Thirsk Terrace
Northallerton
18 March 1900
My dear Robert and Emily,
I hope this letter finds you all in good health, in fact, I hope this letter finds you! It seems that you are always on the move from one address to another. I suppose that it is necessary for you to live close to where the work is, but it must be a strain on you dear Emily, although when we were talking together at father’s funeral in January, you did say that you rather enjoyed organizing the decorating, but I feel that may well have been said in jest!
It was so kind of you both to enquire as to my health. As you know, the death of father, although not totally unexpected, did hit me very hard and I found it very hard to cope at times. Edward, of course, has been a tower of strength through all this, and having lost his first wife through the fever he did have some idea as to what I was going through. The two girls have been very helpful round the house. Mary especially, she has looked after John as if he was her own baby. It is comical sometimes because she acts so grown up and matter of fact, and always manages to take him out of the way when I am at a low ebb. Sometimes Anne’s "helping" is more of a hindrance but her heart is in the right place so I let her get on with it and then re-do it when she’s gone to bed.
But I am getting better and now the weather is getting warmer I am able to get out more and enjoy the fresh air, although if the wind is in the wrong direction the smell from the linoleum factory is somewhat overpowering . You would have thought that over the last ten years or so since it was built I would have got used to it. Somebody told me that the strong smell is good for the chest but I fear that my lungs may not be strong enough to risk a deep breath of the stuff..
Everyone has been so kind during this time, I didn’t realize how many friends father had made over the years. It seemed at times that they were queuing up outside the door. Mr. Holt, from the bank, and his wife, came on Sunday evening after Church, during the conversation Mr. Holt mentioned that he had heard a whisper, nothing official of course, that Mr. De laude Long from up Crosby Gate was considering selling the whole of New Row if he could find a buyer who would continue to look after the tenants. Edward wonders if he has some financial problems to cause him to consider such a step, but of course Mr. Holt would say nothing either way. This would be a great undertaking for anyone, as there must be over twenty houses and workshops down that yard which would mean about a hundred people. Edward says it would require a strong personality, such as yours Robert, to take it on.
Mr. Holt also mentioned that you would be getting a letter from the Vestry about adding a memorial to our father into the inscription under your mothers window in the church. He says it is just to get your approval for the wording.
Edward took the children and I for a walk on Sunday afternoon. We seemed to walk for miles but we didn’t really, it was just that we had to keep stopping to allow me to rest. We walked up Racecourse Lane and he showed me the area of the racecourse that they are talking about using to build what they are going to call "County Hall". My friends say that it is being designed by Walter Brierley of York, and will cost about 25,000 pounds to build. This seems an awful lot of money but they say it will be a magnificent building when it is finished. Edward says it is only in the planning stage so it may not even get built, but if it does then the lads who play football on that piece of land won’t be very happy. We then crossed over the bottom of Station Road and went down past the steam mill and under the railway bridge. I wasn’t too happy about going under the railway so I rested at this side and then walked as fast as I could to the other end. He then showed me where they are building the new milk factory. It is very clever how they are building it up the side of the railway banking so that they can bring the milk down from the dales on the railway and directly into the factory. It is going to be called "The Wensleydale Pure Milk Society", he says it’s because it was the Wensleydale Railway Company that supplied the money to build it. They must be making a lot of money judging by the number of people they carry to go sight seeing up the dales. I wonder if the people who live up there are happy about all the town folk wandering about ? We then had to go under the other bridge but I wasn’t too bad under there, mind you, I still didn’t linger. That coal yard up there is a very dirty area, those railway houses opposite must be permanently covered in dust. Then we had to go past that linoleum factory, I tried to hold my breath all the way past but it is bigger than it first seems. Aren’t those buildings high? Edward tried to explain that they needed the height during the making of the stuff, but it was too complicated for me to understand. I think that great tank of water should be fenced off better, it is too dangerous so close to the road. We returned home past that piece of land father left you. Are you planning to build on it or are you going to sell it? If you had houses built on it they would be very handy for the high street. You could even build a house there for you and Emily then we would be neighbours again !
Time to close now, I can hear John, it doesn’t sound is if the girls have managed to get him off to sleep.
Please don’t leave it too long before you come up for a visit, we all miss you.
Your loving sister
Elizabeth