12 Charleville Circus
Sydenham SE
April 26th 1914
My dear Mother
I had quite a good journey up on Thursday, and arrived here just after seven. My luggage came on Friday evening all right, so I suppose the dray must have called for it soon after I left.
After a few days of dull weather we seem to have got back again to the old sort; it is perfectly cloudless here this morning. I deferred taking out my season ticket till tomorrow, and have used my cycle to get to town there last two days.
I am going over to Blackheath after dinner, having been invited to stop till after supper. I hope I shall find Mela rejoicing in the sunshine. On Wednesday she went down in the motor to Tunbridge Wells and called on Uncle Harry.
Cecil sailed a week ago. He is coming home to take exams and get some paper qualification which he lacks at present. I suppose that means he will be home some time.
I heard from Mrs Williams in acknowledgement of the photos. She is very pleased with them and says she is going to have some enlarged. I fancy that can be done best from the plates, so I think I shall offer to lend her the plates if she would prefer. She doesn’t say how many photos exactly they would like. Will you send along 3 of the bridesmaids, one for each of them, and about half a dozen of the group that includes Olive, and the same of each of the two photos of Arthur and Mary. Then Mrs Williams can distribute them as she likes. At present she is at Cardigan for a few days on her way to Newport.
Love from
Your affectionate son
Cyril E Sladden
PS – 9.30 pm
Having returned earlier than I had originally intended and thought of two more things to add to my letter I will continue.
Provided this arrives before Kath leaves, will you ask her to bring some specimens of the wedding photos for Jack’s benefit; otherwise enclose when you next write here. I have been racking my brain for a list of wants with some success, and I will enclose one which will serve as a nucleus to which I can make further additions when the spirit moves me.
I found the Japp family in a sad state. Mr Japp had violent indigestion and was not fit to see anybody, in fact could hardly bear to have anyone near him. Peggy had woken Mela in the night having been taken violently ill, and Mrs Japp being turned out at the same time had fainted leaving Mela wondering who to attend to first! As the family all gets very agitated and tearful under such stress they needed Mela to keep their spirits up a bit.
Eve – the only irrepressibly cheerful one of the family – was confined to the night nursery on the pretext of a cold, but seemed pretty fit when we payed her a short visit.
Under the circumstances, Mrs Japp (much better now than she was, by the way) requested me not to stop to supper as she had asked me to do. So we had a walk, returned for tea and went to church and then I cycled back.
Love
CES
