Letter from Frances Hodgkins to Gilbert Hodgkins
Date
02 Jul 1942
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Object Detail
Date
02 Jul 1942
Transcript
Corfe Castle Dorset July 2nd 42
My Dearest Bertie
I have had such a shower of exciting parcels from the family that in the excitement of their arrival I fear I have forgotten to thank you all for being so kind to me.
It was jolly to be remembered at that moment when I came out of Hospital feeling a pretty good worm & too sick to trust myself to write many letters.
You can imagine how I fell upon the good & wholesome food. It was good. The parcels kept arriving at fairly regular intervals so that I can say that for 6 months I have never been without butter or honey or cheese or sugar. I feel I owe my recovery to this good food – so well timed & chosen. I lost count of the dates of arrival but I feel certain that nothing was lost & all the parcels reached me, some of them delayed in forwarding from the Bank & elsewhere. The stamps were a great source of temptation & I don’t blame them. NZ stamps are most attractive & irresistible to collectors. There was one very special parcel containing coffee, tongues, cheese & butter which was excellent. The butter portion has been a very valuable contribution. I feel I have had my full quota of a life time. I need not say there were many gaps to be filled when I came out of hospital. I soon began building up reserves & now I am nearly back to be old form once more & feeling as well as one can. With a world war raging round you one can count no place or person safe. In England, so far, I don’t think anyone has been really hungry. I expect you have heard Lord Woolton on the wireless urging us to take heart. You are alright as you are having a balanced diet and the country’s health is good & in many respects better than before the war. Well that is something!
I was very sorry to hear you had an attack of sciatica. It is a devasting pain – I sympathise. So glad to hear you are well again.
I expect I shall be in Corfe for the rest of the Summer. I would like to move further inland back from the coastal area but it is not so easy to travel these uncertain times. Nor find other accommodation. I have reached a stage of stalemate & need the inspiration of a fresh region. Wales for preference. I love Wales. It reminds me of certain parts of N.Z. The people are so gay. I have enclosed a pretty picture of a Welsh girl to cheer you up. Well if she isn’t Welsh she is married to a Welsh poet – near enough.
Well dear Bert, I think this is all I have to tell you – that I can tell you. The battle is pitched in death grips in Egypt. New Zealanders are in it – fighting grandly the papers say. Will it be quick decisions this time or a long drawn out war going on for years & years. Churchill back from U.S.A. Some say Cripps will be P.M. before the summer’s out. I shall be sorry if Churchill went before victory – we can never cease to be thankful to him for what he has done to bring this country thro’ these 2 awful years.
No more now. I must stop & do a spot of work. This double Summer time 5 a.m. – 11 p.m. makes one sleepy & lazy – too long a day. My dear love to you all – Muriel, Joan & Audrey, such pretty names. Sad I have never met yr family. Drop me a line when you have the time & tell me yr news. Keep a good heart & keep well. All my thanks & gratitude. Love Frances
Nobody hurt in the Earthquake I hope. Was it awful?
My Dearest Bertie
I have had such a shower of exciting parcels from the family that in the excitement of their arrival I fear I have forgotten to thank you all for being so kind to me.
It was jolly to be remembered at that moment when I came out of Hospital feeling a pretty good worm & too sick to trust myself to write many letters.
You can imagine how I fell upon the good & wholesome food. It was good. The parcels kept arriving at fairly regular intervals so that I can say that for 6 months I have never been without butter or honey or cheese or sugar. I feel I owe my recovery to this good food – so well timed & chosen. I lost count of the dates of arrival but I feel certain that nothing was lost & all the parcels reached me, some of them delayed in forwarding from the Bank & elsewhere. The stamps were a great source of temptation & I don’t blame them. NZ stamps are most attractive & irresistible to collectors. There was one very special parcel containing coffee, tongues, cheese & butter which was excellent. The butter portion has been a very valuable contribution. I feel I have had my full quota of a life time. I need not say there were many gaps to be filled when I came out of hospital. I soon began building up reserves & now I am nearly back to be old form once more & feeling as well as one can. With a world war raging round you one can count no place or person safe. In England, so far, I don’t think anyone has been really hungry. I expect you have heard Lord Woolton on the wireless urging us to take heart. You are alright as you are having a balanced diet and the country’s health is good & in many respects better than before the war. Well that is something!
I was very sorry to hear you had an attack of sciatica. It is a devasting pain – I sympathise. So glad to hear you are well again.
I expect I shall be in Corfe for the rest of the Summer. I would like to move further inland back from the coastal area but it is not so easy to travel these uncertain times. Nor find other accommodation. I have reached a stage of stalemate & need the inspiration of a fresh region. Wales for preference. I love Wales. It reminds me of certain parts of N.Z. The people are so gay. I have enclosed a pretty picture of a Welsh girl to cheer you up. Well if she isn’t Welsh she is married to a Welsh poet – near enough.
Well dear Bert, I think this is all I have to tell you – that I can tell you. The battle is pitched in death grips in Egypt. New Zealanders are in it – fighting grandly the papers say. Will it be quick decisions this time or a long drawn out war going on for years & years. Churchill back from U.S.A. Some say Cripps will be P.M. before the summer’s out. I shall be sorry if Churchill went before victory – we can never cease to be thankful to him for what he has done to bring this country thro’ these 2 awful years.
No more now. I must stop & do a spot of work. This double Summer time 5 a.m. – 11 p.m. makes one sleepy & lazy – too long a day. My dear love to you all – Muriel, Joan & Audrey, such pretty names. Sad I have never met yr family. Drop me a line when you have the time & tell me yr news. Keep a good heart & keep well. All my thanks & gratitude. Love Frances
Nobody hurt in the Earthquake I hope. Was it awful?
Pages
4 pages
Sender's address
Corfe Castle, Dorset
Institutional No.
MS-Papers-0085-46
Credit Line
Letters
from
Frances
Hodgkins.
Field,
Isabel
Jane,
1867-1950
:
Correspondence
of
Frances
Hodgkins
and
family
/
collected
by
Isabel
Field.
Ref:
MS-Papers-0085-46.
Alexander
Turnbull
Library,
Wellington,
New
Zealand.
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22335612
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22335612