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
10 December 1942
10/12/42
Dear Angela
I received your letter dated Nov 6th a few days ago and I am answering it now in the hope that this letter will arrive in time for your birthday.
You certainly seem to be having a busy time working and going to college at the same time, it would be impossible for me to have a part time job because I have six full days a week at college and the rest of the time is taken up with homework. I have come to the conclusion that after three years at college I will still know nothing about engineering, because the more I learn the more there seems to be, however it is such a large subject I must be content with a small fraction of it. At present we are looking forward to the Xmas vacation which is preceded by the Annual Xmas Dance and Concert, however a little of the fun has gone because our Maths lecturer has decided to have a little exam on the last day of term, who ever heard of such a thing? I have already been asked to two parties but it is a wonder because catering for a party is quite a problem now and most people just can’t be bothered. I can’t say I am feeling very keen about the vacation, because we already have a pile of work to do for next term, and, above all I am firewatching at college on Xmas eve! However such is life.
Mam is going to have a quiet Xmas because I will be out and dad will be at work, it seems as if it is going to be a real “austerity” Xmas.
I can’t find a great deal to say as the last few weeks have just been bed and work with a little firewatching and dancing thrown in.
I am hoping to enclose a photograph if it is printed in time, I had quite a job to find a place open during my dinner hour but I managed to get one taken.
I will close now, wishing you a happy birthday
Love and best wishes
Harold
P.S. Please excuse short letter
Dear Angela
I received your letter dated Nov 6th a few days ago and I am answering it now in the hope that this letter will arrive in time for your birthday.
You certainly seem to be having a busy time working and going to college at the same time, it would be impossible for me to have a part time job because I have six full days a week at college and the rest of the time is taken up with homework. I have come to the conclusion that after three years at college I will still know nothing about engineering, because the more I learn the more there seems to be, however it is such a large subject I must be content with a small fraction of it. At present we are looking forward to the Xmas vacation which is preceded by the Annual Xmas Dance and Concert, however a little of the fun has gone because our Maths lecturer has decided to have a little exam on the last day of term, who ever heard of such a thing? I have already been asked to two parties but it is a wonder because catering for a party is quite a problem now and most people just can’t be bothered. I can’t say I am feeling very keen about the vacation, because we already have a pile of work to do for next term, and, above all I am firewatching at college on Xmas eve! However such is life.
Mam is going to have a quiet Xmas because I will be out and dad will be at work, it seems as if it is going to be a real “austerity” Xmas.
I can’t find a great deal to say as the last few weeks have just been bed and work with a little firewatching and dancing thrown in.
I am hoping to enclose a photograph if it is printed in time, I had quite a job to find a place open during my dinner hour but I managed to get one taken.
I will close now, wishing you a happy birthday
Love and best wishes
Harold
P.S. Please excuse short letter
22 November 1942 - A great example of a patriotic Christmas card
22 Nov 1942
Dear Angela
I am writing this letter in the midst of a pile of homework, because if I don’t write soon, it will not arrive before Xmas. Your card arrived yesterday and I must thank you very much for it and the letter. Your warning about being good was a little late but I don’t think it was necessary. I think I was fairly good on my birthday – I had two nights off homework for a change: and had a really late night at a dance instead of a late night at homework. I am having to get my work done over the weekend because I am going to the Training Corps Dance on Tuesday and if you don’t go there (even if you can’t dance) you will soon become unpopular with the N.C.O.’s. However I am not going because of that, but because I am sure to have a grand time.
I think that Sunderland Technical College must be a very small place compared to your college, we are just a very small college of Durham University, and our subjects are all Science and include – Pure Science (Chemistry, Physics, Maths etc) Civil, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering and Pharmacy. Even though the college is small, we are very proud of it, as some of the best aircraft designers in the country got their degrees at Sunderland “Tech”. The main part of the University is at Durham & Newcastle; and you can easily get lost there because of the number of buildings and lecture rooms. Will you take your four subjects all the time you are at college, or will you specialise in one in the last year? In England you take about four subjects in your first year and you usually drop three and just take one in your final year, you can however take a general degree in more than one. However these rules are not rigid and there are numerous alternatives. It seems as if you will soon be quoting English Litt. to me and so give me a little of my own medicine.
As it is so soon after your last letter I haven’t much to say and in order to save paper I will close now, wishing you and yours a Merry Xmas & a Happy New Year.
Love
Harold
Dear Angela
I am writing this letter in the midst of a pile of homework, because if I don’t write soon, it will not arrive before Xmas. Your card arrived yesterday and I must thank you very much for it and the letter. Your warning about being good was a little late but I don’t think it was necessary. I think I was fairly good on my birthday – I had two nights off homework for a change: and had a really late night at a dance instead of a late night at homework. I am having to get my work done over the weekend because I am going to the Training Corps Dance on Tuesday and if you don’t go there (even if you can’t dance) you will soon become unpopular with the N.C.O.’s. However I am not going because of that, but because I am sure to have a grand time.
