Eltham, Oct, 15, "I hope you will excuse pencil, but I am writing this letter up in' the shelter, We have dug ourselves in, and are very comfortable, Since H, wrote his letter the electricity has been installed, also the radio, so now we are fine, We are very lucky so far, bombs all round, but barring a few more tiles missing we are quite all right, My sister has not been so fortunate, they have lost nearly all their windows, also two holes in the e to falling earth that a bomb w doors away threw up, Also an ut of mine has lost, her house, due o a land mine, but barring slight in-Juries she is quite safe, which is the main thing.
"Of course we never go out in the evenings now, no pictures, etc, but we do not mind a scrap. We are quite happy up in the shelter, R, with his stamps and comics, H, with his crossword and books, and myself of course knitting and listening to the wireless, I have just finished knitting myself a jumper suit in clover, and now I am starting on a little suit in primrose for E.'s baby, who is now nine months old, He is a clever little chap, but she hates taking him far in case she is caught in a raid. Christmas is so near, but it will not be a bit like Christmas this year, most people will be working, if not on Christmas Day, then Boxing Day, But we are not grumbling, if it will bring the war one day nearer the end," time) and made a third to fit above, the advantage being that the under one can easily be moved if that becomes necessary, At present we use an oil stove for heating, but long before you read this electricity will have been installed and we shall have electric light and an electric fire. I'm also getting a small all-waves set especially for the shelter, as our other one takes up too much room, A curtain has been hung across the open end of the baffle wall and the ventilators have. home-made baffles fitted so that air comes in but no light goes out, 1 hope to make a corner wardrobe so that we can keep a complete change of clothes in case the house is hit (we use a suit case now) and I'm planning a small table with shelves to take the supper things, books and games, There's a rug on the floor and I have a rather nice etching for the wall, The beds are equipped with paillasses, blankets (sewn together to form sleeping bags, with a removable flannelette sheets), and eiderdown covered in very pretty cretonne, Altogether the result is really attractive and {t's no wonder that our friends and relation: have christened it "cosy-corner." The camp beds are very comfortable and should do nicely in the time to come as occasional beds in a spare room, So you will agree, I think, that spending the evening in our air raid shelter is no hardship at all, and everything in it will have its uses when the war is over,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.