Hornchurch
15-2-1919
Dear May,
You’ll see I’ve made another shift, just landed here yesterday & feel a bit like a fish out of water. This changing about is no good, a fellow just gets his bearings & makes a little circle of friends & then has to move on & start afresh. Fortunately each move is a step nearer to N.Z. Oatlands Park turned out very much better than I expected & as I was
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able to get out I had a lot of sport the last fortnight or so. They run a dance every Monday, & for a week past skating has been in full swing both by day light & moon-light. I was very sorry to leave there but we have to go where we are pushed at this game. I don’t think I told you that I went to London the day parliament opened. I didn’t manage to get inside but saw the King & Queen
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drive through the streets on their way there. It was rather foggy & very cold & we had to hang around until just on 12 before they appeared. It was a long weary wait & I’m not sure that it was worth it, anyhow I got a snap of the Royal carriage & a glance from the Queen. Then we went to the N.Z. War Contingent rooms for dinner & as the next performance was a buckshee tea & entertainment at the Criterion at 2.30 I hopped off on my own to my
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old home in Grosvenor Sq. & spent a real good hour there renewing old acquaintances. At 2.30 I met the party at the Cri. but that part of the outing wasn’t a success. We had a second rate snack & things were dragging terribly so my mate & I slipped out & went to see the Canadian war paintings. Some of the pictures are good but most of those showing actual warfare are decidedly amusing. A crowd of old people would be gaping at a picture of a
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handsome young Lt going over the top with a big flag in one hand & flourishing a revolver in the other, & we would come along & laugh at it. You should have seen the old [people] look at us. they [thought] it was a lovely picture. It seems impossible for people to get the old picture book ideas of war out of their heads. Perhaps it’s just as well. I don’t know when I will get my leave but I expect it fairly soon & if
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my cable arrives in time I will try to get a month off. At present I have to be very saving as they only pay us 7/- a fortnight in Hosp. & that doesn’t go far. I believe Ernie Blackwood lost his boat, was a few hours late getting back from leave & got struck off the list. He expected to be sent here but so far I have not been able to find him. Joe Bagrie has been here for a week or two but was due to go on leave today so I don’t expect I’ll see him. I think
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he was in with tonsillitis. Two chaps I knew in the Coy went out the day I came in & I just met them at the gate so that I am having rather hard luck. Am feeling pretty well again now & am putting on weight but this trench fever takes a bit of shaking off. Fortunately this attack was very mild compared with the one I had last year. I think this is all at present.
Love from
Len
