Tuesday, 6 July, 1943

ABERTILLERY                                                                                        (37)

WALES         6-7-43

My Own Darling, 

As you can see from the above I am writing this from Wales.  I posted an ordinary letter to you last Sunday telling you about the beginning of my holidays.

Kit and I caught the 8.51 a.m. train from Doncaster yesterday and arrived at Kings Cross at 12.30 p.m.  We were met by an Aunt of Kits who took us to lunch and showed us a few sights of London.

Of course, we had not time to go very far – we did manage a walk through Hyde Park.  We next caught the 5.40 p.m. train to Newport.  We had to change again at Newport and caught a slow train to Abertillery.  I hate travelling on slow trains, don’t you?  All the way from Newport to Abertillery are mining villages and the train stopped at every village.  Apart from the mines the country here is rather pretty. We are on the outskirts of a small town – about half the size of Barnsley.

This morning was spent in looking over the town and followed by a walk.  We decided to keep to the valley however and not to scale one of the mountains.

We are going to get up early one morning and climb one of the mountains.  Yes!  We will do it.  I suppose you will think we shall not get half way up.

I can understand the people here fairly well but I have to listen very carefully to Kit’s Grandmother as she speaks so quickly.  They are all very nice people.

I shall have to be careful or I shall be speaking in a high pitched sing-song voice when I go home.  Their accent is very easy to acquire.  I like to listen to the children talking.  They are very entertaining.

The weather too is behaving itself – so far.

What do you think Kit did last night?  She left a small case in the train.  We have made enquiries about it but I do not think it will turn up.

Ah! I thought I would not be left in peace for long.  Here comes Kit.  She wants me to go with her to visit an Aunt.  You know how fond I am of visiting my own relations never mind anybody else's but I suppose I shall have to go. 

No more this time then my Darling.  I will write you again tomorrow.

You have my love as always.  All that I wish is that you were here with me.

Always yours, Grace  xxxxxxxxx

Abertillery is situated in the South Wales valleys, between Merthyr Tidfil and Pontypool.  This image probably dates from the late 1940's and shows that it was an industrial town in a steep-sided valley.  There appears to be a coal waste tip in the middle distance.  Grace and Kit did not have much money, so staying with Kit's relatives was a cheap way to have a holiday.