Sunday, November 7th, 1943

This letter is unfortunately incomplete.

... be the taller by at least 1” but Anne has grown quite a bit this Summer. They had a very happy birthday and have written you little notes with Daddy’s letter this week. We had Dora Gleadhall, Patsy Gaze, Alan Slater and another little girl called Anna Batley in to tea. I made a date cake as Anne doesn’t like fruit cake, and we put 7 candles on it and I found some bonbons (crackers) I had bought 2 years ago and it all made fun. After tea we had all the usual games, and you should have heard the noise! You’d have thought there were 60 children instead of 6! Daddy was just taking the last one home when the sirens went, so we were very lucky to have finished our little party before “Jerry” came.

Nanny came down the Friday before the twins’ birthday and we were so glad to hear that Margaret hadn’t got whooping cough after all. It was a very bad cough and she was sick, so it did give everyone a scare, but it went to her chest after a day or so and now she is quite better again. Nanny gave Anne an Enid Blyton book called “Tales of Betsy May” which she has read all the way through herself, and John had a model airplane to be made up. Daddy has cut all the pieces out with a fret saw but it will be an awful job fixing it together. We gave Anne a jump rope, and John a model tank, and they had books and about 10/-⁽¹⁾ each from different people, so they were very lucky indeed. Last weekend was school half term and they had Friday, Monday and Tuesday as holiday, and Friday afternoon Nanny and I and the twins went to the movies and saw Bing Crosby in his first coloured picture. When we came out I had to take Anne in to Mr Wallis (who is quite close by the Cinema) as one of her second teeth at the front had grown up behind the first tooth, which was very loose. I was afraid it would stay crooked, but he said it would straighten up in time, but if the loose one didn’t come out in a week, to go back. So back we went this Friday and he had it out in no time. Anne was a very good little girl and made no fuss at all, but she was very proud of herself afterwards. Last Saturday Auntie Rosa, Uncle George and baby Brian came for the weekend to take Nanny back to Orpington – they went home Monday afternoon. It seemed so strange to hear a tiny baby cry in the house again, but we all loved having him, and it seemed very quiet after they had all gone home. We have planned to spend Christmas at Orpington this year – it will be the first for 7 years we have spent away, and I think the twins will love it. Auntie told me that Uncle George has already bought a tree, but goodness knows if he’ll find anything to put it on. Expect he will borrow some fancies to dress it, there’s nothing like that for sale now.

Auntie Mary’s cousin, Colonel Powell, had written to say he was attending a wedding at Watford last Saturday, and would visit us afterward if there was time. We were very disappointed when he didn’t come, but weddings are long affairs and I didn’t really think there’d be time as it gets dark so early now. Anyway, I do hope he will be able to visit us while he is in England.

Well darling, how are you all? Do hope everyone is well. I expect by the time you receive this letter you’ll be getting excited about Christmas. I have got a book for you and Sandy, but haven’t yet found one for Teddy. Must get it this week or it will be too late. Daddy has been to the bank and sent some money to Uncle Carl to buy you and the boys something for Christmas since there are no suitable toys here. We do hope he will get it in time.

Please give Auntie Mary my love and I hope everything is well with her.

With best wishes to all and lots of love and kisses to you sweetheart.
From Mummy
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