Letters to America

Tuesday, September 19th, 1944

Darling Joan,

Everybody here is very elated this weekend because the black-out(1) has been partly lifted and as you walk out now after dark you can see cheerfully lit windows. They must still be curtained so that you cannot see objects within, but it is wonderful to see how brighter the dark side streets look. In the main roads it makes no difference because the shops all close early now and so they are in complete darkness anyway. Street lighting of a kind is allowed but after five years they all need repairs and there are no men or materials available to repair them. Some people think the black-out should have been kept until the very end, but I think it could have been lifted a year ago and I am glad they have done it at last.

The children loved it, we had a job to get them indoors. They were thrilled with the novelty of it.

Grandma is staying with us for a while, Uncle Dick having brough her over on Sunday afternoon. She cannot get about very well but will enjoy the change of air.

On Saturday we had a cricket match between Kodak(2) executives, Superintendents and Foremen. I took John and Anne along (Mummy couldn’t come) and they had a wonderful time, mainly because of the ad lib tea. When we resumed play after tea they were still at the table eating cakes. The foremen won by five runs, quite an exciting finish, and on our side Mr Amor, whom you met in Rochester, covered himself with glory. I am afraid the rest of us were not too good, but with a little luck we could have won.

We have now gone back to ordinary Summer Time of plus one hour which is good in the mornings, because plus two hours in September isn’t too good at seven by the clock and five by the sun.

Cheerio(3), dear, I don’t think it will be long now before you will be making plans for your return. How do you feel about it? Very mixed, I expect.

Lots of love, darling, from
your Daddy
xxxxxxxxxxxx

  1. Blackout regulations were imposed on 1 September 1939, before the declaration of war. These required that all windows and doors should be covered at night with suitable material such as heavy curtains, cardboard or paint, to prevent the escape of any glimmer of light that might aid enemy aircraft. External lights such as street lights were switched off, or dimmed.
  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. People sometimes say 'cheerio' as a way of saying goodbye, especially in British English.