Letter from Mrs Payne, mother of Flight Sergeant Malcolm Payne, to Doris Weeks

Letter from Mrs Payne, mother of Flight Sergeant Malcolm Payne, to Doris Weeks

Writes about studio photograph of Malcolm. Talks about local dust storms and cleaning up. Catches up with Doris' birthday news and mentions 'Fred and Maggie' and their exploits. Catches up with family and acquaintances news.

1944-12-30

Two page handwritten air letter

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EPayneMLWeeksD441230-02

[underlined] No 2. [/underlined]
Watervale
[underlined] 30.12.44 [/underlined]
Continuation –
My dear Doris – Here I am again. About Malcolm’s Studio photo, I mentioned it in a recent sea mail letter. I hope the wool will be correct shade for you. Will send you another lot later. Who knows, that non stop weekend flight may even yet transpire. Our weekly dust storm yesterday was appalling, it was impossible to see a hundred yards away quite early in the afternoon & it continued until night. Was up at daylight this morning cleaning up & by noon had everything looking nice & despite the fact that my back was broken & I had housemaids knees I felt quite smug & self satisfied, only to see, to my horror, another dust storm coming. However it has kept to the hills this time. What a glorious birthday you had, Doris! And such lovely gifts! I hope your prayer is answered, it was a lovely thought, turning down the glass. We were amused to know Malcolm still remembered “Fred & Maggie” – we’ve had many a laugh over them but oh! they were weak! Maggie especially was the dumbest person ever. Freds greeting every evening was “Yoo, hoo Maggie I’m home [underlined] dear [/underlined]. By hove I don’t know, a man slaves all day at the office only to find – such & such – usually Maggie had given his best suit to a beggar, or the twins had crawled down the drain & got stuck! Getting back to your birthday – thank you so very much for your kind thought in sending us some cake – we shall look forward immensely to receiving it. Doris will be having her 21st early in the year, & I’m puzzled as to what to give her. She has a lovely lot of linen & glass ware set. They have bought a beautiful bed roome [sic] suite & have it here. I don’t know whether I mentioned this before? So Doris just comes & goes feeling quite free to do so. Incidentally your letter to her came yesterday & Pop re-directed it, as she is now in the River district, cutting [indecipherable word] for drying. They certainly see some country.
[page break]
I am feeling a bit anxious about Don B’s mother. When she spoke to me on the phone she particularly emphisised [sic] the fact that she was sending off a letter to me that night & I haven’t heard from her. She sounded very upset & rambled quite a lot, I’m afraid she may be ill. However, I have written her so hope for a reply. She is taking things very hard, she didn’t give up hope, & now things seem so utterly hopeless she is distracted.
She sent me a beautiful book of poems called “This, my son”. They are really lovely. Two of my young nieces are staying with me for a week & its lovely to hear then running & yelling, after the quietness. We have felt so utterly lost the last 3 years without our boys. Please give my love to your mother Doris & I shall answer her letter just as soon as I get in a supply of letter cards as these are the only two I have on hand. I pray for you, & with you day & night. Our fondest love. Yrs sincerely
M.L. Payne xxxx
Sender’s name and address:-
Mrs. F. Payne
Watervale
Sth. Aust.
Miss D. Weeks
37 Hawthorn Rd.
Bunkers Hill
Lincoln
England.