1937 SUMMER- A rainy afternoon at the house on the corner opposite The Co-op, Marine Parade-Pier Avenue-

Josette & Greetah, ANDRE Saint George flown off to Mary Gordon to tea or to new friends he has made in shops, library, Institutions or the Clacton Pier or Freddie Clacton THEATRE preparing to open after 7 pm- always a good play…

Those few rainy afternoons as we sew, make things, I watch the scarlet CROSS she is stitching on the BOLERO in black (grosgrain ?) & her embroidery “wondrous fine” for the embroidered Cross will be on the back- she will wear it at something in FRANCE when they get back…ANDRE Saint George & she…

1937 SUMMER…I AM TELLING JOSETTE THIS FAMILY BACKGROUND -AT THAT TIME IT IS THE NEWS OF THE MOMENT…

1937 NEW YEAR Uncle Liam Captain Ransom who brought me the CHART to learn my STARS….New Year 1937.…

“Young Fred…..I was called in by young Hiroheto as there’s trouble our islands-they’ve been attacked…

Nota Bene : Lindsay Earls using RN scum & Mr Pong tried to set fire to the school- biggest RANSOM genealogy chart here-links everyone-Liam RANSOM ( homes in Birmingham/Norway/South America) found it in tatters on the school room floor-he says he can do it again-its in his archives-he carries it mainly about in his head-as he sails his 4 tall ships…

1936 There is no War with Japan at this time- Our two islands 1512 very end of LUSANS/Pacific Ocean/RANSOM Estate/ Attacked BY NOBLE PENNILESS HIGH CLASS SIN OF GROSS BRITAIN & SCANDINAVIA…picking off with murders Grote Homes Ransom Estate in 3 Parts in semi-silence as usual !

`Captain Uncle Liam Ransom said…Been in & attacked them, 3 perhaps 4 dead- Oh because its US- they are meaning to PICK THE ESTATE OFF WHERE THEY CAN so this ATTACK is to rough everybody up…they described them- Its THEM- Young so-&-so’s boy knows them (This could be a General somebody ?)…he down by the water with the books floor to ceiling has gone up to Tokyo (Toxio) to the Government…others content to stay home-you know how they are, how Majorie left `em when she died- (Revd. Mother Margery Mainwarring) ‘we fish, read books, make things we need, keep a happy home-life-see you for weddings…’

1937 January -“Alf-Charles (Alfred Charles Ransom RN) will go over with the family, friends, to holiday- see to any ships need repairs, nets…but its BAD ‘young FRED’

TIMES ARE BAD! Young woman! young woman-how old ? -nearly 4 years & travelled-in charge with Lennie-

You have to be a young woman in these bad days…Beware Courts & Kings-we once found an enlightened Ruler-down in San Salvador…”

Nota bene: Everyone in the family speaks Japanese they go stay for months as children & learn their sea crafts/philosophy-

1880s Majorie Reverend Mother ( Mainwarring family) took her 40 Nuns to live decades on the 2 Ransom islands, LUSANS -she a relative-at 10 years of age in Scotland, an heiress, she was buried in a coffin for 10 minutes- but an observant bunch at a children’s party knowing of frequent attacks on her realised a Funeral had passed when she disappeared…She became a Nun….19^th century & her tomb on the Ransom Lusan island was published in 1940s…Dr JOHN RAY visits 1948 with LIR & others…

1937 SUMMER JOSETTE JoJO&Joh as Andre calls to her….she nods to me & stitches on- asks me slowly some simple questions-makes notes in her exercise book-we make tea again or coffee-milk for me with-a-dash, a biscuit or two & PLAN WHAT WE MIGHT DO THIS EVENING-even if it goes on raining-WE WILL- WILL GO OUT…Andre comes loping-flying-whirling in & we say we want to go out in the evening…when he has had a rest-looked at his newspapers: the first evening newspapers arrive about 4 pm in the Clacton Town-we do not TIE HIM TO OUR APRON STRINGS…

1937 summer evening ‘The Pier- yes lets all go on the Pier to-night…in the rain-umbrellas, raincoats are here- ‘take an ice cream’- walk to the very end past the two theatres where the fishing arm is, come back slowly stopping at this & that…Andre talking to anyone who seems to want to talk or meeting his new friends…a sentence or two or three & on we go, they with arms linked, I a hand held or a little ahead where they can see they do not lose me- I have explained all these things & Granny Gordon has too…

“….the child cannot be left on her own-you must keep her with you all the time…”

That evening THE WALK IN THE RAIN IN THE DARK- ANDRE Saint George - He bought me brilliant pink candy-tuff, & he won something at the shooting or perhaps it was at the throwing the hoops….I think it was a soft toy for JO…I tell her of the velvet apple ball green & red I had come from Cousin Sarah (family Poulsen de SALLE of PARIS) when they were in Japan last year with Aunt Magarethe & I could not go 1936 August- MR PONG & the other evil little jack-in-the box 14 Earl hit me over my head with an iron bar-I had a black face 2 months- John Gordon Ransom is born 16^th August Clacton Clinic…

1937 August …a wet evening, black at sea, not many ships lights, must be MISTY over the waves we cannot see, not many STARS…we had cool drinks with straws: When the evening draw’th to the close we might have a coffee, tea, a sandwich later ‘ROUND THE TOWN’

or at home & sit in the garden under umbrellas…or ANDRE listens to the BBC news-& changes channels & puzzles over how my Great-Aunt-artist Annie Agnes can understand the WELSH programe!

