Scope and Content
"It was most kind of you to send me the Bedfordshire magazine, which I had not seen, and the very acceptable blotting paper, and your very interesting letter. I am afraid my Christmas correspondence has been a muddle this year. I have sent no cards and half the letters I intended to write are still unwritten.
I have permission from the authorities to go to France, and I was actually about to set forth last month when my relatives wrote to advise me to postpone my arrival, as France was on the verge of another Revolution. Trains were being wrecked by the Communists and no one knew exactly what the future held. In fact, the Communists might have swept the country (backed of course by Russia), which would have been a black lookout for all of us. But apparently the situation has been saved again for the present, though it seems almost certain that there will be another attempt to attain power. One of my cousins (who lives in Paris) was here last week, and he says the breakdown of the Foreign Conference in London was the best thing that could have happened, as now we all know where we are, and we can set about organising our side of Europe, and leave Russia to get on with hers.
Meanwhile, I have been finding plenty to do here, and it is amazing how quickly the days pass. I think I told you we go to the early Mass at a chapel attached to some 18th.century almshouses at the bottom of the road. It is a pretty place, with a handsome stone gateway leading into a grass quadrangle. Very similar to an Oxford (or Cambridge, if we must drag it in!) college. And the chapel at the further end. There is a resident chaplain, and old man over 80 and stone deaf, a nice old man, and he wears vestments and does everything very well. We find this chapel a real godsend, as it is very convenient for the early morning, and of course for the Miss E's it keeps up the habit they had a t Ampthill of trotting round the corner to church most mornings of the week. For the Sung Eucharist on Sundays we go down into Richmond to S.John's, which is simply the Roman Mass in English. The Vicar is about my age, and says he remembers me as curate at Kennington. The old chaplain is on his last legs at the almshouse chapel, and only a few weeks ago I was called in to do for him, as he had had a bad turn. I helped him on Christmas morning. We had a young German prisoner here from Cambridge over Christmas. Not the fair-haired chap I was friendly with at Ampthill (he is back in Germany now I believe) but another lad I met in Ampthill. He was there only a short time before being moved to a camp for younger prisoners at Trumpington, but we kept in touch with him and decided to invite him here when we read in the paper that they could accept invitations for Christmas. He is an RC: so I had to trot him round to the RC church before going on to our little chapel. Boxing Day I spent rushing Heinz around the sights of London. I wonder how many times I have mounted up to the Dome Gallery at St Paul's showing different people round? However, it;s very good for one, as it's the only time one sees these places thoroughly for oneself. I keep saying I will procure a large book on Westminster Abbey and do every inch of it thoroughly. We enjoyed "Hamlet" on the television, by the way. I expect you saw it. I have also been to the play a good deal: "Edward my son" I thought quite good, but not nearly so good as "Anna Lucasta" at His Majesty's. I have booked seats for the Miss E's and myself for St.Joan matinee next week. I thought would enjoy it. I have seen it two or three times before.
Among other things I have been having more lessons on figure skating advanced figures under the champion Colin Bosley at the Richmond Ice Rink. Two weeks ago, while he was instructing me in the art of tracing the backward outside edge I fell heavily, and got a really bad bruising. Terrific swellings on my rump and lower part of the back. The doctor made me go and have an X-ray, but all was well as it turned out. But I still have the swellings (like lumps of hard bone!) and all that area of my body is a large sheet of blue! So no more skating for a bit.
So Mrs. Place has gone too! We have not heard from her since we came here, though I had a Christmas card from Godfrey, who is somewhere in the Mediterranean. so that will be three church houses less in Church Street, unless Mr. Waddy can persuade the Houfes to begin again. I don't suppose our successors at S.Joseph's, or Mrs.Seabrook's ever darken the doors. I heard from Sir Anthony just before Christmas. We get the Ampthill News every week, and saw about Cole's death. We thought he looked very ill in the summer. We are sorry to hear you have been having trouble with your ears. It sounds as if you are completely run down. I'm not surprised, as the war left its mark on all of us. Perhaps especially those of us who were holding on at home. I often think how grand it would be if we could all go back to 1939 and just pick up again from there, and cut out the war and its aftermath. I had to laugh at your mention of the Woolford child, as it brought back all that nonsense I used to get from his mother. I wonder if she is writing to the new Rector in the same strain? I doubt it. I wrote to Mr. Waddy at the time of his induction, and received a nice letter back.
Last week I had a vist from the local police to say that my car (and they gave the number ETM 204) had been seen in Staffordshire on Dec.12th. in suspicious circumstances. The message had come to Richmond via Ampthill. They wanted to know if I had sold the car, and to whom: or, otherwise, what I was doing in Staffordshire on that date! I rang up my father at once, and he said the car was safe in the garage (at a house a little farther down the lane) with a cover over it, and where it had been since I drove it in there in October. The people are thoroughly good and trustworthy people who own the garage and of course they knew nothing whatever about it. But it gave me rather a shock at the time. I wonder who has been making use of my number?
My old friend Sydney Crouch is coming for a few days on Monday. I expect you remember him coming to School once to one of the Christmas parties (or was it summer?). I remember a dreadful photograph appeared in the rag afterwards of Miss Russell sitting between us. Me with a frightful smirk on my face and Sydney looking like that Victorian picture "The Soul's Awakening". It would be ungallant to say what poor Miss R. looked like!
Well, you must admit I've given you good measure in this reply. My thoughts often drift to Ampthill, and I wonder how things are getting on. I see you are having a Party in the New Year.
With all good wishes for the New Year from us all,
Yours sincerely,"
"P.S. I also had a letter from Mr. Valder and Miss E had one from Mrs. Valder told me the agenda of the PCC meeting. What is Mrs. Tunbridge giving to the church: and Capt. Hartley?? I hope the latter has paid up his Bishop's money."