Harold is in the middle of the back row
56 Bond Street
Monkwearmouth
Sunderland
12.5.40
Dear Angela
Your letter arrived about three days ago, and as you can see I am at home again. - just for four days. I have completed the entrance form for my exam in July and as I am taking nine subjects I have decided to do a little work. Even when that exam is over I will still have to work as I am trying for two scholarships to Universities. I hope to get through in Art and Architecture. The work I have to do for these will not be too bad as it consists of sketches and scale drawings of houses, cathedrals etc. I will send you some photos of Durham and York Cathedrals sometime, as you won’t have any places as old as these. Well so much for work - I don’t suppose it will ever get done.
I have been doing a few pencil sketches lately and I will send you a few of some Yorkshire villages. I am having two printed in the School Mag. this term. If I remember to enclose it you will find a “snap” taken by a chap in our form. It is of a few boys in our form, we may look happy but we are not it is just “put on”. If you can’t spot me, I have put a X on the back, which, if held to the light, covers my face.
You seem to have had some fun at your Winema Initiation, I would love to have seen you in “pigtails”! Which reminds me - I don’t know the meaning of the pigtail but the blue ribbon is for something like this:-
“If your love for me is true
Return to me this ribbon blue”
as I don’t know who sent it I am not able to say.
We had a mock election at school about three years ago and we certainly had plenty of fun - the candidates giving speeches on what they would do if elected. In England they keep the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools separated and it is very rare that we have anything in co-operation, only the country schools have mixed forms.
It seems as if someone in our form thinks I can draw, I am nearly always under severe criticism from the rest. When I send you some sketches you will probably change your mind.
I had just discovered that letters under 2oz could go to America for 1½d - you probably noticed this - well now the Government have raised the postage rates so I will not reap any fruit from my newly discovered tree. I have got a correspondent in France now, he is only fourteen but his English is much better than my French. I will enclose some French stamps from his letter ― they are very common and I am sending you two of the new centenary stamps I am sending them unused as they will probably be of more value. If you want any special French stamps I will try and get them.
I must close now as dinner is calling and I was up early for a Sunday morning 8.30 am.
Yours sincerely
Harold
Monkwearmouth
Sunderland
12.5.40
Dear Angela
Your letter arrived about three days ago, and as you can see I am at home again. - just for four days. I have completed the entrance form for my exam in July and as I am taking nine subjects I have decided to do a little work. Even when that exam is over I will still have to work as I am trying for two scholarships to Universities. I hope to get through in Art and Architecture. The work I have to do for these will not be too bad as it consists of sketches and scale drawings of houses, cathedrals etc. I will send you some photos of Durham and York Cathedrals sometime, as you won’t have any places as old as these. Well so much for work - I don’t suppose it will ever get done.
I have been doing a few pencil sketches lately and I will send you a few of some Yorkshire villages. I am having two printed in the School Mag. this term. If I remember to enclose it you will find a “snap” taken by a chap in our form. It is of a few boys in our form, we may look happy but we are not it is just “put on”. If you can’t spot me, I have put a X on the back, which, if held to the light, covers my face.
You seem to have had some fun at your Winema Initiation, I would love to have seen you in “pigtails”! Which reminds me - I don’t know the meaning of the pigtail but the blue ribbon is for something like this:-
“If your love for me is true
Return to me this ribbon blue”
as I don’t know who sent it I am not able to say.
We had a mock election at school about three years ago and we certainly had plenty of fun - the candidates giving speeches on what they would do if elected. In England they keep the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools separated and it is very rare that we have anything in co-operation, only the country schools have mixed forms.
It seems as if someone in our form thinks I can draw, I am nearly always under severe criticism from the rest. When I send you some sketches you will probably change your mind.
I had just discovered that letters under 2oz could go to America for 1½d - you probably noticed this - well now the Government have raised the postage rates so I will not reap any fruit from my newly discovered tree. I have got a correspondent in France now, he is only fourteen but his English is much better than my French. I will enclose some French stamps from his letter ― they are very common and I am sending you two of the new centenary stamps I am sending them unused as they will probably be of more value. If you want any special French stamps I will try and get them.
I must close now as dinner is calling and I was up early for a Sunday morning 8.30 am.
Yours sincerely
Harold
2 comments:
This is such an interesting idea for a blog. I feel like I'm peeking into life in 1940. Thanks!
Thank you Ruby, this project will take some time to finish but I'm certainly enjoying reading my fathers letters.
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