Thursday, 24 February, 1944

Nurses Home
General Hospital
Nottingham                                                                         (101)

24-2-44

10 p/m

My Own Precious Darling,

Once again I am back at the old G.H.N. and settled down to routine; or at least, almost settled down.  Tomorrow I take over Staff Nurse duties on Seely Ward – men's surgical.  It is the ward I was on previous to my last night duty.  Yes, I have finished with night duty for the rest of my stay here.

The Staff Nurse of Seely Ward has taken a night Sisters post so I have taken her place.  It does not seem two minutes since I was a junior probationer but then, as I look back over each period of my time here I realise that it is a long time really.

I wanted to write the letter and post it this afternoon but when I got off duty a note from Home Sister was sitting on my dressing table telling me to move from my night duty room to another corridor.  That took a couple of hours so consequently this letter will have to be posted to-morrow.

However, Darling, I will write you an air letter to-morrow as these sea letters take such an age to reach you.  An air letter and a sea letter have arrived from you since my return.  The sea letter was written on January 26^th and arrived this morning.  It had not taken a month to come so it was quite good wasn’t it?

In one of your letters received about 3 weeks ago you said that your interpreter had met with an accident and was in hospital.  I intended asking you how he was progressing before but somehow managed to forget.  I hope he is improving.

Thank you for the story about the sergeant who nearly married a Sicilian.  I felt very sorry for him when I read your full story.*

When one sees and hears about such things happening – well, for myself it makes me realise just how lucky I am – having your true love Darling.

The girl could not really have been in love could she, to marry her boy friend’s brother?

In your sea letter you also mention the cold, cold, nights we have had together.  I can remember one very cold day in Leeds and also one very hot one.

Never mind, Darling, may be the day is not so far away when we will be able to sit by our own fireside, just the two of us, in the firelight.

I could add something else here but I will not, it is not wise to plan too far ahead, is it?

You will never guess what I had brought from Ireland for my bottom drawer – a scrubbing brush!!

Somebody intends me doing a spot of work.  They are a bit difficult to obtain here you know.

When Kit, Ivy and myself returned from nights off we all expected being on day duty but “the powers that be” have put Kit back on night duty for another month.  Poor Kit, she is always getting shoved around.

I think that Kit and I will manage our holiday together again this year.  Nan has invited us to Edinburgh so if possible we are accepting the invitation and go the beginning of July.  It might seem a bit early to you to talk about holidays but Matron likes to get them fixed up fairly early.

Of course, should Sister decide that she would like her holiday then I would have to have mine some other time.  Some Sisters minds work in a mysterious way at times!

Over here Spring is in the air once again.  There is quite a show of daffodils and tulips everywhere and the trees are sprouting young buds.  I love Spring, don’t you?

Have you done much reading recently?  On night duty I got very little opportunity for reading.

I believe I mentioned in a previous letter that about Christmas time I brought a book called “I Claudius” by Robert Graves.  I found it rather hard reading for the first twenty pages but I now find it interesting.

One of these days I might find a spare couple of hours in which to finish it.

By your letter you seem to have had a good selection of films out there recently.

When on nights off we did not find time to visit Grimethorpe’s “Picture Palace”!  As I have not had an evening off since my return I have not had chance to see a film.

I know that my writing is illegible at the best of times but writing in bed does not improve it so i had better say Goodnight and toddle off to dream land.

I do love you my Darling, more than ever each day. 

Goodnight then – yours ever, Grace  xxxxxx

* It is clear from this comment that there are letters missing from this collection.  We have not seen the story of the soldier who nearly married a Sicilian, or the fact that Stan's interpreter had met with an accident.

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