Letters to America

Saturday, December 6th, 1941

Darling Joan,

This hasn’t been a very exciting week, because John has had a nasty cough and although he is better now, Anne has caught it and woke up this morning with it. Tonight she is a lot better and they lay in bed laughing and joking for a long time before they went to sleep. They were to have started Sunday School(1) this Sunday but as they are not very well and there is a lot of illness about, they will have to stay away.

Mummy went on Wednesday to a special party given by an American lady, Mrs McMaster(2) (Auntie Mary will tell you who she is), and she had a lovely time with all the other mothers who have their little girls and boys in America. She saw the film of you all again and enjoyed it very much.

The twins have got tired of making paper chains and our decorations for Christmas are only three parts finished. The last packet of papers they had, they mostly tore up into pieces. Colouring pictures in books is their favourite pastime now, but I expect they will tire of that soon.

Mummy is busy tonight making Anne some pyjamas with a very pretty printed design on the material. Anne is always very proud of herself in new clothes, and she is looking forward to wearing these.

John spends most of his time learning to whistle, and he is getting on fine and is sometimes able to get a little tune out. He is a serious little chappie, but he and Anne get on fine together.

Do you listen to the Bob Hope(3) programme, we get it relayed over here on Sundays. We cannot always see the joke but it must be good because the audience enjoy it so much. I wonder when I am listening to it if you are listening too. I believe that the relays have finished now.

Well Joan, dear, it is now ten o’clock, so it is time to have some supper and get off to bed. So goodnight and cheerio(4) until next Friday evening.

With lots and lots of love.

From your
Daddy
xxxxxxxxx

  1. Sunday school is a school for religious teaching usually for children and young people and usually a part of a church or parish.
  2. It has not been possible to identitfy Mrs McMaster.
  3. Bob Hope was a British-born American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years and achievements in music hall, network radio and television.
  4. People sometimes say 'cheerio' as a way of saying goodbye, especially in British English.