大象传媒

鈥凌丑辞尘补谤鈥�
57 Balwearie Road,
Kirkcaldy, Fife.

20th February 1944

My dearest Annie & Harold,

What a thrill! I have seen Ian. The phone rang last Sunday evening and a voice asked for 鈥淕ranny鈥�. I nearly fainted when on asking who was speaking, (I was not quite so grammatical, 鈥淕ranny to who鈥� was what I said!) The voice said 鈥淚an鈥�. He was at Mabel鈥檚 and had only till Monday afternoon off. So I arranged to meet them in the forenoon at Queen St. station in Glasgow and I did not sleep all night. Willie drove me to the station for the 9.20 train. The train was late and Mabel met me as Ian had gone for a hair cut. He was waiting for us and I guess was as excited as I was. We all had lunch at the Grosvenor and then did some shopping and before we knew it, it was time for him to go. We saw him off for Gourock at 3.20 and the time was all too short but I would not have missed it for anything. He is a lovely boy, your son, and looks like both of you. I hope he will get more time off next time so that he can see other members of the family. If Willie had had time to arrange it he would have gone with me, but he could not just leave everything high and dry. There was no time to get in touch with anyone else and Mabel and I felt the time was too short to share it with anyone else. After his train left we were both limp and Mabel said 鈥淲e will go home and have a cup of tea and rest鈥�.

I am so pleased to have that lovely picture of Ian & Pat & Willie are also charmed with it. The chocolate too is a treat and we are all agreed it is far better than any we get here at present, thank you very much. Also thank you for the parcel, which did not reach here till the last week in Jan. - the day after Florence returned to I.o.M. after 10 days holiday here. Billy was delighted with the gloves and wore them all day! I gave Pat one pair of stockings and am keeping the other two for Florence, as I wear only grey, all my other wearing apparel being black. The chocolate in the parcel was like the snowflake on the river - 鈥淎 moment seen then gone for ever鈥�! The other contents are being shared by all and we particularly liked the salted soups(?) and Billy loves the cocoa. Junkets and Jell-O are reserved for warmer weather. We have had a mild winter on the whole and very little snow. I was glad Monday was a sunny day and Ian would get a lovely view of the Clyde from the train. He came up by bus on Sunday night and it was very dark and with that and the black-out he could not have found his way out to Mabel鈥檚 so phoned from St. Enoch鈥檚 Hotel and Jimmy & Mabel went in for him. Mabel is looking very well and Jimmy better than I have ever seen him. Both are working very hard.

Florence had a sharp attack of 鈥榝lu just before Christmas and looked a bit thin and tired when she got here but much better when she left. She looks very smart in her uniform - dark grey suit with blue shirt and tie, heavy overcoat to match, black felt hat, black shoes and gloves and grey stockings. When she left here she went to Blackburn for two nights as she had a meeting in Manchester then from here to a conference in London and a weekend with Lysbeth - with an air-raid thrown in! Then back to arrears of work in I.o.M.

Muriel was home for the same weekend and she & Lysbeth & Ernest are all well. Lysbeth was very anxious to have me there for the winter but I don鈥檛 feel equal to such a journey under war conditions. Trains are required for other purposes and you can鈥檛 even be sure of a seat. If I had been there, too, I would have missed Ian. Unthinkable! I sent Ian a cable on his birthday but he does not seem to have got it. He may have left before it arrived and you will have it. Thanks for yours. There has been no letter from you since October.

This is our maid鈥檚 Sunday off and on these occasions Pat and I have a field day in the kitchen. Today鈥檚 effort has resulted in 16lbs of marmalade (Pat) and a large gingerbread cake (me). We have been lucky enough to receive a large consignment of bitter oranges this year and the shops are full of them and look all the better for the touch of bright colour in their windows instead of being hid under the counter 鈥渇or rationed customers only, Madam鈥�! The snag is that very few people have any sugar saved up and so are unable to take full advantage of such rare abundance.

I was surprised to learn from Ian that you hear from Uncle Robert now and then. I don鈥檛 even know his address so if you have it you might let me have it. His boy is in the air-force and was on the eve of going off to the Philippines when that was ended and he did not go. I guess his parents were greatly relieved. He may be over here for all I know and if so I would like to see him. You would like this house that Pat & Willie have acquired after a long and arduous hunt. The design is very unusual and most attractive. Tomorrow I will try and draw a plan of it (don't laugh, Harold, I won first prize in geometry a long time ago!) just to give you an idea of the layout. The garden is good too, but in very bad order having been sadly neglected since the owner died three years ago. It will be lovely in summer time and a French window opens from the dining room into a loggia which is a perfect sun trap. The front overlooks a park. My bedroom, above the drawing room, faces the park and has hot and cold water supply.

Billy is a grand wee lad and very handsome. He has a very strong will and needs a firm hand, but he will need all this determination if he is to get on in the post-war world. At least we hope it will be post-war.

Hamish is excellent with his hands, but his school work seems to be very poor. His last report was very bad so Pa and Ma went into conference and spoke to him very seriously on the subject. He listened just as seriously to what they said and then remarked 鈥淢r Churchill wasn鈥檛 very far up at school鈥�!!!.

I sent a birthday present to Marjorie c/o Ian. If he goes off round the world before reaching home again it may be rather belated. Best wishes to her, anyway, and lots of love. I long to see her too and all of you.

Warmest love, Mother.

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