25 April 1942

The Nurses Home, General Hospital, Nottingham.

Sat: 2.30 p.m.

 

My dear Stan,

 

I received your letter this morning and thought that I had better answer and post my reply this afternoon as it seems to take my letters such an age to reach you.  If it had not been Saturday I should not have answered your letter until to-night as I much prefer to – I can think better somehow.

 

What is the Sergeants’ Mess like, Stan?  It sounds a very cosy little place according to your letter.  I always imagined them to be rather dreary places.  One hears such awful tales of soldiers’ living conditions.

 

I am writing my letter in the lounge of the new home.  It is a very pleasant room – done in pale green and rust.  There is a window runs the whole length of one wall through which the sun is streaming.  I like sitting in here best though in a winters morning when the curtains are drawn, the snow outside but a lovely fire inside, the wireless playing soft music and a good book to read.

 

On Thursday evening, when you wrote your letter you said you hoped that I was thinking of you a little.  I think you had better read through the letter I sent you when I got back from seeing you last time.

 

As a matter of fact I was thinking of you Thursday evening.  We got the exam results and I did think of writing and letting you know but decided to wait until I heard from you.  I suppose you will be waiting to hear what they are, I will not keep you in suspense any longer – 52 nurses sat for it and 52 nurses passed.  Not bad is it?  Yours truly managed to come second with 86%.  I was beaten by one mark.  Don’t ask me how I did it – I am sure it was more good luck than anything else.  Of course, some of the others were not too pleased as I was one of the 8 junior nurses taking it, but that does not worry me.

 

Wasn’t it dreadful – 27 soldiers killed in that demonstration?  I am glad that you did not have that one Thursday.

 

The ward that I am on at present is very quiet.  We have only had about 6 new cases in a week.  I had to go to the theatre with a man having a skin graft done this morning.  He had his skin taken from his leg and put on his arm.  Of course we don’t know yet whether it will be successful or not but I hope so.  If it is it will save the man a lot of pain and a few weeks less in hospital.  I don’t know whether you are interested in this shop that I write sometimes but if you are not just say the word and I will cease writing it.  

 

Time is getting short my dear and I really must write home so – until next time – bye-bye.

 

Love Grace xx

 

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