大象传媒

16l Revidge Road,
Blackburn, Lancs.

1st December 1940
My dearest Annie & Harold,

It is difficult to believe that we are now in the last month of another year. On looking back it is even more difficult to believe that only a little over a year has passed since the beginning of this terrible war - it seems aeons. I suppose that some day it will end, but at present it looks as though it would go on for ever. So far, we have been very fortunate in this part of the world and nothing very drastic has taken place. Lysbeth & Ernest have not been so fortunate as they are in a very dangerous zone and for 8 weeks never had a night鈥檚 sleep. They have an air raid shelter in the garden and spent most nights there, and even when they stayed in the house they slept on the floors downstairs under the billiard table. They all came here for a few weeks rest and the night before they left a bomb fell near and their doors and windows were blown in and part of the roof blown off and the greenhouse shattered. None of them were hurt tho鈥� dazed a bit and Lysbeth banged into a door in the darkness and had a huge bump above her right eye. They spent the rest of the night putting up barricades and came off by car early in the morning. They all looked worn out when they arrived here. We were all just starting to our supper when three loud bangs were heard and didn鈥檛 they all jump! I said they must have brought the raiders with them. Florence was on her way home and came in shortly after and I was glad to see her. No siren had sounded either and of course there was a fuss about that. Nothing more happened while they were here so they had a nice rest and soon looked very much better. Lysbeth looked about 100! They went back very reluctantly and I missed them very much as I liked having company while Florence is out so much. The roof had been repaired when they got back and they were given felt to cover broken windows as no glass will be supplied at present as it might be broken again! A pleasant prospect. We had our longest raid last Thursday, 8 hours it lasted, 8 pm till 4 am. No damage was done here but we saw shells and flares and heard bombs and guns. Florence and I went to bed shortly after midnight but most people spent the night in their shelters.

Kirkcaldy is still on the map and they write cheerfully. Billy is now running about, so will be getting into all sorts of mischief. Willie is still working on the 鈥淒aily Express鈥� and is also a member of the 鈥淗ome Guard鈥� so is kept hard at work. He seems to thrive on it. If he looks thin in the photo, it is just the kind of a face he has! The deep line is really a dimple, you know - like mine. He weighs over 12 st. though his looks belie him. 鈥淗e hath a lean and hungry look鈥�! They have an underground shelter in their garden, too, but I do not know if they have yet spent a night in it. Of course the shelter par excellence is the one at 5a Bruce Road. They could all live in it for months if their house were bombed. They have hot and cold water and cooking facilities and even the sanitary arrangements are as good as those in the house.

Edie writes cheerily too. Bob is discharged from the army as he had a gastric ulcer, but he is a member of the 鈥淗ome Guard鈥�. Edie feels lonely as Anne has gone to Andover (near Salisbury) to be with Bert who is at present stationed there. Robert was in Wales but has recently been moved to Edinburgh so gets home occasionally for a weekend. Bob is working at his old job with Graham & Parrata, (office furniture). Uncle Willie is doing Gov.work with Eva鈥檚 brother Edward (Bossie!) and they are well. Alice has two boarders and seems to be getting on all right. She is a poor correspondent but I daresay none of us write as many letters as we used to. Postage is high and delivery slow and for abroad, uncertain. Your last letter took over a month to reach me. I sent it on to Kirkcaldy and have not got it back yet so don鈥檛 remember if there is anything to answer. I have put off writing hoping to have it but can鈥檛 wait longer. I am very busy at present and have just finished new covers for couch and chairs. I had cut out a coat for Florence before the family descended on me and it is still cut out! While they were here we also had Miss Carroll from London for a weekend and had to make up a bed for Florence in my room. It reminded me of old times 鈥淗ouse Full鈥�. Then we had a lady from Prague for a night and her story of her escape from Prague and the 鈥淕estapo鈥� would make a good thriller. She is a Czech and could not speak English when she reached this country a year ago. She is young and very pretty and charming - clever too as she is Dr Slonkova - not medical but educational degree. She has a post in Manchester and came to speak at the club.

Aunt Maggie had a cable and a letter from Margaret who has settled down with Andy in Calcutta. She set out for Delhi but evidently got a cable at Capetown to make for Calcutta instead of landing at Bombay. She enjoyed the voyage very much and there were no untoward incidents on the way. Molly and her boy are still at Millport, but Jim is in Edinburgh. Children are better out of big towns. Pat & Willie went for a night to Edinburgh to visit the theatre but, though they sat through the show they were worried about Billy as there was a big raid on and they could hear bombs dropping near. As soon as they got back to the hotel they phoned home and Nanny was up too (all night). They went home first train in the morning after spending half the night in the hotel basement, so I don鈥檛 think they will go again. A thrilling life, isn鈥檛 it?

There was a good story of a letter from one of our men, a prisoner in Germany. All letters of course, are strictly censored so he wrote to say how well he was treated and how comfortable he was and good food etc. etc. He added 鈥淭ell all my relations and friends how well off we are - above all, tell it to the Marines鈥�! This was passed by the censor in Germany.

Florence is very busy just now with plays for Christmas and I, too, go down every Saturday to play the music for the nativity play by the wee ones. They are sweet.

It is early to be wishing you all a Merry Christmas but there may not be another mail before Christmas so I send you best wishes and hopes for a more peaceful time before very long. Nobody here will really have a Merry Christmas as too many people are losing everything they possess and not one of us knows from one day to the next if their home and possessions will be left to them when the year draws to a close.

You are all helping too. There goes the siren so that means another raid. Florence is at the club and won鈥檛 be home till 10 and it is now just 8 pm. I will go out to the back and listen if planes are overhead. If I hear anything Ross and I go under the stair, otherwise I just 鈥渟tay put鈥� and hope for the best.

I don鈥檛 hear anything yet so will carry on. Florence is always worried when she hears planes over the club especially on Sunday and Monday nights as she has over 100 young lads and lassies on these nights and feels responsible for their safety.

Ross has a very bad eye just now. It must have been torn by another dog or a cat. (There is the 鈥渁ll clear鈥� so the raid has just passed over without dropping bombs. Somewhere else will be having it unfortunately). He is very good about letting me bathe it. A fortnight ago Florence went to the cottage in the afternoon and took him with her. He went off after a rabbit and she had to come home and leave him - 4 miles away. He returned home at 2 am a very tired and weary looking dog. Instead of scolding him we were so relieved to see him we heated some milk for him. We had both gone to bed, sure he was 鈥渘ot lost but gone before,鈥� but I lay and read with one ear on the door which was left half open! He has not gone far from the gate since.

It is now 录 to 9 and the national anthems of all the allies are played every Sunday before the 9 o鈥檆lock news. It always makes me smile to hear our announcer giving out 鈥淭he National Anthem of the British Commonwealth of Nations鈥� He sounds so proud of it.

There was a talk after the news. No name was given but the speaker said that our attitude towards the war and bombing had changed during the year and to him it seemed as if a toughening of the spirit took place, just as new tissue and skin formed over a wound. I had not thought of it like that but believe it is so, as we are not afraid now as we were when, at the outbreak of war, we expected to be bombed out of existence within a few weeks. 鈥淔ear not, for I am with you鈥� saith the Lord.

Here is Florence safely home once more.

We both send all of you our fondest love and good wishes.

Your loving
Mother.

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