Letter to prisoner of war John Valentine from his wife Ursula
Title
Letter to prisoner of war John Valentine from his wife Ursula
Description
Reports arrival of postcards and letter and writes of financial matters. Discusses plans for electrics in house and mentions property taxes, house being painted and lodger with baby. Writes of birthday present from him that she is building for daughter as well as other activities. Mentions plans to go to mother for Easter and writes of other local news.
Creator
Date
1944-03-26
Temporal Coverage
Spatial Coverage
Language
Format
Two page typewritten letter
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
EValentineUMValentineJRM440326
Transcription
Start of transcription
To W/O J.R.M. Valentine From Mrs. J.R.M. Valentine,
British P/W No. 450 Felmersham, Bottrell’s Lane,
Stalag Luft III, Lager A Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks,
Germany.
[postmark] GEPRUFT 25 [/postmark] R 24/6 Sunday, March 26th 1944
My dearest Johnnie,
I have done well this week for mail, postcards of 5th and 31st December and letter of 10th December. Thank you so much for them, my darling. I often wonder with admiration how you manage to write so interestingly and freshly out of such a circumscribed and uneventful life, your letters are a real joy to me and I often re-read the earlier ones. Now to answering these; I wrote to Touche, as I told you, about reduction in income tax because of payments to Building Society, and got back a long and technical letter, as clear as mud, from which I can only gather that I don’t do anything until April 1945, and then write to the B. Society to see if they have notified the inspector of taxes as they should have done. So I have filed the letter away, and you can cope with it, as well as with all the other business arrangements, when you return. How glad I shall be to place the whole burden of the business side of the house on to your capable shoulders once more! You sound very worried about the financial arrangements and cost of running the house. I have been waiting till I had the demand for Property tax, so as to get a complete picture of the regular outgoings on the house, but as this hasn’t come yet I may as well give you what I have.
Rates, per annum £11. 13s. 4d
Water rate per annum £2. 8s. 8d
Coal (say 5cwt per month) £10.0s 0d
Electricity, Standing charge £3.18s.
Hire of cooker £2.10s.
Repayment to B. Society [underlined] £82. 0s. 0d
£112. 9s 0d
This leaves out of account a) Property Tax, and b) the electrical current used. As the charge is only 3/4d per unit, the cost last quarter (not a complete quarter, I must admit) was precisely 4/11! I shall be able to judge better at the end of this quarter. I am seriously thinking of installing an electric immersion heater in the hot water tank to cope with the problem of baths during the summer. You see, it will be far too hot in the diningroom, which faces south anyway, to have the Triplex on for baths during the hot weather. Of course I shan’t be using it for cooking, but usi g [sic] the electric cooker instead. The tenants here before us had an immersion heater, but took it away with them. I can get one for about £4.4.0 I understand. Naturally it will be fairly heavy on the current, and we should have to use it economically, but with that and the electric water-heater already installed over the sink, the house would be well equipped. During the winter the electricity charges would be low, as I do almost all the cooking and all the water-heating with the Triplex, and during the summer, when these two items go on the electricity, we save on coal. I have estimated 5 cwts of coal per month; during the winter, when the Cozystove is on as well as the Triplex, I use every bit of that, maybe a little more (not much, for that is the amount of our allowance, but there was a little left in the coal-house when I took over which I have gradually used during these 5 months). In the summer months of course we should use none, but lay in a store for the winter.
