take the torch?”

Gretchen nodded. A little moonlight was shining through despite the heavy rain. “Daniel and I’ll be fine. I’ll get us both dressed the while.” She paused for a moment. “David … you will be careful, won’t you?”

“I’m only going down to reception.” He put his arm round her. “As soon as I find anything out I’ll come straight back up here and tell you. Dad’s probably heading down there too, if I know him. We just need to remember that the most important thing for all of us to do now is to keep calm.”
Author:  Lesley [ Sat Apr 12, 2008 7:48 am ]
Post subject: 
Love David's reaction to seeing what had happened! :lol: Very typical. Hope everyone is alright.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sat Apr 12, 2008 8:46 am ]
Post subject: 
Alison H wrote:
"The river’s obviously burst its banks,”


well we knew that was coming :shock: - nicely done Alison

Thanks
Author:  Mona [ Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:40 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison. Love David's reaction, and the stumbling about in the dark!
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Sat Apr 12, 2008 9:43 am ]
Post subject: 
Its lovely to catch up on so much. Jem was wonderful with what he said to Primula and hope everything is okay for them all.

All that rain reminds me of the recent months in the UK.
Author:  PaulineS [ Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:17 am ]
Post subject: 
Glad they are on the second floor. Wonder if David can reach reception of if the ground floor is out of reach???
Author:  Sandra [ Sat Apr 12, 2008 1:35 pm ]
Post subject: 
I've just caught up on 2 weeks of this and it's fabulous.
Author:  Joan the Dwarf [ Sat Apr 12, 2008 4:41 pm ]
Post subject: 
*wibbles*

Come on Primula and save the day!
Author:  crystaltips [ Sat Apr 12, 2008 6:40 pm ]
Post subject: 
*wibbling madly for all of them*
Wondering what exactly caused the crash that woke them.

Thanks Alison
Author:  Alison H [ Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:41 am ]
Post subject: 
“Well, this wasn’t quite how I envisioned our weekend away going,” Ailie said wryly, surveying the scene in front of her. The crash they’d heard had been the sound of the water battering the side of the hotel as it flowed over the river banks: the basement and ground floor of the building were flooded, and all guests had been instructed to make their way to a large room on the first floor, usually used for conferences, until arrangements could be made for them to leave the building and be taken to a place of safety. They’d been waiting there for some time now: much of Etherleigh town centre was under water and parts of the surrounding area had also been affected, leaving the emergency services with a huge rescue operation to organise.

“I think it’s amazing,” Kevin declared, exchanging grins with his twin brother. “Just wait till we tell all the chaps at school about this! I bet we’ll’ve had the most exciting half term of anyone!”

“For heaven’s sake, Kevin, if you haven’t got anything sensible to say then don’t say anything at all,” Madge said sharply. Then she sighed. “ Oh look, I’m sorry: I didn’t mean to snap. I’ll just feel a lot happier once we’re safely out of here.” Although they weren’t in any immediate danger and they’d been told that they wouldn’t have to wait much longer anyway, thoughts of past events kept assailing her and making her feel uneasy. Stacie Benson trapped by flood waters in the aftermath of the thaw, Robin almost swept away by a raging torrent and Joey and Rufus diving in after her, the terror of Sally Denny and some of the girls that first year at the Tiernsee … all in all, she’d be very glad indeed once there was some distance between all of them and the flooded river.

“You might try to spare a thought for the sick and elderly people who’re having to be evacuated in all this, Kevin, instead of seeing it as some sort of adventure,” Jem pointed out. “I’m just thankful that from what we’ve been told so far it doesn’t sound as if anyone’s been hurt.”

Madge nodded. “That’s the main thing. I do feel so sorry for the people whose homes and businesses have been damaged, though. Cleaning up after a flood’s a nightmare. It was bad enough in our first chalet where all the floors were wooden and the walls were painted: I dread to imagine what sort of a mess people’s carpets and wallpaper are going to be in after this. Dear, dear me. And having to get out of bed in the middle of the night and be rescued by the emergency services may be you boys' bizarre idea of fun but it most certainly is not mine.”

