Stan and Grace

11 PM  Thursday  My darling, I have been thinking about you most of the day, wondering where you are and what you are doing.   I do hope that you find every-thing up to expectations and that the weather is kind to you. I suppose you think I am crazy writing letters at this hour of night when I shall be called again at 6 a.m.   Maybe I am crazy about you! I always feel that I can write better at night somehow. I was surprised to find in your letter this morning, that you were not leaving until Tuesday.   I thought it was Monday morning. So you would pass through Gretna Green?   Well! What do you think of the place?   Is it as romantic as it is supposed to be?   I understand that marriages are not performed at Gretna Green now.   Is it true? I am afraid that I must finish this to-morrow.   It is nearly time for lights out.   Until to-morrow my darling – good-night. Friday, 3.45 p.m. It is a glorious day to-day. ...

The Nurses Home General Hospital Nottingham 28.7.42       Darling, I suppose that by now you will be far away in “Bonny Scotland”.   I only hope that you do not return in a kilt!   Kit said “tell him not to burst trying to blow the bag pipes” and not to cut your feet trying to do the sword dance.   Anyhow, you ought to be able to teach me the highland fling when you do return.* One other thing – don’t start gadding around with the wee scotch lassies!   Joking apart, I do hope you enjoy your stay in Scotland and that they do not give you too much work to do.   Enclosed you will find one promised snap and one not promised snap and missing, one snap which you wanted but I did not wish you to have.   I really do not like it so please do not try and get one of it my dear. Having the sirens and a few planes around seems to be a regular occurrence around this part of the globe once again.   We can depend upon them going every ot...

Home Forces Sunday    My own darling, I realised that when I asked for that photograph you would quibble about it, but if you won’t give me a copy of it now, I shall get it in the end (even if I have to pinch it)! It’s a grand day again today.   When the weather is like this it always makes me wish we were near to each other so that we could go out together and enjoy it.   I hope it is fine for the couple of days I am going to have with you down in Nottingham.   If there is anything I hate, its being in city on a wet day. I am looking forward to a letter from you to-morrow morning.   I shall be more than disappointed, for if I don’t get one to-morrow morning, I shall probably not get one for another 14 days. You see I am going up to the west coast of Scotland on Monday evening for manoeuvres which will last a fortnight & during that time it is very doubtful if we shall get any letters. – That doesn’t mean that you are excused writing to me ...

G.H.N. Saturday     My Darling, I looked forward to a letter from you this morning but as there was not one I decided that you could not have received my letter until this morning. I feel quite happy this morning – Sister Tutor goes away to-day until August 23 rd . Kit went away yesterday for her half-day and day off.   I am looking forward to her return to-night.   It is amazing how one can feel lonely in spite of living with a large community. I thought that you would like to receive a letter Monday morning, so I decided to write and post this to-day – just to make sure.   I know that I am looking forward to receiving one from you.   (I do hope I am not disappointed) Nothing much has happened since I last wrote.   Just the siren again last Friday night and a few bombs dropped.   We had four casualties.   For a change I was not on fire watching duty. I paid a visit to the photographers about an hour ago but the snaps are not ...

The Nurses Home  General Hospital  Nottingham 23.7.42 Darling, So the twins passed their exam for Hemsworth.   I thought that they would.   Of course, there is no need to tell you how pleased I am about it.   I wrote them a letter yesterday congratulating them. Thank you so much for the parcel dear.   It arrived intact.   I have not quite decided what to make with the material yet.   I think that I will take it home next time I go and let mother give it a boil, just to take out that blue tinge which is left.   I appreciated the comb too.   It seems pretty strong, so it should stand up to hard wear and tear.   (Yes, I know that I should not expect too much with hair like mine). I was not a bit surprised when I received your letter this morning and you asked for the one snap which I said I did not like.   I am so sorry to disappoint you my dear but I really do not like it so I think that I will send you one of the other...

