Thursday
Aberdeen
Dearest,
As I want to reply to the children tonight if it is at all possible so as to be sure they get an answer by the weekend, I’m afraid I shall have to be content once more to answer a few of your points from your recent letters. So here we go. I had foreseen the difficulty of having several offers of assistance with the plot and spoke quite frankly to Dave on the subject before I came away. He didn’t even look after his own properly last year so I felt that if he gave any time to ours his wife might feel, quite naturally, that it was a bit thick. Still, I hope Reg gets down to it fairly soon because if he does there’ll be very little left for anyone else to do! Did you ever find those onion sets somewhere at the back of the garage? They may have sprouted too far now but see what they look like. If they look OK then all you have to do is stand them firmly on the place where we had onions last year. I manured and dug it before I came away so it should be in good condition now. The weather you are having at the moment should be ideal for them as they need a fair bit of water. Did you do anything with the raspberries and have you put anything new in?
You seem to have had a rough time with Mother over Wendy’s party day. It’s harder for you to be as frank with her over things like a purely children’s day as I used to be. Even I used to get the backwash of my plain speaking but I know her far better than you do. What’s more, she took very few liberties with me! I think you did the right thing, love.
Don’t want to appear mean, but do you think Wendy’s teeth will keep until she goes to school? Not if there is any real pain of course, you know me better than that, but once private dentists get hold of children the bills can mount up. On several occasions I have intended to mention the matter of home made cake. Yes I should love one occasionally. We do quite well for cakes really, but the trouble is that we get them all at the beginning of the week and although we try to spin them out and are not as “fussy” as we used to be in civvy street, they ARE getting a bit stale by Tuesday or Wednesday. If you could time yours to arrive about then it would be very welcome. Just a word of warning – no hard outside to it please. My gums are still too tender in places to manage anything at all well baked. Mother might like to send an occasional one so you could arrange something with her if you like so that they don’t clash. Apart from cake and jam I can’t think of anything we need to cheer life up – except you, sweetheart. Don’t send anything else like biscuits or that sort of stuff. An occasional piece of that coloured square cake used to arrive from Percy’s mother and it was very nice because it was so soft – rather like a sponge cake. Now, about cigarettes. We found to our surprise that we do get an issue, but only half a pound a month and even that has to be drawn in small lots from a store at Torry. However, as there are some non-smokers in the class I get two of them to get half a pound each for me so I manage quite well. With a bit of care I think I can get through the month on one-and-a-half pounds at a cost of 3/9d! What I should do if I was in the Army I don’t know. There would certainly be no beer then.
Do you remember Harold saying he could buy quite a lot of things cheaply – in the way of clothing I mean? Well, we can get them, I find, but there are certain restrictions of which I will tell you later. We can only get them on certain days – slops days they are called and there are long lapses in between. We have our first slops day tomorrow and I’m getting a few things. Lightweight underpants for summer 1/3d, some thin socks to wear with my small boots 1/3, hankies 3d each (we are restricted to six), and a few other odds and ends. Bedroom slippers, black leather, are 12/- and good quality I’m told. I thought Bert and Eric might be interested next time we get a slops day. Mention it if you see them. But NOT to Harold Bird!
Now, darling, if I’m to write to the children I’ll have to close. I really am glad to hear that Michael is behaving so much better. It’s one of the best – only ONE of the best – things you have written to me. I worry about him you know because, as you say, he can be such a likeable little chap and quite the little man when he tries. Do you think he takes any notice of my letters and are you still persevering with the “responsibility” test?
Finally, we had a simple Morse test today. Very simple and I should think we all got through alright. An officer came up to the civvy college from Torry and seemed quite satisfied with the quick glance he had at the papers, although he took them away for closer scrutiny.
I really must go now, pet. I got out early but already it is getting on for 8.30 and I still have the children’s notes to write.
Darling, I do still love you and am looking forward to getting the details of your holiday fixed up in the next week or ten days. All my love, sweetheart. I know you are feeling more cheerful these days and that means I am, too. I love you, precious.
Ever your own,
Arthur X
Dear Michael,
Aren’t you a lucky boy? Fancy getting a shilling off Uncle Eric and buying such a lovely aeroplane with it. You must be getting a big boy if you can go to Hiltons and buy things like that. Will you show me your aeroplane and the boat with a gun on it when I come home? I saw a boat with a gun on it in the docks today. Mummy will tell you what the docks are. The gun is bigger than yours and bigger even than the one I have to shoot with. What a lot of money you have in the pocket of those nice clean trousers. Mind you don’t lose it. Perhaps you had better put the shilling in your money box in case it falls out of your pocket. A shilling means 12 pennies, you know. Your bedroom must look nice with a clock and a mirror that moves. I will see them when I come home again and tuck you in at night.
Mummy wrote and told me what a good boy you had been and that you had eaten up all your meals. She also told me that you had grown bigger. You know if you are going to grow into a big strong man you must do three things. You must eat up all your meals, you must learn to do everything by yourself, and you must play out in the street and in the garden as much as ever you can. If you do all these three things, not just one or two of them, you will grow into a big man after you leave school. But you must do them ALL now.
Before I go to school in the morning, do you know where I am going, son? I’m going to the baths for a swim. That is why Mummy has been washing my bathing costume. It is a lovely big swimming bath nearly as big as the one we went to at New Brighton when we went on the boat. Do you remember? Only this one has a roof on it. One day, soon, I hope to go skating on some ice in a big building here with a lot of other sailors who go to school with me. I think this is all I have to tell you just now. But I am glad you are learning to be a good boy. Night night, son.
Love from
Daddy
Dear Wendy,
Thank you for your nice letter telling me all about your party. I am glad that Michael and you and all your friends had such a good time. I was wishing I could be there and I thought of you when I came out of school because I thought you would just be having tea then. That was at 5 o’clock. I wonder if you can read that figure five which I have just written? I’m so glad you liked the brush and comb set which Mummy and I bought for you. What a lot of presents you got and wasn’t Michael good to buy you a sewing card set? You will soon be able to sew like Mummy. Don’t forget to send me the elephant one, will you? I want to see how clever you are so do it all carefully for me. Don’t hurry too much. With all the money you got you will be able to buy lots of things. And Mummy has a sewing machine now? Was that what you wanted to tell me in your last letter, but Mummy said you must not because it was a surprise? Have you heard when you are going to go to school? Write and tell me on your very first day at school, won’t you? When I came home from school today I had to go past the docks – that is where all the boats live when they are not far out on the water – and I saw a lot of boats. Not very very big ones, but like the one Uncle Harold was on before he went on to the big one he is in now.
Mummy told me how you washed your hands and brushed and combed your hair all by yourself. I think you are a very clever girl. When I am going to come home to see you in July will you make yourself all nice and clean to come and meet me? I would like you to because it will save Mummy such a lot of trouble, won’t it?
I don’t think there is any more to say just now except that I am glad you are such a good girl for Mummy. She tells me how much you help her in the house. Night night, love. When I come home can I tuck you in bed like I used to do?
Lots of love from
Daddy