Summer term 1943
April 30th
I got here safely and on time. When I got to Paddington I found that my trunk was not on the train so I searched up and down the platform but I could not find it. Then when I got here I found it amongst a number of other trunks, so it is all right.
The place looks very nice and is right in the country. We have to make our own beds. I have a cubicle (i.e. a place where we sleep and keep our clothes) with Soames, a boy from St Pirans who came here about two years ago. He has not come back yet because a horse trod on his leg or something. The cubicles are quite nice. The beds aren’t bad. In the cubicle we have a chest-a-drawers each where we keep our clothes. I had quite a good journey up here.
Please could you send me my Geometry set you will find it in a green box on my dressing table and my dividers which are in the sitting room on one of the tables. Also could you send me some blotting paper. If you look in my bottom draw you will see a red atlas in that Atlas is an envelope with the Oundle crest on it and it is in there.
You were wrong about my not having supper about 6 o’clock because we do have it at about 6.30.
I haven’t been doing much today (Saturday). The form that I am in is Shell B1, if that conveys anything to you, it doesn’t much to me.
Please could you send me the nail scissors which I think you forgot to send me.
The place is quite nice and fairly modern. Nothing much has happened yet.
You could send me some marmite and some Chocolate Spread. S.O.S. Could you send me my belt. Sorry you having to send all these things.
May 6th
I like it very much here and I am very happy. I gave the chit about the bicycle into the Shop on Tuesday and when I went in today they said they had got one for me, which was pretty quick.
Could you somehow or other get a bicycle-bell, if you can’t I may be able to get one in Oxford or Abingdon. Don’t really bother about it only if you happen to see one could you get it please.
The house is the biggest,1 we get hot water 3 days a week and a bath once a week. We have about 3 cold baths a day, 1 when we get up, 1 after P.T., and the other after games, it isn’t really as bad as it sounds. We can get cakes at the Shop. We can’t get cereals, also I got 5 chocolate biscuits to-day which weren’t bad.
When you send Dennis’s clothes could you send them in the tin which you will find on the left of my basin in a big box, just empty anything out there may be in it.
Sunday
Our cold baths have been reduced to 2.
My clothes are all right. Although it is a little difficult to manage without a sweater. I found my nail scissors in the Elastoplast box. I don’t think you need send any blue shorts the others will be all right.
On Friday, I think it was, I went out sculling but I didn’t get on very well and yesterday I went rowing and got on much better. The sandwiches were alright thank you.
May 30th
When we get up in the morning we put on games clothes and sweater. If we have low necked sweaters we either wear ties or scarves. It would be very nice if you could send me a scarf.
We can have any kind of Pullovers here which will be a help in the winter.
Wednesday was field-day. In the Morning we saw war films and one called ‘Wavell’s 30,000’ but none of them were much good. In the afternoon some person came down from the war office and we had to do a P.T. display and also we had an inspection. We didn’t do any work at all which was good.
Yesterday there was a ‘Marionette Show’ which was very good indeed and well worth seeing although it was very hot. I am very glad I saw it.
I have been doing quite a lot of swimming this week. The weather has been lovely all week but it is not nice today.
Don’t worry about the things I asked for in the last letter that are on points 2. I haven’t bought myself any bathing draws for myself yet I will get one Tomorrow probably.
I should love a couple of small tins of soup it would be very nice if you could send one or two.
I wish I was at home with all that salmon and chickens and everything else.
Congratulate Pa on his bar to the medal.
Tell Dennis I saw a Spitfire 3. There is no doubt about it. It was circling round and saw it again in the afternoon. I have also seen a spitfire 6, a thunderbolt and a Liberator, which is quite good.
The stamp on your envelope has not been stamped so I can use it again.
I got a belt from shop the other day. It is quite a nice one. I hope you don’t mind. I really needed 2. Because I need one on my shorts and another on my longs. So I am preserving my braces.
There is a notice about the day you are allowed out which is called ‘Gaudy’. I doubt very much if you can come down. But I don’t really mind. There is whole holiday on Ascension day. I am going on the river with a couple of friends.
P.S. I had a nice swim and a tea by the river to-day.
If you could send me the saddle-bag which is in the loft at the top of the stairs on the right. It belongs to Pa I think.3 I saw rather an amusing thing the other day. You know Simon rolls on his back when he has been brushed. Well I saw a large cart horse doing it.
June 4th
I got your letter safely and the many parcels. You shouldn’t have sent me all those soups. I will never be able to eat them all. I got 2 tins of Heinz soups the other day at Shop because I hoped you were only going to send one or at the most two tins, but still the more the merrier. You shouldn’t have sent those eggs because I can get them here. I am afraid three were cracked, one of which had leaked a bit, the other 2 were a bit cracked. The 4th was perfectly whole. I will cook the 3th cracked this week and the forth next week.
The scarf will be very useful. Thank you very much for it. Where did you get it from.
