Letters from France - 2nd July 1947 - 2

Well, Pont-ste-Maxence is a small industrial town with four factories, somewhat similar in atmosphere and appearance to a Cotswold town, or village (tho' a greater knowledge of my country would probably suggest to me a better likeness). The factory in which Lucette and her father work makes artificial leather. This is definitely a working class family, and I shall find it rather difficult to distinguish between the customs of the class and those of the country as a whole. Such things as the small breakfast are of course well known, and putting jam on bread and biscuits with a spoon and not a knife is national too I think. They don't even appear to use dessert spoons at all.

The railway runs just outside the house, which is a bit grim, but it is right on the edge of the town with lovely country all round. The house is very small - two up and two and scullery and lav down. No bathroom, but electric yes. All the houses in the village have shutters - which are left shut at night! Just enough air, but I should like a lot more! I was a bit shake to find that I must sleep in a double bed with Lucette - a thing which I abhor, tho' I daresay I shall get used to it. She speaks much less English than I expected, but we make out very well. She says I speak French very well!!

As I hadn't arrived till after ten, we soon went to bed when I had supped. This morning we went shopping, collected my cases with some hazard on a bicycle, and I unpacked.

The loaves of bread are like Vienna rolls in shape but about 2ft 6ins long. They seem to eat a good deal of salad - in oil and vinegar dressing. They have chickens too.

3rd July -

After dinner the three of us - Jaqueline, Lucette and myself - gossiped, so far as we were able, which was quite a lot, as J. speaks some English having stayed in England already, and I showed them all my photos. About 3.30 we went and bathed in a small lake or large pond. Most odd sensation, as the water was warm and cold in patches of about 3 or 4 yards. We walked back along the road in our costumes only - imagine doing so in Alfrick!!! Then I made them some tea, as they are not very accomplished in the art (being so, they wouldn't realize that I am not either!)

After tea I started this letter until Lucette and I set off just before seven to a "réunion" with the abbé and some other Catholic friends. We went on bicycles, and in spite of great concentration I nearly unseated another cyclist on a corner who growled "à droite” at me in a peeved manner. However, L . explained that "elle est une Anglaise" and we went on our way. I didn't understand much of the goings on, except that they gabbled a prayer so fast that every now and then one of them got completely left behind and had to stop and start again! We came back and had a huge supper - salad, then a slice of ham, then fried spaghetti, then bread and cheeze, then biscuits and jam. It is rather odd the way they don't combine the courses - we should eat salad with the ham, and perhaps the spaghetti too. We walked along the bank of the Oise after supper, and then went to bed.

I am finding it very easy to accommodate myself to the somewhat crude manners of these people!! Also I find the two girls very easy to get on with. I began to feel I should never learn to speak French, and then I realized that it was my first day, and I had already learnt a word and a phrase or two. I can understand a great deal more than I can speak, and read some of the magazines and papers almost like English. I am afraid I shall learn a good deal of slang here!

This morning I went out shopping with Jaqueline and contrived to keep to the right side of the road this time. She will be away for the next week so I am going to sleep in her bed, which will be a relief. She lives next door. It's very warm here - when I am sleeping on my own I shall open the shutters at night!

The shops in Pont have the name of their kind in prominence, not of the owners, e.g. Boulangerie, Patisserie. The Pont itself - a wooden one - is being rebuilt after bomb damage, so a sort of suspension foot bridge has been put up, and a larger one for "voitures".

Well, I have brought you up to the present moment, and will write again soon. Will you forward this to Mummy, as I don't want to write such a detailed letter in duplicate. My love to Jane, and of course she may read this if she is interested. (I am not sure about "can")

With very best love,
Judith