17/3/43
Dear Angela
Your letter arrived the same day that I posted my reply to your previous letter (I hope this makes sense). However I must admit that to prevent crowding of the letters is not my only excuse for not replying sooner – I have been absolutely full of work lately and have had very little time to myself, on top of that we have had a few unwanted visitors lately, but I am glad to report that some of them never went back. Well so much for excuses!
You will be over the shock of your exams and probably the shock of the results when you receive this. I have got mine to come yet. I had one paper last week and even though I did make a mess of it I was given a good pass – so I can’t quite grumble. The others come next week and last 8 days with two papers each day, I think I will have to cram the night before as I have done very little swotting up to the present. – however these are only college exams and I have until June to work for the University Exams. I think my Physics has reached a stage similar to your Spanish, I have thought about giving it up but it is of no use because I have to pass in it, I suppose I will just have to learn it like a parrot, because I am sure the human mind was not made to understand the depths of Heat and Light.
In reply to your views on the Englishman as he appears in America I can only say that from American magazines and films the American men students seem to have a failing for ‘baggy’ looking attire as you call it. I must admit that the American college girl does seem a little neater and tidier than the English, however that may be because I have only seen a small number of each. Everyone over here is wearing ‘baggy’ clothing at present and it is more out of necessity than tradition.
As for the photo I sent you, I must emphasise that it is a very poor one and I only sent it because I promised, I am going to have one taken at Easter when I will have a few days off and will be able to catch the studios open.
You mentioned your brother being ‘called up’ as we put it, and your point of view about him is the same as mam’s about me “I think it will do him good”. I will be having another taste of army life soon as we have another fortnight with the regular army at a camp on the moors – I suppose it will be another kill or cure course like all the rest – however it will mean more sing-songs about a ‘tinny’ piano!
I received one copy of the ‘Daily Cal’ and I quite enjoyed reading it, it appears that the whole University is just a mass of movement and that there is always something happening. I am afraid that we would seem a trifle dead over here at present, because of all the war duties etc which take up most of the time during each week, I have only played about three games of football since I started college, and I have only had running shoes on about four times which is quite a drop from the sport I had before. However such is war!
I saw my pal about writing to ‘Ginny’ and he said he had written twice so it seems that my cliché can be used again ‘Such is war!’ He has written again and she should receive a letter about the same time as you receive this – if not however here is the address
Mr RD Holt
Rostherne
Park Lea Road
Roker
Sunderland
Co Durham
I don’t quite know how he should be addressed as I am not sure of his correct name – he has two in everyday use either ‘Rod’ or ‘Reggie’ however she had better use ‘Rod’.
I close hoping you will excuse mistakes and that you passed your exams.
Love
Harold
17 March 1943
17 January 1943 (although the letter is dated 1942) - Harold aged 19
17 Jan 1942
Dear Angela
Your letter arrived a few days ago a little late for Xmas, but as they say “better late than never”; thank you very much for the Xmas card it is a lovely photograph, and I am afraid that Sunderland Tech cannot boast of anything like that. It certainly seems that the University of California is a massive place with grounds and playing fields “on the spot”. I think Durham University would be about the same size if it were “collected”. Sunderland Tech is one college of Durham Univ. and comprises of two buildings one on each side of the street in the town, the rest of Durham Univ. is at Durham and Newcastle; so you can see that we at Sunderland are quite a small community on our own, but we have as good a reputation as any other college and we are quite proud of it.
Monkwearmouth? – I had expected that question and often intended to explain before you asked (if you get my meaning) – however I will try to explain it as short as possible and not be too boring. It all started about 674 A.D. when a monastery called St Peters was built, there are of course monks in a monastery, and hence we have 1/3 of the word, the last 2/3 is easily obtained the “monks” lived at the “mouth” of the river “Wear” and thus we have the complete word. If you care to read any more I will add one or two more facts – it was the first church in England to have glass in it and the original glass works or should I say the original “firm” is still here – in 867 it (the Church) was burned by the Danes – Bede did some of his Bible translation here and the rest at Jarrow a few miles away – St Peters was famous for its educational qualities long before Oxford, Cambridge or Durham – well I am not a Historian but I did dabble in Architecture and I hope the above facts are not in too much detail and do not bore you. I may as well give you the origin of Sunderland – it also goes back to Saxon times when it was called “Sonderlande” because – there are two reasons given now 1) Sunderland was supposed to mean the land owned by the monastery 2) Sunderland meant that the land owned by the monastery was cut asunder by the river – I don’t know which is correct. I believe I forgot to say that the new St Peters – built after the burning in 867 A.D. still stands and part of the original 674 A.D. building is still here. Well so much for that.
