Delving into old bits of paper

I have been spending most of my free time for the last few days busily chasing my family history on a genealogical website which I have free access to for only two more days. I have ended up working through till the early hours following small leads in my Dad's family throughout the 19th century, most of which I don't know anything about.

Last night I tried a different approach and discovered that I actually had a lot of paper information from my Dad's adopted brother, Colin, whose father died when he was very young. I was Colin's executor and have kept a few items of family memorabilia, whilst sorting out his affects many years ago, which I've neglected to sort through till now.

In a small box, I found a passport from 1919, which is the fold-out paper forming the background to this picture. It belongs to Colin's father and records him being in the Indian Police service before returning to England in 1920. He sadly died soon after Colin's birth in 1923. Just to the right and above his passport photo is his brother, and my grandfather Henry, with his second wife Jessie, in a picture I have never seen before. Henry lived until 1960 and was a delightfully gentle Grandfather, who I loved to see when we visited Dover, which was quite often as that is where we left England by ferry.

Below Henry and Jessie is a picture of my parents, Alan and Beryl, soon after they were married in 1946, probably in Germany where they, and then we, lived off and on, until the early 1950s. Colin was my godfather and was always very attentive and caring about me. He never married sadly, although I believe he would have loved to, but he had many friends, particularly women. His older brother became a senior diplomat from the 1930s till the 60s, being stationed in Ankara in Turkey, Teheran, Benghazi in Libya, Bangkok and many other places. I have found a swathe of letters between the brothers and also some from my father from North Africa and Italy in 1944 and 1945 and later from Korea during that war. I am really pleased to find all this non-digital family communications, just waiting for someone to open them up and look at them.

The colour postcard was sent by Dad to Colin in 1960 from their newly discovered holiday location on the Cote d'Azur in the south of France. In this instance, it is of the end of the hills called Les Maures, where the meet the Mediteranean sea, which I have always loved ever since we as a family went returned to this area every summer holiday for the next twenty years. I have recently been delighted to find a blipper, Digpan, who also visits Les Maures sometimes, and seems to love it as much as I do and he blips from there!

The letter was also in the same bundle of papers, forms, letters and photographs. It was a reply to a letter from Colin in 1957. I have copied it below because it is so delightful. I remember when I was twelve seeing her act in The Cherry Orchard, with John Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft, Ian Holm, John Gielgud and Judi Dench in an RSC production at The Aldwych in 1962. It was such an astounding experience for a young uncouth lad like me.

When she wrote this reply it was six days after the opening night of the first run of The Entertainer, by John Osborne, at the Royal Court Theatre, starring opposite Laurence Olivier no less. How kind of her to be so personal to Colin who obviously treasured her letter.



The Royal court Theatre
Sloane Square. SW1

16th April 1957

Dear Mr Hurrell,

Thank you for your charming letter. I am very glad you wrote, and it was very encouraging to have your good wishes. It is marvellous to be better, and I feel sure this time it will last.
I am not going to tell you what Arran is like. You must just go: and when you do, send me a postcard of Goat Fell - one of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen.
With best wishes,
your sincerely

Dorothy Tutin