“Well, it has got its advantages,” Ailie, glancing appreciatively at a couple of good-looking policemen who’d just entered the room, murmured to Gretchen. “All the same, as Mum’s just said this really isn’t much fun; and I really do feel very sorry for the people who’ve got a load of filthy water inside their houses. I assume that Prim and Nick’ll be all right because their house is well away from the river; but anyone close to the town centre’s going to’ve copped for it, and I know that some of the outlying villages are on the river as well.”

She looked at her little nephew, who’d been toddling around the room holding his father’s hand for a while but was now resting in his mother’s arms. “Is Daniel all right?”

Gretchen nodded. “He wasn’t very pleased about being woken up at first, but he seems fine now. No intention of going back to sleep by the looks of it: I think he’s worried he might miss something!” She kissed the top of her son’s head. “You’re all right, aren’t you, precious? And the nice policemen and the nice firemen’ll have us all out of here very soon.”
Author:  Lesley [ Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:54 am ]
Post subject: 
Poor Madge - of course this would bring back memories - and her snapping at Kevin is so right for the occasion. Love Ailie eyeing up all the firemen!

Bet Primula is busy.

Thanks Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sun Apr 13, 2008 9:02 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison- lots of opportunity for Prim to be the 'heroine of the hour' :lol:
Author:  crystaltips [ Sun Apr 13, 2008 10:50 am ]
Post subject: 
So glad that they are OK & :lol: at Ailie & the police!

I'm sure Prim will be involved in resue missions - I guess that at least some of "her" older people will need help. Maybe David & Jem will assist medically.

Sorry that the flood has brought back bad memories for Madge.

Thanks Alison
Author:  Ruth B [ Sun Apr 13, 2008 10:53 am ]
Post subject: 
*Giggles at Aillie*

Presumably Prim will really come into her own here, helping to run the evacuation centre etc.
Author:  Jennie [ Sun Apr 13, 2008 8:29 pm ]
Post subject: 
Typical of Ailie to eye up the policemen! But I can see why the flood brings back unhappy memeoris for Madge.
Author:  Elder in Ontario [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 2:23 am ]
Post subject: 
Have just caught up on a huge chunk of this - from the end of Madge's letter to Primula, in fact. It has been most rewarding to watch Primula 'come into herself' - and I've no doubt that this present emegency is going to demand even more of her - after all, she *is* the one trained in emergency procedures, isn't she? I also am sure that Jem and David will be called on to help, too.

Thanks Alison - will be looking forward to more of this.
Author:  Alison H [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:44 am ]
Post subject: 
David, who’d gone over to the window to have a look at what was going on outside, walked back and rejoined his wife, child and siblings: Madge and Jem had got chatting to another couple of about their own age. “I should think that they’ll have to get us out of here by boat. There’s no way that any cars or buses are coming through all that water, and I’d imagine that even Army vehicles might struggle.” The river had burst its banks with a vengeance, and with all the rain the drains in the town had been overflowing since the previous evening.

“Boat?” Daniel asked hopefully, his small face lighting up. His spoken vocabulary was very limited as yet; but travelling on the steamers that ran between Briesau and Seespitz was something that he regarded as a great treat, and consequently “boat”, in either English or German, was a word that he tended to utter rather a lot.

David laughed and gently stroked his son’s dark hair. “Yes, it looks like we’ll be going on a boat. I don’t think it’ll be much like one of Uncle August’s boats, though, I’m afraid!” August Pfeifen, Gretchen’s great-uncle, had been working on the Tiernsee steamers since the early years of the century and still did so part-time even though he was getting on for eighty; and he was always delighted to welcome the youngest member of the family on board.

The Tiernsee steamers certainly didn’t run in conditions like these, though; and the journey to wherever they’d be going certainly wasn’t going to be much fun. He hoped fervently that the Gardens and the Rosomons were all right: the telephone lines in the town centre were down as well as the electricity supply still being off so there was no way of contacting them at present. Primula and Nick’s house was well outside the danger zone, he knew that; but even so he’d have been thankful to have been able to confirm that they were safe and to let them know that the party at the hotel were all unhurt.

He sighed, put his arm round Gretchen and smiled at Ailie. “All right, you pair?” he asked his younger brothers, who’d come to stand next to him.

“We think it’s all quite exciting, but Mum and Dad told Kevin off when he said that,” Kester informed him. “It is exciting, though, isn’t it? It’s a bit like being caught in an avalanche or falling through a crack in the ground or something like that.”

