74 RADNOR PARK RD.
FOLKESTONE

10/9/16

Dear Em,

This has been quite a fine day. I have been very lazy all day and have been out very little. Did not get up 'till about 12, then Mr R. & I got our breakfast, Mrs R. being at church, then we washed up the dishes and had lunch at 1:30. This afternoon I read for awhile and slept some more. This evening Mrs Hall, Miss Hall & Mrs Hall Jr, relatives of Mrs R. were all in for dinner. They have just left.

This morning I had a letter from Byron Connor. He has just landed in England apparently. He said Lena Tasker had given him my address. He is at Whitely Camp up in Surrey. Not a bad place, I imagine. We may be there ourselves shortly. At least there is some talk of it.

Saw Alf a couple of days ago. He came down to the house one evening and let me have the letter. Glad you are all so well. It was nice that G. F. and family and Edith Brown were up. I should like to have been there too. Tell Father to be careful if he buys a Ford, as they are such treacherous brutes.

Alf by the way is looking very well indeed. I hope he write regularly as I am sure his letters are interesting. His experiences are really doing him all kinds of good. Sometimes I feel sorry for him but I know it will not hurt him to come under a little discipline and it will do him the world of good later. The other day I walked over to his tent with him and he gave me lots of advice as to how I should go home on leave & all such rot. He said he would give anything for some home cooking and his own bed. Poor kid, he has never been used to much hardship in such things.

Some of the boys in his battery are quite nice. A number of them are Victoria boys and are nice companions for him. He is very fortunate in having a few nice fellows and such a nice tent and healthy surroundings. As I said I was over the other day and everything is quite clean & nice. He has been down for a meal since I wrote last. He and his chum came in one evening just as we were finishing and so Mrs Reade insisted on their having something. They appeared to enjoy. I tell him to always buy at least one meal a day to supplement the rations. Rations are very good and quite sufficient but they are often quite badly cooked and unequally distributed. He is improving in his manner of looking after no 1 which always comes in time.

Did I say last time I wrote that I had received a letter from Mrs Meikle. Just a note saying they were all well and about Haddo. I do see Haddo once in a while. He is taking riding lessons now and sometimes it is very funny. I also am taking them just for the exercise. I took the course before but I enjoy it so am taking it again.

I expect to get some leave in about a week. I don't know where I will go or for how long. Oh, yes, Alf wants to go up town next Saturday so if I can get off I shall accompany him. Not that he needs any looking after but ones first visit to London is more interesting if one has some one along who has been there before. We will just have part of two days so it will be a very short visit. If I get a week I may go over to Dublin for a day or two. Last twice when I have had the chance to go leave has been off so I couldn't go, but things are fairly quiet now I imagine.

Would like to be at home to help entertain Mary L. but will try to do my share when I come back. I think we ought to have a small scale house party when all is over, that is if Father & Mother are game. We could eat and sleep in the barn if it came to a pinch & I guess I have done both in much worse places since I have seen you last.

Last week I just got a couple of cards off. Mr & Mrs Reade were out in the country for a week, they both wrote me and invited me to go out & spend the weekend with them so I did so and we had a very quiet time. They were stopping at a small Temperance hotel & we had lots of fun with the characters about the place. Like most small towns it was full of them.

I am expecting a move soon but cannot say just where or when. It will be within three weeks and will be in England, no going to France for me I'm afraid, at least not for some time to come. However I will tell you about it when I know more myself. Give my regards to the ---shies [?] when you see them. Tell Lochart that Alf gave me her regards and love which I am quite pleased with.

It is late now and I am losing much beauty sleep so must be off. Lots of love for Father, Mother & self & kind regards for Miss Smith.

Wilbert