Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Number 41. He writes about Ursula’s attempt to buy a house and the parcels and letters he has received. He also mentions their outside shelter and converting it to tool shed and of his chocolate store. Writes of his tribulations with learning to play the fiddle.

1943-05-24

Two page handwritten letter

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EValentineJRMValentineUM430524

Start of transcription
NUMBER. 41.
24th MAY 1943
Dearest Ursula: I was very happy today to receive your letters 52 & 54. I now have 1 – 56 & 60. I was very much annoyed to hear how the estate agents had let you down by not informing you of the sale of the house before you undertook that wretched journey. As I’ve told you I prefer the idea of renting but am not entirely “agin” buying if you see something you really fancy. I should put the [inserted] absolute [/inserted] maximum price at £1500 [inserted] (£1,000 much better) [/inserted]. We should have to borrow for the deposit (say 25%) & the remainder at a repayment rate of 16/- for 20 years would be slightly under £100 which I regard as quite high enough. You see I don’t know if my office prospects are as rosy as they were when I started serving H.M. King. Don’t worry in the slightest about extra “land tax” because we recover what we pay from the lender of our mortgage but local rates should be watched – CAREFULLY. I must say I’m greatly taken with the thought of the possibility of your acquiring a home. My congratulations to Young & Moir. Thank the Lowes for sending tobacco – it ain’t come yet. Contents of 4th parcel noted & I will use your dental floss – please don’t send any more clothes unless I ask – I have too many already. If you could get a metal tea pot (big enough for 4) & a plate they would be greatly appreciated. (Have asked Ast for same) Delighted to hear of your holiday in Sussex – I have read quite a lot about the new way of growing tomatoes tec. – most interesting. Pity you can’t get the outside shelter either made serviceable or dug out & given to the nation for scrap. I [underlined] KNOW [/underlined] it can be made watertight & quite inexpensively too – if only you could get the right contractor & it could be used as an additional toolshed. Hope your dental tortures are over, successfully. Am looking forward to playing with the lighter when it comes. I hate the thought of robbing Frances of her chocolate ration. I have a little store of it now since your Mother’s last parcel had 3 large slats & I haven’t been eating the Red X chocolate which we sometimes get because I can’t taste. I have had a dreadful week of depression over my fiddle – nothing I attempted went well at all. Unfortunately I haven’t a real “gen” teacher although Harry Friend does his very best for me. I’m certain that I hold both fiddle & bow wrongly & don’t know how to correct myself. Incidentally I would like some “A” strings – they go more rapidly than the others & I have now only 1 spare. Had Leslie’s letter today written nearly 6 mos ago. I am very much in love with you, my darling, think of you many times daily & long to be with you again. Look after yourself & HAVE A REAL HOLIDAY this year. Kiss Frances form me
John
[page break]
99
[underlined] Kriegsgefangenenpost [/underlined]
[stamp]
An MRS U M VALENTINE
LIDO
Emfangsort: TENTERDEN GROVE
Strasse: HENDON
Kreis: LONDON N.W.4
Land: ENGLAND
[stamp]
Absender:
Vor- und Zuname: Sgt John Valentine
Gefangenennummer: 450
Lager-Bezeichnung: M.-Stammlager Luft 3
Deutschland (Germany)