“Kester Russell, I had no idea that you were such a big fan of Auntie Joey’s books,” David teased him. “I’ll make sure that I get you a copy of her latest one for your next birthday!”

Kester went red. “Of course I don’t read Auntie Joey’s books,” he said stoutly. “They’re for girls. I just meant that … well, it’s all a bit of an adventure, isn’t it?”

“Yes, well, it’s an adventure that everyone could well have done without, especially the people whose properties have been affected!” David looked towards the door at that point, as another police constable and two firemen walked in. “Hello, it looks like something’s about to happen.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, could I have your attention, please?” one of the firemen called. He waited until everyone had fallen silent, and then continued. “We’re going to be taking you all to John Street school in the Queen’s Park district: it’s well outside the area that’s been affected by the flooding so you’ll be quite safe there. I’m afraid that I can’t tell you when you’re likely to be able to come back here just yet - at present much of the town centre’s under water, and as you can doubtless hear it’s still raining - but as soon as we’ve got any more news for you then you’ll be advised as soon as possible.

“Now we would ask you to be patient and to bear with us. The roads immediately surrounding where we are now are impassable by any sort of motorised vehicle at the moment so we’re going to have to move you all by boat initially, and although we’ll have you all out of here as soon as we can it may take some time. Just please all remain calm: there’s no reason why there should be any risk to life and limb just as long as everyone follows instructions. We’ll be taking anyone with mobility problems first, and then any families with young children.”

It wasn’t a pleasant journey, and the first of the evacuees were very relieved indeed when they reached the school building that had been opened up for use as an emergency refuge centre. “Phew! I’m glad to see this place, I can tell you!” David, with Daniel in his arms and Gretchen just behind him, remarked as they followed their police escort inside. “What a night it’s been … Good Lord! Primula!”
Author:  Mona [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:47 am ]
Post subject: 
Aha!
Thanks Alison!
Author:  Lesley [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 7:59 am ]
Post subject: 
Excellent - pleased they are all alright - now they can see Prim in action.


Thanks Alison :lol:
Author:  Elbee [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:02 am ]
Post subject: 
Now it's Primula's chance to shine!

Thanks Alison.
Author:  Joan the Dwarf [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:29 am ]
Post subject: 
Go Primula!
Author:  crystaltips [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 11:29 am ]
Post subject: 
I bet Primula will be really calm & efficient. It will be good for the rest to see her in action.

Thanks, Alison
Author:  dackel [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:14 pm ]
Post subject: 
I bet she'll be just fine and cope admirably!
Author:  PaulineS [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good Primula will know they are alright and they will see her in action. Her confidence will go up even more.

Thanks for the regular updates
Author:  Jennie [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 1:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
I thought she'd be there, ready to dish out the tea and biscuits, and anything else that is needed.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 3:08 pm ]
Post subject: 
Agreeing with what's been said so far :D
Thanks, Alison
Author:  leahbelle [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 5:11 pm ]
Post subject: 
*echoes everyone else*

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  roversgirl [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
Just caught up on a few days and am glad I got to read the flood section in one. Good to see Primula getting involved and being able to show her family what she is capable of. Thanks :)
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Mon Apr 14, 2008 9:21 pm ]
Post subject: 
Glad the family will see Primula in action
Author:  Alison H [ Tue Apr 15, 2008 7:49 am ]
Post subject: 
The petite woman in the uniform of the Women’s Community Service swung round immediately at the sound of her cousin’s voice. “David!” Her face lit up with relief. “Oh, thank goodness you’re safe. I couldn’t get through to the hotel: I gather that the phone lines are down in town. Oh Gretchen, Daniel … oh, am I glad to see you all! Where are the others: are they all all right?”

“Quite all right,” David reassured her. “They should be here soon: the police insisted on sending Gretchen and me to the front of the queue because we had Daniel with us, so we’re just a bit ahead of them. Are Daisy and Laurie and Nick and the kids all okay?”

Primula nodded. “They’re fine. The floods haven’t touched us, thankfully. Our phones are still working as well: I got a call at about three o’clock – I’m afraid that it woke everyone up, but under the circumstances they all understood … well, I don’t have to tell you about being woken up in the small hours when there’s an emergency; nor Daisy and Laurie! Anyway, it was Mrs Douglas, our local head of operations, to tell me about the flooding and to say that people were being evacuated and brought here and that I was needed.

