61st Recce Regt RAC
BLA.
Sunday Nov 12th
Dearest Chotie,
Well, Darling, believe it or no, but I’m writing this in an armchair in front of a lovely fire, which makes a bleak November afternoon quite a pleasant prospect.
Many thanks for your last letter, Darling, and the promise of the gloves, as we had our first snow yesterday and it’s not exactly July here. It’s OK when you can keep on the move but travelling in the vehicles or standing about in trenches in night isn’t my idea of a picnic by any means. Always grumbling aren’t I??
There’s a ton of books in this house – also a Blüthner grand*, so I manage to amuse myself during my ‘free’ time.
I’ve just had a letter from Brinner with news that he’s leaving the RHU** and joining a regiment – with seven days leave and a short course first. I don’t know where he’ll be spending the leave or the course so I’m anxiously awaiting his next letter, as I may be able to meet him shortly.
Have you heard any further news of going abroad? Don’t do anything too rash will you? I don’t quite see to what part of the world you can go to.
I was in this same house about a month ago so it’s home from home as far as I’m concerned.
The owner is a protestant minister, a man of considerable intellect and general broadness of horizon. I may have mentioned him before – he’s quite a polyglot, speaking French and English with equal fluency, as well as German, Dutch, Flemish & Russian!
He’s very charitable. It’s difficult to imagine an English minister giving his house as a home for unmarried mothers, as he is doing here.***
He wears plus fours, knee-length training-boots and a Norfolk jacket, which you must agree is quite a combination. I suppose him to be about 35-40 years of age.
Had a bottle of good English beer today – the first drinkable beer I’ve had for about three months – but one bottle doesn’t go far. I also had some tobacco from Brinner so everything’s fine.
It’s rather a pity you’re in such a spot at this time of the year – in the summer it would have been ideal – though you might well winter in Egypt…. I reckon we’ll have it pretty cold. It’s only when it’s wet as well that it gets really miserable.
I must close here, Darling to get some sleep as I’m up rather early in the morning.
All my love, Chotie Darling
Dicker
* Blüthner, based near Leipzig in Germany, are one of the ‘big four’ piano manufacturers so Dick is referring to a high quality grand piano.
**Replacement Holding Unit?
***In the 19th century Ottho Gerhard Heldring founded a foundation (the Ottho Gerhard Heldringstichting) in Zetten for the reform and education of prostitutes. At the turn of the century a famous Lutheran pastor, Hendrik Pierson, was its president and a local college is named after him. Around the shelter (‘steenbeck’) a whole complex of large and smaller houses grew, all focused on the care, upbringing and education of vulnerable girls and young women.
© Chotie Darling
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