[11/09/1915]
Trentham
Sat. 11th
Dear May,
One of the hardest parts of corresponding is to remember where I stopped last letter, especially when a fellow has about a couple of doz. correspondents, so you will just understand if I happen to tell you the same things over two or three times. We have got our full equipment now uniforms rifles & web equipment. The whole turn-out is fairly weighty even without rations & ammunition. I will probably get a snap or two some of these days & you will see what it looks like. I have taken 16 photos since I came here & have a few fairly decent ones. Last Friday we went into Well. & I took a few neg’s into a photog. shop to have a few prints taken off them & I expect to get them on Tue. so will be able to send you some then. Everyone here is greatly interested in photography & I can’t get my tank out or even put a ptg frame up to the window without getting a crowd around me. Of course they all want to know if it is hard to do & all particulars about prices of cameras etc so I asked the chap in Well. if he would give me any disc. on any
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sales I could make & he offered me 15% of all the money I put his way both for sales & work. Already I am pretty certain of selling 3 cameras & when I get a few decent prints I will probably be able to do fairly good business. Of course I get all my supplies at 15% off so if I have any luck I should be able to make it pay for itself. Albert B has invested in a 32/6 camera the same size as mine but a cheaper lens. It takes a fairly good photo but takes a much longer exposure. The scissors arrived alright – also mother’s letter. Tell mother that I will post my Savings Bank book in a day or two. I had to transfer a few quid the day I came through Gore & I have a bit to bank yet. The S.B. office here opens from 9 to 4 & the only time we can get near it is between 12.10 & 1.15 & as we have to get dinner in that time there is a great rush from about 1/4 to 1 to 1/4 past as all the M.O. & S.B. work for the whole camp has to be transacted then. There is a great noise going on just now & I can’t write for it so will give it best at present I might do a bit more tomorrow if I get a chance.
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Sunday. We have just put in a big day on the hills with the camera & while my film is in the tank I thought I would finish my letter as I want to get to bed early. Of course Sunday is our day off. We have to rise as usual at 6.30 & parade in uniforms to church at 10 & have medical inspection & are off duty all afternoon & evening. Well today the sergeant & 4 of us set out to climb some of the hills & get a few snaps. There is a good track to the nearest ridge & we thought it ran right round but it found it stopped on top. However we were out for the day & pushed our way round the hills through all sorts of scrub & bush. It was pretty solid going but it was lovely and refreshing after what we have been used to. We forgot for the time that we were in Trentham. There is some very nice bush but as it is in the gullies & we kept pretty high up we didn’t get into the best of it, but we saw one or two very nice bunches of clematis bloom. Our Sergeant is a very decent little chap & seemed to quite enjoy that sort of work. He is one of my prospective camera customers. I think this is about all.
Love from
Len