“I came over with Catherine Armitage – my friend whom I work with at the pensioners’ club – , who lives not far from us, but the roads were very bad in some places and we had to be escorted through by the police. We stopped off on the way, and got Mr and Mrs Collins who run our local grocery shop up so that we could get some supplies: they weren’t too pleased at first about being woken up in the middle of the night, but once we explained what was happening they couldn’t do enough to help.”

“Can I do anything to help?” David asked. “I haven’t got any of my medical stuff with me, but …”

“There don’t seem to be any serious casualties, thankfully,” Primula told him. “ Daisy and Laurie both asked if they should come with us, but it’s food and drink and shelter that’re needed more than anything else. There are a few bumps and bruises, though: I’ll take you over to Mrs Douglas and introduce you, and she’ll point you in the direction of our First Aid kits. Not until you’ve had a sit down and a drink, though! The electricity’s off here as well as in town, unfortunately, but there are some gas rings in the school kitchen so we’ve got plenty of tea and coffee on the go, and there’s milk and orange juice so you’ll be able to get Daniel a drink as well.

“There’ll be some sandwiches too, soon - we’re just about to get going on those. Oh, and if you head into the school hall – someone’ll show you the way –you’ll be able to get blankets there, in case Daniel or Auntie Madge or Uncle Jem are cold.” She glanced round for a moment, and then turned back to them. “Look, I’ll see you later: there’s a lot to do and I’d really better go and get on with things. It’s such a relief to see you and know you’re all safe, though.”

“Thanks Prim,” David said quietly. “We’ll see you soon. And … Prim.” He smiled at her. “You’re doing a wonderful thing here. We’re all very grateful. If you'll let me say so, you’re doing exactly what’s needed most, in exactly the right way.”
Author:  Mona [ Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:24 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison. That was a lovely scene between David & Prim.
Author:  PaulineS [ Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:55 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
“Thanks Prim,” David said quietly. “We’ll see you soon. And … Prim.” He smiled at her. “You’re doing a wonderful thing here. We’re all very grateful. If you'll let me say so, you’re doing exactly what’s needed most, in exactly the right way.”


That is lovely David and just what Primula needs on her first disaster call out.
Author:  crystaltips [ Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:22 pm ]
Post subject: 
Yay Prim is so efficient & in control here :D

Glad to see David is appreciating her & I'm sure that the others will too when they arrive.

Thanks Alison
Author:  abbeybufo [ Tue Apr 15, 2008 5:04 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, Primula is just right here - and good that David appreciates it :D
Author:  Lesley [ Tue Apr 15, 2008 9:58 pm ]
Post subject: 
Well done indeed, Prim.


Thanks Alison.
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Apr 16, 2008 7:50 am ]
Post subject: 
David was glad to find that Primula had been right: no-one had suffered any serious injuries during the evacuation. Some of the people he saw, mostly the more elderly amongst them, were rather shocked and upset at having had to leave their homes and make the traumatic journey through the flood waters in the middle of the night, but the best help for that at the moment was a hot, sweet cup of tea and that was something that the Women’s Community Service were providing an abundance of.

A smiling Primula, carrying a cup in each hand, joined him as he was standing by two elderly gentlemen, neighbours who, although thankfully none of the water had actually made its way inside their homes, lived on the outskirts of Etherleigh town centre inside the zone which it had been deemed necessary to evacuate. “Everyone all right here?” she asked. “There – one tea with milk and one sugar and one with milk and two sugars. David, would you like another drink or are you okay? Oh dear, this isn’t quite how we envisioned our weekend going, is it?!”

Seeing the two older men looking from her to David and back again in bemusement, she laughed. “It’s all right – Dr Russell’s my cousin!” she explained. “A few of us are having a family get-together this weekend, but we hadn’t really expected to be having part of it in an emergency refuge centre! Mr Manning and Mr Woodall here both come to the club that I work at, David.”

“And very glad indeed we are that Mrs Garden works there,” Bert Manning pronounced, accepting his tea gratefully. “She does a grand job, Dr Russell.” Jack Woodall nodded in agreement.

“I’m sure she does,” David said, smiling. “I’m sure she does.”

