Saturday
Skegness
Darling,
This is being written outside camp, in an ancient church schoolroom which is converted at night into a little canteen by the W.V.S. It is in a little village called Ingoldmells, about two miles from camp. Quite a pleasant little walk in the opposite direction to Skegness. The canteen is in a typical country school. One tiny room with desks pushed back against the walls, a real fire in one corner, a radio in another. We can buy cakes, tea, etc here and the prices are ridiculous. We have had beans on toast, trifle and tea – 7 1/2d. What do you think of that? It’s only when you are in a joint like this that you realise what all these women scattered all over the country must be doing for hundreds of thousands of fellows away from home. I’m surprised, but thankful, that there are not more fellows here. Less than a dozen at the moment and I don’t suppose there will be many more now as it’s about 8pm.
Tonight and tomorrow I’m going to try to answer your last four letters, rather than write one of my own to you. First of all, how is Wendy? Is her throat better and have you had the doctor in? If you did, did you get him to look you over too? How is your cough? I do hope it is getting better. Mine is a good deal better but I still have a cough which I do not expect to lose until we leave here. If you can get some more of those tablets and forward them in any parcel you may be sending – gloves or pyjamas – I’d be glad of them. We are still getting snow almost every day, but it is not very bad and today seems a bit warmer. On the question of woollens, I’ll try to put Mother off the Methodist knitting circle. One of the lads in the chalet has lent me a pair of gloves which have improved things considerably.
I left Sick Quarters on Wednesday and the following day had the full normal routine of drill. It is quite enjoyable in this weather. Since then we have been duty class which, as I think I told you before, consists of doing odd jobs all over the camp. The C.P.O. put me on some soft jobs because I had just come out of Sick Quarters. Actually the class did no actual training while I was away and I have had only three days’ proper training although we have been here nearly three weeks. That is no good for it may keep us here longer than we should have been.
By the way, did you get any peaches? Or was there a rush? On the question of rationing, soap was rationed three days after we got here. Isn’t that our luck? On pay day we were issued with two soap coupons. If I can save any up for you I will do because they can be used in outside shops. I sent more things to the laundry (free!) last week and got them back today. The towel was quite good, but the underpants had shrunk badly, although they could stand it as most of the issue woollies will!
Many thanks for the ‘New Statesman’s. I haven’t had a chance to look at them yet, but hope to do so tomorrow. I don’t hear the news and only see a paper now and again.
That was a good idea about teaching Wendy the value of money. It will help her at school. The next step is to let her spend her own money actually in shops. that will help to give her a sense of value.
Sunday
About the gates. This, of course, has been going on for a long time in other districts, and actually should have reached Crosby long ago. I’m speaking from memory, but I think the local authority had to inform people that gates and railings would be removed, but if they had to give each individual warning, I’m not certain. It may have been sufficient if they advertised in the local Press. To save gates and railings you had to prove that they were either of special artistic or historic value, and I doubt whether the people you speak of could do either! Otherwise I believe they can claim so much per ton for them!
Your parcel and note arrived after I had gone “ashore” on Saturday. Many thanks, love, they are lovely and warm! A bit big in the palm, but they may shrink a bit when they are washed – but NOT at Butlins! As you can probably tell by this writing, it’s damn cold here again today and quite apart from that I’m writing this in the Scout Hut in the camp, just an ordinary army hut and the wireless is going full blast with a repeat of last night’s ‘Saturday Social’. Not conducive to concentration!
Glad to hear Wendy is improving. Just while I remember I will send you that 11/6 for the ’jamas. You will want any extra few bob you may have. I have been going carefully here and I’m going to see if I can get through this fortnight on service pay, although I spent a few bob yesterday. For one thing I had my picture taken and should be able to send them to you by the weekend. Big laugh for you!
I made several efforts to ring you from Ingoldmells last night. First of all we had to go along to the local Post Office and ask them to switch the line through to the call box at the other end of the village! Then we got a warning, which made things fairly hopeless for an hour or so (I believe they got a plane down) and finally when I did get through a bloke I was with said a special constable was getting worried about us as, according to him, it was after 9.30 and we were more than half an hour from camp. I had to give up and was really annoyed when we got back to camp and it was only then 9.35! I wondered if the phone rang and you were disappointed.
There were lots of things I wanted to tell you but I simply can’t concentrate with all this noise. I don’t need to tell you that I love you, do I sweet? I do miss you. I’ll do you the world of good when I come home. Just see whether I will ring the bell or not! Oh darling, just to be in bed with you. Wow! Can we send the children away and spend 7 days in bed? Bye for now, my darling. Take good care of yourself. You mean so much to me. All my love,
Arthur XXX
P.S. The weekend seems my only real chance of writing long letters so I’ll make a habit of sending shorter ones during the week and trying to answer all your letters on Saturday and Sunday.