On YMCA headed notepaper
c/o YMCA Hut
Tadworth Surrey
My dear Sir,
I sincerely trust that you will not think me, in any way, impudent in writing to you; seeing that I have never, beyond a passing salutation, spoken to you; but I am taking this liberty simply because I consider myself one of your congregation, and look upon you as my vicar, and I feel that I should like some connection with the Church at home.
A week last Wednesday I enrolled myself as a YMCA worker, and was sent down here to the hut at Tadworth.
We are working here among about 12,000 soldiers of various regiments; the majority coming from London and the counties surrounding it. you will, therefore, not be surprised to hear that I have never met a single person I know. However, there are some exceedingly nice fellows among our staff, and so I am quite happy.
The hours are long, the work quite strenuous, but to balance this we have good food, a fair amount of rest and genial companions, and so I am in perfect health and quite happy.
As far as I know, there are three religious institutions here, ourselves, the Salvationists, and the Wesleyan Soldiers and Sailors League, who supply refreshments, etc to the men in the camp. We are, however, the stronger of the three.
On the whole, the men here are, morally, a very fine band, and others of our staff who have had experience in YMCA canteen work inform me that it is the best camp that they have been connected with. I fully believe this, for some of the men, especially those in the London Rifle Brigade are gentlemen in the fullest sense of the word.
Besides our staff of men, varying almost daily from eight to twelve we have a voluntary staff of local ladies and gentlemen who come to help us. The chief duty of the ladies is to serve at the counter, while the gentlemen do anything than is required of them, from washing up pots and dishes, to helping keep the accounts. It is indeed pleasing to see this, and it only goes to prove that all are willing to “do their bit” in this world-war. I might mention that all these people, almost without exception, are well-to-do people who have retired from their vocation and are now living comfortably in their large houses in the villages of Tadworth and Walton-on-the-Hill, Mr Lloyd George’s residence being in the last-named village.
We have a “hut” of about 15 yds by 50 yds, beautifully built and equipped, and a marquee of about the same size.
Sunday goes along just the same as any other day with us, and can only be distinguished from any week day in that the various church parades take place. The Anglican Church holds its parade on the opposite slope of a dip, facing our hut; and it is, indeed, a pleasing sight to see the lines of worshiping soldiers around the white figure of the chaplain (a Mr Hanson, I believe) who has a very strong voice; and although our hut is about five hundred yards away, standing by it we can hear every word he says, and so can join in the service. Many are the times on Sunday, especially church-times, that I think of the Church at Whitwick and wish I could be there with you. We have a short service of our own on Sunday evening and when we sing hymns which are also sung by the Whitwick congregation my thoughts wander away home, and I can quite imagine I am with you.
Well, it is very nearly time for me to “set to” again and so, with very kindest regards
I remain
Yours very sincerely
Cecil Brown
(Coalville)
P.S. I enclose a picture of our institution here.
The envelope holds two postcards of the YMCA Hut Tadworth Camp.
In envelope addressed to The Rev T.W. Walters, Whitwick, Lester.
Letter postmarked mostly unreadable but EPSOM 4 OC 15 can be read.
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