Wednesday
Aberdeen
My Darling,
This being Wednesday, I’m not back at school so I’ll try to give you an account of the holiday. I think I told you Sunday morning was occupied with invasion stuff. Monday was as bad here as at Liverpool; in fact it seems to have been bad all over the country. It was raining when we got up about 8.15 so I had breakfast in my pyjamas, washed some of my clothes, wrote to Eric at last and then had dinner. In the afternoon we went to the flicks and saw “I Wanted Wings”, a typical Hollywood story of the U.S. Air Force. Back to tea and afterwards letters to Hughie and Durham. Early to bed after that, but I felt better through getting three long-overdue letters away, even though I had to neglect you to do it.
Many thanks for your letters each day. I had one from Dot and Jack today as well. They are expecting to be in Litherland for a week from July 6th, but there’s still no news of a move to Liverpool.
Last night, after school, I went up to the bus terminus to meet Ralph’s girl who is staying at Aboyne and had been in Aberdeen for the day. She seems a very nice girl – the very dark attractive type – and Ralph is obviously the centre of her life. I hope he is not going to let her down, although I have my doubts as to whether he will do anything definite while the war is on. She was only supposed to be here for a weekend, but she has wired her office saying she is staying until next Sunday! She is obviously very much in love and wanting full married life! Perhaps you can sympathise with her! I felt sorry for her, as I always do for girls genuinely in love with someone in the forces. It must be pretty tough, but wartime marriages have such a nasty habit of coming unstuck in the humdrum days of peace after that you cannot blame fellows for steering clear of marriage until they come back.
One thing, though, is that she and her friend, with whom she is staying, have very little consideration for the pocket of the lads in the services. They went for a drink in the cocktail bar of the Douglas, where they don’t sell draught beer, went to a dance for an hour or so and then calmly proposed going to the Caledonian, which is the Aberdeen equivalent of the Adelphi. Percy made up the foursome and was justifiably a bit peeved, for the evening cost him about 10/- and even though he does get civvy pay it is scarcely fair, especially as he is apparently being roped in again on Thursday night. Thank God I’m at night school! Anyway, I just couldn’t do it, and that is all there is to it.
The two girls left at 10 o’clock and by very pressing invitation we went back to Mrs Smith’s because she had a fortune teller in. That was the last thing I wanted but I have refused so often that I couldn’t very well get out of “crossing the lady’s palm with silver”. It would have looked very bad. Anyway, I went and had my fortune told with cards and crystal. Mother would have revelled in it! Boiled down it came to this: that I had been bitterly disappointed this week (how true with 47% in this week’s S.B.X!), but that I was mostly disappointed for the sake of other people who are affected (meaning you and the children I suppose). Still, I’m not to worry as things will straighten themselves out sooner than I expect and I will achieve all my ambitions in this direction (keeping up the morale of the fighting forces!). I’m also to expect good news, lots of it, and money (no specific quantities!). So there you are. As you can imagine, Mrs Smith’s women neighbours were thrilled to bits. They thought her very wonderful. Percy, of course, was not a bit thrilled. As usual he made himself out to be a perfect cynic but later, by chance remarks, showed he was just as impressed as the women. Anyway, that’s that.
Now, about school. As you will see, I’ve improved this week – by exactly two marks! The daft thing is that I dropped 14 marks on the English and only two on the French. That, of course, shows I can take the stuff but present speeds are a bit high for me – the French being sent more slowly, about two words a minute slower. However, this week – that is, today – I have gone on to a slower table for practice with Sim our instructor. In addition he has lent me a regulation key to use with my tapper. Best of all, though, is the news that the instructors are trying to get out a scheme where they can decide who is going to go back at nights, irrespective of marks. If it comes off, Frank and I may be excused on the condition that we do really work at home. There’s no fear of that! We would get through a lot more on our own and would probably learn more, besides improving our sending. This would be a great advantage as, under the new leave scheme, we have to average at least 90% to get away on the Wednesday. To get 360 out of 400 marks is going to be a bit of a teaser, isn’t it? Things are certainly getting hotter. When we were at the Aberdeen Wireless College we started at 9.30. From today they start at 8.30, which is about the same as us at Torry. Still, it may be all to the good for we may find it a big help at Scotia.
Well, love, there you have all the news, I think. Glad to hear all the horticultural news and to know you have been able to tidy up the garden a bit. I know how you feel about the front garden. I used to feel just the same, but don’t you go pulling any of those big slabs about. They are far too heavy for you. You might do some permanent and very regrettable damage to your innards if you tried to lift them, for they took me all my time to lift some of them. Glad to have news of vapours, by the way!
So you’re having trouble with all the children going through the garden? Sorry to hear that, but I suppose it’s inevitable with me being away. Kids nearly always take advantage like that. The news of the children’s reactions to their holidays is very interesting, as you can guess, for I sometimes miss them terribly. As you say, it’s a good thing no permanent damage has been done to either of them, but I think home-formed habits are bound to win out in the end. I’m dying to see the children again. What are the chances of a snap of them in nice summer frock and blazer suit? I know July is not far off, but the only pictures I have are more or less winter ones. All this is intended to convey that you must never apologise for being “long-winded” about the children, or for that matter about the house or the garden. I have a nostalgic mood on me tonight, and such a thing is always both dangerous and rather upsetting. I have been tempted to visualise leave, but that would unsettle me for days on end and just at the moment I cannot afford such a luxury.
So down to earth with a bump. How did you like the kippers and are they any saving to you? If they are not, let me know and I won’t bother any more. Their chief advantage, I thought, was that they were one way of repaying people who have been so good to you. Are kippers scarce in Liverpool? I thought that perhaps I might send a half box to Hughie some time at the office and then he could let Algie have some and perhaps one or two of the other people. Don’t say anything to him about it in case it doesn’t materialise, but let me know if you think it worth the trouble and expense. I’ll have to wait until I’m a bit more in funds, but I’d like your opinion as soon as you can. What do kippers sell for in Liverpool? 6d or 8d a pair?
While we are on mundane matters, will you let me know if you want any seeds and if you think them worth the postage?
Another thing I thought of the other day. If there are any special household things you want which I can get here for you to store away, send me a list of them a fortnight or three weeks before I’m due home and I’ll collect them slowly, make a big parcel of them and send them to Waterloo station for you. I was thinking chiefly of things like brushes etc, and even a shovel! Anyway, think it over and let me know later what you want, if anything, but for the love of Mike don’t leave it until the last minute.
Well, sweetheart, I think this is all. I have made this a long letter because I won’t have much time tomorrow and your weekend letter will probably be very brief. I don’t need to say I love you – or do I? And it is so nice to be loved, and missed and wanted so much. Look after yourself, my own, until I’m home again.
All your very own,
Arthur X
who, incidentally, wants you very much right now! Bye, angel.
May 271942