On 8th August 1945, “Victory Over Japan” (VJ) Day, Hope wrote in her diary for the final time. The War was over and Paul was coming home.
Despite the war’s end, for many, the impact would be felt for years.
Paul went back to work for Robinson’s Solicitors. The couple had another daughter, Victoria, in 1947. The letters were put away and forgotten.
Hope and Paul lived in Ilkeston for the rest of their lives: Paul died in 1997 and Hope in 2008.
Nine years later, when clearing the attic, Hope’s daughters found the letters in five bundles tied up with string. Thousands of letters from thousands of anxious families.
These letters remain a unique and priceless window into the love felt by families separated by war and the immense gratitude felt towards Mrs Hope Robinson at number 58 Wharncliffe Road.
< BACK . . . The Right Woman for the Job?
NEXT . . . Acknowledgements >