Letters from France - 9th July 1947

Yesterday we visited Compiègne. It was only an afternoon's visit, for Lucette to visit the doctor, so we didn't have a great deal of time. However, I managed to look around two of the churches, to glance at the park of the 18th century château, and to wander through the town a bit. The château is huge - we are going to go back when it is open to look round, and there is a huge open drive running from back miles into the distance.

Lucette says Compiègne is very bourgeois. It seems to have some very old buildings in it, besides some very new rows of shops replacing those which were bombed. The town hall (16th century) has a statue of Joan of Arc on the first floor as it were, and right at the top, on the spire, the three musketeers. There is also a large statue of Joan facing the Town Hall, and now rather obscured by the new shops.

There is a fashion for women that I haven't seen in England, and that is long woolly cardigans taking the place of jackets, and shaped at the waist to look like jackets. Some of the men wear a sort of plus-fours, only half-way down their calf, and then ankle socks. I get the impression that the French boys are much less afraid of showing their limbs than the English ones. They seem to wear shorts [very short ones], ankle socks and sandals more than our lads.

In one of the windy - (ie twisty, not blowy!) - streets of Compiègne I came across a barber's shop which announced: "Se habla español" and "English spoken". I thought "what fun", I'll go and give them a "good day" and "buenos dias", but when I got to he top of the stairs I lost courage and came away again!

I was a bit confused at Paris last week to see that the train I awaited from Pont was an "omnibus". I wondered how it would make out on the rails, but was reassured when I saw a perfectly ordinary train arrive. I now understand the system a bit more: an "omnibus" stops at all stations; an "express" is a fast train; and a "rapide" is deisel which goes more than express. And what we call an omnibus is an "autocar" or "autobus". I am not yet very handy at getting in and out of the trains from ground level. We travelled yesterday in a traditional 3rd class continental compartment with wooden seats. But even the 2nd in I travelled from Paris when I arrived was much worse than our 3rd. At Compiègne station I had my first experience of the lavatories over which you stand astride. I am not sure that I don't prefer them for stations etc.

Apparently the people here have retained the "O.K." which they picked up from the Americans (whom they called "Les Ruminants" because of their gum-chewing).

Lucette pointed out a Jewish concentration camp on the way to Compiègne. There was a German aerodrome close by Pont, from which the planes used to bomb England.

The weather here is extraordinarily English, but I gather in the Alps and the South it is more equitable.

The cheeze - all one kind - and the bread are of poor quality and the biscuits too, but the butter is lovely. The milk is poor.

I cashed a travellers' cheque yesterday, and got 48 francs more than last time - that's about 1/9 in the £5. I carry a little guide around with me, so that I do not have to work it out in my head every time. The trouble is I don't know the ratio of 1 lb to 1 kg , so I am stuck on weights. I know I weigh 65 kilogrammes which sounds better than 145 lbs!

Radio Luxembourg seems to be the only transmission there is, and it is mostly in French, tho' a little English and German. It is frightfully dull. There never seems to be anything serious of any sort - only light music and advertisements for brilliantine and a suntan oil.

I am hoping to become immune to mosquitos, but as yet they are having fun and games with my poor blood.

Pont is largely communist I understand, being a working town.

11th July -

Congratulations to both of you on your wedding anniversary. I had meant to write to you, but never got down to it, as I didn't think in time for foreign post times.

I've not much new to say at the moment. We have visited various different people, or they have visited us, and I have found some very nice families among them. I begin to envy these people who, altho' tied to a small town for the best part of their lives probably, do have neighbours on all sides to pop in on, unlike Alfrick, and who know most of the people they meet, unlike London.

The valley here is very flat with rail, road and river all running close together and almost unnoticed. The railway is not embanked and so is not seen from a distance, and the fields of corn and so on come right up to the road's edge. There are hills and woods to be seen on either side of the valley, but we have not been as far as them yet. We cycled down an extraordinarily pretty lane on Wednesday to see some people at a little village. I am hoping to find the chance to do some walking on my own but at the moment don't seem able to. Lucette has got herself a fortnight's holiday for my benefit, on the grounds of needing rest, which is rather good. Her mother comes back next week.

We are going a picnic on Sunday, and to Paris next week, so I should have more to tell you next time.

Judith