Sherriff told Pips that he had been out all day [we know from his later Memoir that he was visiting Bethune, but censorship prevented him saying so in his letter]:

‘I started off with the other East Surrey officer at 9:00 this morning resolving to pick up a conveyance after getting out of the trenches – after an hours walk we got into the open …and were just in time to see two officers get out of a motor and walk off, and the motor turn in the direction in which we wished to go. Hurrying after it we asked the chauffeur where he was going and whether he would give us a lift and both questions receiving satisfactory answers in we got and off went the car – and then, to our surprise, we noticed the two coats the two men had left behind bore the rank of General! – and we rode to our destination in the General’s car.’

Bethune – Before the War. From Memories of Active Service, Vol 2, facing page 388. By permission of the Surrey History Centre (Ref: 2332/3/9/3/4)

They took their time looking round the town,  at new hat fashions, butchers’ shops, tailors etc, and then went on to the church where they admired the stained glass window. They bought some things they couldn’t buy elsewhere (socks, fruit etc), then went for lunch at the Hotel (The ‘Lion D’Or’, the Memoir tells us), where there were lots of officers.  They sat at a round table in the middle, and after a while were joined by three ‘Frenchmen’:

‘One, from his neat black coat, white collar and shirt front looked like a bank cashier, but was somewhat marred by a big woolly muffler in brown and pink which he had twisted round his neck, dispensing with the need of an overcoat; the next was clad in a complete suit of brown corduroy with a soft collar and a gigantic tie-pin therein; and the third, who did most of the talking might have been anything – a big coarse man who kept making jokes in French which amused the others. I enjoyed watching them, as from their actions and facial expressions you can practically tell what they are talking about.’

After lunch they walked round town and enjoyed the sights, such as the market and the public buildings. Although ‘khaki is most predominant of anything’, they did see ‘a little of France here and there’ – schoolboys (‘with their little short socks and knickers and satchels on their backs’) and mostly old men, except for those in the army. The streets were usually cobbled and the paths muddy, and the shops were like the range of English shops, although with ‘a greater variety of goods for sale’. At about 2:00pm they started back, as Sherriff recounted in his Memoir a few years later:

‘A lorry helped us on our way, and as later on we slowly walked back home – as gradually all life and colour passed away once more into desolation – we had at least some consolation in thinking we had lived once more as civilised people’.

Bethune – After the War. From Memories of Active Service, Vol 2, facing page 388. By permission of the Surrey History Centre (Ref: 2332/3/9/3/4)

He told Pips that, about 3 days before Xmas, he would make another trip to Bethune to get ‘a chicken in a bottle or something like that for Xmas dinner’. Although they be spending Xmas in the trenches they wanted to make it as much like Xmas as possible, ‘for old time’s sake.’

He took some time to tell Pips how much he loved ‘good sound books’ rather than ‘light novels’:

‘…they give you such a store of things to think about. Scott’s fine books have given me much food for reflection, and I love to think of the time when I shall be free to travel with you over the north of England and other parts I have not visited and see all the fine castles and mansions and scenery that have made our country so famous.’

As well as visiting all the places mentioned in Scott’s novels, he looked forward to coming home so that he could improve on his coin and stamp collections, and make a library, and enjoy ‘that finest hobby of all – History.’

He signed off at that point, but added a Postscript the next day, in which he thanked Pips for the ‘fine big parcel’ he had just received, containing two cigarette holders, the tie pin his mother had sent, a ‘medley’ of other goodies, and, as luck would have it, a copy of Scott’s The Antiquary. Before finally ending the letter he told Pips to expect a Christmas card, as he had sent one to each member of the family (Pips, Mother, Bundy and Beryl), as well as Auntie Ede, Henham [who had worked in the Sun Insurance office with Pips, and had been his sergeant-major in the Artists], Mr Freeth [the manager of the Oxford Street branch of Sun Insurance], Auntie Beattie and another Artist friend of his. But he still had two left over if he wanted to send any more.

[Next letter: 19 November]