Treasure trove

My wife has been leafing through a treasure trove of cards and letters that her now 85-year-old mother sent to her own mother when she was a child.

There are also diaries, drawings and other paraphernalia.

It's an absolutely fascinating archive. My wife's grandmother was an accomplished cellist, but there is a letter to her thanking her for the 'tremendous trouble' she took in switching to the bassoon part for a concert at Gloucester Cathedral in the 1930s.

There is also a wonderful hand-written poster for 'Knavish Tricks, an operetta in two scenes' in which my wife's mother was the King of Hearts (yes, King!). It is illustrated with little rabbits and a knave holding the two of hearts.

One of my interests is genealogy, which I've pursued for years when time has allowed. Sadly I have very little in the way of writings from my own ancestors - documentary evidence is restricted to the usual official records, plus newspaper accounts of court cases involving roguish members of the family.

The material I have seen today is priceless.