St. John's Street, Biggleswade with church on left, c.1905 [Z1306/16/17/2]
Monday 15th May 1916: A soldier from Biggleswade who took part in the
retreat from Serbia is now at Salonica, from where he has written home to a
friend in sarcastic terms:
“Many thanks for the parcel received yesterday. How is it you can always manage to send us just the things that we don’t want? Then you tied it up yourself, did you? How lovely you did it. It was splendid, and it reached me nicely squashed. Either by accident or by design the tomato sauce was packed with the corks out, and as a result I am eating it with my cake. The Vaseline and chocolate on the way evidently formed a strong attachment for each other, but this has detracted but little (perhaps) from their respective values. The socks you sent will undoubtedly look extremely smart when I have squeezed the butter out of them, which you so thoughtfully packed in the toes. The St. Ivel cheese made me feel quite home sick, at least I came over very funny when I undid the wrapper. I gave it up to my mate, and it made him feel home sick, too. We put it outside, and the Sergeant major sent for the Sanitary Squad and asked them what they thought they were for. After a while they found it, and took it away and buried it or drowned it, or something of that sort. They look rather pale and worn today. Many thanks for the pudding you forgot to send. One pudding at home is worth two in my kitbag.”
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