I am happy to say that I did not take Spanish at school – I did take French and German and found quite enough pitfalls in these without trying anything in Spanish. It seems I will have to start French or German again – because for an Honours Degree in Engineering some of the papers are on a foreign language – the idea is to show that you could read a foreign technical book.
I have just read your question on Monkwearmouth again and it seems I haven’t completely answered it – you asked what it was – I live in Sunderland but Sunderland is subdivided into districts, wards or parishes call them what you will, well the district I live in is Monkwearmouth. The districts are not villages and are only separated by streets or the river. They also have some names which go back to the Saxon times such as Fulwell & Millfield – these are again “built up” words like Monkwearmouth. I think that does answer your question now and I hope it hasn’t been boring. Have you any such arrangements in America?
As I promised I sent you a photo, it is a very poor one and makes me look about 90 however I kept my promise in spite of it. When I get some time off I will have a better one taken.
Well Bob Hope is now on the radio and I have run out of news now.
Love
Harold
Dear Angela
Your letter arrived a few days ago a little late for Xmas, but as they say “better late than never”; thank you very much for the Xmas card it is a lovely photograph, and I am afraid that Sunderland Tech cannot boast of anything like that. It certainly seems that the University of California is a massive place with grounds and playing fields “on the spot”. I think Durham University would be about the same size if it were “collected”. Sunderland Tech is one college of Durham Univ. and comprises of two buildings one on each side of the street in the town, the rest of Durham Univ. is at Durham and Newcastle; so you can see that we at Sunderland are quite a small community on our own, but we have as good a reputation as any other college and we are quite proud of it.
Monkwearmouth? – I had expected that question and often intended to explain before you asked (if you get my meaning) – however I will try to explain it as short as possible and not be too boring. It all started about 674 A.D. when a monastery called St Peters was built, there are of course monks in a monastery, and hence we have 1/3 of the word, the last 2/3 is easily obtained the “monks” lived at the “mouth” of the river “Wear” and thus we have the complete word. If you care to read any more I will add one or two more facts – it was the first church in England to have glass in it and the original glass works or should I say the original “firm” is still here – in 867 it (the Church) was burned by the Danes – Bede did some of his Bible translation here and the rest at Jarrow a few miles away – St Peters was famous for its educational qualities long before Oxford, Cambridge or Durham – well I am not a Historian but I did dabble in Architecture and I hope the above facts are not in too much detail and do not bore you. I may as well give you the origin of Sunderland – it also goes back to Saxon times when it was called “Sonderlande” because – there are two reasons given now 1) Sunderland was supposed to mean the land owned by the monastery 2) Sunderland meant that the land owned by the monastery was cut asunder by the river – I don’t know which is correct. I believe I forgot to say that the new St Peters – built after the burning in 867 A.D. still stands and part of the original 674 A.D. building is still here. Well so much for that.
I am happy to say that I did not take Spanish at school – I did take French and German and found quite enough pitfalls in these without trying anything in Spanish. It seems I will have to start French or German again – because for an Honours Degree in Engineering some of the papers are on a foreign language – the idea is to show that you could read a foreign technical book.
I have just read your question on Monkwearmouth again and it seems I haven’t completely answered it – you asked what it was – I live in Sunderland but Sunderland is subdivided into districts, wards or parishes call them what you will, well the district I live in is Monkwearmouth. The districts are not villages and are only separated by streets or the river. They also have some names which go back to the Saxon times such as Fulwell & Millfield – these are again “built up” words like Monkwearmouth. I think that does answer your question now and I hope it hasn’t been boring. Have you any such arrangements in America?
As I promised I sent you a photo, it is a very poor one and makes me look about 90 however I kept my promise in spite of it. When I get some time off I will have a better one taken.
Well Bob Hope is now on the radio and I have run out of news now.
Love
Harold
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