Letters to America

Saturday, November 20th, 1943

My darling Joan,

We are having an extremely cold spell over here. All this week there have been frosts, but this morning it was so thick it was like a thin layer of snow everywhere and very slippery. The milkman told me that on one road his poor horse(1) was slipping all over the place – very dangerous. We don’t usually have such cold weather until later – very often after Xmas.

About 10 days ago, John had a very bad cough and I had got it almost better when it started up again. I found that they had been out to play without their coats – from a hot classroom – and that was very wrong, but I suppose they were so eager to play. Anyway, the cold is much better now and he hasn’t been queer with it. I hope you and Auntie Mary and all the family are well. It’s so long since we had a letter (over 5 weeks) and that was written Sept. 2nd!

Last Wednesday, Daddy went along to Kodaks(2) to hear Miss Honeybun speak. She is over from the States, and he said she was very interesting. I couldn’t go because of the twins – it would have been so late before they’d have been in bed and there’s school in the morning. Next Monday some of the classes are changing round and the twins’ class is going in another room, so Friday John brought home some of his drawings that had been pinned on the wall. Their class is planning a little play, or rather a circus, to do at Xmas before some of the other classes. John is to be part of a horse and Anne hopes to be in the dancing. Of course it’s all very hush-hush, but I can tell you. They were getting quite excited about it this week. Anne has been wearing the red plaid skirt Auntie Mary sent over, and she looks very well indeed in it. It is very full and she likes anything that she can spin round and make fly out in a balloon. I have been very busy lately reknitting a pink jumper for Anne out of an old one of Auntie Rosie’s. Then I made 2 little woolly hats for baby Brian. Also, when I put John’s Winter vests on, they were so short I have had to knit a piece on the bottom. He couldn’t have grown that much – they probably shrank a bit too.

This afternoon I took Anne for a walk round the Common(3). It was very lovely; the sun was shining and the air crisp and cold. John would not come, he preferred to go to the allotment(4) with Daddy who had some digging to do. There are no more leaves on the trees but the grass is still a beautiful green, and would you believe it! We had some roses from the garden. We picked them as buds and they opened indoors.

We have just heard the 9.00 p.m. news and the American Commentary after it. I was glad to hear that in America all men who had children before the war will not be called to the forces. That was good news and one reason is because it must be such a worry for mummies who have little children and their daddies are away.

Well, goodnight, darling. Keep well and happy. Give my love and best wishes to Auntie Mary and all the family.

Lots of love
Mummy
xxxxxxxxxxx

  1. In those days milk was delivered daily to the home by a milkman with a horse and cart.
  2. Kodak is an American company that produces various products related to its film photography. The company has its headquarters in Rochester, New York. Joan's father was an assistant superintendant at Kodak's factory in Harrow and she was evacuated to Rochester in 1940 as part of a scheme organised by the company.
  3. Common land is land which everyone is allowed to use.
  4. An allotment is a small area of land in a town which a person rents to grow plants and vegetables on.