Thursday, 7 May 2020

Dode reports on the Strong Posts to welcome or farewell boys.


Long Nose Point
Balmain
14.7.18
Dear Norm,
This time it is just before leaving for church. my time for writing but to deny it is bitterly cold and blowing a severe westerly and we have had tea early and no visitors so seized the opportunity to write a couple of letters. I have just written to Joe. I was very pleased to receive your letter this mail but wasn’t it strange that when you started that letter you mentioned in at that Fritz had not been over for some time and before you had finished it you remarked about the maroons. You appear to have had a lucky escape that Bomb dropping quite close to your quarters. 

CG showed me your Photograph taken with Miss Harken and note your remarks. I am afraid that ere long he will be joining the Y.M.C.A. if you give him such invitations. I daresay you Norm, like the rest of them will not come back singlehanded. You all seem to be like a happy family and certainly would bring you back to St John’s when you have the Jolly Miller and C ???

It appears by all the letters at present that you are having the glorious English weather over there that we who have English parents have heard so much about. The Buttercups, Daisies etc at the mention of them Norm, seems to give Mum such a longing. I don’t think it will ever be my lot to go over there but I feel quite content to stay here for Australia will do me.

I suppose you have heard about our Strong Posts well it is just great and we do enjoy it. Anything in the music line I love and it is grand the way all our Staff have entered into it. CG is the conductor and everytime the boys come in or go out we go down and sing. I think I sent you a form in my last letter. Well next Tuesday night we are having an impromptu evening and only members of the staff to perform. CG was asked to arrange the programme and it is wonderful the talent we have discovered since the origin of the Strong Post. It is to be held in the office and supper afterwards and each one is to bring a present for our stall which we are to have on A.I.F Day. Harvey Allen is coming and he said he would not miss it. I will tell you how it gets on in the next letter. I am sending you a mail which has a Photo of some of our girls. I was in the original and it was a good one too. I was screaming, laughing like the rest of them at the chap standing, but the reproduction in the mail chopped our heads off.

Just came home from church and there were not many there, in the first place it is bitterly cold. The coldest I can ever remember and then there is a Memorial Service at St Mary’s for Ruby Lynch, Mrs Vale’s youngest sister who died very suddenly on Tuesday with Gastric Ulcers. It has been a terrible shock to the family for she always had a cheeky word for all. Then Stan was taken away with Appendicitis (since I was up there) and is better now but they said it was a very serious case and Al was not able to see him for awhile. It always appears to me that trouble seems to come at once. The Vale family are having a terrible time lately.

I am enclosing a snap of Ada taken at the SS [Sunday School] picnic by Lina Harper so I sneaked one as I like to put something in besides the letter. I think it is good don’t you?
Mrs Llewellyn is having another concert the Bo Peep again but this time it is in the National Theatre.

Well Norm must close this time as I still have another letter to write and all at 99 send their best wishes and hope you are still well and happy, from yours sincerely Dode

PS I was just thinking that I suppose you will receive this letter in France.


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