Wednesday
Chiswick
Dearest,
Things have been very quiet again during the last 24 hours except that we have been invaded by a shower of civvy girls for training by our girls. The first day, of course, they have all been as sweet as pie to each other, but what they will be like at the end of the week I can’t say! The lads are greatly intrigued, as you may imagine.
Today is halfway through already and we have only been up for an hour or so! We were flat out, as is my wont, when we got a hurried alarm that the charwomen were on the horizon. We got over to the Crypt just in time to miss breakfast and are now going for a walk to work up an appetite for dinner!
I haven’t had a letter from you today yet so there’s nothing to answer from that source. I’m looking forward to hearing your ideas on the plot. This warm weather here keeps making me think in terms of gardening.
The latest rumour here is that we are to work 48 hours permanently. It is quite possible because I do know that the people here have been trying to get a bigger staff of tapists and as they can’t get them they may try to meet the shortage in that way. If that happens, I don’t know how they will work leave in the future. But I suppose we will have to get this leave over first! Still, the fact that they are so short-handed means that they are not likely to be in a hurry to get rid of us. One reason I am anxious to stay is to get hold of a good stock of things from slops. This is the best place in the world for getting stuff if you are only sure of being here long enough to collect them.
What did Mother have to say when you saw her? I wrote about two days ago and she wrote back to Dot a couple of days ago and funnily enough Dot didn’t, as she usually does, show me the letter!
Well, love, as I said at the beginning, there’s no news. Bye until tomorrow and take care of yourself. All my love, precious.
Ever your own,
Arthur X
Jan 201943