Thursday
Skegness
Darling,
Have just received your “spring morning” letter and it comes as a welcome antidote to things here. First of all it’s not a lovely spring morning; secondly, I don’t feel chirpy. ’Cause why? ’Cause the blow has fallen. A week on Saturday, my sweet, we leave Skegness and go to – ABERDEEN! Young Harry has a map in the back of his diary. It doesn’t go up as far as Aberdeen! Nearly all the Scotties in the class, there are about 10 of them, have been sent to Glasgow, which would have suited us better because it’s six hours nearer home. The smallest fellow in the class has just made a wisecrack: “Never mind, lads, we’re all right for winter sports. Only 22 miles from Norway!” As you’ll gather, he’s a bit of a wag. Naturally enough, feelings throughout the class are mixed. Some lads have dropped on their feet. One who lives in Glasgow will probably be able to billet at home. On the other hand, there are people like us – well away from home. Quite a few of the lads come from London and they’re browned off, but best of all is the lad from Brighton! What price Aberdeen to Brighton and back for the weekend? Considerably worse than our trip. Well, precious, there it is. It’s almost as bad as being at sea, but in wartime I suppose it is all one can expect. Some of the lads from Scotland say all the wireless schools close down from April 1 to April 9. If that is so we may get a long leave then and another at the end of the course – six months. At the moment it looks as though weekends are washed out, but we will have to wait and see. We have only three free travel vouchers between now and October and in that period we should have two long leaves. That means there is one spare travel voucher. No doubt we will find a way of using that up even if it only means 24 hours at home and 48 hours travelling. I have no idea what the address will be. Some say we are going into private billets, others that we will live in hotels which have been taken over. I don’t know, but as soon as I do know anything I will let you know. We will probably leave here on Friday evening and arrive at Aberdeen on the Saturday according to the latest story so don’t send any letters to arrive here after Friday. Will you tell Mother that, please, and impress on her that I don’t want her to send any more parcels here. I think that’s all there is on the subject for the moment. Now to your letter.
The news about the allowance is far better than I had hoped. I am glad because it will leave you a little margin to live on. It was pretty near the bone otherwise. Altogether it has been a good weekend for you! So glad you feel so much benefit from going to Limedale. That will carry you on for a time and soon the better weather should be here and then you will feel better. I think too that you will settle down more completely when I get this first leave, however long or short it is. I think the prospect of that leave is unsettling you as much as it is me! There’s one thing about Aberdeen – no bromide. Do you realise what that means in a city where the female population is said to be eight times the male population? At all afraid? Like you I’m staying from the subject. You say the children have also benefited from the change and that Michael is full of firm resolutions. You don’t say how you applied the Johnsonian psychology cure to Michael or what the results were. I was interested too to see that you think the children may have been getting chivvied about a bit in the last few weeks. I rather thought that might be so. Really that won’t be serious so long as you are aware of it but try to keep an eye on yourself as well as on the children! I’m not criticising, love, but just putting myself in your position and I know that if I had lost you for five weeks I should have been apt to take it out on them unconsciously. One does, you know. By the way, keep religiously to that course of pills. It will do you the world of good.
I have made a mental note about the sweets and will do what I can. I may send a parcel home this week. If I do, DON’T OPEN IT in front of the children. It will contain my pyjamas which I have had no chance to wash, and some chocolate which I was hoping to be able to bring home with me, but there is no point in carrying it all the way to Aberdeen and then all the way home again. Will you hide anything I send by post so that I can pretend I have brought it with me? Hard luck about the phone, but it can’t be helped. Find out the exact date the phone will be cut off and let me know. By the way, I got the cigarette case – but no note in it! I WAS disappointed! Never send things like that – blankly. If there’s only five lines I’ll realise, but nothing. Oh, sweet, it did leave an empty feeling all day. That’s the second time you’ve done that. I’ll shag you to death for it when I get home.
No, don’t tell the Allowance people anything about the loan. That is the very reason the office made it a loan. You did the right thing.
Well, pet, I must be off now. It’s lecture night tonight.
I think we should get leave in two, possibly three weeks, so don’t make any arrangements about going away! That means April 4 or 11th. I love you so much, precious, that I seem to have been away about a year. Keep the evidence powdered and dried and trust in little Arfa Parfa.
Bye for now, my love. I’ll soon be home and in your naked arms. I can feel now the soft press of your warm breasts against my naked back on that first morning, and it’s doing things to my bellbottoms! And what things. Angel, I adore you.
All my love,
Arthur X
Mar 191942