Letter to prisoner of war John Valentine from his wife Ursula

Letter to prisoner of war John Valentine from his wife Ursula

Writes of describing a property in Hertfordshire and asks him to tell her whether he favours renting or buying. Describe meeting with bank manager to discuss finance of new house. Describes visit to potential house and writes of her recent activities in particular wings for victory week. Writes of plans to go on holiday in Sussex and other recent activities including visit to dentist. Concludes by telling him that she is sending a parcel with a "gow" lighter and wishing him happy birthday.

1943-03-14

Two-page typewritten letter

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EValentineUMValentineJRM430314

Start of transcription
To Sgt. J.R.M. Valentine,
British P/W No. 450,
Stalag Luft III, Germany
[missing words] [inserted] 52 [/inserted]
[inserted] R & A 24/5 [/inserted]
[stamp GEPRUFT 65]
From Mrs. J.R.M. Valentine,
Lido, Tenterden Grove,
Hendon, N.W.4.
Sunday 14th March 1943
My darling Johnnie,
It seems simply ages since I wrote to you, for my last letter was at the beginning of last week and this is at the very end of this. However, I put off writing purposely to be able to include the result of my expedition last Thursday – which, as it turns out, was nil. This is what happened.
In the middle of last week I had a reply from one of the Herts estate agents, enclosing particulars of a house at a place called Sandon, between Ashwell and Buntingford (both on main LNER line). It was 16th century, but with electric light, main water, Aga cooker (perhaps that doesn’t mean so much to you as to me!), central heating and telephone. Only 3 acres of land, but a small barn and chicken house. It sounded as though it might be something for us, for the price was £1,800 freehold. I’m very troubled in my mind about this question of buying v. renting. The only line you have given me is on renting, and I’m not clear whether you are definitely against buying, or whether you just hadn’t considered it much. Please let me know when you reply. I realise of course that there is much less risk in renting not quite such a responsibility for me, and in many ways it would probably be preferable. But it does seem very difficult to get anything in the area we are thinking of, to rent; and what I want to know is, supposing I should come across the right house for us, with up to 10 acres of land, for sale only, should I buy it or must I let it go? To clear up the financial aspect slightly I went to see our local bank manager, for I felt in urgent need of fatherly and disinterested advice. He was awfully nice, gave me well over an hour of his time, discussed the business thoroughly (incidentally he was born and brought up on a farm and, in common with all other authorities, impressed on me the risk and difficulty of launching into this business) and altogether sobered me up a lot. He even rang up a building society, the Woolwich, whose terms are, for repayment in 20 years, 13/5 per £100 month, ditto 15 years, 16/1. For £1800 I worked it out to come to something just over £2 per week, which I could just about manage, apart from £450 down which I could also produce by cashing in all our bonds etc (have to repay my people later) and borrowing from Ba. The bank manager impressed on me the complications and grave responsibilities involved, including such matters as land tax which I had completely overlooked (!), and altogether made me feel very nervous. However, I decided to go out and look as [sic] this house, and duly made an early getaway on Thursday last. The train service was bad, though in the old days it took not much more than an hour; then there was a long five-mile walk, and at the end of that I was informed that the house had been sold last Sunday! I’m furious with the estate agents, they knew I was going to see it on Thursday and ought to have let me know. The house was rather picturesque, old oak beams and so on, but it was all rather small and the land and outbuildings not very serviceable, so that on the whole I wasn’t broken-hearted that it had gone, specially as it removed the terrible onus of responsibility for the decision from me. On the way back to the station I found a ferret in the middle of the main road, which I retrieved and handed in at a near-by house, but apart from this comic relief, it was a miserable expedition – except that violets and primroses and blackthorn were in flower and it was good to hear the lark again. The estate agents don’t seem to be pestering me with offers, so I hope nothing more will happen till I get your reply, and by that time my parents ought to be home, they are leaving in a few days now.
[page break]
This past week the savings group has been particularly active over the Wings for Victory week, in which Hendon’s target was £750,000, which we have duly raised. London raised well over its £150 million. Our little group put up more than £120, which isn’t too bad. The Hansen’s came in handsomely – they are a charming couple – and of course Mr. Noyelle did his stuff. Last Saturday there was a civic procession with three bands and contingents from the uniformed services – Frances was very thrilled with it all, specially the music.
Last Sunday Peggy Young came to see us and to have her photo taken. Do you remember her? we went dancing at Brent Bridge once with her and her cousin in the Navy who has since won the DSO. Peggy has now got her commission, and is also engaged to be married – hence the demand for a photo. Catharine Mair is also going to be married next month, she brought her fiance round to meet me this evening. He works in the same department as she, and in real life is an Oxford don – rather reminded me of Kenneth, though not so good-looking. The question of wedding-presents is a pretty difficult one these days, but I shall have to produce something for both these.
Next week I am hoping to go on holiday – though I must say I have a rather superstitious dread of going away lest something awful should happen as it did last time! However, Ann Doxford (now Warren-Davis) has invited Frances and me to her home in Sussex, and I am very much looking forward to going. Do you remember Bridget, whose wedding and reception at the Dorchester we attended? She lives not far away from Ann, with her small daughter Jane, so I am hoping to arrange to meet her again too.
I have been doing some gardening this past week. I have got the early carrots, onions, spinach beet and a row of peas in, and some lettuce, and this afternoon in a fit of energy I cut both lawns and all the hedges, and they look rather nice. We have hyacinths, a few daffodils, mauve primulas and the earliest wallflowers in bloom, and the garden is really looking quite neat. Today too I had a go at the shelter – Toad Hall, as we call it now. It was rather dangerous for Frances now that the sandbags have collapsed and the steps are decayed away into a slippery slide leading down to a foot or two of water, so I decided I must seal it up before she takes a header into it. So I have blocked up the entrance with boards and stones etc, removed the rotting bags from around the sand and made the whole thing into a sand-pit for her to play in. I’ve made a little wall of those concrete blocks on the flower-bed side, to keep the sand within bounds, and now it is quite safe for her. It only remains to procure a bucket and spade
Last Friday I went to the dentist. I felt rather guilty since I hadn’t been since we were up in Scotland – remember?, but I got rather a shock, for the dentist says I have 8 stoppings, some quite big and he insists that I must use dental floss to clean between the teeth, for that is where all the decay starts. I am going to send you some in your next parcel and advise you to use it too. This dentist is so busy that he couldn’t give me another appointment for 7 weeks and only had time to do one temporary stopping besides all the lecturing (and charged me 10/6 for it!) So I am going to try someone else, I want to get on with the business now I know it is coming to me. I am also sending in your parcel a new type of cigarette lighter, the only one permissible (we call it a Gow Lighter), and only hope it works. You have to singe the end of the wick first and afterwards light it by striking the fling and blowing on the wick to make it glow. It may keep you amused for a while, anyway. Mrs. Lowe has sent you a tobacco parcel this week and insists that you mustn’t waste mail thanking her direct but write through me. I’m so glad Mother’s letters and parcels are reaching you. Thanks for 2 p.c.s written at Christmas time.
All my love to you - & happy birthday – happier next time! Ursula.