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A Football Match

  Stan often wrote quite long descriptive letters to his parents which they passed on to their friend Arthur Moseley, who ran the South Elmsall office of the 'South Yorkshire Times' where Stan had trained as a journalist.  In this way his experiences found their way into the newspaper a couple of weeks later. You may remember from an earlier letter that Stan was telling Grace about an Italian football match.  Below is the full description written for the South Yorkshire Times, date unknown: FOOTBALL IN ITALY Former "Times" Reporter's Impressions The humour and excitement of football in Italy are described in an amusing letter from Sergt. Stanley Bristow, a former "South Yorkshire Times" junior reporter at South Elmsall. Mentioning that football matches have become quite an integral part of his Sunday evenings, he continues:  "During the nine months we have been in this township quite a number of the lads have become keen supporters of th...
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Tuesday, 29 & Wednesday, 30 August, 1944

G.H.N. 29.8.44                                                                      171 My Own Precious Darling, An air letter arrived from you yesterday dated 20 th Aug. In your letter Darling you remark upon how well the war was going.   It certainly is, and now that Bulgaria has followed Rumania out of it all – well – it makes one very optimistic does it not? Oh Darling, as I have told you dozens of times before, it cannot end too quickly for me.   I long so much to have you home again. You certainly seem to have enjoyed yourself at the football match.   I only hope Dear that you never want to drag me to a football match a...
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Tuesday, 29 August, 1944

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 29 Aug. 44 .                                                                                              196. My Most Precious Darling, I was so glad to get your letter today & to learn that in all probability the Ministry of Labour were not going to “muck you about” too much. Thank you so much my Darling for deciding to stay near at home.   I was most pleased because if things continue at their present rate it will perhaps not be too long before I come home. It’s no good t...
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Sunday, 27 August, 1944 - Two Letters

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G.H.N. 27-8-44                                                                                     170 My Precious Darling, It is Sunday evening and once more I am back at the G.H.N. after a rather quiet but pleasant week-end.   A week-end crowded with happy memories of the days we spent together in Grimethorpe, as all my days spent at home are. When I arrived in Doncaster Friday evening I found my Father waiting in the bus station for me.   He was on holiday last week and Friday afternoon Mother had sent him into Doncaster to see if he could get some fruit for bottling.   Being a mere...
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Saturday, 26 August, 1944

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 26 Aug. 44 .                                                                          195. My Very Own Darling, Since writing to you last night, two things have happened which make it necessary for me to write to you again this evening. Firstly, I had a very nice epistle from you by this morning's mail, which assured me of being in excellent spirits for the rest of the day (yes, dear, your letters are the best tonic I can ever have) and secondly I managed to get the snap I’ve been promising you for the past couple of weeks.* I am enclosing it ...
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Friday, 25 August, 1944

2364226 Sergt. S. Bristow Headquarters 15 L of C Signals Cen. Med. Forces 25 Aug. 44 .                                                                                         194. My Very Own Precious Darling, I received an extra thrilling letter from you today which made me very happy.   It was a sea letter which you wrote on the last day of your holiday in which you recalled all the happy memories which Grimethorpe holds for you. I suppose that I didn’t ought to be glad that you are unhappy when you are at home without me, but I am Darling, for it tells me just how ...
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Thursday, 24 August, 1944

G.H.N.                                                                      169 24-8-44 My Very Own Darling, An air letter arrived from you yesterday dated Aug 16 th and another one arrived this morning dated Aug 14 th , so where the latter one had been hiding I do not know. Well Darling, the news these last two days has certainly been excellent has it not?   Paris being freed and Bulgaria capitulating.   If things continue to progress at this pace I think that Christmas 1945 may mean quite a lot to us which is what you were hoping in one of your letters. The last eighteen months have also seemed a long, long, time to me Darlin...
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