Monday
Chiswick
Hello Sweet,
Another two days of duty finished – and what a couple of days! Sheer murder, to say the least of it, and this morning finished on a real annoying note. The bloke next to me – the best worker in the place by far – suddenly had dumped on him about half as much work as I would get through in a watch. And that only an hour before we finished. Just to spite them he cleared the lot in 50 minutes! I sit fascinated just watching him when he’s in that mood. He is such a good sort, too, and is particularly thoughtful of people who can’t move at his speed but are willing to pull their weight. About the same time our officer of the watch came along with a bloke, who was evidently a big shot although in civvies, and it turned out they had been timing messages through all the departments. Our boss seemed satisfied, thank goodness, but I don’t suppose it occurred to him to point out to the civvy bloke that we were then within half an hour of completing 48 hours! Both of these incidents got the lads a bit rattled.
I had so been looking forward to your letter this morning because I thought the photographs would be in it! I’m not grumbling, love, your letters are always welcome, but I just thought Dave would have given you the prints by the weekend. Send some on as soon as you do get them, won’t you?
What bad luck about Wendy. Do you really think it is the old stuff breaking out again, or isn’t it more likely that she has been re-infected from some source – school books, for instance, are ideal “carriers”. I hope you manage to confine it to her hand this time.
Fancy Stanley having been in the Navy for six months. It doesn’t seem anything like that time. Somebody should kick Audrey in the pants for the way she treats him, although I must say I think he has largely got himself to blame. I’d like to see you getting on a bus just as I came home! Don’t worry, my love, if ever you were to give me a welcome like that, it would be the last leave so far as you were concerned.
Sweet, I’m not trying to back out of the panto, you know that, but as it may be years before ‘Peter Pan’ comes again, I’d like you to take the children to that instead. Wendy is absolutely at the right age for it. At the age of ten – and she might easily be that before she gets another chance to see it – she might easily be in the doubtful stage about fairies and that spoils the show for them. Perhaps a day or two beforehand you could tell them the story of Peter Pan again just to refresh their memories. I would far sooner they saw that this year if it can possibly be managed.
So you are worried about being an old hag of 28? That must mean that you are tired of – or disappointed with – being married to a decrepit old gent of nearly 36 with, so to speak, one foot on the borderline of middle age! Don’t be daft. You are a smasher at 28 and will be at 68! To me 28 seems to be a bit of a girl! I hope you enjoyed the pictures and that the children enjoyed your party! What a business when you have to throw a party to pacify the kids. Still, it’s a good habit that may yield some good excuses for a binge when Michael gets a bit older and starts bringing “old hags” of 28 home. Only 24 years from now, love. How do you like that thought? And the picture of me playing risky games with them at 59. I only hope Michael will be strong enough to lift me on and lift me off.
I’m glad you liked the things and that the hood came in useful so early. I was worried in case you had already bought one.
You will know by now that we had a raid last night – and another in the early hours of the morning although as we were deep down we didn’t know anything of that one. We had just started supper at Westminster YMCA when the guns opened up so we hurried through our meal and went to see the fireworks. It wasn’t a very good night for seeing things, but even so this new defence seems pretty colourful. We were discussing how few people were killed or injured by shrapnel last night and dismissed the chances as being very remote. This morning we heard that two people were killed on Westminster Bridge by shrapnel – a couple of hundred yards from where we were! It was only then that I recalled the official warning issued some months ago about the added danger from shrapnel since this new defence was introduced. I know you never take any risks in raids but thought it as well to remind you and perhaps you’ll impress the children if there’s any likelihood of day raids. The lads amused themselves during our walk trying to count how many Yanks they could see out watching the fun. We had no difficulty. We saw two!
Well, love, there’s nothing more to say except, of course, that I still have a slight affection for you and am, in many ways, rather looking forward to seeing you! I’ll say! All my love, sweetheart, and take care of yourself.
Ever your own,
Arthur X
Jan 181943