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December 29th 1914 - Letter from Mela Brown Constable to her fiancé, Cyril E Sladden Esq

Date
29th December 1914
Correspondence From
Mela Brown Constable, The Nurses' Home, The General Hospital, Birmingham
Correspondence To
Cyril E Sladden Esq, The Officers' Mess, Bhurtpore Barracks, Tidworth, near Andover
Relationship to Letter Addressee
Fiancée
Text of Letter

The Nurses' Home
The General Hospital
Birmingham

Dec 29th 1914

My dear funny old thing

Your Xmas day letter arrived this morning. As a matter of fact I ought to have got it last night or even earlier but our letters were not given round to the great annoyance of everyone.

We have started “off duty” times again today and I had intended staying in to write you a long, long letter but I heard from Ethel this morning that she, Norah and Juliet can come over on Thursday, my half day, and so I am going out to book tickets for them for “Sinbad”, but I’ll write tomorrow without fail.

We had quite a jolly Xmas, a little bit spoilt by some of the nurses who were caught flirting with some of the House Men and there was an awful row. I kept clear of a good deal of the fun, such as supper parties late at night in the ward kitchen, when we were supposed to be in bed, at which the men turned up in the wildest spirits! I should have enjoyed the fun in a way but it is too risky a game to play, at the expense of the welfare of the patients. I have felt horribly fagged and felt altogether rotten but am a bit better today. I am simply dying to write you a letter worthy of the name but it is impossible.

You can guess how pleased I was to hear from you today – I am glad you liked my Xmas letter – I meant every word of it.

God bless you – dear Love – I shall think of you and me a year ago on Thurs: at your dance.

Best love from

Mela

Letter Images
Type of Correspondence
Envelope containing 1 sheet of notepaper
Location of Document
Imperial War Museum
Record Office Reference
60/98/1