Saturday, June 19th, 1943

My darling Joan,

We had a lovely letter from you and Auntie Mary yesterday. It’s nice to know you are very happy – you seem to enjoy every minute of the day. The game “Birds nest” you played at Scouts is a new one to me. How do you play it? I used to play “Consequences” – we had strips of paper and answered questions, passing the paper to the next person after each one so that when the papers were read at the end they were very funny. Was that your game? So glad you had such a lovely time at Barbara Herman’s party and won 2 nice books, but fancy eating ice cream and cake etc and then going home and having soup and dumplings! You always did love dumplings and I can see they are still a favourite dish.

Thank you very much, darling, for the pretty “Mother’s Day” card. I received it last Saturday quite safely and I do think it was sweet of you to think of me.

I expect Auntie Mary felt very comforted with your little gifts. So nice to know people love you, and wasn’t it sweet of Teddy to go out in the rain and pick violets. Last weekend was Whitsun, and Daddy had Saturday and Monday off and John and Anne had a holiday Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. On the Friday previous, Anne went to a little friend’s birthday party and had a very good time, but John wouldn’t go, although he was asked. He doesn’t like going out much. On Saturday Daddy and I and John and Anne had a little train ride to Carpender’s Park and took our tea. We had it in a field next to the railway and the twins spent a lot of time standing on the fence watching the trains.

We had an early dinner Sunday and then went to Auntie Rosie’s. We just missed the train at London and had to wait an hour for the next one. It was annoying. We stayed until Monday evening. Mrs Law next door was very kind and fed our rabbits for me. We took two with us for our dinner on Monday and they were delicious. You said you couldn’t eat them after keeping them, but that is just what I keep them for. We get so little meat that the bank holiday time would be so awkward without something to fall back on, but I will not keep rabbits when meat is more plentiful. They take so much feeding.

We went to Auntie Maud’s on the Monday morning to see the new baby. Christine is her name and, oh Joan!, she is so sweet. You’d love her! We took Margaret back to Auntie Rosie’s to play with John and Anne, and after dinner the three of them went back to Auntie Maud’s and had tea with Margaret.

Now, Joan dear, I have another surprise for you. I know that you will be delighted to know that Mrs Gleadhall had a little son last Wednesday. Dora was disappointed at first. She had hoped her Mummy would have a little girl, but he is such a lovely little chap she can’t help loving him. So if the war is not too long, you and Dora will still have a “live” baby to play with, won’t you?

I’m glad to know your Victory Garden is doing so well and you have so much up already. Our allotment⁽¹⁾ is going very slow – the garden is doing better and we have had some nice lettuces. I picked some gooseberries today and bottled three jars ready for the Winter, when there is no fruit at all. I think too we will have a good crop of apples, though heaps have fallen.

So you have all seen “Desert Victory”! Glad you enjoyed it – it has been shown here some weeks ago, but I didn’t go. I think there would have been too much fighting in it for me. The “Black Swan” was on our cinemas this week and we remembered you had said how good it was, so Nanny and I took Dora and the twins Wednesday afternoon. We all enjoyed it and thought the colours were beautiful. Then when Dora got home, the new baby had arrived and there was great excitement.

You ask if Johnny still comes around. Do you mean the ice-cream man we called Johnny Jingles? No, dear, he doesn’t come any more and there is no ice-cream made at all anywhere, so think of us next time you have some.

I was glad you had heard the broadcast. You must write and tell us what you thought about it. I cannot tell you just how proud I am that you are doing so splendidly at school. You must be near the top of your grade. 14 E’s is fine and you must have worked hard. I do think you deserve an E for care of Person – especially as your teacher noticed you have nice finger nails now, but perhaps that will be an extra E next time.

Did Sandy get his book in time for his birthday? I hope so. Next Wednesday will be your birthday and we will be thinking of you all day and hope you have a Happy Birthday. But all your days are happy ones, aren’t they? John keeps coming in and asking if I’m nearly finished. He’s starving and wants his tea.

All my love, darling, and lots of kisses from
Mummy
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