Postcards from Aunty Cranky.: U.S.A. - Barrow, Alaska

Friday, August 30, 2013

U.S.A. - Barrow, Alaska - 9.8.1962

Top of the World Hotel. Barrow, Alaska - 9.8.1962

Dear Pen,

Went for a ride on a dog sled this afternoon, not on snow, unfortunately, 'cos there ain't none! We are practically in the Arctic Sea. The hotel is on the beach, if beach one can truthfully call it.

Love Nan.

Top of the World Hotel. Barrow, Alaska - 9.8.1962

Dear Tim,

Landed on steel strips, joined together, today, really a wonderfully smooth landing. The plane was a Fairchild F-27A prop jet, I would have thought much too big to land where it did. Back to Fairbanks tomorrow and to Seattle next day, the end of the tour unfortunately.

Love Nan.

Top of the World Hotel. Barrow, Alaska - 9.8.1962

Dear Mer,

Sorry the cards are not exciting, there is not much choice here. We ate reindeer stew for lunch today, am wondering what we'll have for dinner. Not Walrus or Polar Bear I hope!

Love Nan

Top of the World Hotel. Barrow, Alaska - 9.8.1962

Dear Fish (Nick),

I've been getting around all the afternoon in a parka like the man in the picture is wearing. All the little boys and girls here wear them too, they really are very comfortable and warm.

Love Nan

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About these Postcards.

Meredith, Penelope and Timothy.

My Great Aunt Nancy enjoyed travelling the World during the years from 1957 to 1962. Nancy was my Grandmothers younger sister, she was a Nurse before she met John Watson who was a patient of hers, he thought she was a very cranky Nurse so from then on, into their marriage, he and those living at the 'Homestead' called her 'Cranky' so 'Cranky' she remained at 'Wollogorang', the Sheep Station they lived on.

My family called 'Cranky' by her given name of Nancy, Nan for short but I lived at 'Wollogorang' on and off during my late teens even working there for long periods so she became 'Aunty Cranky' to me.

Cranky and John had one daughter, Susan, my first cousin-once-removed who spent some time traveling with Cranky and some time, at what was called back then, 'Finishing' Schools.

I loved my Aunty Cranky very much, I could spend hours and hours just sitting and listening to her long stories of her travels, she also bought me most of my childhood books which along with these postcards introduced me to the Big Wide World which I have now seen much of myself, but never with her style.

These Postcards were sent to me, my brother Timothy, my sister Meredith and when he was born to my youngest brother Nicholas. When Mum and Dad moved to a smaller home, Mum was going to throw these Postcards out but I, being somewhat of a hoarder, couldn't bear to see that happen so I saved them.

My brothers and sisters can follow this Blog and remember along with me those wonderful postcards that arrived at regular intervals from places some of which we had never heard... Wonderful Memories!

There are 320 Postcards on this Blog, many are obviously missing and who knows how many never arrived, what a prolific Postcard sender our Great Aunt was.

Someone in our family decided that they were a Stamp Collector so almost none of the cards still have stamps on them which is a big pity... I wonder where those stamps are now! In some bin I suspect.

BTW Cranky was far from cranky to me, she was loving if a little strict on how I should behave, she had a desire to turn me into a 'Lady'... which she failed at I'm afraid although I remember a few do's and do nots.

Enjoy, along with me, this view of a world in the late 1950's

P.S. 2015.

I put all these postcards into a large folder, then when my sister Meredith lost everything and her home to savage bush fires in Perth I sent her the Postcards to keep.