21st October, 1939
Jill sends her love (lots of it) and would so much like a special little note to herself enclosed in one of mine. She told me she was a little sad not to have a letter to keep.
Maycot
12 Commonside
Keston,
Kent
21.10.39
Saturday 7.30 pm
My Dear Kenneth,
I waited until the postman had been, hoping to have word from you but nothing has come. I feel very disappointed, particularly as Tris and her sister-in-law heard from Vic and his brother three days ago.
If you feel your letter has been stopped for any reason please write me again by return. It is a very anxious business when one does not hear at all.
Please don’t insert anything in your letters which might result in their being stoped. I only want to hear whether you are well and happy and fairly comfortable.
As you know I am able to get out but rarely, and am working very hard to make ends meet and I rely on a word from you.
I do hope you are not suffering too badly as a result of this awful weather. Do you keep your back well covered…
…and warm so that you don’t get a recurrence of that nasty lumbago.
Mother said she would be writing you and sending some cigarettes and, as her means are very limited just now, you will write and thank her won’t you?
I received a demand for £10.10 rates this morning (£5.50 arrears) and didn’t know what I should do about it. Alas Wallace appears to have presented his October cheque which resulted in my cheque to Bishop being returned, so you will gather I am having rather a worrying time.
I’m sorry if this letter is not very cheerful but I’ve not felt too well today and I has so hoped against hope to hear from you some time today as it is now a fortnight since I saw you off.
I expect you will already have received my previous letter acknowledging yours posted at Southhampton and giving the news to date. Nothing of any importance has happened since other than already mentioned here.
Please write soon (if I get a letter on Monday I will answer by return) you know I love you very much and I feel very lonely.
Yours,
Terry
God bless you and keep you safe.
21st October, 1939
The United States Advisory Committee on Uranium met for the first time today. They would coordinate with Britain’s ongoing efforts to build an atomic weapon “Tube Alloys” which, due to high cost and it being within bombing range of the US, would be subsumed into later American efforts—spun off from the Committee—as the Manhattan project.
Background notes:
- Terry’s anxiety over missing letters really puts into perspective that this is the only way she knows Kenneth is alive day-to-day.
- Could Bishop be Terry and Kenneth’s landlord?
- “Rates” were “…a tax which was paid in Britain by owners of houses and businesses and used to provide money for local services.” – Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries