Letter to John Valentine from his wife Ursula

Letter to John Valentine from his wife Ursula

Writes of her daily activities and that weather had prevented some plans. Mentions seeing advertisement for rug for bedroom and asks for his views. Continues with domestic gossip mentions an article in "Housewife" about man taking up violin when over 30. Wonders how long he will need to stay at current location and still concerned about his knees. Hopes he will come home next weekend.

1945-08-22

Four page handwritten letter

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EValentineUMValentineJRM450822

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[inserted] A seed catalogue has come from Suttons & I could spend masses on bulbs! Could we have some, do you think? [/inserted]
Felmersham.
Aug. 22
Darling Johnnie,
It’s pouring with rain here, which is annoying as I had planned to go & see one or two people on SSAFA business, by bike. Since lunch time I have painted the diningroom [sic] floor & the kitchen surround with Daikaline, its not dry yet & the rest of the house is cluttered up with the furniture from there. I do hope it will look good, it is almost bound to be an improvement on the previous patchiness. This evening Joan More is having her postponed party at the Pond, Miss McLeod is keeping an eye on Frances, but tells me she is going on a month’s holiday to Scotland tomorrow, so we shall have to make other arrangements if we want an evening out.
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2.
I saw an advert in the Times yesterday for sheepskin rugs 42” x 33” for 82/6, 36” x 30” for 70/-. This is just what we want for the bedroom, on the door-side of the bed, then the string one could be mounted on the strip of matting now on the window side & make a more presentable whole. What do you feel about it? I heard from the radiogram advert that it had already been sold. I’m afraid we’ll have to wait some time for one.
I had another session at jam & bottling last night, & have now definitely come to the end of my bottles. Still we’ve got quite a nice little store by us for the winter.
There’s an article in “Housewife” this month by a
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3.
man who took up the violin when over 30. His wife thumped on the piano, altogether they sound very like us. He said he could play quite well after a year & now plays in a small orchestra! He must have had a remarkable teacher! If it is true that your knees will never get really better, thereby putting many activities out of bounds for us, how doubly fortunate that you took up the violin, so that we have that interest to occupy us. However I’m not admitting the hypothesis about your knees, if the RAF cant cure them there may be others who can.
How long do you expect to have to stay at the [indecipherable word]?
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Perhaps after a suitable interval you could point out to the kindly Fl/Sgt that you are a W/O & have had enough of penal conditions in Germany, & maybe he’d fix it for you.
I hope to send back Jock Scott’s box in due course (ie. probably tomorrow) thanks for the address.
I do hope you’ll be coming this weekend, not least because it’s the Albert Sammons concert at [indecipherable word] & they’re playing Beethoven & Bach sonatas, among other things. If you [underlined] could [/underlined] give me notice, it would help in arranging for someone to sit in with Frances, now that Miss McLeod will be away.
I love you so much, my dearest, & long for you always.
Ursula.