Yesterday was Ascension day and we had a whole Holiday. The weather had turned rainy on the Wednesday and it stayed rainy yesterday and to-day. Two friends and myself bicycled into Oxford and we got a small punt and went up from Oxford till about 2 miles before Radley which is quite a long way. It was raining on and off. On the way back I spied a punt drifting down stream. So we tied it onto our boat and pulled it down to the lock and gave it to the lock-man who said it belonged to some fishermen. The last part of the way to the lock when we were towing the punt we had to get onto the bank and tow it along. Then when we were at the lock we saw some Oxford rowing eights just starting off which was quite interesting.
Then we went on back to Oxford. It was annoying that it was early closing because I could have done some shopping. Then we bicycled back here which only takes about half an hour.
Saturday
As I was doing nothing in Games to-day I bicycled into Oxford with Soames. I got some Betox (a sort of Marmite) and also we looked over a Wings for Victory R.A.F. show which was quite good.
Sunday
On Wednesday there were only 2 lessons because a lot of people were being confirmed. I went to the service and it was very interesting.
All the parents of the boys who are being confirmed are allowed to come\and see them and take them out that day and the next as it was Ascension. So I should definitely like to be confirmed in the summer.
I had a very good tea to-day. Some Fried egg and toast and some kidney soup which were very good. Also I hard-boiled the other 2 cracked eggs and no white came from either which was pretty good. So I have one egg left, the uncracked one which I will eat next week.
June 12th
I am getting on well with my work thank you and I am finding it quite easy.
I hope you got my p.c. all right. I wrote it in a great hurry. The address I need is the address of the milk-man who has got the milk slip out of my ration book. I hope it wasn’t Taken out at St Pirans; it may have been. If so I will have to write there I suppose.
Dennis must be pleased at the way his bird’s egg collection is progressing. Gull’s eggs, House sparrows’ ,hedge sparrows and pewits and Wheatear’s eggs (which by the way is the name of our Social Matron, although it isn’t spelt the same way).
If you have any cereals or Golden Syrup to spare they will be welcomed.
Yesterday the Eastbournians acted part of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ which was very good. It was very nearly the same as Form 1 (at St Pirans) acted last term.
Oxford Regatta was to-day and we only had 3 periods. We bicycled into Oxford to watch the regatta which the first two Radley eights are taking part. The Radley eights got on well but they didn’t win.
Sunday
I have been bathing some more this week. It is a pity Dennis can’t bathe with Mumps.
Could you send me a bike-pump. I think you can get one from a Bike-shop called ‘Dunlop’ in Bridgend. I will draw a map of the place to show you where it is. You would get decent ones there.
P.S. I had a nice tea of poached egg and Mulligatawny Soup which was stronger than any curry I have tasted.
June 22nd
Do you know when the stockings will come, it is a bit difficult with only two pairs.
We are allowed out on June 26 (Sunday). That is the only special day you can see me but I think you can come any Sunday.
I bathed yesterday a bit in the River. And to-day I took another swimming test in which we had to swim across the river and back in gym-shoes, socks, shirt and trousers and I passed it all right, there is only one more test, in which you have to swim across the river and back in bathing draws, after we have done that I will be allowed to go across the river and use the diving boards over there.
By the way do you think I could get a pair of bathing draws from the Shop because yesterday when I was taking mine off, I put my fingers through in two places, they were so rotten and someone else has got a pair from Shop and he said they were very nice. I believe they are a pair of my St Pirans ones somewhere at home, but they aren’t very nice ones.
It was very nice to get a letter from Dennis. I can just imagine him smoking cigars with Michael. I hope you enjoyed them!! Congratulations on getting all those eggs, you must have a good collection by now.
I am really enjoying my sculling and I think I am getting on well.
Could you send me my ‘Everyman’s Dictionary’ it is either in my room or in the Sitting room. If you can’t find that I think there is another small one under my ‘Doctor Dolittle’ bookcase.
I am very happy here and I am enjoying myself very much. The corn-flakes are very good indeed but they go so quickly even if I have them every other day. I should need about 5 or 6 packets per term. If you could send me some more, it would be lovely. I finished my syrup last week and it was very good indeed.
Our Wings for Victory week started yesterday and there was a concert in Hall, but it wasn’t very good, it was 6d or 1/- entrance fee and we were given a savings stamp. There was a bomb, the Radley bomb there and we all stuck our stamps on and it got fairly covered. One thing in the concert wasn’t bad.
P.S. Its very nice on Sundays, because we are allowed to use the gas rings to cook anything we want, we can get eggs from the farm, near here, I got 2 to-day and I am going to hard-boil them and eat them during the week. If you have any sardines, baked beans or any tinned stuff I should love it.
Could you send me a knife, fork and fairly small spoon please if it is’ too much trouble.
Undated but around this week
I expect Dennis is jolly pleased at getting all those Gulls eggs. About the Mug please don’t send me a bakelite one because they break but if you could get an enamel one could you please send it. I have done quite a lot of sculling and I am enjoying it very much indeed.
My Bike is a very nice one and I am looking after it well
I have read ‘Owd Bob’ and I thought it extremely good indeed. We were in quarantine for scarlet fever but we come out to-day so I hope no one gets it to-day.
