Grand Hotel
Spiezerhof
Aug 9th 1909
My dear Father
I meant to have written to you yesterday, but did not get as far, so I will begin one this morning to you. We had quite a heavy thunderstorm while dressing, but it has cleared now, and is fresher, yesterday and Saturday were most oppressive. We came here on Sat morning, this is a large hotel as you can see, and is quite full, at present we are sleeping in a house near, which is used in the season, but I hope we shall get into the hotel in a day or two, it is rather tiresome wandering over if it is wet and we are on the ground floor which I don’t like, it is noisy, the tram runs past our window. Mary and I have a room together. I am glad to say we were afraid at first we should have to [?] in together. It is very pretty around here but it is rather warm and close, [?] by hills. There are a good number of English here, but so far we have not come across many to speak to. There is one table in the drawing-room where they are chiefly single if we want to be put there. There are three long tables and a lot of small ones, they make an extra charge for the latter or for the balcony, but everyone has breakfast on the balcony. The tables are well laid and the food very good, we get a six-course dinner and four or five courses at lunch, we shall get as fat as the Germans or Americans; some of them are appalling. Here we lunch at 12.20 and dine at 7.30, so we really need something for tea, we get it out sometimes, Aunt Lottie’s tea-making is somewhat messy if we leave it with her, we try to make it at Manor Farm, we lunched at 1 o’clock and dined at 7. It was most comfortable there.
We had good weather on the whole last week, and made several excursions. Mary was very pleased at meeting a NZ girl at Manor Farm, she was very jolly, and came out with us a good deal. They had several mutual friends, and a good deal in common. On Tuesday afternoon Miss Brown walked with us two, to Interlaken, we had a good gaze at the shops, and did a little shopping, and had tea there; the shops are most fascinating, I remember Mother saying she enjoyed them. The carving and embroidery is most beautiful. On Friday we had a splendid day at Mürren, Auntie and Miss Tyson did not feel up to it, so only 4 went, Miss Brown and Miss Allnutt (a real old maid, whom the NZ girl, Linda Brawn, is chaperoned by). We left about 8.30, drove to Interlaken, took the train to Lauterbrunnen, and went up the funicular railway to Mürren; the view is splendid getting up, and when there, you overlook the whole deep valley, and get a glorious view of a great deal of the Bernese Oberland; we took our lunch with us, eat it near the woods, and wandered about during the afternoon. The flowers are so beautiful round there. Mother will remember about it, I know she so much enjoyed Mürren.
Aug 10th - I have just got Mother’s letter, I was so pleased to hear from home. I am glad to hear your plans are settled, and hope you will all enjoy yourselves at Arromanches, and have good weather. I was glad to hear where everyone is, we are much scattered at present. When will Arthur go back to London. I should like to see him for a day or two. Aunt Lottie has asked me to stay here until Monday 23rd, but I am not quite sure if I shall stay longer than the 20th, as I can’t stay less than a week at Deal, and it might make it too late getting home again. Many thanks for the Evesham Standard, I was glad to see it. We see The Morning Post here, a day late, it is nice, one does not feel quite so out of things in general. I hope it will be fine for the Primrose League Fete and that it will go off well. I wonder how many go from our district. What a terrible time the poor Haynes’ are having. I should think it will be a mercy if the poor old Doctor does not live much longer under the circumstances. Mary and I spent the afternoon at Thun yesterday, we did enjoy it. Miss Tyson is coming out here soon, she is very jolly, not the old maid of Miss Pollard’s description. Miss Penfold comes tomorrow.
With much love to you all, I remain
Your loving daughter
Ethel N Sladden
