Love from Boy

by Donald Sturrock

  Then we moved towards them, but we were spotted just below the wood, and very soon the enemy had three entire platoons, (about 80 boys) against us. We lay down behind a ridge and fired as hard as we could, the old Lewis gun popping away as fast as it could. But soon, although we had 50 round of blank each, we soon ran out of ammunition, at least all except the Lewis gun which still went on. In about a quarter of an hour J Mendl arrived with his lot, and together with them, we charged the enemy and drove them back into the wood, and soon we had them surrounded on all sides. And the umpire, Colonel somebody-or-other, stopped the fighting, saying that the Leys had been utterly defeated!

  A mess, showing our Route.

  On that diagram, if you can make any thing of it, is only the actual spot of the action. You see we had to march 5 miles back to the station.

  Going home, we went by a different line, going through Uppingham & Oakham, where Highton is; I saw both the schools . . .

  I have ordered rather a fine photograph of one of the school buildings, it is a very large one. I will send it as soon as it is ready.

  Love from

  Roald

  [June 29th 1930]

  Priory House

  Repton

  Derbyshire

  Dear Mama

  Thanks for your letter. Yesterday was quite hot and very fine, and I spent most of my time either in watching the match, which we lost, or in going up and down the church steeple. The latter amusement is unknown to the majority of boys, but if you get on the right side of the old woman who looks after the church, she will let you go up. You go through a tiny door in a corner, and up a very steep narrow stone winding staircase. After going up for about a solid five minutes you arrive at the belfry, and you are able to see all the bells (colossal things) and if you are unlucky, they strike while you are there. To begin with it gives you such a shock that you nearly fall all the way down again, also it nearly deafens you. The first time, I went up with Palairet, (that boy who sat next to us) and when we got to the belfry he managed to step on a rod which he shouldn’t have, and we saw the hammer slowly rising, then crash down upon one of the bells, it having struck ‘one’ at ten minutes to eleven! From the top, you get a wonderful view of the surrounding country . . .

  Love from

  Roald

  Speech Day at Repton, June 1930. Roald (highlighted) looks out at the camera as if in a different world from the people around him.

  [postmarked July 11th, 1930]

  Priory House

  Repton

  Derbyshire

  Dear Mama

  Thanks awfully for the parcel which I got this morning, the eggs were alright too. I also got the shoes from Daniel Neil. They are fine. Very comfortable, and just the right size, so I am wearing them. That Dainite sole is jolly good stuff, it wears much better than leather, and is much lighter than crepe-rubber. Here is a photo of some of the spectators at Speech Day, watching the match. The arrow points to your black hat, and my hat can be seen just on your right, or nearer to the foreground of the photo.

  Love from

  Roald

  [undated]

  The Priory House

  Repton

  Derby

  Dear Mama

  By the monthly order, I am 15th in my form out of 21 boys, however my form master, Mr. Wall is the most bad tempered man on the staff, but otherwise he is very nice.

  When he looses his temper he goes completely mad, he rushes round the room, tips his desk clean over, with everything on it, kicks all the furniture in the room as hard as he can and especially his grandfather clock, which is gradually ceasing to exist. He shouts and yells, rushes round the room, and on Wednesday he nearly threw himself out of the window! I’ve never seen anything so funny in my life.

  Love from

  Roald

  [undated]

  The Priory House

  Repton

  Derby

  Dear Mama

  Thanks awfully for the cake you sent me at the beginning of the week, it was awfully good. And the parcel I got yesterday. Everything was all right. No eggs broken, or anything; that Tobler choclate is simply marvellous; I like the coffee one best, I think.

  Last Tuesday was the sale of work, we got off prep, and went into Pears School, (the big hall, where the school assembles for films, etc.) It was full of all sorts of stalls and amusements. One thing which was rather subtle was as follows: a kind of horse, with a long body: as the long body revolved, and you got on at the back, and had to get to the other end and get the coconut suspended above the horse’s head. It was jolly hard though, because whenever you tried to get along the horse its tummy started revolving and you tumbled off. I only got one coconut.

  There were heaps of other things. One rather subtle one; you had to drop pennies into a glass tank of water; the tank was full of sixpences, and if you covered one you had it. Only when you dropped your pennies into the water they went all squiggly, instead of falling down straight.

  . . . I am now in training for House Matches, and I have got to observe the following things:

  ‘No eating between meals, except fruit which you may eat as much as you like.’

  ‘No fizzy drinks.’

  ‘A certain amount of “charged” exercise every day’ (when there is no football I play fives.)

  ‘Skipping after prayers in the evening.’

  ‘No soaking in hot baths.’

  ‘A cold shower after baths.’

  ‘No playing on the yard.’

  ‘A good walk on Sunday afternoon.’

  I don’t really mind any of it a bit. It means that I eat more fruit & less sweets which I suppose is really good . . .

  Love from

  Roald

  [undated]

  The Priory House

  Repton

  Derby

  Dear Mama

  Thanks awfully for your letter and the parcel. My cold has gone, but it took about six days, and I used nearly a whole bottle of Mistol on it. At any rate its gone now.

