Dear Charlie
The weather here has been awful - raining every day and some cold with it ! Of course that means that there's mud everywhere as there usually is in Cornwall in the winter. It's 'boots off' before anyone is allowed to set foot in the kitchen!
We've heard that there's a lot of mud in France ( or Belgium, or wherever they have sent you to do your army practicing - sorry, exercises - it that the right word ? ) … but being used to Cornish winters I should think that that won't bother you much son!
We hear that you've been digging lots of trenches, so I suppose that's to let all the rain drain away so as it's not so muddy underfoot - just like we do in our fields in the flat bit of the farm down by the river. You'll be used to that too!
Have you been doing lots of shooting at targets with that great gun they gave you ( sorry, your Da says it's called a rifle ! ) ..I suppose it's just like using the shotgun on rabbits at home.
We can't hear you doing it like we can at home, of course it's too far away, but we had a letter from your auntie Demelza ( that married that salesman and went to live in Kent, silly girl ), and she says they can hear your friends who work those really big guns, the ones on wheels, she can hear them practicing with them all the time !! Fancy, all the way across the sea ! It must be very noisy for them doing that so much.
We're glad you don't have to do that sort of thing - I'm sure it can't be very safe..
When you next write, perhaps you could send a map of where you are in France or some-such place so we can see where you are?
© nigel hallworth 2014