Saturday, December 2nd, 1944

My darling Joan,

Do hope you are well and having a nice time. We are all thinking of Christmas now and hunting the shops, but it is rather a hopeless job. All things that are off coupons are a ridiculous price, and it’s the little things for children that we miss. For instance, I saw yesterday quite a small wooden “pull-along” toy in rough wood and it cost 5s/3d⁽¹⁾ (well over a dollar, I think, and only worth a few cents!) We are going down to Orpington for Christmas and must take the children something. I found the body of John’s old wheelbarrow in the shed and Daddy has made a really nice job of it for Brian and painted it green. You couldn’t buy one like it in the shops. He is now making a bead frame for either Margaret or Christine, but after that we are stumped. I am hoping that next Christmas you will be home and we can have a nice family party here and I’m quite sure that wish will come true.

We almost had a family gathering last weekend. You see, Uncle Arthur was on Embarkation leave and arranged to say goodbye to Uncle John here. We all clubbed together and gave him a leather cigarette case as a souvenir, and Uncle Charlie (who had bought it) came with Margaret on the Saturday and stayed. Uncle John was very lucky and had 48 hours leave and he and Auntie Olive came Sunday. Wished Nanny and Auntie Rosie had been here too and then all my family would have been complete, but Uncle Arthur had been to Orpington the weekend before and Nanny couldn’t face saying goodbye to him again. I had 10 people to dinner and 10 to tea – quite a crowd. We had some fun and Daddy took some cine pictures. He brought the film home yesterday and it’s very good, especially for indoor pictures. Arthur has to go abroad and I am still hoping something will turn up to stop him. I know it sounds selfish, but he hasn’t finished his training yet and he is so much older than the others in his unit. The call him “old’un”! and we don’t think he could stand the strain. If he had been deferred in his job a few months longer, he would have been above army age.

Mr. and Mrs. Kemp have had their Christmas present from Janet and John. Some more cine film! This is the third year they have sent it and it’s so nice to have. They came round Friday evening and Daddy ran it through for them. It’s so nice – the American colours are more deep than ours, due perhaps to the hot sun. This one was mostly of John, but one shot showed Janet posting a letter to her Mummy. Your post-boxes aren’t a bit like ours, are they?

Anne has just come home from Sunday School⁽²⁾. She said it was toy Sunday and they should have taken something to take up to the Vicar, but she forgot. Anyway, her teacher had taken some books for those that had nothing. I expect it is for the hospitals.

I do hope Auntie Mary is quite well, and Uncle Carl and the boys too. I have just thought – we haven’t sent you a picture of Anne in her Brownie’s uniform. Daddy must get some copies of it – they are good. Will you ask Uncle Carl if he has posted the coloured picture of you?

Much love to you, darling
From Mummy
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