Saturday
R.N. Transit Camp, HMS Lynx, Dover
Dearest,
First of all, an alibi! Letters are not likely to be as frequent from here as they have been in the past. For one thing they’re censored, which must slow things down a good deal, and for another collections are obviously not à la Leicester Square. I know what you are thinking about – leave! Well I’ll put you out of your agony. We’ve had it. And that is that. Jackie nearly had a fit when we even mentioned it!
Since we have been here our time has been taken up with routine things so there’s no point in going over all of those. Tom and I met the officer under whom we will work and he seems quite a good sort – rather on the lines of Jock Grossett – and he’s an ex-newshound. Funny that, isn’t it?
There’s nothing else to tell except this: don’t worry. It looks as if our luck has held good and this may turn out to be a very good thing indeed. Beyond that I can’t go at the moment, but I’m not just being bright and cheerful. I hated leaving the other place to go anywhere but we might have gone to much worse places than this, after 18 months. We have been utterly and completely ruined and any place must seem a bit grim after what we have been used to, but I’ve no doubt that when we settle down we shall be OK here.
There is some lovely country round about and we are hoping to get out a good deal on our off days, for Tom and I have managed to arrange that we get into the same 24 so that we will have our spare time together, which is a help.
Well, love, that’s all about this business. How are the children behaving? Hope that Michael’s head is alright now. He seems to be in the wars lately. From the little I have seen of the countryside – mostly from the train – you’d like it round here and the miles and miles of orchards would certainly make the children’s mouths water. Incidentally, the famous cliffs of Dover do, unlike most famous places, live up to their name for they really are white. So far I haven’t seen any bluebirds over them!
I’m sorry I missed the opening of the Children’s Zoo today, for I should have been interested and could have written the children at some length on it. Still, it can’t be helped.
I must try to drop a line to Mother and Dot some time over the weekend. Meantime, give them my love if you should see them in the next day or two.
Write by return, won’t you? It seems ages since I had a letter and I don’t suppose I can hope to hear before Wednesday at the earliest. I won’t promise to write every day but I’ll write as often as I can. By the way, any news from the BBC yet?
Bye for now, love, and take good care of yourself. Hope the cold is better. All my love to you and the children.
Ever your own,
Arthur X
May 271944