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It was first broadcast in February 2011 on the BBC Learning English website.
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This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English dot com.
Hello, I'm Yvonne Archer and Rob has joined me for today's 6 Minute English.
Now, Rob, put your romantic hat on and tell us,
have you ever sent or received a love letter?
Mm, both actually. I have sent one and I've received one as well.
And why don't you write love letters any more?
Because there's not enough time.
Well, today, we're going to make some time for love,
because we're talking about Wives and Sweethearts.
It’s an exhibition at London's National Army Museum.
The exhibition includes letters from soldiers on the front line
to their loved ones which date back over the last 200 years.
But before we find out more, here's today's question, Rob.
OK!
In which year was The Royal Mail — Britain's postal service — founded?
1516, 1710 or 1780?
I would say, quite a long time ago, probably 1710.
OK, we'll find out whether you're right or wrong later on!
Now, back to Wives and Sweethearts,
the collection of letters at the National Army Museum.
It aims to show us how army life affected personal relationships
between soldiers and their wives, sweethearts and families.
But, Rob, what would you say is 'a sweetheart'?
It's a nice word, isn't it?
And 'sweetheart' is quite an old-fashioned noun.
So now, we usually say 'girlfriend' or 'boyfriend'.
But basically, 'a sweetheart' is someone we're sweet on,
someone we like a lot and hold dear to our heart. We're very fond of them.
So we might call a child 'a sweetheart',
or even a colleague who we really appreciate.
So, thanks for that explanation, Rob, you're a sweetheart!
And so are you!
Now, the letters in the exhibition
were sent during the Napoleonic War, the Crimean War, World Wars I and II
and even during the conflicts we're experiencing today.
So they go back as far as 200 years.
Let's listen to some excerpts.
I do miss you so very much.
Shall we become engaged in a sort of distant way?
The number of words used in the first excerpt
gives the impression that the letter was written a long time ago, doesn't it, Rob?
Yes, it does.
And today, we'd probably be more direct and simply say, "I miss you very much",
but, instead, we heard, "I do miss you so very much".
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 that they become engaged while he's still away.
He suggests that they get engaged "in a sort of distant way",
because he's far from home and can't propose marriage in person.
OK, well, let's hope she accepted his proposal
and that they got married after the war.
But, of course, not all the letter writers were reunited,
as Dr Frances Parton, organiser of the exhibition, explains.
Some of them are very moving and quite distressing.
Obviously, we've looked at all the aspects of a soldier's relationship
and sometimes that can be very, very difficult when it involves separation
and obviously, in worst case scenarios, bereavement.
Rob, Dr Parton describes some of the letters as 'very moving'.
What does she mean by that?
Well, basically, when we read them,
they make us feel very emotional, perhaps even tearful.
And some aspects, areas, of a soldier's relationship
can involve 'worst case scenarios'.
'Worst case scenarios' are situations that couldn't possibly be sadder
or more dangerous, for example,
and here, Dr Parton is talking about the fact
that, in some cases, soldiers and their loved ones died.
Mm, well, luckily, Caroline Flynn-MacCloud's husband
recently returned safely from a seven-month deployment in Afghanistan.
They have a wonderful collection of love letters as a result,
which are included in the exhibition at the National Army Museum.
Wow, they must be very different
from the love letters written by soldiers hundreds of years ago.
Well, funnily enough, Caroline says they're not!
Letters begin with the declaration of love and how much one is missing someone
and end pretty much the same way, and also saying not to worry.
And, in the middle, you have a whole sort of section about quite banal things,
when I wrote to him, sort of everyday things,
to show life was going on as normal without him.
And he wrote a bit about what he was doing,
but, frustratingly, very little about what he was doing.
So letters start by saying how much people love and miss each other
and they end by asking each other not to worry.
But the middle of the letters are quite interesting, aren't they?
Yes, they are.
That's where the 'banal' things are written,
the most ordinary or even boring information about everyday life.
But Caroline's husband didn't tell her much
about what he was doing out in Afghanistan.
No, perhaps soldiers aren't allowed to send too many details home
because of security issues and, of course,
they don't want to worry their loved ones at home, do they?
— No. — Well, I don't know about you, Rob,
but I think I'm going to try to get to that exhibition
and perhaps write a few more love letters of my own!
A good idea, actually.
It would be good to get pen to paper again and not rely on e-mail.
Exactly.
Right, Rob, earlier, I asked in which year was the Royal Mail founded?
And you said?
I said 1710.
— And you were wrong. — Oh, dear!
— It was in 1516. — I am surprised.
That is a long time ago, so think of how many letters have been sent since then.
— Especially love letters. — Yes.
Do join us again soon for more 6 Minute English.
— Goodbye. — Goodbye.
That was 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English dot com.