Harrogate Herald - 24th January 1917

Letters

Driver H Aubin, writing from Salonica, says : 

I received the football that you sent me - I am glad to say we have only been beaten twice out here. There have been teams lately with unbeaten records, but we have lowered their colours. They were very hard games, too. I see in your Herald about Speight being missing. He used to be in our Brigade. It will be about eight months since I saw him, but we went a different way to them. I like to read your chat to the boys on active service. I see that Billy Womack and Mothersill are out here. I know where hey are. It is a long way from here. We have had a good Xmas - turkey and roast beef. A bit different to last Xmas, when we had bully and biscuits. We still keep giving "Johnny" Bulgar some iron rations. 

I am very sorry to see that Bro Winterburn has gone under. I used to play in the same team as they did. I dropped across one of the boys when we were on the move. He had just come out. We had a talk of the old town, and he said that Voakes was out here too. He used to work at the Queen Hotel as a night porter. I have forgotten his name. He had a brother on the cars as driver, but he is in France. I have just come across another Harrogate lad. He is in the village here. They call him Read. He lives up King's Road. The RAMC have concerts every night, and they have a panto called the "Babes in the Wood". There is another panto coming. Read is in the same Corps; and there is a very good choir listening to. They sang some fine Xmas carols on Xmas Eve. It is turning very cold now in the mornings, but we have plenty of winter clothing, such as jack boots, mufflers, and gloves, so we are all right. I see you are getting a lot of soldiers over from Ripon at the weekends. 

Would you be so kind as to send me Willy Metcalfe's address. He works in Tower Street, and looks after the Northern Union team, because I would very much like to write him. I am not a proper Harrogate lad, but my brother-in-law and sister have been in Harrogate for years. He has been a fireman for about 17 years. I lived in Harrogate for about nine years and I used to go to St Peter's School. I then lived in Ship Yard, when the Salvation Army used to be there. If you ever write to Walter Smith, will you tell him I am asking about him. He worked on the cars for the NER. I can remember when there used to be nothing but fields up to High Harrogate. I see from your paper that they are showing the "big push" on the Somme at the Picture House on Skipton Road. Wishing you and the Herald every success.