He mentioned the conversation to Gretchen when he rejoined her, and to his parents and brothers and sisters who’d just arrived, and saw Madge smile with pride and Jem nod approvingly in a way that for him said a great deal. They had little chance to speak to Primula during the hours that followed, but saw how hard and how efficiently she and the other members of her Women’s Community Services team were working.

It was a very busy night. None of them could even begin to guess at how many drinks and sandwiches – were consumed, and it was a good job that they managed to get more supplies in because the one thing that everyone seemed able to do despite – or possibly because of! - the trauma of the situation to eat and drink! As well as the evacuees, they’d also ended up feeding those members of the emergency services who’d brought people in, all of them going about their work tirelessly under very difficult circumstances.

Some people managed to sleep – including Daniel, who after an hour or so dropped off cuddled up safely between David and Gretchen – but most didn’t. However, although it was cold and dark and really not overly pleasant in the school building, most people managed to keep their spirits up. One of the worst problems was that the children amongst the evacuees were bored and restless, but until eventually Primula, racking her brains to remember what they’d done on wet days at school that didn’t involve any sort of equipment, even pen and paper, came up with the idea of organising relay races in the school gym. Ailie, very much the PT mistress, offered to supervise them and made an excellent job of it.

It was half past two on Sunday afternoon when an exhausted Primula finally got home, a second group of Women’s Community Service volunteers having arrived to relieve her and the rest of her team. Mrs Douglas wasn’t one for giving fulsome praise, but she did give a nod and a “Good work” to all those who’d been there since the small hours of the morning as they left, and to Primula that meant a lot – as did the sincere and heartfelt thanks of all those who’d now spent many long hours at the emergency refuge centre and weren’t there voluntarily, eight members of her own family included.
Author:  Tomahawk [ Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:44 am ]
Post subject: 
Go Primula :oD So good to see the confidence she now has.

Thanks Alison, I've been really enjoying this - thought I'd pop up from lurkdom to let you know!

Anna
Author:  Jennie [ Wed Apr 16, 2008 2:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
It's great to see Primula succeeding in what she's doing. Thanks, Alison.
Author:  PaulineS [ Wed Apr 16, 2008 5:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thank you I am glad some of the lunch club members are there at the evacuation centre, (and are alright) so that they can tell David about Primula at the club to support what she is doing on the night.
Author:  crystaltips [ Wed Apr 16, 2008 6:01 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, this is going very well.
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:47 am ]
Post subject: 
Thankfully the rain had stopped by then and the flood waters were gradually beginning to recede, and the worst of the damage was in the town centre where most of the buildings were business properties rather than residential properties, but it was still going to be Monday at the earliest before the people from the areas that had been evacuated would be able to return to their homes.

There was certainly no chance of the Russells being able to return to the hotel on the Sunday afternoon, and Primula insisted that they all come home with her: by then the roads between the school and the Gardens’ house were sufficiently clear for Nick and Laurie to be able to get through in their cars. Her uncle and aunt and cousins demurred at first, not wanting to cause any inconvenience, but they accepted the offer gratefully after she pointed out that it’d mean there being eight fewer people for the Women’s Community Service to cater for and that anyway she wanted them to come back to her house.

“In fact, we may as well go ahead and have our Sunday lunch, seeing as I’ve got all the food,” she added once they were all safely inside the house and Gretchen had rung her frantic parents in Llan-y-Penllan to assure them that they were all all right. “Although it may well end up being Sunday dinner by the time I’ve got it ready and everyone’s had a hot bath and got cleaned up! It’s a good job we’ve got two bathrooms, and I think I’d better start boiling water in the kitchen because we’ll never have enough hot water to go round otherwise!”

Nick, standing next to her, put his arm round her shoulders. “Sunday lunch sounds like a lovely idea, but you’ve done more than enough already, Prim,” he said firmly. “You need a rest as much as anyone – more so, in fact, by the sounds of it. I’ll see to the hot water, and don’t you even think about trying to make a meal for all of us by yourself!”

He was as good as his word as far as boiling the water went; and Daisy, Gretchen and Ailie helped with the food. It was late afternoon by the time they’d eaten, and by early evening a lot of yawning was going on and several people were saying that they didn’t think that they’d be able to stay awake much longer. Kevin and Kester rather fancied the idea of camping out in the Gardens’ living room, but Nick and Primula took a more practical approach and called on the help of their neighbours to find beds for everyone for the night.

