THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

Wednesday [May 9 1945]

Belov Boo

Dork[ing] behaved very sedately yesterday – The church bells pealed at intervals – now & then a megaphone brayed outside the Star – & in the evening there were searchlights & fire works & excited cries of children.¹
I sat out under the lilac w^h still is full of scent & we had a young American for tea who has something to do with radio in the Azores. A nice lad. Morris² brought back news of London’s thunderstorm – a house in Addison Road was struck – and what happened in Chelsea? We had no storm here.
How nice to have had Racy³ and Mungo. I shall I suppose hear something from Bob⁴ after tonight’s supper at Ursula’s – or of him from her.
Have you both – I mean Bernard & you – any plans for weekend – you ought to hear our 2 challenging cuckoos – or is the tumult in London too fascinating to leave?
I wonder if R’s “Thanksgiving” will be heard on Sunday – No word has come about it. He has been digging & now is at his compo – his Pilgrims Progress so nearly finished.
To go back to the great happenings yesterday I admired the King’s speech so much  –
Churchill wasn’t at his best in his statement? I didn’t care for “Advance Britannia” but I loved “dear Channel Islands” & his “its your day” to the crowd – perfect – and their quick answer.
A

1. May 8th was Victory in Europe Day, prompting celebrations across the country.
2. R.O. Morris, who had lived with the VWs since the death of his wife.
3. Racy Fisher was a niece of Cordelia and Adeline.
4. Probably Robert de Ropp, who had lived with the VWs for some years.