Letters to America

Sunday, April 27th, 1941

My dear little Joan,

Thank you sweetheart for a very nice letter. It was written on Cricket’s birthday and you were going to have dinner with her. I hope you all had a jolly time and that she had a Happy Birthday. It’s funny to me to think of you not having a tea-time, but I expect you are used to it now. In the letter I had from Auntie Mary last Monday she said you were just having lunch and had eaten three helpings of stew! My goodness, what a big girl you will be when you come home, but you always liked stew with dumplings, didn’t you (like Daddy does).

On Friday morning very early Dora came knocking on the back door, and when I opened it she stood with her hands behind her back and said “Guess why I’ve come”. I just looked at her face and it was beaming, so I knew. “You’ve had a letter from Joan,” I said and she laughed. She was so very pleased with it – and it had gone through her own letter-box and been passed by the censors(1). She took your letter to Mrs Thomas on Saturday, and she was very pleased to have it. Dora said she will write to you again. In case you don’t get it, I will tell you she has passed her music exam – got 83 marks so will have a 1st class certificate like your last one. Do you like your music teacher? How many scales and chords do you play now? And have you nearly learned your ‘Gypsy Dance’? I was very interested in your school papers – some of it you never did here, did you? I thought the ‘times’ sums were too easy for you, but I expect you are doing harder ones now. Wasn’t it fun when Sandy and the others went in your grade to read stories? They must have been proud of their gold star.

We are all keeping very well darling, and thank you for asking. Daddy has mended your scooter (- do you remember the wheel was off -) and John and Anne take turns around the garden. I looked out of the kitchen window this morning and I did laugh. They were both trying to dance and singing. John holding the ends of his trousers and Anne her coat. Then Anne bowed and John went down on one knee – like you taught them. They are always talking of you.

We have just listened to Mr Churchill on the radio(2). It was broadcast to America and I wonder if you heard it.

Well cheerio(3) darling – we are just off to bed. Lots of love and kisses from Mummy, John and Anne.
Xxxxxxxxx

  1. All letters sent abroad were censored by government officials who removed unapproved text with scissors or blacked them out with a marker. Only one letter to Joan was censored: see the letter of 5th February, 1944.
  2. The text of this broadcast is available here.
  3. People sometimes say 'cheerio' as a way of saying goodbye, especially in British English.