By Monday morning most of the roads were clear of water, albeit still distinctly sludgy in parts; and Daisy and Laurie, both of whom had to be in work on Tuesday morning, decided that they and their children would set off for home that afternoon as originally planned.

The Russells were able to collect their possessions from their hotel rooms shortly after midday, but it was likely to be a while before Jem’s car was fit to drive again. If it ever was, David muttered to Gretchen, not liking to say so in front of his father who was devoted to the vehicle, but she told him optimistically that she was sure that it’d get sorted out. “It’d better do, anyway,” she said. “My dad loves that car as much as your dad does! It’ll be all right, even if Dad and Jakob have to take the whole thing to pieces and put it back together again from scratch!”

Primula promised faithfully that she’d ensure that the car was returned to her uncle as soon as possible and, once it had been confirmed that the trains were running again, she dropped Madge and Jem and their three younger children at the station, from where they took a train to Armiford where Andreas was going to meet them in a car that he’d hastily arranged to hire.

David and Gretchen, after a lot of discussion about what they and Daniel should do with the remainder of their holiday, decided to head to Winchester. Gretchen had never seen the historic city which had once been England’s capital, and David was quite excited at the thought of revisiting the place where he’d spent several happy years as a schoolboy. It wasn’t too far away so it wouldn’t take them long to get there, and they planned to find somewhere to stay there on the Monday night and then spend the day there on Tuesday.

On the Wednesday they were going to take an early morning train from Winchester to Taverton, where Dick and Mollie would meet them. Dick had promised to show them round some old Bettany family haunts and to treat them all to a proper Devon cream tea; and then they’d stay overnight at The Quadrant, before heading to London for the last couple of days to visit Rix and see some of the sights in keeping with their original plans.
Author:  Mona [ Thu Apr 17, 2008 7:57 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison. I'll be sorry to see this one end.
Author:  Catherine [ Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:09 am ]
Post subject: 
Lovely to see how Primula has grown in confidence and I'm glad she knows how much she is appreciated by her family.

Sorry it's almost finished though ...
Author:  PaulineS [ Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:52 am ]
Post subject: 
The difference between Primula at the start and now is fantastic. Glad the family appreciate it. I will also be sad to see the end of this.
Author:  Chris [ Thu Apr 17, 2008 1:15 pm ]
Post subject: 
Don't want; this to end - I look forward to reading it every lunch time!
I do like the way Primula has developed though.
Author:  JB [ Thu Apr 17, 2008 2:32 pm ]
Post subject: 
It's my breakfast time read with my first cup of coffee! What on earth will I do next week?
Author:  Jennie [ Thu Apr 17, 2008 3:18 pm ]
Post subject: 
I'm really going to miss this drabble, Alison. Please make the last episode a really long one.

Please imagine begging smiley.
Author:  crystaltips [ Thu Apr 17, 2008 5:54 pm ]
Post subject: 
Penultimate post? Oh no :(

Thanks, Alison
Author:  Lesley [ Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:17 pm ]
Post subject: 
Good to see Primula being appreciated by her family - must have raised her self-esteem a great deal.


Thanks Alison
Author:  linda [ Thu Apr 17, 2008 11:46 pm ]
Post subject: 
[quote="Lesley"]Good to see Primula being appreciated by her family - must have raised her self-esteem a great deal.[/quote

Just my thoughts. Primula has grown so much throughout this story and the floods have really demonstrated to her family just how much she has to offer.

Thanks Alison, I too will miss this.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:38 am ]
Post subject: 
Am really glad Primula got to show how capable she was to the family and that the Russell's were all okay
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:50 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you so much for all your comments :D . Here's the final part.

The Rosomons were the last to set off, although for once it wasn’t because of their famed inability to go anywhere other than work on time. Nick had had to go to his office to assess the damage done there by the flooding and with only Primula’s car it would have been difficult to ferry everyone around; and so Daisy and Laurie and their children didn’t leave until all the Russells had been dropped safely at the train station.

“Well, it wasn’t really the weekend that I’d hoped for,” Primula said ruefully to her elder sister as Laurie loaded the bags into the Rosomons’ car and the children said farewell to their cousins. “But the best laid plans of mice and men do tend to go astray in ways that no-one could possibly have foreseen! I’m just thankful that everyone’s all right. And I hope that it wasn’t too much of a let-down for you all.”