Undated but must be here
Thank you very much for the 15/- which arrived safely. I have used the ten shillings now and am not in debt any longer. The boots I got with them are they right size or a little on the big side which is best.
If you have had my blue coat cleaned it would be very useful here, because we can wear anything like that. I think it would be clean enough even if it wasn’t cleaned
Sunday
It is a pity you can’t get golden syrup now. It was so useful.
I didn’t have to write to St Pirans because I remember who we used to get the milk from there. You seem to have a lot of adventures with gulls this term. What with gulls eggs and dead gulls etc.
Yesterday there were ‘Novice’ sculling races. Wet bobs (this is the name for those who row as opposed to dry bobs who play cricket) were divided up into Senior I, Senior II, Middle I, Middle II, Junior I, Junior II, Novice I, Novice II. Yesterday the Novices I and II raced. It is done by timing. You start off at a certain time and you are timed how long you take to do the course. I don’t know the times yet but I will tell you as soon as I know. I am in the Novices II.
Have you got any Gooseberries yet this year. I hope you can get some because you have got about 10 lbs of sugar haven’t you. So you can make a lot of jam. Do bottle some because they are very useful to bring back!!!
I had a very nice ‘tea’ yesterday of soup and new potatoes.
June 28th
17lbs of Jam, what a lovely thought. I always love your gooseberry Jam.
I was 27 in the Novices race out of about 50 people. I took 5 min 15 secs. Also after that there are two separate races, Novice I sculling races, Novice II sculling races. It is a ‘knock out’ competition if you know what that is. You should. Anyhow two people are chosen for each lot of races from each Social, I was one of the two for Novice II, much to my surprise.
My race was on Monday against Moreton, I beat him much to my surprise, I took 5 mins, 10 secs, 5 secs shorter than my last go.
Then I had to race someone else on Tuesday and I beat him again surprisingly. I took 4 mins 42 secs.
The next day I had to race someone out of my own social but I kept on ramming the bank and he beat me easily. But I got into the semi-finals which I have just told you about. The person who beat me had one more race and won the Novice II so our social won it anyway.
To-morrow is Gaudy. I expect I shall find plenty to do.
I am longing for the Holidays which are in only one months time and then two whole months!
July 3rd
I got the jacket and corn-flakes, thank you.
Sunday
I haven’t told you yet but we get ice-cream here about twice a week which is lovely. The other week (on Gaudy) we had ice-cream and cherries and one day we had ice-cream and strawberries (very few of them) I found three.
The Social fours (rowing) are in about three weeks time, we have got 6 fours which is pretty good, all our wet-bobs except for about two are in them, I am in the sixth four.
About 60 fortresses4 came over here this morning from a raid, a terrific noise is going on above my head which I expect is fortresses. I’ve just looked out they were fortresses about twenty of them just in sight.
The weather here this week has been lovely and I had a nice long bathe yesterday. I had quite a good tea to-day.
Undated but about July 10th
I have just bought a copy of ‘The Concise Oxford Dictionary’ for 4/9 which is very cheap.
I am still in the 6th four. I have heard that we are going to race another Social 5th IV so we will have to race hard.
Do you think Pa could sell me back the fountain pen I sold him about two holidays ago. I have lost mine, but am still looking for it, And this pen I have brought, which is pretty awful as you see.
Could you give me permission to get some travelling money. You see if you give us written permission with a stated amount, and I suppose it will be put on the bill.
There are only two more weeks now the term seems to have gone very quickly.
We had ice cream and Strawberry jam for lunch to-day. I had 3 bits of buttered toast and jam and some Asparagus soup for tea to-day which were very good.
I am reading ‘Rebecca’ (Daphne Du Maurier) which is very good, I think.
Undated, about July 20th
Dear Mox and Pox and Herr Michaelovitch VIII,
I hope you very well (I very much doubt it by the letter, especially H.M.VIII). No wonder Michael has been sent on leave if he’s like that.
The trains home are very nice and they suit me well. From what I hear we go to bed about 11.30 and get up at 5.00 then we have breakfast. I can catch the 7.20 from here which gets to Reading at about 8.30, which gives me about an hour and a quarter to wait, but as the train is usually late into Reading about 40 minutes wait!
My behind is very sore from these IV’s, I have been out every day this week and it gets very tiring. We will race on 20th inst. Of July and if we win again, I think, on the 22nd.
Please could you send me £1 or £1-10s in money please for travelling money (i.e. ticket and luggage). I think I asked you last week if I could have it from the bill but it is too late now, so please you let me have it as soon as possible.
Sunday
I went out in a IV yesterday and we rowed over the course and I didn’t feel nearly so worn out at the end of it as when we first went over the course.
I am going to have a bathe to-day, and am going, with most of the social to clear some weeds away out of the river for the Social four which are coming off this week.
I doubt if I will write again unless I write in the middle of the week because I would arrive home before the letter.
I had a lovely tea of four bits of well-margarined toast and marmalade which was very good indeed and some cocoa.
The exams start on Wednesday. They will be much longer than I have been used to.
P.S. could you send me one of my nice ties, the one with the foxe’s heads on it. please