  The cream was marvellous. We had it last night with Force. We also had fried potatoes and two fried eggs each. Jolly good supper . . .

  The new matron arrived last Tuesday, she comes from London, has got hair like a fuzzie-wuzzie, and two warts on her face, otherwise not bad! I think I shall offer her of my corn paint. . . .

  Love from

  Roald

  [undated]

  The Priory House

  Repton

  Derby

  Dear Mama

  Fire! No one here’s talking about anything else. I’ll tell you the whole story: Last night at 6.15 we all went to Pears School (you know, the huge hall into which we went for the speeches) to see a film called ‘When Knights Were Bold,’ a very funny film. When the whole thing had finished, and we were all waiting to go, Major Strickland (the head of the O.T.C.) came rushing in and yelled for the gramophone to be stopped, so that he could make himself heard. He was very red in the face and sweating. Then he bawled ‘All fire brigade outside!’ (The school fire-brigade consists of 4 boys from each house, who have been trained and each knows his job.)

  The rest of the school, in fact all the school—minus 36 boys stayed in Pears School. There we were kept waiting for fully 20 minutes. Then—‘All houses except Priory go back at once’. So we were left in there, wondering what had happened. Then we were told that the Priory had caught on fire, and that the whole of MacBrayne’s study (the one I am in!!!!) had been burnt to ashes!

  Mr. Carter (house-master of the Orchard) took us all there and gave us some supper. Then we went back to the Priory. The flames were really enormous, and the heat was colossal. All the Minimaxes in Repton were fetched, and we banged them on the floor and fairly poured it on.* After 45 huge Minimaxes had been emptied on to it, it began
to show signs of going out. There was also a long double string of fellows passing water cans back and forward from the nearest tap. It was then that the Burton fire brigade arrived and finished the thing off.

  I thought that the whole place was going to burn down, but I think that 45 Minimaxes was too much for it. The whole place stank of burning and Minimax, and it got in your throat. I coughed all night. However, we got to our bedrooms which the firemen assured us were safe, but to us it looked as though they were being held up by about 2 thin planks. We picked our way gingerly up the stairs, (which was all black and charcoaly) of course all the electric light had fused long ago. We got into our beds which were brown and nasty, and I don’t know how, but I managed to get to sleep.

  The place looked grimmer than ever by daylight. All the passage was black, and in our study absolutely nothing was left. I luckily was wearing my new coat, but my new mack has completely gone. Mr. Jenkins has made us all write out a list and prices of what we’ve lost. Mine comes to £25 at the very least. The sort of thing it consists of is:

  Mack £5 Hockey Stick, Squash Racquet, Fives gloves, Corps boots, house shoes. Writing case, hair brushes, books etc.

  I wonder how much we will get back. Please don’t write to him or anything because it will only make him more worried.

  Now I have got some ‘getting money news’ for a change. We had a house sweepstake on the Grand National, and the tickets were 1s/ each. I only had 6d left, so I shared with Montgomery who also only had 6d. We drew a horse—Annandale, which came 3rd!! So we got 3rd prize 10s/-. Jolly good.

  Right, I’ll be coming by the usual train (leaves Derby at about 8) on Tuesday, and will look out for Louis. I suppose you’ll be letting me know for certain if he is meeting me.

  Sorry, no time for any more, I’ve got the whole of Grey’s Elegy to learn by tomorrow, 124 lines!

  Love from

  Roald

  [postmarked May 13th 1931]

  Addressed to:

  Cardinal and

  Mrs Wolsey ‘Oakwood’

  Bexley

  Kent

  Dear Cardinals

  Graggers on your eggs. For goodness sake don’t go eating them or pushing them into the goldfish pond.

  Love from

  Roald

  [undated]

  The Priory House

  Repton

  Derby

  Dear Mama

  Thanks awfully for your letter and the collar. Gosh, my new bat is marvellous. The first time I used it was on Thursday, in league house matches. I made 70. The side made 150. Then they went in and made 60. So we won easily. I have been doing quite a lot of photographing lately. Here are some photographs. I have taken a lot out and given to the house photograph book. That one of the cow just after it has done piss has come out rather well. Those sheep are rather nice too. I had a devil of a job to get close to them because they are so timid, and had to keep going ba-a-a the whole time!

  . . .

  Love from

  Roald

  P.S. Please return the photos.

  A photo of Roald’s study at Repton which he took in 1930. Photography became a serious interest while he was at school and he spent hours on his own in the school darkroom. “I was the only boy who practised it seriously,” he would later write, and after the summer of 1931 the subject dominates his letters home.

  [undated]The Priory House

  Repton

  Derby

  Dear Mama

  Thanks awfully for the cake and the Radiostoleum. Did those dates only cost 1/3, there were an awful lot in the box, 4 layers . . .

  See if you can make sense of the following. There are no stops or capital letters put in.

