Michael D.Heath-Caldwell M.Arch.

1961

5th Jan 1961 - Pack 2

DAHC, Stinsford, Salisbury Rd, Tune, Stratford, R.D.3, NZ - 

to CHHC & VMHC, The Pound House, Cattistock, Dorset UK.

Dear Mama and Papa,

Your lovely little gift arrived for Hilary whilst we were on holiday. She is absolutely thrilled with it and loves cleaning her room and in fact all the floors - she follows me around when I'm using my cleaner and does her little bit.

We had a lovely holiday and it was really enjoyable to see all our old Feilding friends but it was equally pleasant to get home again. Unfortunately since coming home Jimmy and the children have had the 'flu. The two older children are just getting over what seems to be a rather virulent species of bug and Michael is really under the weather - poor little mite. Jim wasn't too bad and I seem to have come through unscathed - touch wood.

Our visit to the Bishop cost me two nights sleep - I was a bit worried about the children but I needn't have been as they behaved very well indeed and the Bishop seemed quite nice though I didn't have much time to speak to him as I was sort of cornered by a retired female Missionary from Malaya who was quite interesting. I haven't made up any my mind whether I like Mrs Baines or not. I imagine she could be a bit of  a handful if she got her heckles up! The house seemed fairly nice with very little garden  - at least if there was any we didn't see any. The place was full of Eastern stuff, a little too ornate for my liking but very beautiful. They had a King Charles Spaniel and a Siamese cat.

We've had some foul weather since coming home, rain and wind very cold which eased off for a day or two into cool sunny days with very cold frosty nights. We manage to keep the house sort of warm with a kerosene heater and an electric fire. We have the wood fires going when we feel like a bit of extra comfort.

We are all looking forward to your visit and are hoping that fine weather will bless your visit.
We do have Kenwood mixers here but I haven't got one - can't have everything all at once. My neighbour had one and is very pleased with it.

Our stock are all thriving which is a good thing, we hope to rear 40 calves next year which will improve the herd somewhat and bring the numbers up to 80 the season after next. This should keep us pretty busy with the addition of pigs.

From the news you seem to be having some mighty hot weather - a bit better than last year.
Our love to you both,

Dora & Jimmy.

16th Jan 1961 - Pack 2

DAHC, Stinsford, Salisbury Rd, Tuna, Stratford, NZ - 

to CHHC & VMHC, The Pound House, Cattistock, Dorset, England

29th March 1961 - 

Dear Mama & Papa,

Many thanks for the books - I'm a great lover of reading and I do like Nevil Shute though I don't think I'd like to read "On the Beach" - too morbid. The recipe book is very interesting and we have tried a few recipes - very successful. Hilary is a real bookworm but I haven't given her hers yet as she can't read and I feel she will appreciate it much more in the future - I always keep back a few presents for rainy days when they seem to be greatly appreciated. Jeremy is just starting to show an interest in books so he will be ready for his in a month or two.

It is still extremely dry here; the well is very iffy and we have to be extremely careful with the water. Jim has had a pump put in to pull water from the river and we will have to use that and boil it well - better than nothing. The river has never been known to dry up so hope it doesn't let us down. We have a fairly large water hole in it where we can swim but my oh my is it cold!? It's freezing even though the air tempurature is in the 80s. Next time I go for a swim I'll take the thermometer with me! A neighbour with 6 kids usually joins me for a swim. She takes Brownies in Stratford so I get on OK with her (Ann Klenner)
Most of her kids (all except one) are at school so she may (nothing definite yet) come and help me a few days each week. It would enable me to get out and help Jim a bit more. Help in the house is extremely hard to come by. A woman living in would require £8per week and keep and her own room and weekend off. 

Hilary is growing steadily taller every day - she's a dear wee sort and sometimes very helpful - she and Jeremy fight like Kilkenny cats - tooth and nail. Jeremy is a monkey - can climb any jolly thing he wants to and is as pig-headed, bolshy and instant tempered as I am but his big blue eyes enable him to get away with too much. They now have a water trough in the garden with an inch of water in the bottom which keeps them good for hours. They just run around in birthday suits and are as brown as berries.
Michael continues to thrive and gets more like Hilary each day.

Sorry, this is so short and sweet but I am very tired by night time these days, and so is Jim - hence our lack of letters.

Our love to all,

Dora, Jim and the children.

Letter - 28th March 1961

DAHC, 'Stinsford,' Salisbury Rd, Midhurst, Stratford, NZ 

- to VMHC, The Pound House, Cattistock, UK

Dear Mama, 

Many thanks for the lovely record book for Michael. It is extremely nice to find all the little ancestral pictures. I was especially pleased to see the picture of my own dear old Grandma. (CMHH-C)

We are all so pleased to hear that you are a last having some fine weather. A while ago we thought our summer had come to an end but were mistaken. It si a lovely day today, a golden sun in a beautiful azure sky. This part of Taranaki is a good deal colder than Pihama.

Last week Jimmy and I went to a Pig Council Meeting - it was very interesting. The Bent creature (our last employer) was there and was trying to pick a fight with all the speakers, oh, how I'd love to get my teeth into him - even Heidi hates him.

Jimmy, John and Colin spent yesterday concreting a sight for dog kennels. They will consit of a small house and run for each dog. All 3 are perfect pests at chasing the tanker and other vehicles up and down the track. Heidi almost got a broken leg - it looks broken to me but Rudoph says it is severely bruised.
Do you know yet when you will be visiting us? Will you be here for Christmas, I do hope so. Will Pat be coming too. Hilary is already looking forward to meeting you from the airport - she's airplane mad.

The children are all surviving. Michael is growing like a mushroom and he really is a good little soul. 
I'm trying to write this whilst drinking coffee and doing the washing, hence the awful scribble. Don't have time for breakfast and my figure is improving for the lack of it.Love to all,

Dora.

P.S. Have sent you a New Zealand lamb. If there is too much for you we suggest you give Ros and Danny some.

13th April 1961 - Pack 2

JAHC, 17 Salisbury Rd, Tuna, Midhurst, NZ - 

to VMHC, The Pound House, Cattistock, UK

Dear Mummy,

Thank you for the projector which has not yet arrived - but which we are expecting any day. Daddy's present of the lovely black oilskin arrived last week and now we shall certainly both be dry this year. So far we have been enjoying grand weather this autumn - which I think is the best season here as we don't seem to get very many South East winds

Hilary and Jeremy are out most of the time in the garden and when we milk they are usually in and out of the cowshed or getting up to some sort of mischief just out of sight. Michael is just getting out of the baby cocoon stage - that is he can now turn over by himself. Very soon we think he might cut a tooth or two.

The house is pretty warm these days with our courtier stove in the kitchen going all day. This stove has a chimney which goes through the airing or hot cupboard and then up through the roof. The hot cupboard is really hot and so is the water of course - and it saves electricity too. We have no shortage of logs for the fire because the woodman cut us up a lot of pieces of native woods which were laying about the place. 
The garden is a bit off now - but still provides us with most of our requirements in carrots, greens, and we have spring cabbages, broad beans, and celery in. From the freezer we are still eating corn on the cob - which was put into the freezer 15 months ago.

Last week we put a whole heifer in the freezer. A neighbour of ours came over and helped us cut it up. He did now what he was doing because he was once a butcher before he started farming. His cuts were so neat that we managed to pack Flappy Ears in in record small space. That will last us till Xmas. We swap beef for mutton with the neighbours.

Dora says to thank you for the shirt and trousers which arrived the other day for Jeremy. They do fit very well. Clothes really are a great assistance to us as we are living on family allowance and a small housekeeping allowance. Old clothes for Dora and I to wear round the farm are also appreciated. I do sometimes look like a scarecrow but a clean and warm one.

The aeroplanes that carry people about from New Plymouth - Palmeston North goes directly over the house so when you come - if you come by air - and land in Wellington - you'd pass overhead to land at New Plymouth airport - 20 miles away by road.

Love to you all,

Jimmy

Letter  - 30th April 1961 No. 1 - Pack 2

JAHC, 17 Salisbury Rd, Tuna, Midhurst, NZ 

- to Capt. C.H. Heath-Caldwell, The Pound House, Cattistock, UK

Dear Pa and Ma,

Thank you for your letters. Glad to hear that spring seems to have sprung down under - and that you've nearly got all your spuds in. Spring weather does make such a lot of difference.

Here, after about three weeks of warm weather - with N.W. winds predominating we suddenly had a touch of winter on Friday with cold S.E. winds. Today, Sunday, it has cleared and there is a bright sun and no clouds and a slight fall of snow on Egmont above the 6,000ft line I should think.

Tomorrow we get 40 heifers to graze for 12 months for 10 guineas per head p.a. From 1st May - April 30th of 1962. This will help us get rid of grass at a profit we hope and will pay for 2 years of the 2nd mortgage to (B.Kintuby?). We shall have 69 yearlings all running in the mob. To start with they won't be eating too much but I expect we may have a small problem this time next year.

I have now got some plans for the piggery - so will be starting on the foundations in due course. I wondered if you can spare that tape measure that we used to have in the garage - I want something for measuring and if its not being used down under I could make do with it up top here. It looked like this  (sketch) something like that.

