Jan. 21st, 1941

Dearest Mom,

I have not had a letter or rather any Canadian mail for almost 2 weeks now. We have heard that a terrible lot of mail has been lost lately due to enemy action. Three shipments were sunk one after the other. One of them was the largest single shipment that has ever been shipped over here. And it is all lying at the bottom of the sea. What a waste of money and effort. So if I don't answer all your questions you will know why.

Well I have been very busy lately working all day long down at the RAP. We have been having a First Aid Course for quite some time now and we have five lectures a day - from 9.00 AM to 4.00 PM. Then too, I have been practicing for a Concert Party that we are putting on in Oxted for the benefit of the Red Cross next month. We are also putting on a Radio programme tomorrow night. It is to last half an hour and we have been working very hard over it. I was to sing a solo "Little Grey Home in the West" but they cut it out because the programme was too long. I don't mind because I have a nasty cold. I am saving myself for the Concert Party Auditions on Thursday. I hope that I can get on it. I am also trying to get on some of the Hospital Concert Parties which are being organized in Caterham and Croyden.

It has been very cold lately. Saturday afternoon we had a regular blizzard, snow several inches deep. Then late Saturday afternoon it changed to rain and slush. Then Sunday it snowed again and it has rained all day today. The streets have been running with water all day long and we have had a miserable day. My greatcoat got wet through so you can tell how it must have rained.

I went down to Brighton on Sat. afternoon. Got a ride all the way down in the car of a friend of mine. The roads are terribly slippery and twice we nearly had an accident. But we arrived safely at last. I saw Aunt Minnie for about two hours. She is fine but has been suffering considerably from chilblains. Tony is growing up day by day. He reminds me more and more of Stanley every time I see him. I also saw Mrs. Lees for awhile. She was very lonely for her 18 yr. son has joined the Air Force. It was his 19th birthday on Sat. and it is the first time he has been away from home. So she welcomed me with open arms and made me feel quite at home. I went dancing at the Dome later and caught the 6.30 train back in the morning: arrived in time for Church Parade. Then that night (Sunday) I went to Croyden to a very good show. I have seen a lot of good shows lately. That is about all we can do now, except go to dances or pubs. I haven't been to a pub for nearly 2 months so I have been going to dances and cinemas instead. There are few concerts here now and those that there are, are not worth going to.

I have written two new poems which I have enclosed. I hope you like them. The one called "Forsaken" I did in London on the street - The Strand it was. I saw an old flower woman there and what a miserable creature she was. The other was inspired by a longing for the roses in our garden at home. You can not guess how much I miss them.

Well I guess there is not much more to write about just now so "Cheerio!"

Love as ever,

Jim