Letter to John Valentine from his wife Ursula

Letter to John Valentine from his wife Ursula

Thanks him for recent letters and describes enclosed photographs. Mentions arrival of her sister Barbara and shopping in village. Discusses his violin lessons and possible future teachers to continue hid violin studies. Writes of her sickness and family preparations for Christmas.

1945-12-22

Six page handwritten letter

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EValentineUMValentineJRM451222

Little Close, Saturday 22/12/45
Salcombe 229
My darling Johnnie, thank you for your letter of 20th enclosing one from George T. He certainly has a pretty wit! I'm glad you at least manage to sleep fairly well, that is a great thing.
I enclose a couple of snaps which were taken at Wyton last spring. It's not bad of Ly except that she appears to bulge in quite the wrong place! The old lady is Mrs Southerland under whom Ba worked. Ba & Donald Young (Drag, as he's called) arrived quite safely in time for tea after driving down from Farnborough in Drag's open yellow Bentley. Today we went down to the village for odd shopping but this afternoon it's pouring with rain & blowing a gale so it looks as tho' we'll have to stay in. Peter & Winifred will be having a damp trip down, I'm afraid.
Ba told me she had mentioned your violin lessons to Marjorie Gunn who was very interested & said she would certainly like to hear you. She suggested that she should give you a few lessons, so the she can judge your possibilities & then pass you on to Cocky (Mary Darly) who is a pupil & now co-teacher of hers at Down (the big girl's school near Newbury where Marge teaches). She's an awfully nice girl, was at the ambulance station with Ba for some time & apparently an excellent teacher. Marge's system at Down is always to take a pupil for a little while at first herself, then pass her on to Cocky for the middle years of its training & then finish it off herself for the last term or two if specially talented. Cocky uses exactly the same methods as Marge & plays very like her too. Anyway, it's an idea, & when you are free to do so you might write to Marge & get the preliminary lessons with Marge (for which I gather there would be no charge) arranged. Ba said she is really very keen to hear & teach you. She asked Ba how you played & Ba said she hadn't heard much, you thumped so, whereupon Marge said “Does he really thump?” (with your foot don't you know). If he's a natural born thumper, then he's got the makings of a violinist & I must hear him!” she said she's spent many hundreds of hours trying to make her pupils beat in time with their feet & that it's a great asset. So I won't laugh at you for it any more!
So far I have managed to keep my sickness within & apart from a few rumbles on rising there has been no outbreak. I wonder whether a cup of hot tea brought to me in bed has anything to do with it! The Christmas tree is looking quite festive already with all the smaller presents on it. Mother has got a colossal turkey too, it weights over 13 lbs when undressed so it must have been some beast in its feathers. I shall have to brave the elements to post this, there's a terrific storm blowing. By the way, I hope you'll let me know which will be the most convenient hour to ring up. I hope to be able to get through on Christmas day. I'll try anyhow. Goodbye my darling, I hope life's not too miserable & that you have interesting books to beguile the time. Always yours, Ursula.