Love letters

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    Now Rob, put your romantic hat on and tell us, have you ever sent or receiveda love letter?

    Rob: Mm – both actually. I have sent one and I've received one as well.

    Yvonne: And why don't you write love letters any more?

    Rob: Because there's not enough time.

    Yvonne: Well, today we're going to make time for love, because we're talking about‘Wives and Sweethearts’. It’s an exhibition at London's National ArmyMuseum. The exhibition includes letters from soldiers on the front line to theirloved ones which date back over the last 200 years. But before we find outmore – here's today's question, Rob.

    Rob: OK!

    Yvonne: In which year was The Royal Mail – Britain's postal² service – founded?

    a) 1516b) 1710 orc) 1780Rob: I would say, quite a long time ago – probably 1710.

    6 Minute English ? bbclearningenglish.com 2010Page 2 of 7Yvonne: OK, we'll find out whether you're right or wrong later on! Now, back to "Wivesand Sweethearts" – the collection of letters at the National Army Museum. Itaims to show us how army life affected³ personal relationships between soldiersand their wives, sweethearts and families. But Rob – what would you say is 'asweetheart'?

    Rob: It's a nice word, isn't it? And 'sweetheart' is quite an old-fashioned noun – sonow, we usually say 'girlfriend' or 'boyfriend'. But basically, a sweetheart issomeone we're sweet on – someone we like a lot and hold dear to our heart.

    We're very fond of them.

    Yvonne: So we might call a child 'a sweetheart' - or even a colleague who we reallyappreciate. So, thanks for that explanation Rob - you're a sweetheart!

    Rob: And so are you!

    Yvonne: Now, the letters in the exhibition were sent during the Napoleonic War, theCrimean War, World Wars I and II and even during the conflicts we'reexperiencing today. So they go back as far as 200 years. Let's listen to someexcerpts….

    Insert 1: Excerpt⁴ from love letters1. I do miss you so very much…2. Shall we become engaged in a sort of distant way?

    6 Minute English ? bbclearningenglish.com 2010Page 3 of 7Yvonne: The number of words used in the first excerpt gives the impression that theletter was written a long time ago, doesn't it, Rob?

    Rob: Yes, it does. And today, we'd probably be more direct and simply say: "I missyou very much", but instead, we heard "I do miss you so very much".

    Yvonne: Now the second writer seems quite shy or unsure of how the young lady feels,because instead of simply asking his sweetheart to marry him, he suggests thatthey become engaged while he's still away.

    Rob: He suggests that they get engaged 'in a sort of distant way' because he's farfrom home and can't propose marriage in person.

    Yvonne: OK, well let's hope she accepted his proposal and that they got married afterthe war. But of course, not all the letter writers were reunited, as Dr FrancesParton, organiser of the exhibition, explains:

    Insert 2: Dr Frances Parton, Exhibit OrganiserSome of them are very moving and quite distressing⁵. Obviously, we've looked at all theaspects of a soldier's relationship and sometimes that can be very, very difficult when itinvolves separation and obviously, in worst case scenarios⁶, bereavement⁷.

    Yvonne: Rob, Dr Parton describes some of the letters as 'very moving'. What does shemean by that?

    Rob: Well basically, when we read them, they make us feel very emotional –perhaps even tearful.

    6 Minute English ? bbclearningenglish.com 2010Page 4 of 7Yvonne: And some aspects – areas – of a soldier's relationship can involve 'worst casescenarios'.

    Rob: 'Worst case scenarios' are situations that couldn't possibly be sadder or moredangerous, for example. And here, Dr Parton is talking about the fact that insome cases, soldiers and their loved ones died.

    Yvonne: Mm - well luckily, Caroline Flynn-MacCloud's husband recently returnedsafely from a seven month deployment⁸ in Afghanistan. They have a wonderfulcollection of love letters as a result, which are included in the exhibition at theNational Army Museum.

    Rob: Wow – they must be very different from the love letters written by soldiershundreds of years ago.

    Yvonne: Well funnily enough, Caroline says that they're not!

    Insert 3: Caroline Flynn-MacCloud, wife of a soldierLetters begin with the declaration of love and how much one is missing someone and endpretty much the same way, and also saying not to worry. And in the middle, you have awhole sort of section about quite banal⁹ things. When I wrote to him, sort of everydaythings to show life was going on as normal without him. And he wrote a bit about whathe was doing, but frustratingly¹⁰, very little about what he was doing.

    Yvonne: So letters start by saying how much people love and miss each other and theyend by asking each other not to worry. But the middle of the letters are quiteinteresting, aren't they?

    Rob: Yes, they are. That's where the banal things are written – the most ordinary oreven boring information about everyday life. But Caroline's husband didn't tellher much about what he was doing out in Afghanistan.

    6 Minute English ? bbclearningenglish.com 2010Page 5 of 7Yvonne: No, perhaps soldiers aren't allowed to send too many details home because ofsecurity issues and of course, they don't want to worry their loved ones athome, do they?

    Rob: No.

    Yvonne: Well I don't know about you Rob, but I think I'm going to try to get to thatexhibition – and perhaps write a few more love letters of my own!

    Rob: A good idea, actually. It'll be good to get pen to paper again and not rely on email.

    Yvonne: Exactly. Right Rob, earlier, I asked: in which year was the Royal Mail founded?

    And you said…Rob: I said 1710.

    Yvonne: And you were….wrong!

    Rob: Oh dear!

    Yvonne: It was in 1516.

    Rob: I am surprised. That is a long time ago so think of how many letters have beensent since then.

    Yvonne: Especially love letters.

    Rob: Yes.

    6 Minute English ? bbclearningenglish.com 2010Page 6 of 7Yvonne: Do join us again soon for more "6 Minute English".

    Both: Goodbye!

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