19 November 1939 - New digs

8 Springwell Terr. East
Northallerton
Yorks

19/11/39


Dear Angela
I suppose you will be wondering why I have changed my address since my last letter. My new “mother” at the old “digs” took ill and I had to find a new place. I am here with my pal and the people are much more homely than the last place. They are very jolly and we can hardly eat for laughing.
I was home for the weekend after I answered or at least wrote to you. My pal and I got home because we had to buy some new clothes. I got home again for all of last week because I had been ill and the doctor sent me home for a rest. I can tell you that I did not feel like returning, although the people are so kind it is not quite “home”. I wish we were going to get home for Xmas as I have had invitations to three parties, but it is doubtful if we will be allowed home.
I am glad you liked the photo of Barnard Castle, I thought you would like them as I don’t think you have any castles in America. We have quite a number of old churches around Northallerton some as old as 1090 A.D. They are favourite subjects for pen and ink sketches. The oldest church I have ever seen is in Sunderland, it was built about 800 A.D. and is Saxon, the tower is still standing. I have just began to study Architecture and it is very interesting.
I did not think you would have to learn “Shakespeare” in America. We have him until we can quote from almost any of his plays, I like his blank verse but I would much rather have “Wodehouse” “Conan Doyle” etc. I have read “The Tempest”, “Twelfth Night”, “Julius Caesar” and “Macbeth”. We get a test on “Macbeth” in my first exam which comes next July, we get context questions, this is giving the speaker, the person spoken to and the part of the play in reference to about two lines given on the exam paper. We also get questions like this on Modern Poetry. I will repeat you and say “forget that I wrote anything about it” if you get the same.
I think I told you that our Girl’s School is at Richmond, well I rode about 40 miles to Richmond and back, not to see any girls!, but, to see our Rugby Football Team get beaten by Richmond Grammar School. The ride to Richmond is just torture, as Northallerton is in the valley and Richmond is “perched” high up in the hills. We miss our Girls School, because we used to have tons of fun travelling to school on our bikes or in the tram-car with them.
When we came back from Richmond we made a detour in order to pass a very large aerodrome which is nearby. When we went past we saw some of the famous “Spitfires” they were about ready to take off but we could not watch as we would have been taken for spies. I saw a Spitfire last week and it went down our high street about 100 ft high and at about 400 m.p.h. it was a marvellous sight to see.
I haven’t done much pen work for a while now but I have made a passable pencil portrait of my host. Our art course is very mixed now but I manage to be fairly good all round. Last week we had to shade a duster in pencil, it was some job because of the hundreds of shades and folds. I can also imagine you drawing a Roman Toga in pen, it must have been tough!
May I also congratulate you, not on a championship but on your writing. I have always admired it and it is far better than mine. I don’t know what you think of my scribble, it is pretty awful isn’t it. I have an excuse because my fountain pen has been borrowed and I am writing with a fine sketching pen.
You have been lucky having a heat wave we had snow about six weeks ago and there was about two inches of ice on the “beck” which is Yorkshire for stream. We cannot get any more apples as they have all been gathered but we have some very sweet ones from certain orchards. I think I will be writing “Yorkshire” soon as well as speaking it. I suppose you will have heard of the famous Yorkshire dialect well that is what I am refering to. One famous Yorkshire saying is:-
(A father’s advice to his son) “If tha iver does owt for nowt, die it for thee sen. Drink all pay nowt, hear all say nowt, but, if tha iver does out for nowt die it for thee sen”.
If you can’t understand it means:- “If you ever do anything for nothing do it for yourself. Drink all and pay nothing hear all and say nothing”
Another phrase, used in autograph books, is “By hook or by crook I’ll be first in this book”, this is put at the first page or it can be altered to the last.
Thanks very much for the photos, I think they are great and I am sure your first description of yourself did not pay you enough tribute.
I have a correspondent for your cousin his name is George Cutter he is also an evacuee with our school. I have given him the address so he will write first.
I must close now as I have expired both physically and mentally but I should not have left two letters unanswered.
Yours sincerely
Harold
P.S. Please excuse all mistakes