Letter from Geoffrey Beckett to his parents

Letter from Geoffrey Beckett to his parents

Reflects on letter received from father. Relates details of journey to Bristol and sporting activities on arrival. Mentions going to church. Writes of mail received from granny asking what kind of cake he would like. Continues with other family gossip and news. Mentions plans to go to Weston-super-Mare.

1939-03-01

Three page handwritten letter

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SBeckettG622136v10013

R.A.F. Yatesbury.

March 1st. 1939.

Dear Mom and Pop.

Well I received Daddy’s really grand letter on Saturday morning, but I did not get a chance to read it until I was on Colne Station at 1 p.m. It was really interesting, and I bet there were loud cheers over “the academy across the market” piece. Especially Jimmie, Lizzie, & T.P. Spencer. I laughed over the part about the traffic lights at George Balls shop. Hope Barbara enjoyed deputising for Mom. She would just be in her element. I hope the Golf Dance went off O.K..

I arrived Bristol on Sat. 2.35 p.m. & Peter waiting for me. We caught a bus to 29, and he seems to have quite a nice place & be getting on well without his “trouble & strife” “wife, wife”, “oi: oi:”! The front [inserted] room [/inserted] is really nice, with plenty of room. At 6 p.m. we both went to the Church Room & Peter played Badminton but I only played once. I played one of the boys at table tennis. I also met Mary White. We left 9.45, & home 10.5. Had supper & bed 11.45 p.m. Rose on Sunday 8.20. Got breakfast – egg & bacon – went to church

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10.30. Left 12.20. Peter gave a good sermon! Rev. Fookes [deleted] gave [/deleted] asked [inserted] Peter & [/inserted] me to tea. We accepted Peter went to church in afternoon, and we both went again at night! I left Bristol [deleted] 11 [/deleted] 8.35 p.m. & had to wait in Colne for a bus from 10.15 – 11.10. They had two buses for tons of us. I got pushed out till the last bus! The swin(e)dlers. [sic]

I gave Pops letter to Pete & left it with him. Granny wrote and asked me if she should send me a cake. Will [deleted] let [/deleted] you let her know that I should like one, a small cake, please. It will save me 1 1/2d! I will write to her on Sunday. I hope she won’t put too much fancy stuff on the cake because I don’t want the boys to see it! Hope you understand! Please don’t send anything to me for my birthday. I will let you know if I want anything at Easter.

I am doing 17 words per minute at morse. Still best in the form. We had our Technical & General (Electrical side of course) intermediate exam to-day. Won’t know until a week or so how I’ve gone on.

I hope to go with Stan Brooks to Swindon (in civvies) on Sat. Peter asked me

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to take Stan with me for a week end some time. He says that if I get off on a Friday night we could go to Weston-Super-mare on Sat. for 2/6.

We played football to-day & had a grand game. After losing 4-2 nearly the whole game we scored 4 more & won 6-4. Have lost only once yet! Well I will close now. If Gus or anyone decides to go to Pete’s let me know a week before, because I can get to Bristol on a Sat. leaving Bristol 11 p.m. [inserted] (back) [/inserted] for 2/6. and so see anyone going to Pete’s. How has Gus got the “sack” & whats he thinking of doing. It will be a change for him not to have to work. Pete said he deserved one!!

Give Barbara my love.

Love Geoff