LETTER TO KEN LISCOMBE
May 11,1994
Dear Ken,
I thought you might be interested to see what has progressed from your family tree. It would be best if I go back a bit. Over the years cousins Margaret and Ken took copies of the tree you did, but then it sat in the cupboard with the photo albums.
Nanny and Ron (uncle) were friendly with Pat and Mick Wilkinson across the street. Nanny used to baby-sit. When we (Ruby, Elsie and me) came on holiday we baby-sat too. So we've known them since about 1970.
After uncle Frank and I came here in 1981, Pat and Mick started having a New Year's Eve party and Nanny (grandmother), Pete, Frank, and I were always invited. We met Mick's older brother John at all the parties and their eldest brother Derek occasionally. They always called grandmother "Nanny Coombs". I knew they used to live at Blackheath and I told them that I did too.
In 1989 just Grandmother and I went to the party and John said to Mick "have you told Betty about Nanny Coombs". I thought it a strange remark when Nanny Coombs was sitting there. He was talking about my Aunt Ruby whom they called Nanny Coombs too yet they never connected it.
I said about my cousins that I'd forgotten. I couldn’t even remember their names. It was all so confusing. Derek and John used to play cards with these two. One was called Ron. Well that was right. The other John called Ginger but couldn't remember his name.
Derek was phoning at midnight so John asked him. When John came to me and said Chris, I just screamed with excitement and disbelief. (After 45 years).
The next day John phoned with Chris' phone number. That was some phone call. I said "are you the Christopher Coombs that lived at 2, Dartmouth Row, Blackheath and was your mother Ruby?" He thought I was trying to sell something and was very cold in answering. Then I said, "I'm your cousin Betty. Your father was my father's brother". He didn't even know his father had a brother! Then he said that he and Ron had got in touch after 35 years with their half brother Will (he said Bill). If you remember we thought he was dead and it says that on the family tree. Half and hour later the phone rang and it was Will. I just burst into tears. I'll never forget it.
I phoned your mother that night and told her and she may have told you.
Later Chris told me he phoned Will and asked him if he remembered a cousin Betty and Will said, "of course I do".
We've met a few times now and Will is the image of uncle Alf. Also Pete? his like his double.
On Sunday I had a get together. It was wonderful, 28 people all told.
Ron (Chris' brother) has a computer and is working on the tree as you can see.
Ron has been to Australia and tried to find Uncle Tom's family and now Margaret's daughter Anne is out there trying too. If you are interested I've enclosed three papers that Ron drew up to add family members.
I'm also enclosing a photograph of granddad taken in the '14-'18 war that Ken had enlarged.
Your ears must have been burning because everyone asks who did the original tree and I have to explain who you are.
With best wishes to all the family.
Love
Aunty Betty