TO: Louise Toftling

FROM: Parish Clerk

SUBJECT: RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: VE Day 75th anniversary

DATE: Sunday January 12th 2020, 11:52

Dear Louise,

Thanks for the email last night. I'm glad you had a nice time, and that so many memories came back. I'm so pleased that your grandmother's time in "the village" (which is what we all call both places, when we're being lazy) was a happy one.

I would be delighted to meet you whenever you feel like coming, and you must certainly come and have tea or lunch or something here at number 4. It is, after all, one of the cottages in the row your grandmother lived in – what a coincidence, indeed! I can arrange to take time off in the week, if that's easier, but I am almost always around at weekends if you have no preference yourselves. How would this coming Saturday suit you?

You mention Hannah Brook – I decided yesterday I would see what the church records here could tell me about organists during the war, so had also come across her name. She played the organ in the parish church from 1937, in fact, and continued to do so after the war for many years. I did find a note to say that she had been "loaned" to the Methodist chapel in Southwood in 1939 – which may be to replace the airman you mention? It appears she held both jobs for most of the time between then and 1941, playing piano for the Methodists in the morning and the organ at the parish church for the evening service, as well as all the usual weddings, funerals and so on. The vicar here is already heavily involved with our commemoration preparations anyway, but has said she'll now keep an eye out for anything to do with Miss Brook specifically.

How interesting that your grandmother referred to Hannah Brook's supposed homosexuality (if that's what you mean) but then refused to be drawn further. That sort of thing would presumably not have been talked about then, or perhaps even noticed, so it is probably understandable that your grandmother is reticent about it – even the most broad-minded of 93 year-olds must have a line somewhere. (I know my late grandfather, who was about the same age as your grandmother, found it an extremely awkward thing to discuss.) It is a shame that we can't find out much about her family, though, as it would be lovely to see if someone was still alive. Even if Hannah Brook herself wasn't the marrying kind, I presume she had siblings or cousins – or at least parents somewhere! She is relatively young (28 when she becomes the organist, if your grandmother is correct about her being 30 in 1939), so there must be some family not too far away, one would assume.

I have attached a slightly better photo, of Back Lane this morning, and in daylight – it's not an unpleasant day here today, for this time of year. I hope your grandmother might be prompted to spill some more historical beans by seeing the actual row. In the meantime, I have a friend who is good at family history, and I will see if she can dig up anything on this Hannah.

I hope you enjoy your weekend as well.

All the best,

Vicki