Wednesday
London
Dearest,
First of all, I’m heaps better today. Dot gave me some black capsules which she said had cured a cold for her in 24 hours and it has certainly killed mine off. My head is really clear now and it has not got down on to my chest as it usually does. I turned in yesterday afternoon and after two hours woke up feeling tons better. I’ve told you all this first so you won’t worry.
A letter has come from Jane for Jack and Dot this morning, but of course I don’t know what’s in it yet! The interesting point is that, if there’s no airmail to India there certainly is one from India for this was only posted a fortnight ago! Who told you there was no airmail? It’s funny it should operate one way only.
I don’t think there was anything I forgot to mention in my letter yesterday, except to say thank you for the ‘D.P.’ competition cutting which I haven’t had time to read intelligently yet, but which I’ll look at this afternoon on the 88 while going up to cricket. It is a glorious day and I think a day’s loafing in the sunshine will do me good. I’ll be getting the fresh air without getting tired out. Then I’ll come home and I WILL get an early night tonight. While I remember – I’ll probably be going to Robin’s on Sunday so would you like to post a letter to reach me at Admiralty on Monday, instead of Dot’s on Sunday, as you usually do? Otherwise I will get a letter from you on Saturday and then none until Tuesday – which seems a terrific gap, doesn’t it? Incidentally, Robin’s wife has apparently been looking out for your article for he said he hadn’t seen it in this month’s ‘Housewife’, but was amused by an article on the adverts in papers. Did you see that one?
Sweetheart, there is, apart from banned subjects, a dearth of news and views today. Yesterday was proper humdrum, what with my cold and work and there has been nothing of real interest. I got hold of the P.O. Wren of our watch yesterday, a nice type of girl, and asked her to tackle Jackie about leave. She’d already done so and although they can usually get almost anything out of him, he’d said it was out of the question! That is that, it seems.
I’m sitting at the back of the flats writing this and it is surprising what a difference this height makes. I’ve just heard a couple of very distant rumbles of gunfire, which means there’s probably a minor engagement in the Channel. Several times I’ve heard the gunfire up here but you can’t hear it on the ground. A few weeks ago there was a day when it lasted for well over an hour and I thought the balloon had gone up. Next day the papers reported a clash of heavier than usual intensity in the Channel involving one of our new warships, the presence of which had not previously been reported.
I don’t think there’s anything else to add, really. The children would have a holiday today, I suppose. Hope you made the most of it. I’ll be interested to hear what sort of a scramble there is at the Perry party on Sunday. That woman has the heart of a lion!
Well, love, that’s all for today. Bye now and all my love to you. Ever your own,
Arthur X
May 241944