Geisele keeps going on about Valentine's Day, apparently it's a really important time of year, nearly as important as Christmas! I don't believe that. The girls from the village keep admiring the new dresses in the local village shop windows, swooning over the red material which matches their red lipstick.

I don't know why they bother to put out these fancy clothes, no one can afford them, unless they're given as a gift. Geisele told me that one of the older girls her sister knows got a gift of Coca- Cola and nylon stockings from her American GI friend. The GI's keep handing out powdered coffee and spam which makes the villagers happy. I'd be happy with chocolate, lots of it, enough to last me through the war!

Violet and the older guides all still love to go dancing, down at the base with the G.I’s. Sometimes Geisele and I sneak out in the evening to meet up at the church lych gate, out of sight to catch up on lots of important things... Well mostly my plans for taking the stage by storm once the war is finally over and her plans to with her sister. But we get to see the village girls being walked home after the village dance, all bright red lips and imitating the latest film star looks.

They come walking up the lane to the green with a G.I from the dance on their arm. And as we peek round the gate we can see the fathers of some of the girls, waiting to walk them home after the dance. And we can hear the frustrated sighs as their daughters see them on the green. Lots of “Howdy, sir, ” and “Dad, you didn’t have to come and meet me, ” as the girls get taken home by their fathers! It does make us laugh that their plans were scuppered by their protective dads!