“Prim, it was hardly your fault about the weather!” Daisy put her arm round her younger sister’s shoulders. “There wasn’t really anything that any of us could have done about that! As you say, the main thing’s that everyone’s all right – and, although things didn’t exactly go according to plan, it was lovely to see you all, and to spend some time with David and co as well. Thank you so much for inviting us: it was a lovely idea, and we really have all enjoyed seeing everyone. And I think that Kevin and Kester actually enjoyed being evacuated and spending a night in an emergency refuge centre as well: they’ll probably bore their friends mad about it when they get back to school!”

She paused, trying to find the right words. “Prim – about the emergency refuge centre. You played a blinder, you know. David told me about everything you were doing there. And he also told me that he’d been talking to two of the men from your pensioners’ club and that they’d said what a wonderful job you do there too. Seeing as I’m your big sister, I think I’m entitled to say on behalf of all the family that we’re all very proud of you!”

Primula blushed. “I only made a few drinks and some sandwiches,” she said. “And made up a few games. That’s all I do at the pensioners’ club as well. Anyone could do it.”

“Perhaps so, but not as well as you do - and anyway most people wouldn’t do it!” Daisy pointed out. “Go out in the middle of the night, and in that horrendous weather? I don’t think so! Nor would most people give up their own time on a week in week out basis the way that you do. Come on Prim, stop being modest and accept a bit of praise. You deserve it!”

Primula smiled wryly. “I do what I can,” she said. “Oh, I know that it’s nothing like the work that you and David and Laurie do, or that Nick does. And it’s not even like I’m in charge of any of it: I’m just one of the team. But – well, most of the people at the club are always saying that they appreciate what we do and how lonely they’d be if they didn’t have somewhere like that to go to, and a lot of people were thanking us last night and saying that they don’t know what they’d have done if we hadn’t been there. I … well, as I’ve just said, I do what I can.”

“You do things that are needed,” Daisy said quietly. “And you do them well. It’s not easy for any of us, trying to meet all our different needs and responsibilities. And we’re all different in ourselves - and it’s a jolly good job that we are, because much good it’d be if everyone was doing the same thing and there was no-one to do all the million and one other things that need doing! And you aren’t “just” anything - much good it’d be if everyone was trying to take charge as well: nothing’d ever get agreed on and nothing’d ever get done.

“I know that in the past you sometimes felt that you weren’t doing enough, Prim - although you never had any need to, you know: you were looking after your home and your family and doing a very good job of it too. But this, the work that you’re doing now, is good for you – I’m your sister, I’m allowed to say that! – and you’re good for it. People can make their contribution to the world in a lot of different ways, and this is yours.”

Primula nodded. “I’ve always felt that I was standing in the shadows, and that I ought to be trying to find a way into the light,” she said. “And now … well, maybe now I’ve found my place. And maybe it’s not out there right in the limelight, but it’s a place where I feel good, and more importantly a place where I know that I’m doing some good. It’s a place that’s right.”

She embraced Daisy, and then the two sisters linked arms, and walked out of the house together. And, as the Rosomons drove away, the sun finally came out and the front of the house where Primula was standing to wave goodbye was bathed in light.
Author:  Sheila [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 8:07 am ]
Post subject: 
This has been a wonderful story. I check it every morning first thing and I love to see the way Primula has developed. Thank you
Author:  Elbee [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 8:54 am ]
Post subject: 
Lovely, I've enjoyed this so much. I think Primula is much more content now, and confident.

I hope you will be doing another drabble soon, you always post nice and early in the morning so it is perfect reading with a cup of tea :D

Thanks Alison.
Author:  abbeybufo [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:22 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you Alison - this has been really thought provoking and very touching - really appreciate the way you've found a place in the light for Primula
Author:  Catherine [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:32 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison. I'm glad Primula seems to be content at last.
Author:  MHE [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:42 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, I've enjoyed this very much.
Author:  Jennie [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:47 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, another few happy tears shed.
Author:  ibarhis [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:54 am ]
Post subject: 
This has been such a great way to start the day. I will miss this horribly!

Thank you very much.
Author:  dackel [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:58 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Alison, I've really enjoyed this drabble!

