Mon. Dec. 14. 8.15.a.m. [1942]
# JEAN DOES WELL IN SCHOOL
# NO CALL-UP FOR RENE
# WELL ATTENDED R.A. CHARITY CONCERT
# HOME-MADE PORK PIE SUCCESS

Jean has gone to school, she has to have lights now in the morning. Batteries are not very good to get either. “The Sprogg” is busily washing his white? chest and paws. He is a lazy little fellow so I put butter on his chest and paws to see if he would wash it off. It seems to be having the desired effect. Jean is 5th in term marks, only 5 marks less than top. Hope she does as well in exams. Mavis and Ken are top of their respective classes. George, as usual, is top of Jean’s [class] IV.A. The wireless is going well. Went to Skegness last Tuesday. Rene is to carry on as she is, they don’t think she will be called up. I wrote to Emily last night, also to Edie. She sent me the usual P.O. for 5/0 and Jean 2/6 and a book which I shall read first as E. has some peculiar views sometimes and has had various new beliefs. She sent me a wee booklet of prayers which are really very good, so good I copied one out for Ron. Then I wrote a good long letter to Ron and sent him Rene’s wedding snaps tho’ the reprints are even worse than the first lot developed. They are dire, but Cook says the film was probably thin, or did he say negative?

Father is not up yet as he did not come off duty until 2.a.m. and is on again at 2.p.m. It has been pouring with rain again but was fair when Jean went so hope I can wash. We are not doing any big ones until after Xmas, but must wash my bed-room curtains. Emmie is coming from Xmas Eve to Sunday. We are so pleased tho’ it isn’t long. There was a concert at C[entral] Hall on Saturday night for Xmas Fund for R.A. [Royal Artillery] a good show, £12 clear so very good. Mrs. Hall was congratulated on doing what the war hasn’t done in Chapel. There was a long queue at the door. No entry except by ticket. Jean, Rene and Tom went, and Aunt Eff and Grandma.

Eff had pig killed last week but Wilkinson forgot scales so did not weigh it. She sent me sausage and chine fry and scraps and on Sat about 1 lb of pork pie meat as she had so much. The weather is not very good for keeping, so I made a raised pie yesterday (Sunday) which I would not usually do, but on Sat. afternoon I polished all the staircase and was too whacked to do pie as well. If I had done pie I should not have cleaned staircase on Sunday tho’ I don’t know that pie making was any less heinous. It baked beautifully but I put it in a tin as it would not seem to stand alone. Don’t know if it is the brown flour or if it was not cold enough. It must be light by now so will unblack and get washpot on.

 

The schoolchildren mentioned were niece Mavis Simpson, nephew Ken Raynor and George Ranson the son of niece Ciss (see 11 Dec. 1941).

Edie, here was May’s stepmother (see 16 Dec. 1940).

Herbert Wilkinson was a butcher in Hogsthorpe.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?

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