Ravenswood,

47 Bristol Road

Weston-super-Mare

Somerset

March 10, 1950

Dear John,

Thank you for your last letter. I enjoyed it very much, especially about the history of Canada. I don’t like the history or geography lessons at school, but I liked hearing a bit about where you live and what happened long ago. I hope you will write again because I want to know why you moved there. And can you write more about Dorothy, she sounds really nice.

I said I would tell you about St. Peter’s, the school I am at. It’s only about a mile away so I can walk there and back every day. Two friends, Joey Ross and Sid Ellis come to my house in the morning and we walk together. Joey and Sid are their nicknames, we don’t use first names. Trapnell (Traps) and Davis (Dates) usually join us too.  Most of the boys are boarders, so we dayboys have formed our own gang, and sometimes we get into fights with the boarders because they think they’re better than us.

I am in the first form, we are all seven-year-olds. I think there are five forms, and the boys in the top form are age twelve. Some of them wear long trousers. Everyone wears a grey suit and grey socks and black shoes, but each of the four houses has a different colour tie. I’m in Crawford House and ours is yellow, and we have grey and yellow rugby and football jerseys. Last term we played football, but this year we are playing rugby, which I like better. I know all the rules from when Buster takes me to watch Weston-super-Mare on Saturdays. I am playing centre three-quarter and have scored two tries so far. We also have to box, which I didn’t like to begin with but now I like a lot. There will be a competition at the end of term with silver cups for the winners, so I’m excited about it.

I am doing okay at most of the lessons, especially Latin and Greek and English. Maths is pretty easy, although it isn’t very interesting. But I’m no good at Geography or History, and I don’t think I will do very well at the exams.

Miss Lancaster is the English teacher, and she is reading to us from a book called Puck of Pook’s Hill, which is different stories about two children and a magic elf called Puck. Sometimes I get sleepy because she reads quite quietly, like Mummy used to do at bedtime when she wanted me to go to sleep. But I have to stay awake because Miss Lancaster gives us a test at the end each time, and try to get a good score because I really like her.

I have to go to supper. I think it is sausages and mash and baked beans. I will write again soon. I love writing to you, and especially getting your letters.

Love, John