Discovering a new life in Costa Almeria

A couple of weeks ago I had a phone call from one of my cousins to say my Uncle Eric had passed away. Last week I received a text from her to say that while they had been sorting through some of his things they had come across a letter that my Mum had written to my Grandma. As children in the 60's we had lived in Sheffield whilst our Grandma was in Middlesborough, we had no phone in the house and only went though to visit a few times a year, so letter writing was key to keeping in touch.




My Mum died in 1969, so I knew this letter had to be 40 years old, and had been kept in he family all this time. Beverley said she would post it on to me and it arrived today.

The first thing I checked was the post mark - 24th June 1969. It was then very obvious why this letter had survived so long. It was the last letter my Mum wrote before she died in July 1969. Grandma had kept this letter because it was the last one she would ever receive from her daughter. I know Grandma replied to it because she had once told me that when she received a letter she kept it on one side until she replied and then once she had written a reply she would tear the envelope from the top down a bit, and that way she knew whether she had replied or not.

So many memories were already coming back to me and I hadn't opened the letter yet.

It was a typical family letter, news about what me and my brothers were doing, other family news, a comment that my other Grandparents had just gone back after a visit from Scotland and that she had been grateful for their help with the laundry as she had been feeling unwell.

She asked if they had been to the caravan, which brought back memories of Redcar, trips to the caravan site by the river - and earwigs, yuch!

And a final comment thanking her for my birthday money, 10/- (10 shillings) which (apparently) I had put together with money from my other Grandparents and bought a pair of Scholl sandals. I was 11, I remember this well as my Mum didn't want me to get them as she felt they were unsuitable footwear, not sensible shoes. Her comments to Grandma were as follows:

Jacqueline has bought herself some Scholl's, that's those things they call exercise sandals that are just held on over the toes. I didn't want her to get them but she said everybody had them so I said oh, alright then. But she walks as if she is crippled in order to keep them on her feet. Mad I call it.

What wonderful memories brought about from a simple family letter, a snapshot of family life. A real treasure for me to keep.

We saw it a lot last year, holiday makers with snowy white skin not appreciating just how severe the sun is here. This week, the Easter holidays, there are a number of families out here enjoying the break in the Spanish sunshine. We have wonderful weather if not a little windy at times and the sun is out most of the day, with a few clouds occasionally drifting across infront of it. The sun is warm enough to sit in all day, it's easy to be at the beach for hours, it doesn't feel intense............

but be warned, it is.

A Spanish friend of ours has told us we should never under estimate the strength of the sun here and should always use Factor 50 sun cream.

Looking at the number of lobster red bodies walking around here already, and we are only in April, be warned, bring pleanty of Factor 50 if you don't want to be taking home an unwanted souvenir of your trip!