I’m not sure how much Property Tax would be, but say the total comes out at £120 p.a., i.e. £10 per month. Then there’s £5 income tax, £3.10 insurance, call it £20 per month for standing charges. I’ve no idea what you will earn when you come back, but I should have thought we could [inserted] Have ordered Bks II & III of Old masters for Young Players & more strings to be sent to you, by Chappells. My people are sending Cut Golden bar, with their love. [/inserted]
[page break]
make out alright, in our modest way. Of course I am taking care to save every bean I can towards paying off my parents; tomorrow Mr. Hatchett is due to start the house-painting, which really is a necessity. Once that is paid for, all my savings will go to pay off our debt to my people. Mrs. Hodson ought to help a bit towards that. I like her more and more as time goes on, we have managed to fit our timetables in together pretty well, of course the garden is constantly festooned with nappies and twice a day the diningroom is turned into a nursery (because the fire is there), but I can never forget all the kindness I received both from Mrs. Sandford and Mrs. Howie when I was in the same spot, so I’m glad to be able to help her. Besides, as I said, I like her very much. I think it is quite good for Frances too not to be the only pebble on the beach. I have been getting busy on Frances’s birthday present from you. It is a grocer’s shop, made out of a margarine box, painted white, with two shelves and a counter fitted, the latter covered with green and white oilcloth. I have collected a number of small jars and bottles to go on the shelves, which I shall fill with miscellaneous groceries for her, and I hope it will keep her amused for a bit. It has also been borne in on me during the fine weather we have been having, when Frances has been playing out in the garden all day long, that if I am ever to keep the flower garden respectable I rally must give her a bit of the garden for herself. The best part for this is a triangular piece of lawn which goes off out of site of the diningroom window towards the side gate, behind the lavender hedge. So when I can get around to it I shall divide off the corner, perhaps with a little hedge or wall or rockery, and then within that enclosure she can make mud pies to her hearts content, and later on perhaps grow her own flowers there. I am also toying with the idea of trying to build her a little rustic house there, I am sure she would love that above all things, but it just depends on whether I can manage it. She is such a darling kid, and she is missing so much in not having you here, that I simply must do what I can for her, without spoiling her. Today when we down to the village she looked so sweet in her green and brown and white checked skirt, white jumper and green cardigan, white socks and brown and white shoes, skipping along in the sunshine, her hair like gold in the light, a real little spirit of spring. She is learning new words and phrases every day, I only wish I could make a gramophone record of her for you. When I tick her off for some misdemeanour, she always has a long explanation of why she had to do it, because it is Wednesday, (or alternatively because it isn’t Wednesday) or because Gonging (the creature of her imagination who seems to be responsible for everything both good or bad) is coming to tea tomorrow or some other fantastic story. I wish I could describe her pronunciation of “tomorrow”, more or less “moyoo”.
We are going down to Mother’s for Easter after all. I hadn’t really intended to, but there seems a chance Daddy will take a job in Scotland, so my people would have to leave there temporarily, and as both Ba and peter are going down for Easter Mother was terribly keen for us to go too. Pat Hodson is staying on here, and I will probably invite a girl friend for the weekend.
The Horswell’s are busy turning out and packing up ready to leave by the middle of April. They still haven’t found anywhere else to go, it does seem mad to have sold that house without an alternative. Mr. Horswell kindly and with many apologies presented me with two bedroom chairs both with their cane bottoms knocked out. One is in quite good condition, I have just polished iy up and fitted a wooden seat till I can get it recanted. The other I am going to paint to match the nursery furniture. I remembered to send your father a telegram on his birthday. They say they will come out and see the house after Easter, I hope the painting will be finished by then Daffs, Crocuses, primulas and forsythia in bloom now. All my love my darling Ursula.
End of transcription
To W/O J.R.M. Valentine From Mrs. J.R.M. Valentine,
British P/W No. 450 Felmersham, Bottrell’s Lane,
Stalag Luft III, Lager A Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks,
Germany.
[postmark] GEPRUFT 25 [/postmark] R 24/6 Sunday, March 26th 1944
My dearest Johnnie,
I have done well this week for mail, postcards of 5th and 31st December and letter of 10th December. Thank you so much for them, my darling. I often wonder with admiration how you manage to write so interestingly and freshly out of such a circumscribed and uneventful life, your letters are a real joy to me and I often re-read the earlier ones. Now to answering these; I wrote to Touche, as I told you, about reduction in income tax because of payments to Building Society, and got back a long and technical letter, as clear as mud, from which I can only gather that I don’t do anything until April 1945, and then write to the B. Society to see if they have notified the inspector of taxes as they should have done. So I have filed the letter away, and you can cope with it, as well as with all the other business arrangements, when you return. How glad I shall be to place the whole burden of the business side of the house on to your capable shoulders once more! You sound very worried about the financial arrangements and cost of running the house. I have been waiting till I had the demand for Property tax, so as to get a complete picture of the regular outgoings on the house, but as this hasn’t come yet I may as well give you what I have.
Rates, per annum £11. 13s. 4d
Water rate per annum £2. 8s. 8d
Coal (say 5cwt per month) £10.0s 0d
Electricity, Standing charge £3.18s.
Hire of cooker £2.10s.
