Thursday
Chiswick
Sweetheart,
So I forgot to call you anything in my last letter, eh? Well, that shouldn’t worry you a great deal for you know most of my vocabulary by now and at one time or another I think I’ve used it all on you! The explanation is probably that someone was overlooking, or was in a position to overlook, my letter. And I hate being in that position.
The Xmas problem is full of difficulties, not the least of which is the uncertainty of everything. At the moment the indications are that I will still be in this country, but even that is not CERTAIN, nothing ever is. On the score of money, I must confess that I’m hoping to get some from the office – the real reason I’ve been so anxious for Hughie to have my address – and some from Jane. From these two sources, quite apart from the possibility of Eric dropping a quid or so, I’ll get enough to buy small things for you and the children. Send that clothing coupon book along or I’ll buy stuff in the black market through one of the lads I know here and then, as you know, I’ll have to pay through the nose for them! Please yourself, love, but there it is.
As to other people’s plans, all I know is that Dot and Jack are buying only for the children and for Mother, and Lilian and Eric are doing the same, or so they assured me when they were last at Crosby. Beyond that, of course, I cannot go and I only hope that information will do something to offset your nightmare.
Although they have not definitely made up their minds yet, I doubt if Jack and Dot will be home for Xmas because Dot was only saying on Monday that as this woman has taken the front room everyone will be more or less confined permanently to the living room. She will miss the visit home, though, and she made some reference to the possibility of Lilian putting them up. So it shows she’d like to get home if she possibly could. I doubt if Jack is very keen and if I’m still here he might see me as an argument for staying in London for Xmas, especially as I shall be off duty that day. Not a word of all this to Mother, of course. So far as she is concerned you don’t know if they are coming or not. As soon as I know anything really definite about their plans I’ll tell you.
Just before I leave this Xmas subject, one final thing – send the book of coupons together with official indication as to the number of coupons I can use and some suggestions for yourself and the children. I may have to use coupons and I may not, but I want to have some in case of need and I also want to use any money I MAY have sensibly. Now, no nonsense on this subject because I won’t be any more silly with coupons than without them.
I think Wendy’s letter cards, by the way, are a good stunt and they will help to balance Michael’s tank as personal effort towards their Xmas. How much have you to pay on the doll Wendy got? And is it clothed, or are you going to clothe it for her? And possible additions to the Xmas card list are
Hughie et fam! (De-dah)
Norah and Ivor
Geo and Hennion.
Will you add them to the list if you think they should go on?
I was interested in Wendy’s “off-white” knitting, and also in her own puzzlement (what a funny word) as to what it is going to be. Soon, heaven preserve me, she will be wanting to knit things for Daddy.
I have just had a brainwave. If Slack does get a Xmas tree, and if I am not at home for the holiday, what chance of Dave getting a picture? I’d like that and I’d also like a really nice one of you when you feel strong enough to face the camera. A photograph I would like, if there is one to spare, is one of those postcard enlargements of Michael taken from the Polyfoto pictures.
What do you think of the Beveridge Report? I wonder how much of it will be shelved? You can bet there will be a bitter fight to whittle it down bit by bit while we are all gagged, politically. I always knew that sooner or later social and life insurance would have to become a fundamental care of the government and, if it is held up for a time, it certainly will come. Oh well, we will see sooner or later how little the people will be fobbed off with. Some time I must get hold of a copy of the report and digest it. I can’t see a grant of £10 leading to a great flood of babies and I’m not clear as to the qualification for drawing the 8/- a week for children under 16 years of age. This age, incidentally, seems to take it for granted that secondary education, in the universal sense, is not going to go beyond that age for some years to come. At the other end of the age list it is surprising to see the suggestion that people should work to a greater age. The unions will probably have something to say there.
Well, it’s interesting to see that I’ve been right on some of these things. But these days I’m just about as politically dead as it’s possible to be.
Many thanks and those of Jack and Dot, for the cutting about the raids. That’s another book I must get hold of.
Well, angel, I must be off before I succumb to a coma induced by your last couple of paragraphs in the letter I found waiting for me when I went home yesterday. Precious, I still love you, more and more. Some day I’ll hold you and know that I need never let you go. What a day that will be. Until then – and after then – all my love, sweet, and let me know how you are feeling after a few days on the medicine.
Bye for now, love.
All my love.
Ever,
Arthur X
Dec 031942