Dearest Emmie

Yours to hand of the 1st inst. No! perhaps we wouldn’t want to go to the ramble I dare say we could enjoy ourselves just as well on our own as with a crowd: what say you?

On Aug. 4th 14 I think I was a “Southend sur mer”. I remember there were about a doz. newspaper editions every afternoon. Special War Ed: every time. To hear me speak one would think I was a paper boy perhaps it is rather a funny incident to remember.

There was no tragedy in the letter you mention everybody seemed to breathe a sigh of relief when the new colonel came.

I think “it” is quite safe and no fear of it being squashed, in fact it is growing.

The shortest I have seen is a 128th demisemi-demisemiquaver = 1 semi-breve. A demisemiquaver is a 32nd note. semiquaver 16th note. (28th) (94th) (92nd) (O,)(||O|| breve has two beats.) Compre? The latter is mostly seen in church music. You might be surprised if I say that I have no book or rudiments of music I read one once though not here and I had a small one which I left in the band in Blighty, that is all. I think music is the quickest think I grasp, other things I am generally slow but shure. I havn’t seen G Watson again but I dare say I will before he goes up the line. His brother will be of age soon and I don’t think he’s much bigger than young Bert. I must perforce close now as the post is going.

Fondest Love from Yours Ever Will .

Dearest Emmie

In answer to yours of the 31st ult I am better now thanks it was only a cold but I thought it might have been the ‘flu’ again as my eyes ached so much. I should imagine ‘Chu Chin Chow’ is rather difficult to play, n’est-ce pas?

It is still the same as usual here only there seem to be more civilians coming back to their homes. We have just had a practice so this is my second attempt at writing. The last letter I wrote you I should think I left it no less than eight times. It is now pouring of rain so we are just back in time.

I saw George Watson this morning. When you wrote and said that he had seen me I had no idea that he was in a fighting Regt. I thought he would have been in the labour corps. I had a few words with him and will see him again before he goes up the line. I would like to know how Will likes his ride, it is his first long one isn’t it. If you ever have a husband as you say, you have to honour and obey him so he might do whitewashing on Bank Holiday.

By now you will have had your ramble and I hope that you enjoyed it. I had a letter from W.L. and will answer it when I get time. I hope you like the card I sent you yesterday it was a pretty one I think, was not it? I don’t think I told you, but not long ago I met a chum who used to go with me to St Brides school, strange how small the world is isn’t it. Sorry if this is “buckshee” news to you, compre?

Well I will close now dinner is up and there is no “buck” that is an abbreviated buckshee or perhaps the masculine the latter sounds somewhat feminine. Please remember me to Ma & Pa

Fondest Love

From Will xxx

Dearest Emmie

Thanks for the book of papers received yesterday. The Batt is out for a few days so we are fairly busy and I havn’t had much time for writing. The other day a shell struck the church here and made a bit of a mess. A fatigue party was put on the job of cleaning up which was soon finished. In the meantime I had a tune on a small organ which was there. There was not much damage done, the greatest was the hole in the roof which was not very big. I don’t know if I will be able to get my photo taken this week but I will try. The French are still going strong with their advance; of course you get the news before us so I can’t tell you much. It is surprising how many people stick in their homes within range of actual warfare. Well I will close before I take a walk for my drop of stew (“Gip”) so au revoir

With Best Love

From Yours Ever

Will xxx

Dearest Emmie

In answer to yours of the 24th inst I hadn’t time to answer it before the post went so I sent you a field-card. It’s a bad thing to catch a cold in a hollow gum. I guess you knew it some what at any rate I sincerely hope it’s better now. I nearly had the flue, but counter attacked it with two successive forces of hot milk. It is also very showey here and it flops down too. I ask the cause of a double rainbow, of one of the boys and he suggests taking a little more water with of course I point out that that couldn’t be the case. I have seen a similar scene and I think it is a reflection on a mist. I am going to have my photo taken next week if possible so you will see if I have altered much. I don’t know where I will be on Bank Holiday Monday I might be in Blighty or anywhere. I don’t even know what’s happening this afternoon. I hear we are having a change in Colonel so a lot may happen in a week. In answer to your first question. “C” can have three names:- B♯. C. D𝄫. Therefore C, C♯, D have each three names and so has D♯ if you are going to write “D♭x”, D♯, E♯. I don’t think you would find D♭x written in music.

I think that all the other notes except D♯ G♯ and A♯ have three names but these three have only two each. Another way of giving them these is:- (D𝄯♯ D♯ G♭) (G𝄯♯ G♯ A♭) (A𝄯♯ A♯ B♭). I hope you understand that half of the question. These changes are enharmonic. I think that is right but it was a teaser.

Q.A major scale consists of tone, tone semitone tone tone semitone.

Longest note is not a semi=half breve but a breve.

Shortest note is not a 𝅘𝅥𝅰 but a 𝅘𝅥𝅲 (128th note).

I understand your 5th ans. but 1/8 is an octave from C to G is a second.

I hope you understand all this

Fondest love from Will xx

What is a tetrachord

What is syncopation

Dearest Emmie

Just a few lines as I am malade ce matin to let you know that I am still alive and kicking. We had a job this morning of cleaning out an old barn. The mud and dirt in places was nearly a foot deep and it must have been there an age, so you can guess that we wanted gas marks on. We had a rather funny experience yesterday, on returning to our billet yesterday we found that next door had fallen down; rather funny I think, we used to practice in there so I suppose we made the foundation loose. The post has been round but there was no letter for me. What does Mabel say about Will? has he gone yet? I have never heard from him since I have been out, did you say he was going to write? Perhaps he wouldn’t condesend to write to a common soldier.

Well I won’t write any more now as I have a head-ache so au revoir.

With Best Love

From Yours Ever

Will xxx

Dearest Emmie

By the time you receive this letter I dare say this month will be nearly gone. I must thank you for the blanco which just came at the right time and needless to say the other contents of the parcel were très bon, which I presume were your make. We are cleaning cookers again this morning and they will look très chic when we have finished. Did you get my letter of the 24th. We mustn’t write in French because we might break rules & regs thereby. It is much easier to converse with the French than to write their language and it is surprising how the children pick up English; in some cases the “prime” words first. I don’t know what you think of this mix up of a letter and I won’t tell you how long it has taken me to write it but I dare say a few words are better than none at all so I will conclude with

Fondest Love

From Your Will xxx

Dearest Emmie

Just a few lines to let you know that I am still alright. I went to the pictures last night and they were very good. There are numerous entertainments out here for us such as kinemas and various concert parties. I often think when sitting on a form with no back at the pictures, of the settees at the Rink.

Many thanks for parcel just received with très bon contents as usual. I ma sorry the dentist had such a hard job with your tooth but I dare say you will have forgotten all about it by the time you receive this. I am sorry I do not write enough for you, I write as often as possible and if it is every other day I have nothing to write about. Merci pour le lingerie ou couverture c’est très bon pour mépal polisage.

We have been of a job cleaning field-cookers and they are in a mess too. They look as if they have never been cleaned at all. How is Bert going on I suppose he is back at school by now. I think the flue has left this district now, I suppose it will go out of England as quick as it came.

How is the swimming going on? Would you like any help. I dare say I could teach you (to swim) very well, what!

I would like you to find out for me if there is a 5/4 time in music? s’il vous plait. I have never seen it but I have been told there is such.

I have had another letter from F.Champ, he writes very frequently. I told him about W.L. and he doesn’t like the idea much. Well my dear I must perforce conclude now if I would catch the post, so

Au Revoir

Best Love

From Your Will xx