I'm determined to get into pigs as soon as possible before every other Tom, Dick and Hary thinks the same.

I think I explained the surplus whey situation at length in my last letter. I see the red light so far as butter prices are concerned now. The future holds a better place for cows though than sheep - for cows are better or more efficient converters of grass to human food than sheep.

By the way, have you received the lamb we sent? I suggest that if you don't want it, it could go to either John and Ros, or half to each.

The international news is really lugubrious for the West I think. Poor old Kennedy seems to be finding his new frontiers a little wild. Cuba seems to be a big headache for them - you'd imagine that they'd now realise how irritating Formosa must be to the Chinese in Peking.
(cont)

30th April 1961 No.2 - Pack 2

JAHC, Salisbury Rd, Midhurst, NZ 

- to CHHC, The Pound House, Cattistock, UK

II

Our next door neighbours have just returned from Japan, Hawaii, Hong Kong - a trip round the Pacific in fact. They said that after seeing Pearl Harbour they didn't feel too kindly disposed towards the Japs on arrival in Japan but after learning about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both of which are now completely rebuilt, they reckoned tit for tat. The Japanese, they think, have not forgiven the Yanks for it and my opinion is that the Yanks wouldn't have used the bomb against the Germans had it been ready in time. The fact that the Japs were coloured and therefore different may have played a part. The extremes of technical excellence and high density population conditions were remarkable, no farms much bigger than 2 acres. - every inch cultivated. All the small houses with TV. The Japanese very industrious, ambitious and competent, it seemed. Service in hotels out of this world (NZ style). 

Hong Kong absolutely appalled them. 1,000,000 people, mostly refugees unhoused, living in places like rabbit warrens or like rats. This contrasted with the opulence of some of the more settled, well rooted families of the trading community in Hong Kong.

One wonders what will happen in Laos. It all seems too familiar these days. The Americans don't seem to have any real practical idea of how to stop the rot. This pouring in of modern arms and ammunition just does not work, and they don't seem to have learned their lesson yet. Chiang Kai Shek was driven off the mainland by the arms that the Americans sent him to fight the communists. Malaya is the only example, I can think of, where the communists have been beaten at their own game - but at what price.

I Cuba the Americans seem to be really up against it. Their intelligence system really ought to take quite a lot of blame for that fiasco I think. One can only imagine that there are so many really wealthy industrial concerns that have lost a lot that agents etc, who seem to report information that pays. I might say here that agents (or spies) who are influenced more by ideas or ideologies than by bribery seem to supply the most accurate information. It seems a pity that the Americans Administration can't act with more precision these days, but it can't without a better informed intelligence that can present both sides of the picture for Kennedy to see.

Hope all is well at home,

With love, Jimmy.

30th April 1961 No.3 - Pack 2

JAHC, Salisbury Rd, Midhurst, NZ - 

to CHHC, The Pound House, Cattistock, UK

III

There are quite a few aspects of the Americans way of life that don't appeal tous here in NZ. One is that the Yanks can't control their unemployment policy - that is they can see nothing wrong with having 5-10% unemployed in a society like theirs. This must be largely due to their civilisation being so closely geared to automobile production. 2) Is that they don't like the so called Wellfare State which is a wonderful thing actually to about 80% of the population of UK and NZ. (The 20% probably would be on top anyway whatever the type of government etc. State health schemes certainly do alleviate the sufferings of the masses.

Let me illustrate, by way of comparison, what happened to a NZ boy touring the States on his way back from Europe - a working tour. He was out one evening in an American town and was set upon and robbed by theives - who left him minus valuables with a broken jaw bone. He was picked up by an American policeman and given a further physical battering because he couldn't say who he was (due to broken jaw). He then (having convinced the police that he was not a vagabond) went to a Doctor who wouldn't even look at him before being paid £300 # dollars.He consented to look at him after extracting 100 dollars - for which he told the New Zealander that he ought to see a dentist - not a doctor. So he then went to a dentist - who again wouldn't do anything before 200 dollars were produced. This New Zealander returned home to Auckland - having been assisted home by the Consul - every cent of his was left to the American doctoring and dental professions. He was glad to get back home - to a welfare state where such things don't happen. 

I might says that other impressions of American life that I've heard about - ie from Freddy Prideaux too just don't paint a pretty picture at all. When all said and done we'd not be worse off under Russians I expect but frankly we're much better off on our own.
With reference to Cuba the Times is reported as commenting to the Yanks of Revolutions "Know your Revolution."

