Letter from Private Enos Skrine at the front, Cay, France, to Mr and Mrs Lewis of the University Settlement, Cardiff, 22 April 1916

Description

A letter from Private Enos Skrine at the front, Cay, France, to Mr and Mrs Lewis of the University Settlement, Cardiff, 1916.
Mr Edward Lewis, and Mrs Lewis were involved in the Cardiff University Settlement in Splott and would frequently send parcels to members of the organisation who were on the front. Private Enos Skrine was a past member of the Cardiff University Settlement, writing frequently to his mentors. In this letter he writes: "My dear Mrs and Mr Lewis, I am now taking the pleasure of thanking you for your very nice parsel which I received quite safe please thank Kate for Bovrol and Biscuits we all had a tast[e] of Bovrol we made some stew the next day and put in the Bovrol which all the Boys enjoyed very well William and D is back on rest but will soon be up again and will keep his share the sweets and chocolate was quite a change for us indeed we did enjoy them I and [illegible initial] really dont know how too thank you for [illegible] and the cake we had after we had finished our work & I am very pleased to hear your all quite well as it leaves me at present but I am very sorry to hear of the bad weather you have had but glad is better now and say pet getting an old crock well he must be [illegible ] on his toes [p. 2] you know what I think about it is he is a little flat footed and when its raining he roles on[e] toe up against another rubs the skin away and then the rain and mouck off the roads gets into it and makes it inflame or blister all you can do then is cure the Blister and dry it up with powder what I used and then it will go away but when the moody [meant muddy] weather comes again (more truble) we havent had it so bad here for for weather some days fine some wet on account of shelling I think we have rain but never mine we must cheer up and make the best of things it well be over some time I supose so now having said and with all best wishes to Kate and thanking her I will close hoping to hear from you soon [new para:] I remain yours greatfully Enos [on the side:] xxx xxx xxx xxx for baby [p. 3] I forgot to thank you for smokes and pepsin [? possibly chewing-gum]" Lack of punctuation and misspelling make the letter difficult to read, but the letter is an example of how Mr and Mrs Lewis would support the boys from the University Settlement who went to war, by sending them parcels and letters.
Glamorgan Archives, DCE/1/47
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