Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife

Letter from Harold Gorton to his wife

He writes about purchasing a new cooker for their house.

1944-09-15

Four handwritten sheets

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EGortonHGortonLCM440915

[Royal Air Force crest]
S/Ldr. H. Gorton
OFFICERS’ MESS,
R.A.F. STATION,
FISKERTON,
Nr LINCOLN.
15/9/44
Dearest,
I got back here just after 5.0 p.m. to find your welcome letter waiting for me. I’m glad you’re feeling better now & I was delighted to hear you’d got an Aladdin. That was my failure this afternoon.
I called at an ironmonger’s & he said it was impossible to get an Aladdin lamp unless one happened to call at the time they received their quota – about once every six months. I don’t think the Aladdin is dear for war time, because ordinary double burner oil lamps cost two guineas.
At another shop I was
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welcomed with open arms when I talked about Agas & Esses. They are the agents for Esses, & said it would cost £50 – 55 to instal [sic] a Fairy Esse complete. He suggested, as you did, that we should cover up the old fireplace & just poke the chimney through.
One has to get a permit from the Ministry of Works & Buildings at Nottingham (he gave me the address). Apparently there will be no trouble about getting a permit if I go to them personally & say (a) that the present fireplace is worn out, (b) that I need to have hot meals at all hours of the day & night because of my job.
It’s going to be a little awkward to get to Nottingham, I’m afraid, & perhaps it would do if I wrote, but the ironmonger’s
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man was against writing, as it wasn’t so likely to produce results.
I suppose we shall have £50 for the cooker, shan’t we, when we’ve paid for the house? Anyway, I’ll proceed for the moment as though we are going to get one. The only thing that worries me at present is how I can get to Nottingham before 5.0 p.m., as I’ve never yet been free early enough to do that.
Perhaps you’d let me know whether it’s worth while trying a letter, because the earlier we get the permit, the sooner we shall have the thing installed. By the way, the permit allows us to spend £3 on pots & pans.
It’s rather a blow, isn’t
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it, your having to be away so long, but I think it will really be much more satisfactory if you see to things yourself. Still, it’s good news that furniture gets priority, because it means there will be less risk of loss or damage.
I’ll try & send you the railway vouchers as soon as possible, but have had to wait until I could get back here, because only one’s own Station Adj. can issue them.
All my love,
Harold.