20.1.40
Dear Angela
I suppose that you will also be wondering what has happened to this letter. You posted yours on December 18th and I received it on January 19th, that is yesterday. Well I suppose, it is lucky to get any letters at all because of the war. I must thank you for the Xmas card I think that it is a very good “lino cut”. I hope that you received my Xmas card in time. If possible I will send you a print of one of my sketches, it was printed in the “Bedan”, that is the school magazine.
As you can see I am still away from home. I managed to get home for16 days at Xmas and was at six parties and never in bed before 3 o’clock in the morning, so you can tell what kind of time I had. I did not feel like returning but I had to as I sit my first exam in July. I hope to sit another exam when I am 18, to go to University and be an architect. This is looking ahead however.
We are having some great fun now as we have about 6” of snow. It snows nearly every day now. Before it snowed we had 12° of frost and I had quite a lot of ice-skating, it is great fun. One day I was on the ice for 5 hours. I went and swept some of the pond this afternoon so that we could skate. Tonight I went “sledging” with the two boys in my billet, we had a great time on the banks. These sports may sound alright but as it is about 10° below freezing point it is very cold. You will laugh if I tell you what I had on to keep me warm:- two shirts, one waistcoat, one “pullover”, one sweater, two pair of trousers, two pair of stockings and football boots. I looked very “tubby”.
I was supposed to be on our under 17 cross country team to-day but the team we were running against were ill with measles. I am glad that the race was put off because of the snow. Last Monday I ran 4 miles over terrible country in 10° of frost, when I finished I was blue.
We saw three German planes the other day but there was no anti aircraft shooting. Mam and dad have seen the shells busting around the planes at home and they saw one brought down. As yet we have had no bombs and we do not want any.
We see most of the American films over here and I think that they are better than most of the English ones. Do you see any British films? My favourite film star is Loretta Young. At Northallerton we do not see the films until about three years after they have been released, as it is so small.
We are rationed now but nearly every one is taking it as a joke. I could not get any writing paper with lines on and I had a job to get envelopes. So please excuse the writing.
Well I must close now, it is still “as card as owt” or “”could as owt” which means as cold as anything.
I will leave the letter open until I manage to get a print from the printers.
I remain
Yours Sincerely
Harold
-------/-------
Sunday 21st
I did not get up until 10.30am this morning. I then went sledging on a new “run” which has a series of bumps in it. I had three crashes into the hedge and am feeling quite sore on my hip bones. I went skating again this afternoon but it began to snow and I got “home” looking like a snow man. There is now about one foot of snow and some drifts about six feet deep. It was the coldest night we have ever had last night, it was supposed to have been 24° below freezing point. The bath will not empty as the pipes are frozen and even the water taps inside were frozen There has been a cover of frost inside our bedroom windows for quite some time.
I may seem to be talking about the weather a great deal but it is the only topic of conversation over here.
I will leave letter open until tomorrow at latest. I am enclosing some Australian stamps.
Monday
Will definitely close now as I have got the first print which is enclosed.
Yours sincerely
Harold
I suppose that you will also be wondering what has happened to this letter. You posted yours on December 18th and I received it on January 19th, that is yesterday. Well I suppose, it is lucky to get any letters at all because of the war. I must thank you for the Xmas card I think that it is a very good “lino cut”. I hope that you received my Xmas card in time. If possible I will send you a print of one of my sketches, it was printed in the “Bedan”, that is the school magazine.
As you can see I am still away from home. I managed to get home for16 days at Xmas and was at six parties and never in bed before 3 o’clock in the morning, so you can tell what kind of time I had. I did not feel like returning but I had to as I sit my first exam in July. I hope to sit another exam when I am 18, to go to University and be an architect. This is looking ahead however.
We are having some great fun now as we have about 6” of snow. It snows nearly every day now. Before it snowed we had 12° of frost and I had quite a lot of ice-skating, it is great fun. One day I was on the ice for 5 hours. I went and swept some of the pond this afternoon so that we could skate. Tonight I went “sledging” with the two boys in my billet, we had a great time on the banks. These sports may sound alright but as it is about 10° below freezing point it is very cold. You will laugh if I tell you what I had on to keep me warm:- two shirts, one waistcoat, one “pullover”, one sweater, two pair of trousers, two pair of stockings and football boots. I looked very “tubby”.
I was supposed to be on our under 17 cross country team to-day but the team we were running against were ill with measles. I am glad that the race was put off because of the snow. Last Monday I ran 4 miles over terrible country in 10° of frost, when I finished I was blue.
We saw three German planes the other day but there was no anti aircraft shooting. Mam and dad have seen the shells busting around the planes at home and they saw one brought down. As yet we have had no bombs and we do not want any.
We see most of the American films over here and I think that they are better than most of the English ones. Do you see any British films? My favourite film star is Loretta Young. At Northallerton we do not see the films until about three years after they have been released, as it is so small.
We are rationed now but nearly every one is taking it as a joke. I could not get any writing paper with lines on and I had a job to get envelopes. So please excuse the writing.
Well I must close now, it is still “as card as owt” or “”could as owt” which means as cold as anything.
I will leave the letter open until I manage to get a print from the printers.
I remain
Yours Sincerely
Harold
-------/-------
Sunday 21st
I did not get up until 10.30am this morning. I then went sledging on a new “run” which has a series of bumps in it. I had three crashes into the hedge and am feeling quite sore on my hip bones. I went skating again this afternoon but it began to snow and I got “home” looking like a snow man. There is now about one foot of snow and some drifts about six feet deep. It was the coldest night we have ever had last night, it was supposed to have been 24° below freezing point. The bath will not empty as the pipes are frozen and even the water taps inside were frozen There has been a cover of frost inside our bedroom windows for quite some time.
I may seem to be talking about the weather a great deal but it is the only topic of conversation over here.
I will leave letter open until tomorrow at latest. I am enclosing some Australian stamps.
Monday
Will definitely close now as I have got the first print which is enclosed.
Yours sincerely
Harold
