A letter from Aunty Dot

Sent: Thursday, 6 May 2021 3:32 PM
To: sandragroom@bigpond.com
Subject: Mac GILLIVRAY. DOROTHY- LETTER - 05.05.2021

 Good day Sandra

  Hope you are still keeping well

  Attached please find Mrs. D. Mac Gillivray letter to you .

Thank you

Kind Regards:

Lindi

TO:  SANDRA GROOM, AUSTRALIA, 5th May 2021

(What follows is a handwritten letter from my Aunty Dot MacGillivray, then aged 91.  She died two months later, on 6th July 2021.  Surprisingly, her writing had hardly changed in the fifty years we have been writing to each other from South Africa to Australia, and she is clearly still mentally alert.)

 At last I get a chance to try and write after hurting my finger and I am so so sorry – How is Gerald’s back?  I am so sorry to hear about Gerald, what happened?  And how is it now?

Richard got your address for me and I was so happy about that fact and then I had a mishap and then I lost the letter that I was writing to U.  What a beautiful letter U wrote for the office my darling and of course knowing U I know that U have added extra lovely things about me.  U are sch a wonderful couple U are, Len was so lucky to meet your Dad underground, invite him round for diner and I knew when I shook your Dad’s hand that “Here was a friendship to last” – and it became so wonderful.   Please pardon my writing I had a small slip and slide with my trolly and its given me trouble writing which I have battled with since three years ago when I last saw you 2.  That September was so wonderful when U both came to see me, I had been such a misery, full of despair since Allan’s death, I spent three years crying and not knowing what to do and a friend helped me a lot, and I must thank the pair of U for that wonderful present you gave me – a ‘stole’ I think they are called, I nearly wore it out, I used it so much that winter, this weather is changing now, getting cold and colder.

I got Ian’s letter, tell him I will write to him – it’s so very interesting.

I will have to end now, the hand is sore, love U both very much and think a lot of U, I do.  Hope U are managing through the flood.  Love U,

Love U lots,

Aunty Dot.