It was wonderful to see Primula developing more self-confidence and feeling that her contribution was really worth a lot.

I shall miss this!
Author:  Becky [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 10:12 am ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, I've really enjoyed this lovely drabble. Please write more drabbles soon! :D
Author:  clair [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 11:07 am ]
Post subject: 
Really enjoyed this one - hope Primula comes up again soon!
Author:  Joan the Dwarf [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 11:10 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you for this, Alison, it's been brilliant. I've loved having this to come to every morning!
Author:  Ruth B [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 11:57 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you Alison, a lovely end to a wonderful drabble.
Author:  PaulineS [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:33 pm ]
Post subject: 
Alison thank you for a beautiful story. I am please Daisy thanked Primula and assured her she is doing her bit for society.
Author:  Alex [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 12:53 pm ]
Post subject: 
Lovely story Alison, I look forward to your next :D
Author:  Karoline [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:54 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, I really enjoyed this drabble
Author:  Semi [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 5:27 pm ]
Post subject: 
Alison, thank you, i'm really sorry this has ended, it's been a real treat! Maybe we'll hear more about Prim or about Joyce sometime?
Author:  Dawn [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 5:52 pm ]
Post subject: 
thankyou so much Alison for this, I've really enjoyed it all

and I'm really looking forward to whoever you chose to write about next :D
Author:  Jenefer [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 5:56 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, I have enjoyed reading this. Any chance of a sequel?
Author:  Lesley [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
That's lovely - so good to see standing out in the sun - thanks Alison.
Author:  Bride [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 6:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hooray for Primula!

Loved this story, thank you Alison.

I know you have only just finished this, but can I petition for further stories in the David/Gretchen universe??? Pretty please? :halo:
Author:  Pat [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:25 pm ]
Post subject: 
Tha ks Alison. Another who's really enjoyed it.
Author:  JustJen [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 7:31 pm ]
Post subject: 
Wonderful story Alison!
Author:  Elder in Ontario [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:03 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for a wonderful story, Alison - it's been very rewarding to see how Primula came into her own as it progressed, too. And I'm glad that Daisy made the comments she did about it all.

I'm another who will look forward to your next story.
Author:  linda [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:33 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks for this lovely story, Alison. It has been great to watch Primula develop and come out into the light.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Fri Apr 18, 2008 9:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks Alison, this has been so lovely and I'm glad Primula got her own story
Author:  Caroline OSullivan [ Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:08 am ]
Post subject: 
Thank you Alison. I've really enjoyed it. Breakfast won't be the same without your drabble :)

Hope the bunnies do continue to give your more ideas for this universe - I'm off to re-read some of the earlier ones now :D
Author:  crystaltips [ Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:41 am ]
Post subject: 
Alison wrote:
Quote:
“Prim – about the emergency refuge centre. You played a blinder, you know. David told me about everything you were doing there. And he also told me that he’d been talking to two of the men from your pensioners’ club and that they’d said what a wonderful job you do there too. Seeing as I’m your big sister, I think I’m entitled to say on behalf of all the family that we’re all very proud of you!”


That was lovely - I came over all unnecessary at that bit!
Thank you, Alison

Quote:
I know you have only just finished this, but can I petition for further stories in the David/Gretchen universe??? Pretty please?


Seconded! (imagine begging emoticon here)
Author:  Sandra [ Sat Apr 19, 2008 9:59 am ]
Post subject: 
I love your world. Can we have more?
Author:  Jay [ Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
Alison, I don't post often but I do like to post on your stories as they're just so good and I want you to know that! :D I always felt very sorry for Prim, losing her mother and being brought up in the menagarie that was the Russell household, then not knowing whether she was staying at Jo's or the Russell's during the War years. Then seeming to disappear altogether when she became a Senior. Thank you for giving her a story of her own.

Also, any chance we can have more David/Gretchen (they're lovely! as is Daniel) or some more Joyce....?
Author:  Liz K [ Sat Apr 19, 2008 4:38 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thank you Alison.
Author:  RroseSelavy [ Sat Apr 19, 2008 4:47 pm ]
Post subject: 
Thanks, Alison. It was lovely to see how one of EBD's more neglected characters turned out!

I'm going to second Jay's request for more Joyce... pretty please?
All times are UTC + 1 hour
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/