1937 SUMMER- THIS TIME IS OUR TIME-we are free to take it up in handfuls distribute it daily- nightly as doth please we-ANDRE, JOJoh&Jo & Greetah bound together now for as long as the earth shall be-shall we go into libraries upon the STARS…

We had a quick HIGH TEA setting it ourselves, putting the kettle on, gathering from the garden-at the HOUSE ON THE CORNER WITH THE RECTANGLE GARDEN opposite the Church OVER TO THE CO-OP- now the WAY OF DAWN NEWSPAPERS…but `a good tea & NOURISHING` before we set out-some cold meats lettuce-spring onions & radishes from the garden-my HOVIS brown loaf butter not too salted-a fresh pot of tea Chinese-Indian & we will find something for the finish up something light & sweet on our WALK IN THE DARK…some days we do have shell fishes shrimps winkles but only fresh when we buy them late afternoon-

ANDRE Saint George has yet to go Limpet collecting showing JO how he used to do it in Brittany on family holidays when he was a child with the last of his SEAFARING lineage…but that has not happened yet & OUR visiting the rare shop Old Road where they have SHOES for WOMEN with feet 18 inches & 24 INCHES LONG- he knew of these matters to my surprise…

1937 SUMMER - ANDRE holds JO’s arm & he so tall & delicate & bending like a reed in his speech this way & that, shadows of sounds, or arrow flights upon the delicious night sea air- observant of all about him & reaching a graceful arm, a delicate wrist up to the rain dark heavens to gather us STARS-he will part the darkness of night above our heads & gather here, there- now he can light our way with a few STARS which I will carefully place in my little basket for it hath become a habit since JO remindth me ‘FOUL WINTER DOTH COME’…we may see something for the store cupboards…..

ANDRE our Lord of the Seashores-now he is talking of his mother’s SEA ancestors from up the coast, Suffolk-Norfolk-The Wash- & all the time he carefully ` he doth gird shee & mee as most precious cargo`

& JO always a delicate Columbine flower-I think…

I have seen them in The Americas -North I think (Columbines are described by Zane Grey in his novels-I might call a girl child Columbine…one day if I marry-but only someone who is as clever as wise as POUL GRONLANDER my grandpa 4 times back on the RANSOM side & he is 6 feet 5 inches tall-buried at Gotharb with dark blue eyes & black hair…)

ANDRE takes my hand, he picks me up on his shoulder if we are in a host of people, a crush of people. We can call at Freddie’s Clacton Theatre & just wave & say a word-he is always there for the curtain going up & back of the stage…he dashes over to Paris for this & that…Unity’s mother did the Poster for him this week-we are to look at it outside on the easel-stand upon the step…

1937 We have made our visit to the Convalescent Home that morning & cheered Unity‘s grandpa up before he has a nice light luncheon in kindly company with others recuperating there….It is WHITE-washed Art deco all great windows, facing the SEAS- I think how nice to be living in a room there in WINTER-the sound of the waves at night & cold afternoons with a pot of tea & muffins black berry jam, the ozone smell so fresh-Clacton has the Muffin people delivering at night-the Italian Organ-grinder

Winters 1930s & his monkey in a warm coat help too-his daughter has married an Englishman so he stays our Essex winters & now & I see him in church on Sundays & he speaks Italian with the priest from ROME-an appointment when the great new church was opened 1929...

I dream on ` I would not want to be ill in this Convalescent Home-well, not ill & old yet-I have to grow learn with Lennie for we already take a care to our PEOPLES our LANDS the globe-we are in happy training-

1937 SUMMER & Greta‘s evening thoughts told to JO & Andre- Perhaps to have the FOG HORN moaning too often might be for making ‘the nerves’ for that sad moan doth mean bad conditions at SEA- keep off! ‘Oh keep off- I am warning, moaning sighing ‘keep off’ ‘keep away from me -go to your Charts-or my Goodwin Sands may have to claim you as more Victims…’

I may pass a sentence or two upon similar thoughts if there is a natural lull in the conversations at sometime…otherwise I do not intrude upon the preparing for marriage & a long long life young PAIR-