4th Nov 1961 - Pack 2

JAHC, 17 Salisbury Rd, Midhurst, NZ - 

to CHHC & VMHC, The Pound House, Cattistock, UK

Dear Ma & Pa,

Thank you Daddy for your last two letters. I'm sorry to hear that Ma has cold feet about this trip. Perhaps in addition to the Ma-in-Law, Daughter-in-Law complex, she is also not looking forward too much to the actual journey. I think you ought to organise a break on the journey both going and coming if that would lighten the journey. There would be no need to come by the USA. Surely the other way offers some choice of places where you could stop for a rest period. At least I'm sure that would appeal to me. Time - really - is not too pressing a matter for you.

Dora is going to write to you anyway. I think you'll find this place quite different to Pihama both from the housing point of view and from the countryside round about too. However, if your feet get colder you can come next year though I think it would be better this year - who knows, England may be a radio-active ruin in twelve months. Or perhaps let me be less dismal - it may be all radio-active, but not ruined?!

We are having glorious weather here now - as we have been for the past month. On Monday we shall start getting in the silage paddock.

The piggery proceeds slowly. We have now got a concrete mixer of our own plus shingle for the job on the site. Cement etc has been ordered. I hope we'll be able to get going by the end of the month.

We have been having quite a lot of trouble recently with heifers. Our 59 have had to be split up into two lots for going to the bull. This has meant extra work in moving them. They have been on the side of the road for a week now - and have got loose from there and wandered off along the road. However, we'll be able to bring them all together tomorrow on the farm.

Love to all,

Jimmy

10th Dec 1961 - Pack 2

JAHC, 17, Salisbury Rd, Midhurst,NZ 

- to CHHC & VMHC, The Pound House, Cattistock, UK

Dear Ma and Pa,

We are both looking forward to your visit - We gather you have made nearly all the last minute preparations etc but we weren't quite sure of the date on which you will arrive.

Here, we have had a heat wave culminating in 90% humidity and then having rain for a few days last week. This has brought everything on like a hot house of course. The tempurature was a already 75 for about 3 days - even at night, and it got muggier and muggier and finally it rained cats and dogs. Funnily enouigh there was no thunder at all. This has had the effect of bringing on the clover all over the farm and it is flowering. In fact the farm is white with clover. OK for some bees now - they'd be hauling in the honey in a big way I should think.

Today a great event happened. We received our first pig. The father of the family we hope. He is a hard case, about 6 month old. He has been shown and is very tame indeed which is a good thing. His official residence is not quite fenced off yet so we hope he'll be alright tonight in the paddock near the house.

We gather that England and Scotland are getting snowed up for the first time this winter - rather early we thought. We got the information via friends. Jeremy J. has put our wireless out of action by taking all the valvues out of it! One valve has been hurt. J.J. and H.D. are thoroughly enjoying the weather.

Dora took them all to Waitara the other day for a swim. Much more beach then Opunake, Dora said, and safer. The day they went it was calm and the water nice and warm.

Love to all,

Jimmy

30th Dec 1961 - Pack 2

Bridgadier A.B. Barltrop, 17 Kent St, Collaroy Beach, Sydney 

- to Capt Heath-Caldwell, RN, 17 Salisbury Road, Tuna, Stratford, RD.3., NZ

Dear Cuthbert,

Many thanks for your airletter of 18th December, which was forwarded to Gunnedah where we are spending Xmas with Anna and Evan. This is just a brief note to say that we have noted that you arrive N.Z. 10th Jan and that we shall of course be very pleased to see you both should you return via Australia. We fly to Christchurch on 30th March and sail in the Gothic from Wellington on 14th April, arriving Tilbury mid May. Air letters only take 3 days to UK, but on second thoughts I will take this letter back to Sydney and post it to NZ, as what with our being in the country and the New Year holidays, there is quite a chance of this letter missing you in Cattistock. Many thanks for your letter of 4th September - we found all your news about Cattistock people very interesting.

The world situation is so bad and so complicated that is is useless to attempt to discuss it in a short letter. But I would like to say how shocked I am at Nehru's (of all people) use of force in Goa. This has tremendous implications for the future e.g. Indonesia/West N.G., Iraq/Kuwait, India/Pakistan over Kashmir, and China. I think the New York Times description of Nehru as "a pious fraud" was rather appropriate! Of course that terrible and in India very unpopular man Menon is the nigger in the woodpile. Can't imagine why Nehru keeps him on as Defence Minister. He consults him on everything I hear.
Evan, Anna and Caroline are all in great form and we have much enjoyed our Xmas with him.
Remembrances to Jimmy. We all wish you both the best of 1962.

Yours,

Adrian