Letters to America

Friday, February 19th, 1943

Darling Joan,

Today we have received the wonderful news that we are to go to Buckingham Palace early next month(1). How I do wish that you were here to go as well, but never mind, I will certainly write afterwards and give you a very exact account of all the things we saw. Really they have told me that I can only have two tickets for the family, but I have asked for three, explaining that there are twin children, and you cannot take one without the other, so I hope that we shall get them. If they only send two, then neither will be able to go.

We have been having one or two really sunny days, and now we are thinking of all the things we have to plant in the garden and on the allotment(2). At last the ground is beginning to dry up a little and we are able to do some work on it. This weekend will be a busy time, if the weather holds.

The eight baby rabbits are now fine and every one of them appears to be healthy and well. They have their eyes open now, and although they prefer to keep in the nest where it is warm, they will scamper about quite a lot, if you disturb them a little. They are very pretty and attractive when only two weeks old, as these are. Just like little kittens, The babies love them, and Sylvia has turned out a very loving and attentive mother.

You asked in your last letter if we knew a song called "I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas". Well Joan, we not only know it, but at one time we had it on the radio every day, at breakfast, dinner and tea, and then again just before going to bed. The craze now is for "Kalamazoo" and it looks as if we are going to have it now until we are sick of the sound of it. Still, it’s a good tune.

We have finished reading "Pinocchio" to the twins. They enjoyed it immensely, and of course they read much of it to themselves. Anne especially is a very good reader for her age, and she simply loves reading. Now we are busy reading "Little Lord Fauntleroy" to them. Nanny bought it some time back, but they don’t seem to be very interested in it, and I’m not surprised.

Cheerio(4) for the time being. Sorry there isn’t a “Sunny Stories”(3) this week, dear.

Lots and lots of love from your
Daddy
xxxxx
xxxxx

  1. This was for the presentation of the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) medal awarded to Joan's father. See 9th January, 1943 and 20th March, 1943.
  2. An allotment is a small area of land in a town which a person rents to grow plants and vegetables on.
  3. Sunny Stories was a children's magazine published in the United Kingdom in the first half of the 20th century.
  4. People sometimes say 'cheerio' as a way of saying goodbye, especially in British English.