6-8-1918
Dear May,
I don’t know what to tell you first. Have just landed back in London on my way home to France after spending a glorious fortnight. Perhaps you won’t be surprised to hear that I never got past Porthill. Bonny Scotland might be alright but bonny Staffordshire will do me. We’ve had a wild time. Out all day & half the night. Elsie has a little camera like I had in Egypt & we kept it pretty busy. Hadn’t time to get them finished but will enclose a proof, have arranged with them to send you some later. We have been to Trentham, Ashly, Moreton old Hall, Rudyard Lake, Birmingham & various local beauty spots too numerous to
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mention. Am sending today a bundle of p.c’s I have gathered on my travels. I can’t describe everything I have seen but they have given me a great time. Nothing is too much trouble for them & before we finish one trip there are two or three more arranged. The weather has been lovely. I landed there in a thunder storm & it was raining when I left today but in between we only had one wet evening. Last night we got a Zepp raid warning & put out all the lights. I can tell you it was great sport changing trains & groping about in the darkness. However we survived it safely & I see that they brought one of the Zepps down in flames. Our trip to B’ham was big success but as it was Bank Holiday all shops & Public Buildings were closed. Miss Basford, a friend of the girls, is very friendly with with Sir Oliver Lodges people
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& took us all there for dinner, the family were away for holidays but we spent part of the day there & had a look through his library etc. After dinner we went to the Botanical Gardens & later had a look round the town. It is a bit of a novelty now going out visiting & taking your own sugar, but it is the only way. The rationing system seems to work pretty smoothly. Dryed fruit, especially currants, are quite unobtainable, last Xmas they got a pound or so through being in the know but that is all they have had for about 12 months. I don’t know how you are off for that sort of stuff out there but from what I have seen in the
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N.Z. parcels I should think you get a good supply. If so I want you to make up a parcel of raisins, currants, lemon peel etc. & send it to them. It will just about get there for Xmas & they are great on these mixed fruit pies for Xmas. I don’t know if you are allowed to send things this way, if not address it to me C/o Lawson Terrace but don’t put my No or Regimental address in case they redirect it, & of course write & tell them to open it. If you can’t get sufficient fruit to make it up to the weight limit you can fill up with say icing sugar or even a little white flour, the flour they get here is awful. I haven’t said anything to them about it so that if you can’t manage it they won’t know the difference but if you could do the trick they would be delighted. Of course you must take it out of my allotment money.
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Was rather sorry to notice a little feeling existing between the two houses for which I think Mrs Charlie is chiefly to blame. I haven’t much time for her. She tried to grab me this time & reckoned she had made all sorts of arrangements for me & tried to make out it was understood that I was to stay there this time. I felt like telling her where to go to but for the sake of the others I had to use a little diplomacy but let her quite understand that I was Porthill’s guest. She treated me alright but I know she wasn’t pleased. I did the best I could & stayed with them a day & 2 nights in the middle of the week. The two girls do their best to keep things smooth & say very little about it but
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it is easily seen there is a little tension somewhere, & of course being step sisters doesn’t improve things. I thought perhaps I’d better mention it, not that it is anything much but just so that you will know. You couldn’t imagine two nicer natural girls than Elsie & Connie & if by any chance you should hear any whispers you can safely take their side. Mrs Charlie very generously gave me a little sort of fruit dish made where Charlie works to send to mother but made such a song about it that I felt like chucking it at her. I think she is rather jealous of the others & seems to think that their her place should be our headquarters. I feel rather sorry for Dorrie. She is a nice youngster & it must make it awkward for her although she never says anything. Might write some more tomorrow. It is late now & must turn in.
Love to all
Len
