Di 25.10.1932, Brief von Cecily an Anneliese: “I hope you will be able to say that you like England and the English people”

West Avenue, Scalby, Scarborough.
25^th October, 1932.

Dear Annaliese,

Thank you for the post-card you sent me from London. I was sorry that you had not put your address on it.

Janet told me you wondered if I was annoyed because you didn’t come to say “Good-bye” before you left for London. Please don’t think that. I was very sorry not to have seen you again, but not cross.

I wonder if you are playing tennis in the south. I haven’t played for weeks. Tennis never seemed more enjoyable than when I played with you.

When I was in Scarborough Post Office a short time ago, Hedie was there too and she appeared to be having an argument with one of the clerks about a parcel she was sending to Germany. She was so busy that she did not see me, so I bought my stamps and left without having spoken to her.

Scalby is looking very pretty just now. The trees are lovely.

Janet went back to her nursing at Leeds last Thursday. I shall miss her. Next week-end I am going to stay with my old school friend in Leeds, and perhaps I shall be able to see Janet then.

How did you enjoy your bus journey to London? I went to Blackpool by bus at the end of September, and it is only about 160 miles from Scarborough, but I was very tired. It seemed a very long time to sit in a bus. Perhaps you have heard of the Blackpool Illuminations. The promenade is about seven miles long, and during September and October is decorated with thousands of coloured lights made up into all kinds of designs. There are archways with hanging baskets of flowers across the road, fountains, peacocks, nursery rhymes and fairy tales are represented too. Besides these lights, coloured search-lights are flashed on the waves from different point on the three piers.

Blackpool is not a beautiful place; the town is very large and flat and there is nothing to see but the sea front. It is a good holiday place for dancing, theatres, etc. There is a splendid circus and menagerie, also an aquarium. All these things can be seen in one building – Blackpool Tower. I have never seen such crowds of people as I saw there.

Are you liking your new English family. Perhaps you are beginning to think about home again. I hope you will be able to say that you like England and the English people. Some people I know are still very hostile in their feelings towards Germans. I have never felt any bitterness towards your nation, even though that horrible war did rob me of my father. Until I met you I had never known any German, and now I feel sure that if only the hostile ones could really meet more people of your kind they would soon alter their feelings.

Janet is going to lend me her negatives so that I shall be able to get some snaps of you.

I shall be glad if you will write to me sometime and let me have your home address.

With love from your friend,

Cecily.