Builders renovating a bathroom for a made a surprising discovery.
Annabelle Hotson’s former council house revealed a long-kept secret when, hidden inside a wall space, a love letter was found to be languishing – more than 84 years after it was posted. “We have no idea how or when it got there,” said Annabelle, who has a husband and young son.
“The builders were getting rid of one of the walls in the bathroom and it was in a hole at the top. They were like, look what we’ve found.”
The letter, whose envelope bears a blue King George VI postage stamp – it cost two and half old pennies – is date-stamped January 4, 1941 and has a Rochester & Chatham post office franking mark. It is addressed to Nurse M Wilkinson, Nurses’ Home, Addenbrooke’s, Cambridge, Cambs.
Hand-written in pencil, inside it addresses “my own darling sweetheart” and is signed, with many kisses, by Bill, corresponding with his love from 6EE Mess, Anson Block, RN Barracks, Chatham. In the evocative letter, he speaks of arriving “here” after a night spent in London, arriving by train in the capital “just as the all clear was sounding”.
“I didn’t have above 10 minutes to wait for the train after you left,” said Bill, whose girl had obviously been to wave him off – possibly they had been able to be together for Christmas or New Year, going by the date. The letter, over four sides of lined notepaper, goes on to talk about bombs dropping “thick and fast” with Bill saying: “A couple of near ones nearly shook me out of bed at the Union Jack Club, but I was soon asleep.
“It was not a heavy raid that night, so I wouldn’t care to be around if there was a heavy one – if that’s what they call light!” Bill talks of snow in Chatham and attending the regulating office at the signal school, soon after getting his kit out of the store, and asking “the chief” about being due for P.O. (presumably posting overseas).
“Darling, I miss you so much now,” writes Bill, “and it’s going to take a while to settle down and get used to it here after the wonderful time we had together. I love you with all my heart sweetheart and always shall I know.
“Please excuse pencil dearest, I left my pen (among other things) at home. I hope I’ll have a letter tomorrow my darling. I must say before I close that I’m duty this weekend and I believe the one after, but I’m off on the 17th, I think (All ‘believe and think’, I know, but will let you know definitely later.
(Image: Annabelle Hotson)
“Bye-bye for now darling I’ll write again on Sunday. Your everloving sweetheart, Bill.”
Annabelle, who lives in Scartho, Grimsby, said: “My house is an ex-council house; I don’t know when it was built, it has maybe been here since the 1950s. We’ve only been here three years and we decided to have the bathroom renovated.
“We have got a plaque in our attic on an old water boiler with an old Irish prayer on it; we’ve not moved that in case it’s sacred or something.” From the little bit of investigating Annabelle has tried to do, she found out there was a nurse called Meg Wilkinson “but the dates don’t add up”.
“Why a letter posted from Chatham and sent to a nurse in Cambridge has ended up inside the wall of a house in Scartho, I don’t know, but it would be nice to find out who it belongs to. There may be a grandchild out there of these people who might like it.
“My husband and little boy have been interested in the letter being found but it’s more my mother-in-law who is intrigued by it. It might mean something to someone.”
Annabelle turned to Grimsby Live to spread the word to see if the rightful owner of the letter can be traced. If you think this letter forms part of your family history, please let them know and they will put you in touch with Annabelle.