大象传媒

16l Revidge Road,
Blackburn, Lancs.

15th January 1941
My dearest Annie,

Your letter reached me just after I had sent off a letter to you. Although you sent it by air-mail, Marjorie鈥檚 card arrived a day earlier. Yours had been opened by the censor too. Next day came one from Mabel, enclosing a cheque for 拢6 for which very many thanks. I have written to Lysbeth and asked her what she would like but there has not been time yet for a reply. They are all right so far and have not lost anything except some windows. These are not to be replaced by glass at present, in case of another bomb blowing them out so it won鈥檛 be very cheerful inside, will it? However, so many people have lost all their possessions that you are thankful to have a home at all.

We have had a very cold spell then a milder week then a few days of intense frost followed by a sudden thaw which has made it impossible for me to go out. Florence came home with her boots wrapped round with rags and even then she was sometimes on her hands and knees. I had a letter from Pat and she says the whole of Kirkcaldy is frozen up and nearly every house has burst pipes and ceilings down! They have been lucky so far and had only one pipe frozen and they managed to thaw it with a hot water bag. Billy loves the snow and they can hardly get him in from the garden. He has a pair of Wellington boots and objects strongly to having them removed in the house. Pat & Willie have both got bad colds. I hope we can go to visit them at Easter, but that will depend on whether trains will be available. Things are very quiet at the moment but that may be the lull before the storm.

Florence is in Manchester today at a meeting, so she will see for herself the damage done by bombs. It is a horrible form of warfare.

I had 3 sandbags delivered at my door the other day. The very sight of them depressed me as I am expected to heave them on a fire bomb if one is so misguided as to fall through our roof. We have formed 鈥済ood neighbour鈥� groups, each group 10 houses, and have all plans made and each person told exactly what to do in a raid. I am down as a 鈥渓onely woman鈥� so will be specially cared for. Florence will have her club to look after so can鈥檛 take care of the house and me as well. There are sandbags at the foot of every lamp-post in Blackburn and spotters on the tops of factories and public buildings, so we are ready for anything. Of course we trip over the sandbags and grumble but if no-one else appreciates them, the dogs do!!!

I have never heard anything of the Serfs and it seems impossible to get any letters through. We have a Dutch friend Mrs Viesman and even she can鈥檛 get any news of her father and mother and sisters. She has not had any letters since Holland was invaded and does not know if her letters to them got through. She is very worried, of course, and has tried every means of finding out. 鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹��(censored) wives and families may never see them again. Isn鈥檛 it cruel?

Willie鈥檚 age group has now been reached so he will likely be called up soon. Pat will be very upset. He is already a member of the Home Guard but only in his own town and always living at home.

This paper is a bit thin to be writing on both sides but it is the last of it and I may not get any more as paper is very scarce and we must economise. If I don鈥檛 use too much ink it will be all right I think.

I did write and thank Ian for the photos he sent and would very much like to have some more. There were 12,000 bags of mail from U.S.A. lost in the two weeks before Christmas and I expect a great many from this side are also at the bottom of the sea.

Florence and I both bought stockings. They have gone up in price and we both needed them but were just 鈥渕aking do鈥� so your gift was much appreciated and we are grateful to you and Harold and thank you both very much. I have told Pat about the 鈥︹�︹�︹�︹�︹�︹��. (censored).

I had a letter from Anne. She and Bert are going home for a week鈥檚 leave next month. She is quite excited about it. I am very pleased, too, because she has taken a post in a canteen for the troops and is saving the money to help get things for her house after the war (speed the day).

No marmalade oranges are to hand and may not be at all which is a great miss. I have got 2 grapefruit (9d each) 2 lemons and 陆 doz. sweet oranges and having saved some sugar - no extra available - I will see what I can do with that. Last year鈥檚 marmalade is not quite finished but I made a lot last year as there was plenty of fruit then.

Florence had her birthday banquet at the club on Sat. and it was a great success. There were nearly 100 people including the Bishop and the Mayoress. They had potatoes baked in the oven - 30 lbs. of them - corned beef and chutney and jellies and creams. Also a birthday cake most of the ingredients given; and iced by one of the girls (icing is forbidden in shops) and tea, coffee and lemonade (made by Florence) so that was a pretty good spread for war time. The Bishop had 2 large potatoes. He is very tall and handsome - the best looking man in the whole Church of England and very genial.

I was at a lovely concert last night by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Sir Adrian Boult, one of our 大象传媒 conductors. On Friday we are going with the Colliers to see Charlie Chaplin at 鈥淭he Great Dictator鈥�. They are coming here for tea before we go. Have you seen it? I believe it is very good. Mrs Collier is 鈥渢wittery鈥� because she expects her husband will be called up very soon. She will likely take his place in the school as she was a teacher before her marriage, and having no family, she would not have enough to do and not enough money to keep on the house without earning some. Family life is all being upset. It is a shame.

Florence left at 9 am so Ross did not get his usual walk and he is looking at me very reproachfully. However, I am not going and he will have to content himself. He always expects to go with me to the post when my letter is finished, but I am leaving it till tomorrow as it is very cold and stormy.

With warmest love to all of you and to the rest of the family. I hope the girls are happy and successful in their new venture. Was your Christmas party a great success?

Florence sends her love too and will write when she has a minute to spare!

Your loving
Mother.

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