Wednesday
Aberdeen
By now, of course, you will have received my letters giving the news of the arrangements which have been made and I am expecting to hear from you any day on that subject. If Bill Veacock finds a better train for you, and if anyone can he is the lad, let me know at the earliest possible moment so that I can get a plan mapped out in my head. If you can get here before 9 o’clock there is the advantage that we have our sports day on Fridays and can usually get away from school by about 4.45, so if your train is due to arrive anywhere about that time I could still meet you. Mind you, I doubt if the trains will be very much behind time at this period of the year. The only thing that delayed us on the way here was the fact that there had been an air raid and an accident on the line. For three-quarters of the journey we were dead on time, but when the train had to be diverted we not only missed our connection but the train after that as well. Instead of leaving Edinburgh at 9.30am we left at 2.30. In view of that I should not worry too much if you do have to catch the train due here at 9pm although, naturally, it will be better in every way if you can get here earlier in the day. Anyway, get that train business fixed up as early as you can and let me know the result as soon as possible, then, according to the time I can let you know what are the possibilities of my seeing you.
When you do come up there are a few things I would like you to bring up for me if you can find room for them. What will you do about cases? Have we one big enough for you? If not, don’t hesitate to ask Eric for I think he has two or three very good ones, but tell him you want one you can carry and not a portmanteau. Perhaps you could manage a case and the small weekend case. There will be a few things for me to give you, only small things, including that group photograph from Skeg, which is even worse than the other but I want to save it because of all the lads on it.
This is being written under great difficulty and against time. There is a gathering of the lads in our room and, as one of them is a married man going on leave tomorrow he is, as you can imagine, getting lots of good advice from all the single lads!
What did I want to ask you? Oh yes! Will you get me some razor blades – for slotted razor – and post them up to me as soon as possible? If you can manage it I’d like them for the weekend as I’m right down on blades and I don’t want to have to buy Blue Gillettes, they’re far too dear.
I’m glad you had such a nice time at the Rosses’. Madge and Hughie are good and when I get a chance I’ll write them, but just now time is very precious indeed. I have a fair load of stuff to write up tonight so I must go now, but before I sign off – get in touch with Eric about the case, it will remind him about the fare!
All my love, darling. Hate to leave you but I must.
Always yours,
Arthur X
Apr 221942