  If you go to the zoo you will see elephants playing the saxophone you first take a breath and swallow the mouthpiece is then taken between the lips and firmly to boot polish people are proud to be or not to be is what hamlet said when bathing the baby care must be taken to clean up his sparking plugs should be the regular practice of every driver who wants easy running does are female wives may forgive husbands never tell took a bow and shot the apple through the inside left raced down the field and shot a gaol civilization being what it is is still necessary for locking up the undesirable flies fly and pigs don’t brown is a dentist and can be seen any day drawing stumps is a sign that the match is over.

  DON’T OPEN

  Until you have tried to make sense of the other

  Correct version, punctuated.

  If you go to the zoo you will see elephants. Playing the saxaphone, you first take a breath and swallow. The mouthpiece is then taken between the lips and firmly to boot. Polish people (people from Poland) are proud. To be or not to be is what Hamlet said. When bathing the baby care must be taken. To clean up his sparking-plugs should be the regular practice of every driver who wants easy running. Does (animals) are female. Wives may forgive husbands never. (William) Tell took a bow and shot the apple through. The inside left (in football) raced down the field and shot. A gaol, civilization being what it is, is still necessary for locking up the undesirable. Flies fly and pigs don’t. Brown is a dentist and can be seen any day. Drawing stumps (in cricket) is a sign that the match is over.

  [postmarked April 25th 1932]

  Priory House

  Repton

  Dear Mama

  I arrived here alright at 3. and went on by bus.

  Had rather an amazing lunch on the train. First while I was having my soup I leaned my Daily Mail I leaned it up against my bottle of cider, and the bottle promptly decided to fall over: much good cider on opposite seat. The next course was an egg (poached) covered in Spaghetti!! Jolly good. Next a chicken with breast meat on its legs! Probably a crow. It was during this course that the waiter spilt a lot of bread sauce over my Daily Mail. Very funny, but I couldn’t read any more about Hitler for he was covered with bread sauce.

  Binks was very perturbed because at least six boys are not coming back yet for various reasons. I had tea with him.

  Love from

  Roald

  [postmarked May 30th 1932]

  The Priory House

  Repton

  Derby

  Dear Mama

  . . . There is the very hell of a thrill here today. Last night we had nearly 4 inches of rain! A record, with the result that the Stinker (i.e. the small stream which runs through Repton) has burst its banks and poured forth its vengeance and its water all over the country side. Every field is about 3 feet under water.

  Some of the streets here are or were this morning about 3 1/2 feet under water and hundreds of people have been flooded out of their houses. Several masters were completely cut off from the School this morning, and had to come to school by boats! People can be seen going about fetching bread, milk and other things on floating sofas or wooden bedsteads, You’d think that I was exaggerating but I’m not. Several houses had no milk this morning because the farmers couldn’t get to their cows. We did.

  Roald with his camera watching a school cricket match, 1932.

  The Priory is in no danger for it’s standing on the top of a sort of gradual hill. It is the street below it on the right & left that gets it. But it’s going down rapidly now because it’s not raining any more. The Stinker which is usually a little stream is now a raging torrent! Generally about 6 feet wide, it’s now about 50, going through gardens & farms. But worse is to come for the fields at the moment have only been flooded by the Stinker. But the Trent is rising at the most colossal pace, because it’s receiving the waters of the Dove & the Derwent. Tomorrow the complete Trent valley will probably be about 4 or five feet under water. It’s a very dull day indeed so I won’t be able to do much photography. I hope it’ll be better tomorrow. A Brick wall on the side of the stinker and a Bridge have been completely swept away.

  . . .
Yesterday, as cricket was out of the question, I played fives with Binks. He’s very humorous, rushing about the court shrieking out what a little fool he is and calling himself all sorts of names when he misses the ball.

  I have a plunge in the plunge bath every morning it is frightfully cold, but it freshens you up like any thing.

  I must go and develop some plates in the dark room with Michael.

  Love from

  Roald

  [postmarked June 9th 1932]

  The Priory House

  Repton

  Derby

  Dear Mama

  . . . We haven’t got a study-holder in our study yet because Kelsey hasn’t come back, so we are going to decorate the study ourselves. Everyone’s getting some flowers, so do you think that you could bring some down in the car. Sweet peas etc. There’s one more thing I’d like you to bring. My three Fives cups. They have to go on the mantlepiece. By the way please don’t bring any yellow flowers, because they wont go with our curtains & hangings, which are a sort of bright orange.

  I don’t think that they are altering the date of the inspection after all. I’m afraid that it’s still being held on the Tuesday before Speech Week. Yes, it would be a good idea to go to Dovedale or to Ma Sharp. Turton, Reuss, Michael (you mustn’t call him Arnold) and myself are going crayfish fishing this afternoon! We’re going to some ponds called ‘Orange Ponds’ where there are lots of crayfish. We are making a big net out of wire netting. We tie lots of bits of string to this and with a nice rabbit’s head or something tasty tied in the middle of it, we lower it in to the pond. Then we shall pull it up and with luck pull up some crayfish at the same time. We want them for two reasons: