Nov. 15,1916 London

Dear Jenn:

Just a few lines to-day to let you know that I have at last got my six day pass. We came to London last Monday night. We got into the city about 9.30 p.m. There was a special train to bring us in as there were three or four hundred coming up from Witley Camp. There was a very dense fog that night, the Londoners say it was the worst in years, and to make it worse there were no lights in the city. It was so dense that you could hardly see your hand before your face. Stuart and I started out from the train to-gether. We wandered around until we ran across a Y.M.C.A. In the morning one of the fellows from the Y. took a bunch of the lads to show around the city. He took us through Westminster Abbey, Westminster Chapel, the House of Commons, and the House of Lords. We seen where the Kings were crowned and where all the noted people of old where (sic) buried. The Royality (sic) ..... are all buried at Windsor. The colors of all the different Canadian battalions are placed in Westminster Abbey, and among them the famous 156th colors. The buildings are all decorated with statues of all the great men of old. In the house of Lords is the statue of Henry the VIII and five of his wives. In the House of Lords there are two large hand painting on the wall one of the meeting of the Duke of Wellington and Bulcher after the battle of Waterloo and the other the death of Nelson on the burning ship at Trafalgar. We were in the house of commons where all the sessions of parliament are held, and had the privilege of sitting in the chair which is for the speaker at the sessions. It is certainly somewhat different from what we have at camp. The house of commons is the most expensive part of the Abbey it is said to have cost about 36,000,000 dollars. When we first went into the Abbey Divine service was going on so we stopped in for it. There was a gentleman went through the Abbey with us who had been a member of parliament for twenty five years and he gave us a little talk on all the different departments of the building.

It was about half past one when we got back to the Y. again for dinner. After dinner we just walked around the streets and went in to a picture show for a little while to see Charlie Chaplin comedy. This morning another guide took us to London tower and St. Pauls Cathedral. I got a few cards and an illustrated pamplet of the tower which I am sending to you showing all the different places that we seen so I don't know as it is necessary to write anything about them. Then we went to St Pauls Cathedral. It was built in the seventeeth century or rather rebuilt as it was burnt in the London fire of sixteen sixty six. It is certainly a beautiful building. In the basment are the tombs of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington, Lord Roberts, Lord Wolesley and of course a great many others.

We are having a pretty good time, our passes are good until Monday morning. I don't know wether our money will hold our that long or not as they only gave us three pounds and of course you can't expect to live on nothing especial (sic) in war time, although we get pretty good board here for about three and a half or four shillings a day. The night that we got into London we went into a resturant (sic) to get a little lunch, we didn't eat very much but when we came to pay for it they charged us 3 1/2 shillings each, so you bet we didn't go back for another.

With love to all,

Jim

P.S. Keep the cards and book somewhere so they won't get destroyed so I can see them if I ever get back again.