Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine

Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine

Writes of her activities with national savings and trying to involve neighbours. Continues with account of visitors and asks if he has had exam results yet. Mentions other domestic news. weather and baby matters. Continues with family, financial and other domestic matters. Mentions he has not sent her any socks or handkerchiefs and not to let them pile up. Concludes that she is missing him.

1941-08-06

Eight page handwritten letter

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EValentineUMValentineJRM410806

Lido August 5th
Darling Johnnie, I have been favoured with a shower of literature & forms by His Majesty's National savings Committee & have spent the evening trying to digest them. Its becoming gradually clearer & I have done a lot of filling up & filling in, & tomorrow when Barbara is at home I shall go out & tackle the neighbours again. If only I could get the Evans, or any other two to join in, we should buy 3 certificates per week, which would simplify matters for me. I must see what I can do about it. I'm buying a 2/6 stamp per week myself, & have put Frances down for 6d as well. Barbara is also having 6d – she already has 5/- in her ambulance
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station group. They sent among other things a couple of posters to be displayed so I have nailed one up on the tree stump outside the garden.
Barbara's two friends Maggie & Sue came to tea yesterday. They are both very charming in their different ways. Mary Simmonds is coming on Thursday with her small son David, & a friend of Ba's shift leader Betty Hughes by name Phyllis Rosenberg, may also come over sometimes when Ba & Betty are on duty. Her husband has just been called up & she's feeling the gap a bit too, I think. Have you had your exam results from Prestwick yet? I'm very interested to hear how many of them fail. Have Norman's lot heard yet? You will be glad to hear that your wireless probably didn't explode the
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other evening after all. I've discovered that the wire leading to the reading lamp has burnt out, so that would account for the phenomenon - & also means I can't have the fire on this evening & I'm feeling pretty chilly. It's been an extraordinary day of alternate brilliant sunshine & tropical downpours of rain, & we have been dashing in & out after the washing & the baby all day long.Your daughter is really extraordinary to put on weight at the rate she does. She was 14.11 last week, & now she's 15.6! It's terrific. I sometimes think she's about to cut her to 2 teeth, the gums look so white & hard, but maybe that's premature. The bottom ones should come first
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anyway. I've written to Mrs Stenzel & sent her a cheque for £2 in case she needs is for her fare, & also given her your address in case there's time for you to visit her, but I rather doubt if there will be. It isn't so necessary now anyway, & you'll be seeing her when you come on leave – may it be soon!
We had a cable from Mother today saying among other things “overdraft puzzle satisfactorily settled”. Does that mean that we have been doing something wrong by mistake? I believe Mother has closed her a/c at Grindlays & the idiots have probably been paying the rates, insurance premium etc out of her account still & running up an overdraft instead of using Daddy's.
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Probably Mother has written to us about it & we shall get a lot of out of date correspondence on the subject during the next few months. I've ordered, received & paid for 5 cwt of coal. I don't think either coal or coke shed could hold another 5 cwt just yet. We're not using coal yet of course, & not much coke either, with bathes only every other day (what civic virtue!)
I haven't had any socks or hankies from you yet. Don't let them pile up too long - & don't wear them too long either please. Peter's generally arrive on Mondays, so if you could arrange to send yours to arrive then too it would be more convenient to do them all
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together in the dolly tub. Now I really must stop. I'd made a firm resolution to turn out the dump this evening, but its 8.40 already, so I'll have to hurry. I'm sure you wouldn't like me [underlined] not [/underlined] to turn it out, would you!
I do love you so much & I'm so glad you miss me, tho' I hate to think of you feeling lonely & ache to be with you more than ever. It's topping getting a letter from you every day, it arrives about 7.45 am & rewards me for getting up early & doing the dusting.
With all my love to my dearest, Ursula
PS I've been showing Frances the string of teething beads today & with a great effort she now takes them with both hands but won't bit them yet.
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6th August
I've just received your letters of 2nd & 3rd, the 3rd arriving early this morning & the other one at 11 am. I'm having your lighter seen to & will send it as soon as poss. Pity about the matches. I'd got 4 large boxes ready to send you. More photos from Howies enclosed. Joanna also sent another emergency ration card for this week isn't she sweet? They've gone on holiday now. If you don't want the photos of us I may send them to the parents, but will keep that of Jim & Iain, for our album. I'm awfully pleased about your exam results. Well done, Johnny. I knew you'd be [sketch of buoy] (buoy with top marks.)
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I should think you'd stand a better chance of a commission now than ever. Did Norman get recommended? And has friend Rowan failed & been ejected yet?
You'll hardly be surprised to hear that Mrs Somerville has ratted on me already. She didn't come on Monday but I thought that was because it was Bank Holiday. However she didn't come today either, so that's that. Luckily another woman applied meanwhile, so I went & got her this morning – Mrs Davidson, & she's doing marvellously. I'm having her 4 mornings a week. I wonder how long she'll stay?! Lots of love darling. Congratulations on continuing to be a GB as well as [sketch of buoy]! Yours always, Ursula.