Letters to America

Wednesday, February 7th, 1945

Darling Joan,

We have just got your New Year’s letter and are glad you had a merry Christmas. What a lot of nice presents you had, but what is a “beanie purse”(1)?

All our snow has now gone, thank goodness, and it is much warmer. For this too we are glad for there is much shortage of coal and on some mornings gas and electricity were cut off in some parts. We weren’t affected in the Harrow district, fortunately for us.

Last Sunday a second cousin (I think) of mine who lives nearby brought her little boy Peter to tea and also to see John’s steam engine working, with which he was thrilled. His Daddy was killed recently in Italy and his Mummy is only just getting over the shock.

You certainly are a film fan, Joan. Mummy and I went on different nights last week to see “Dark Waters” which I thought very thrilling. I went on Thursday alone and Mummy went with Mrs. Kemp on Friday.

I am planning to take the children to see “Sunday Dinner for a Soldier” which I think they will like, judging from reviews of the film that I have read. Have you seen it?

The war news is so good now that every day we talk of your homecoming. I think soon some definite plans will be made and then we shall start to count the days.

Cheerio(2) for now from
your Daddy
xxxxxx
xxxxxx

  1. Beanie Babies are a line of stuffed toys filled with plastic pellets ("beans") rather than soft stuffing. The toys came in many shapes, mostly animals. A Beanie Purse was a purse shaped like an animal.
  2. People sometimes say 'cheerio' as a way of saying goodbye, especially in British English.