England
Feb 24/42

Dear Mom & Dad

Arrived back from leave to find sigs waiting for me. Thank you both and also Tick. The first day of leave, I spent with the Cape Breton Highlrs. I saw Howard Riley, Danny Phil, Al Goldie and all the old sigs. Howard is looking fine, he gained a lot of weight since Ive left Sydney. Danny Phil never changed a bit. I gave him the message you wanted about you, Susie and Tick making him a parcel. I slept with him overnight, scrounged a bunch of reeds for my bag pipe and headed back to London to spend the remainder of the leave.

London is a lovely spot even in winter, and seven days is hardly enough to take it all in. I did manage to see a few important spots such as St Pauls Cathedral, Buckingham Palace, Albert Memorial and Hall, London Bridge, and a few more. I have still to see no 10, Tower of London, zoo and wax works. They will be on the list when seven days rools around again.

Before I forget it: I want Dad to get, if he possibly can, some scratch pads from the Mill. You send them to me in one of your parcels, or better still, in the bundle of papers. One in every bundle would suit me fine.

J.C. and I are studying our Mathematics like mad these days. We are in an ideal position to do so. A quiet little room all to ourselves with all the available comforts. Our object is to build ourselves up to a standard where we can write our Matriculation examinations in the spring or early summer. In order to get anywhere in the army at least a grade twelve education is necessary. So that our motive should be obvious.

A letter from Wannie reached me the same time as the sigs and also one from you. The one from you was written, I think, before an airmail which reached me earlier. I will pencil a note to Wannie and Lorna tomorrow nite as it is getting near bed time now. We just had our nightly lunch. J.C. made it. We have a regular pantry here by pooling the eatables in our parcels.

Sardines on toast was the menu tonite. J.C.'s sardines, my butter. You should have seen the job we made of the pancake flour. Both of us met in the hall about 3.00 AM A couple of pints of water was very necessary to put the fire out. I don't know what was in them that made them act so radical it was either the catsup or the raisens. We came through splendly though. As a rule our concoctions turn out very good, I am a master at them myself, you know that. Ill have to watch him closer on the next pancake business. I'll refer hi to the instructions on the box.

Well Ill have to quit for this time. Love to all the family

Boyley