The Nurses Home General Hospital Nottingham 20.7.42 Darling, So you did not receive my letter for Saturday after all.   I am sorry, but I did post it on Friday so it is hardly my fault.   I think that when you have received both my letters you will realise that I have not neglected you really.   I hope you will forgive me any mental torture which, through my fault you have been made to suffer. I was pleased to hear the “unofficial result” of John and Janet’s exam.   I do hope that it is confirmed “officially”. I had a letter from home this morning.   They were anxious to know how you fared on your journey back last week.   They also informed me that Bessie received an uncensored letter from Eric via a man that lives in Shafton.   I cannot let you know more as I am in the dark myself.   Vera is going to forward me more news when she has seen Bessie again.   Vera says he seems to have had a pretty terrible time in the Mediterranea...

  Sunday.  12.30 p.m.  My Darling, As I write this letter my mind travels back to last Sunday – it seems years ago – and then I start wishing that time would travel back to last Sunday or that the next five weeks will pass quickly.   I wonder too – if you are thinking of last week and wishing the same thing.   Ah well!   I suppose I ought not to indulge in wishful thinking. I hope that you received my last letter yesterday.   If you did not you should have it to-morrow and this one on Tuesday.   It is nice to receive post though, isn’t it? I have just had a busy morning doing some necessary sewing.   Wicked girl aren’t I?   Sewing on a Sunday! You know darling, I have not much news for you, so I am afraid that my letter is very short but I thought that you might like to know that I am thinking of you and loving you. Only ten more minutes and I am due back on duty so bye-bye my dear. All my love, Grace   xxxxxxx

The Nurses Home General Hospital Nottingham 17.7.42     My Darling, I really ought to start my letter with confessing my sin.   That of not having written before now, though really I did not receive your second letter till yesterday afternoon just as I was going out.   As I had a bus to catch I could not sit down and answer it there and then so I am writing in the hope that you receive this tomorrow (Saturday) and then my sin might not seem too bad. I expected your “mission” to be something really important.   I got quite a shock when I read the PS.   However, you seemed to enjoy the journey, in spite of the fact that you spent the trip back playing with the child (or at least, you told me you did).   I imagined Major Foot to be an old man of about 50-60.   I was surprised to hear about the little girl aged two.   Of course, I know that he might still be an old man! So you could not pluck up enough courage to ask for a hair slid...

The Nurses Home    General Hospital Nottingham 13.7.42    10 a.m. My Darling, Back again.   How awful it seemed having to get up at 6.15 a.m.   I have not got that awful feeling of depression that I had after my holidays, thank goodness! How do you feel this morning.   Pretty awful, I should imagine, after travelling nearly all night.   I suppose I shall get all particulars of your journey in your letter tomorrow (I hope). I did not arrive as early as I expected to last night.   I got as far as Ollerton without any mishap but the bus to Nottingham was crowded, so there we were, about 24 people, all anxiously waiting to get to Nottingham and another bus not due for 1 hour.   Two buses arrived on their way to Worksop so the driver of one emptied his bus, putting everybody in the one bus and was going to take us all to Notts. when the inspector arrived and said that he would have to go to Worksop after all and pick up some peo...

The Nurses Home General Hospital Nottingham 6.7.42    9.45 p.m. My darling, Only five more days and I may be with you again.   Yes, it is quite true.   I have asked for my day off on Sunday if possible and if it is not possible I shall have next Monday.   I will get to know definitely to-morrow as Sister comes back from her holiday.   I think that only for anything very special does she let us have Sunday off but I will try a bit of persuasion and state at the end of my letter what the result is.   Of course I know that it is a very special occasion to us – but to these Sisters, especially the very old ones – nothing out of hospital can be of any importance. I am sorry I could not let you know sooner but you do understand this red tape and routine stuff and that I am letting you know at the earliest possible moment.   I hope that you have not much difficulty in wrangling yours. Six months ago to-night and I had just met you – we were...