Repayment to B. Society [underlined] £82. 0s. 0d
£112. 9s 0d
This leaves out of account a) Property Tax, and b) the electrical current used. As the charge is only 3/4d per unit, the cost last quarter (not a complete quarter, I must admit) was precisely 4/11! I shall be able to judge better at the end of this quarter. I am seriously thinking of installing an electric immersion heater in the hot water tank to cope with the problem of baths during the summer. You see, it will be far too hot in the diningroom, which faces south anyway, to have the Triplex on for baths during the hot weather. Of course I shan’t be using it for cooking, but usi g [sic] the electric cooker instead. The tenants here before us had an immersion heater, but took it away with them. I can get one for about £4.4.0 I understand. Naturally it will be fairly heavy on the current, and we should have to use it economically, but with that and the electric water-heater already installed over the sink, the house would be well equipped. During the winter the electricity charges would be low, as I do almost all the cooking and all the water-heating with the Triplex, and during the summer, when these two items go on the electricity, we save on coal. I have estimated 5 cwts of coal per month; during the winter, when the Cozystove is on as well as the Triplex, I use every bit of that, maybe a little more (not much, for that is the amount of our allowance, but there was a little left in the coal-house when I took over which I have gradually used during these 5 months). In the summer months of course we should use none, but lay in a store for the winter.
I’m not sure how much Property Tax would be, but say the total comes out at £120 p.a., i.e. £10 per month. Then there’s £5 income tax, £3.10 insurance, call it £20 per month for standing charges. I’ve no idea what you will earn when you come back, but I should have thought we could [inserted] Have ordered Bks II & III of Old masters for Young Players & more strings to be sent to you, by Chappells. My people are sending Cut Golden bar, with their love. [/inserted]
[page break]
make out alright, in our modest way. Of course I am taking care to save every bean I can towards paying off my parents; tomorrow Mr. Hatchett is due to start the house-painting, which really is a necessity. Once that is paid for, all my savings will go to pay off our debt to my people. Mrs. Hodson ought to help a bit towards that. I like her more and more as time goes on, we have managed to fit our timetables in together pretty well, of course the garden is constantly festooned with nappies and twice a day the diningroom is turned into a nursery (because the fire is there), but I can never forget all the kindness I received both from Mrs. Sandford and Mrs. Howie when I was in the same spot, so I’m glad to be able to help her. Besides, as I said, I like her very much. I think it is quite good for Frances too not to be the only pebble on the beach. I have been getting busy on Frances’s birthday present from you. It is a grocer’s shop, made out of a margarine box, painted white, with two shelves and a counter fitted, the latter covered with green and white oilcloth. I have collected a number of small jars and bottles to go on the shelves, which I shall fill with miscellaneous groceries for her, and I hope it will keep her amused for a bit. It has also been borne in on me during the fine weather we have been having, when Frances has been playing out in the garden all day long, that if I am ever to keep the flower garden respectable I rally must give her a bit of the garden for herself. The best part for this is a triangular piece of lawn which goes off out of site of the diningroom window towards the side gate, behind the lavender hedge. So when I can get around to it I shall divide off the corner, perhaps with a little hedge or wall or rockery, and then within that enclosure she can make mud pies to her hearts content, and later on perhaps grow her own flowers there. I am also toying with the idea of trying to build her a little rustic house there, I am sure she would love that above all things, but it just depends on whether I can manage it. She is such a darling kid, and she is missing so much in not having you here, that I simply must do what I can for her, without spoiling her. Today when we down to the village she looked so sweet in her green and brown and white checked skirt, white jumper and green cardigan, white socks and brown and white shoes, skipping along in the sunshine, her hair like gold in the light, a real little spirit of spring. She is learning new words and phrases every day, I only wish I could make a gramophone record of her for you. When I tick her off for some misdemeanour, she always has a long explanation of why she had to do it, because it is Wednesday, (or alternatively because it isn’t Wednesday) or because Gonging (the creature of her imagination who seems to be responsible for everything both good or bad) is coming to tea tomorrow or some other fantastic story. I wish I could describe her pronunciation of “tomorrow”, more or less “moyoo”.
We are going down to Mother’s for Easter after all. I hadn’t really intended to, but there seems a chance Daddy will take a job in Scotland, so my people would have to leave there temporarily, and as both Ba and peter are going down for Easter Mother was terribly keen for us to go too. Pat Hodson is staying on here, and I will probably invite a girl friend for the weekend.
The Horswell’s are busy turning out and packing up ready to leave by the middle of April. They still haven’t found anywhere else to go, it does seem mad to have sold that house without an alternative. Mr. Horswell kindly and with many apologies presented me with two bedroom chairs both with their cane bottoms knocked out. One is in quite good condition, I have just polished iy up and fitted a wooden seat till I can get it recanted. The other I am going to paint to match the nursery furniture. I remembered to send your father a telegram on his birthday. They say they will come out and see the house after Easter, I hope the painting will be finished by then Daffs, Crocuses, primulas and forsythia in bloom now. All my love my darling Ursula.
End of transcription
Collection
Citation
Ursula Valentine, “Letter to prisoner of war John Valentine from his wife Ursula,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 23, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/20210.
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