Letter to prisoner of war John Valentine from his wife Ursula

Letter to prisoner of war John Valentine from his wife Ursula

Writes about her activities with recent visitors and meeting of local womens' group. Continues with description of domestic activities and news of family and friends. Mentions going to the theatre with friends and then continues with description of day to day activities.

1943-05-09

Two-page typewritten letter with handwritten notes

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EValentineUMValentineJRM430509

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To Sgt. J.R.M. Valentine,
British Prisoner of War No. 460,
Stalag Luft III, Germany
From Mrs. J.R.M. Valentine,
Lido, Tenterden Grove,
London, N.W.4.
Sunday May 9th 1943.
[inserted] R & A 22/5/43 [/inserted]
My dearest Johnnie,
I have been having a really hectic week since I sent you the last brief airmail letter card telling you that Vera and Michael Bowack were staying here. I very much enjoyed having them and the children dovetailed quite neatly into each other’s programmes; Michael slept the first half of the morning and generally woke up just about the time I was putting Frances down for her nap, so that I fed and changed him in peace, played with him a bit and had my own lunch and just about put him out into the pram again when Frances woke up and had to have her lunch. By the time that was finished Michael had probably finished his afternoon nap and we all went out for a walk together. It fitted in alright, but didn’t leave much time for anything else! Vera went up to the West End on three days and I was glad for her to have a bit of a change from constantly coping with Michael. In return she minded the babies at night while I was at the factory, so we were all satisfied. She left on Wednesday after an early lunch; I couldn’t manage to go to the station with her but we got a taxi from Hills so she was alright. I was surprised how exhausted I was when they were safely packed off, I hadn’t realised that it was much of a strain while they were here. Anyway that afternoon we were having another of our meetings at Mrs. Boyds, to hear the woman who is in charge of Housing on the local council, and she gave us a very interesting talk while 8 or 10 children of those present frolicked about in the garden. The speaker seemed quite taken with our meeting and I hope she may join us. We suggested that she should furnish a model council house in order to show the type of people who inhabit them just what can be done nowadays in the way of fixtures and furnishings, and she thought that was a good idea and said she would probably invite us to collaborate with her in the furnishing. Wouldn’t that be fun! Incidentally we have discovered that there already is an organisation called Women Citizens, so we have to drop that title, and I have suggested that we call ourselves instead The Current Affairs Club, which is a little less pompous and describes us fairly well. I hope the others will agree next time when we put it to them, for in the meantime Mrs. Boyd and I had to write a letter to the Mayor urging him to do something about the Maternity Hospital we are so keen on, because there is a suitable house for a temporary one coming up for auction in about a week so we had to write at once and call ourselves something or other, so we adopted that. I do enjoy these meetings and I think all the others do too, they turn up regularly anyway. Next time we have got Mrs. G.D.H. Cole to talk on Beveridge, which should be good.
On Thursday, by way of a change, I had the sweep in to clean the diningroom [sic] and kitchen chimneys. He arrived 3 hours late, which wasn’t bad for him! In the afternoon we relaxed, David Simmonds and Lally came over here to play with Frances in the garden while Barbara, Mary and I went to the pictures to see the new Hitchcock film “Shadow of Doubt”, which I very much enjoyed. He is so extremely good at building up suspense and tension and his characters are much more true to life than most film creations.
[inserted] [underlined] P.S. [/underlined] Stewart sends you his salaams. He still adopts that rather supercilious attitude toward the RAF which you noticed once before & which annoys me intensely. It would be less unbecoming in one who had actually done some fighting, I feel! [/inserted]
[inserted] Frances plays with her dolls like a real little girl now – the other day I found her putting Goggy on the potty & encouraging him with most realistic noises! Today she has been giving Teddy a 4 course breakfast out of fish-paste jars! [/inserted]
[page break]
Friday was a bad day, we spring-cleaned the dining-room. Florence had lunch here and worked on till nearly 6 p.m., she really is a remarkably faithful old stick. Anyway it all looks very nice now and in view of the fact that my parents called on Uncle Tom or somewhere near there over three weeks ago it is about time we got through the spring-cleaning. There is not much left to do now, thank goodness. At the height of the uproar in the diningroom [sic] two men called to collect our dressingtable, [sic] whose top I am having repolished, so I had to drop everything and go and empty that for them. I wish I could get a piece of plate-glass to fit properly but that seems to be impossible now.
Yesterday was my great red-letter day when Stewart took me to the theatre. Our arrangements were upset at the last moment because Bunty suddenly came up to town with both children, however we couldn’t get another ticket for the show so she went to a film instead and joined us afterwards for supper at Oddenino’s – remember the evening we were married? The play, “Arsenic and Old Lace”, a highly improbable but very amusing comedy, I enjoyed tremendously – partly perhaps because I hadn’t seen a play for so long; the supper wasn’t so good but Stewart did his best, ordered sherry and wine and manfully danced with each of us in turn – he is not [underlined] quite [/underlined] as bad as the way you used to imitate him but very nearly. However, it was a night out and I enjoyed myself as much as I am able while firing only on one cylinder, so to speak, as I do when I am not with you. There was a slight mix up on the way home; Stewart of course went back to Barnet with Bunty instead of coming here for the night as arranged, but he walked off with my torch by mistake. My train came first, so when I missed the torch I got out at the next station and waited for the Barnet train to try to find them and get the torch, it being a very dark night. However I searched the train in vain, except that I stumbled across the ubiquitous Colin Hay looking more creased than ever. I got off the Barnet train by mistake at Mornington Crescent and for a few horrid moments thought I was going to be entombed there because Colin had said that was the last Barnet train and of course rescued me and after another change at C. Town I eventually got to Hendon Central and walked home without light but without incident.
Today Frances and I have been over to Barnet to tea, so that Stewart could meet your daughter. If he was impressed he didn’t say so, but Bunty was amazed to find that Frances was a couple of inches taller than Robert so of course Stewart couldn’t admit that she was nicer as well. Also I felt that the atmosphere between him and your Mother was distinctly strained, in fact he sat reading a novel on the couch the whole afternoon while we were talking and was not far short of rude several times. What a wretched position for Bunty, isn’t it? Your Mother was very sweet to me, I sometimes think she is really getting reconciled to me. Frances and Grandpa got on famously as usual, and she had great fun with Muriel and Robert too. Bunty is bringing them both over to lunch here on Friday, it is good for the children to be together as much as possible. Muriel now wears her hair in two diminutive pigtails barely reaching her shoulders and still has four dimples. Robert is a little less like a bear than when we last saw him together but small and stocky still, though his face is rather sweet. Poor Ann had a swollen face following an injection against hay fever, she is taking a course of treatment, 24 doses I believe. We didn’t see much of Grandpa, he was gardening and just appeared for tea but was more friendly than usual, so altogether it was a very pleasant visit. He and Grandma say they will come over sometime soon. Irene’s husband hasn’t had to go yet after all, but there seems no news from her, she never writes. Leslie is believed to have moved though we don’t know where. Still, things are definitely looking up now!
With all my love to you, darling, Ursula.