I think that Sunderland Technical College must be a very small place compared to your college, we are just a very small college of Durham University, and our subjects are all Science and include – Pure Science (Chemistry, Physics, Maths etc) Civil, Mechanical & Electrical Engineering and Pharmacy. Even though the college is small, we are very proud of it, as some of the best aircraft designers in the country got their degrees at Sunderland “Tech”. The main part of the University is at Durham & Newcastle; and you can easily get lost there because of the number of buildings and lecture rooms. Will you take your four subjects all the time you are at college, or will you specialise in one in the last year? In England you take about four subjects in your first year and you usually drop three and just take one in your final year, you can however take a general degree in more than one. However these rules are not rigid and there are numerous alternatives. It seems as if you will soon be quoting English Litt. to me and so give me a little of my own medicine.
As it is so soon after your last letter I haven’t much to say and in order to save paper I will close now, wishing you and yours a Merry Xmas & a Happy New Year.
Love
Harold
23 September 1942
23 Sept 1942
Dear Angela
I will begin as usual with “I was very pleased to receive your letter”, I am replying as soon as possible. I will tell my pal to write to Virginia again and I hope his letter arrives this time.
I am sure that you would not have liked the work in the cannery and I think it would have been much more monotonous than your own work – even if it was shaving discs.
I have been “tool fettling” for the last month, this is just a form of blacksmithing and my hands don’t seem to like a hammer-shaft judging by the blisters. However I have had a rest as I was ill in bed with influenza last week, it was very boring with nothing to do.
You will probably have started college when you receive this letter and I hope you are not having to work too hard. I begin my Second Year B.Sc. course on Oct. 1st and I have just received my time table and found that I have no free periods, and that I have extra half hours at all odd times during the week; so it seems as if I will have some work to plough through. If I can remember, you will find enclosed a cutting from the newspaper about the State Bursaries won by the College and more by luck than good management I happened to be the only Mechanical Engineer among them, the rest were Electrical. I felt proud when one of the young apprentices at work won a free scholarship to college as I had been teaching him – I suppose he would have done just as well with anyone else teaching him.
You will probably find plenty of trouble if your everlasting curiosity makes you read Shakespeare – if you want to read him read his comedies first, and don’t try to discover all his puns and subtleness at the first reading. I think a very short description of his life would amuse you, in case you have not seen them before the lines over his grave are:-
Good frend for Jesus sake forbeare
To dig the dust encloased heare
Blese be Ye man Yt spares thes stones
And curst be he Yt moves my bones
Don’t think my spelling is as bad as above but that is the original English and you can read it as you think fit.
I can’t think of any more news as so very little seems to happen across here – I hope you can understand this letter but I have been trying to teach mam to dance and write this at the same time. My brain seems too dull even to prattle. I will close
Love & “all the best”
Harold
Dear Angela
I will begin as usual with “I was very pleased to receive your letter”, I am replying as soon as possible. I will tell my pal to write to Virginia again and I hope his letter arrives this time.
I am sure that you would not have liked the work in the cannery and I think it would have been much more monotonous than your own work – even if it was shaving discs.
I have been “tool fettling” for the last month, this is just a form of blacksmithing and my hands don’t seem to like a hammer-shaft judging by the blisters. However I have had a rest as I was ill in bed with influenza last week, it was very boring with nothing to do.
You will probably have started college when you receive this letter and I hope you are not having to work too hard. I begin my Second Year B.Sc. course on Oct. 1st and I have just received my time table and found that I have no free periods, and that I have extra half hours at all odd times during the week; so it seems as if I will have some work to plough through. If I can remember, you will find enclosed a cutting from the newspaper about the State Bursaries won by the College and more by luck than good management I happened to be the only Mechanical Engineer among them, the rest were Electrical. I felt proud when one of the young apprentices at work won a free scholarship to college as I had been teaching him – I suppose he would have done just as well with anyone else teaching him.
You will probably find plenty of trouble if your everlasting curiosity makes you read Shakespeare – if you want to read him read his comedies first, and don’t try to discover all his puns and subtleness at the first reading. I think a very short description of his life would amuse you, in case you have not seen them before the lines over his grave are:-
Good frend for Jesus sake forbeare
To dig the dust encloased heare
Blese be Ye man Yt spares thes stones
And curst be he Yt moves my bones
Don’t think my spelling is as bad as above but that is the original English and you can read it as you think fit.
I can’t think of any more news as so very little seems to happen across here – I hope you can understand this letter but I have been trying to teach mam to dance and write this at the same time. My brain seems too dull even to prattle. I will close
Love & “all the best”
Harold
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