Letters to America

Tuesday, June 3rd, 1941

My dear Joan,

Thank you very much for your nice letter. I was delighted to get the newspaper picture of the group and I think it is an excellent likeness and Auntie Mary and you and Teddy, and I feel quite proud of it. You are lucky people to have so much ice-cream and chocolate bars. They are rare treats over here (chocolate I mean) and the ice-cream is not very good. I do hope you have sold lots of tickets to the County Day Fair because it will help the children over here. You will have great fun and we will be thinking of you next Saturday.

When you wrote you said it was Arbor Day(1). I’m afraid we have never heard of that. Will you tell us what it is and all about it? And I would like to know the name of the school you go to. I know I asked before, but I expect my letter went down. Is it Brighton School? You sometimes put Brighton in your address and Alan Dingle goes to that school. Well darling, I know you would like to speak to us over the radio, but I don’t think we have to make arrangements. I think Mrs Dingle said they did nothing about it, but I will be seeing her tomorrow and I will ask her all about it again. They live in Weighton Road, near the end on Mrs Kemp’s side, but Alan is a year older than you and perhaps you didn’t know him. It would be so nice to hear your voice again sweetheart, but I wish it could be here at home. I will let you know next week what Mrs Dingle says about it.

So you have found a little baby, Robin, to play with. You always liked babies, didn’t you?

Yesterday was Whitsun Monday, and in the afternoon we took the bus to Watford and went in a big park there. We were lucky as they had a big fair on in aid of the British Red Cross and it was quite a surprise. We didn’t know anything about it. There were boat-swings, roundabouts, darts, Punch and Judy shows(2), and a donkey ride and all sorts of things. There was also a large space ringed off for horse shows. John and Anne just loved all the excitement, but would not go on anything – they are too young yet.

Last Wednesday Beryl and Hazel came over with Auntie Nellie and Uncle Arthur. And they played very nicely with John and Anne. I am enclosing a snapshot of Daddy in his Home Guard(3) uniform. I think it is very good, don’t you? I did receive the snapshots of you with Polly and Cricket Ogden and I thought they were all lovely groups, but I particularly liked the one you sent me on Mother’s Day of just you. I loved it and Daddy likes the one of you and Sandy taken by the truck. There wasn’t one of you three children taken with Auntie Mary’s cousin who is Commander in the army. Perhaps it didn’t turn out so well.

Mrs Wickenden asked me to send you her love. She is always asking about you, as is everyone who knows you. I am sending Auntie Mary a newspaper clipping that says some mails have been lost. I do hope it doesn’t mean our birthday parcels to you have gone down. Dora posted hers two weeks ago, and Nanny sent you an Enid Blyton(4) book last week. Hope you get them all.

Now it is so late I will have to write to Auntie Mary tomorrow.

With lots of love and kisses to you from Mummy, Anne and John
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Arbor day is a secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees.
  2. Punch and Judy is a traditional puppet show featuring Mr. Punch and his wife Judy.
  3. The Home Guard was an unpaid armed citizen militia supporting the 'Home Forces' of the British Army during the Second World War.
  4. Enid Blyton was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have been translated into ninety languages.