Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine

Letter from Ursula Valentine to her husband John Valentine

Writes about trying to ring previous evening and eventually getting hold of him. Hopes clothes she send arrive in time and arrangements will not fall through. Mentions Christmas presents from family and catches up with local news and gossip. Writes of her activities including account of neighbour falling off her bike. Reports money arriving from RAF which will alleviate financial problems.

1941-12-22

Four page handwritten letter

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EValentineUMValentineJRM411222

Lido Monday 22.12.41
My darling husband, It was lovely to hear your voice last night & to know you are well & cheerful as ever. I tried to ring you first at 7.30, was told you were in a show & would be back at 9.30-9.45. At 9.45 they rang me again but apparently you still weren't there & they arranged to ring again in ½ an hour. So when at last we contacted at 10.30 of course they had to cut us off! However we had our chat in the end. I do hope the clothes arrive in time but am rather doubtful, as I sent
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them off on Saturday morning. The idea didn't occur to me till Friday evening, however if they arrive too late for Christmas you'll need them later when I am down there, I hope.
I'm getting nervous lest this arrangement with Mrs Donovan falls through at the last moment & am longing to hear from you that it’s OK, I saw the announcement of her son's death in the Times today – enclosed herewith. Our Christmas presents from your people arrived this morning – very nice ones too. Savings Christmas cards, 25/- each for you & me, & 5/- for Frances. I shall convert ours in Sav.Certs. forthwith. Perhaps you would write & thank them too. Have ordered new hand basin (silly, its quite easy to wash your feet in the bowl, one
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3.
at a time, while standing on the other one. She cut her heel quite badly in the process too). I'll see about repainting the bathroom when I return here, no time now.
I dug a bit more of the top veg. patch yesterday (putting in my precious naphthalene!) & afterwards Frances & I went out to tea with the Mairs, where Frances behaved in her usual charming way & enchanted them all. That girl Clare was there to meet her too. On Saturday Mrs Hazard bought a rattle for Frances' Christmas present, & soon after I was going down to town when through the fog I saw a tall young man holding a woman in his arms at the bottom of Tenterden Grove
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& was about to pass with politely averted eyes when I realised it was Mrs Hazard & David. Apparently she'd fallen off her bike & cut her face on a nail in the fence. So I took her home & we bathed it in Dettol & bandaged it up, & she sallied forth again none the worse. I hadn't met David before, he's a nice boy, isn't he? Olivia's husband is at Penang, or just south on the mainland so that's rather a worry for the poor girl.
The RAF have paid up the 7/- for one week's extra allotment which will help to relieve my acute financial tension, still I'm afraid I shall have to draw on the P.O. again. It's simply awful. I've got the Christmas tree now & must see about decorating it & icing the cake. How [underlined] lovely [/underlined] if you could be home! Lots of love, darling Ursula