Postcards from Aunty Cranky.: Paris

Showing posts with label Paris. Show all posts

Monday, August 6, 2012

France - Paris - 22.12.1957

Hotel Frontenac, Rue Pierre - Charron, Paris. 22.12.1957

Dear Pen,

This says, 'Best wishes for the New Year'. Susy arrived here from school yesterday and she is out buying paper to wrap presents, at the moment. We are going to see a Gregory Peck* film as soon as she comes back.

Lots of love, Nan

* May have been 'Designing Woman'.

Hotel Frontenac, Rue Pierre - Charron, Paris. 22.12.1957

Dear Timmy,

I left it too late to send Christmas cards, so this is a Happy New Year one instead. I don't think there will be any snow for Christmas in Paris, although it's very cold today.

Lots of love, G.A.N.

Hotel Frontenac, Rue Pierre - Charron, Paris. 22.12.1957

Dear Merry,

I bet those bunnies have cold tails, sitting in the snow. This card says 'Good and Happy New Year' so I hope that is just what you have.

Lots of love, Nan

Below... Same Hotel from Google Maps today.

Monday, July 30, 2012

France - Paris - 22.8.1957

Coleurs et Luminere de France - Paris

Hotel Ronceray, Boulevard Montmartre, Paris - 22.8.1957

Dear Pennie,

La Madeleine is a very famous church, don't ask me why! Except that is is rather beautiful. My hotel is fairly close to it. You just should see my bath! The plug hole is right in the middle of the bath and there is a very long chain on the plug, with an aluminum ball attached to the other end which floats with you.

Lots of love, Nan

Couleurs et Luminere de France - Paris - La Place du Tertre et le Sacre-Coeur

Hotel Ronceray, Boulevard Montmartre, Paris - 22.8.1957

Dear Merry,

It is great fun to eat in these places right on the footpath because you can see all the people pass by. It's not so good when it rains though.

Lots of love, Nan

Sunday, July 15, 2012

France - Paris - 25.5.1957

Hotel Splendid, Paris, France. 25.5.1957

Dear Pennie,

Mummy will be able to tell you what the words mean. Tell her I don't know what I would have done without the shawl she gave me. I am wearing it now. We fly to England on Wednesday, so our trip is nearly finished. We had a wonderful time in the boat on the Rhine. The traffic on the river is just terrific. It is controlled by big flags from the shore. I do hope the Army hasn't lost any of the cards while you were away. Am so looking forward to your next letter.

Lots of love, Nan

Hotel Splendid, Paris, France. 25.5.1957

Dear Merry,

We have just come back from eating our dinner on the foot path! In Paris, all the eating places have tables and chairs out on the foot path and it is fun to sit and eat and watch the people go by. In Germany the boys and girls go to school only in the morning but Sunday is the only day they have for a holiday. Hurry up and write to me again, I have missed all the letters so much.

Lots of love, Nan

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.