A letter from 45 years ago today

Me, with sister and brother, originally uploaded by CharlesFred.

Desert Locust
P.O. Box 36
Hargeisa
Somali Republic
17th June 1961

Dear Marzie and Father,

Well, we are not parents yet, but I hope we will be by the time this reaches you. Thank you for suggesting putting a notice in the Daily T., but my father has said he will do the same, so I hope it isn't duplicated!.......

... and so the letter went on....

Well, I was born the very next day... nine months after my parents were married in Guidlford, Surrey.


I hope to be celebrating 45 years with some friends in the garden at the back fo the house tomorrow afternoon, despite the distractions of Roots Festival in Oosterpark and the Brazil vs Australia match.

Today, we celebrated Jan, husband of Fred's sister Annie, his 60th birthday in the garden of their house in Rouveen, deep in the Dutch Bible Belt. Good to see all the family again, after more than a year, and good to be out in the sunshine again, as summer returned, just in time, for him and for me!

We missed the Italy match, which is probably just as well, as it sounded as if it was horrendous with an own goal and three red cards. Good to see an African side finally win, and against the mighty Czechs as well! It is anybody's guess who will get through, although I will definitely be rooting for Italy and Ghana. Not sure of Italy are such a good bet anymore though.