June 18th 1948 Helen Louise Meek to evelyn Joyce minard Randall

Aldeburgh, suffolk to West London

115 miles

The Message

“ Father and I thank you for your letter and message. It is fortunate for us that our holiday coincided with the first Aldeburgh Festival of music and the arts. We specially enjoyed a musical recital by Benjamin Britten and Charles Pears in the Parish Church and a Serenade Concert in the Jubilee Hall. We have also been to see paintings and drawings by Constable and modern artists. Father joins me in best wishes, sincerely yours, “

Helen L Meek

The Sender

Helen Louise Meek (1911-2000) was born in Stroud. Her parents were Herbert Arthur Meek (1881-1973), an Australian clergyman and Ethel Louise Tearle (1885-1939) from Luton. At the time of her death she was living in Kingston-Upon-Thames. As well as her brother, Arthur John Meek (1918-2000), Helen had a sister Mildred (1915-1916) who died in infancy.

Helen married Alfred Charles Cornwell (1898-1979) in 1964. They did not have any children.

Arthur John Meek married the recipient, Evelyn Joyce Minard Randall (1921-2004) in 1949.

The Recipient

Evelyn Joyce Minard Randall, commonly called just Joyce, was born in Tisbury, Dorset. She was the daughter of Percival Sidney James Randall (1890-1950) and Gladys Evelyn Winifred Fowler (1895-1973). Like Helen Meek, Joyce was living in Kingston-Upon-Thames when she died.
She and Arthur did not have any children.

Arthur was born in Rochford, Suffolk and died in Kings Lynn.
There is no indication as to how Alfred and Joyce came to meet. Presumably they were engaged at the time of the postcard which is only a year before their marriage.

the trees

Randall

Meek

The Places

Aldeburgh to London

Aldeburgh, Suffolk

Ada Lewis House, Palliser Road, London

What does the card say to us?

The postcard is written and signed very formally. It does not feel like a letter between friends but instead one sent out of duty. The subject matter is very interesting as it refers to the first instance of what is now an internationally renowned arts festival in Aldeburgh and name checks Benjamin Britten and Charles (should be Peter) Pears. The suggestion is that this was not a planned visit to the festival but a lucky coincidence.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldeburgh_Festival

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Britten

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pears

This postcard represents a snapshot in the lives of these characters. We can only speculate about who they were and what they were like. Did the Meeks approve of Joyce? Why did Helen not marry until she was in her 50s. Was it because she was looking after her father? Lots of questions about people long gone