April 19/16

Dear Mother

I’m afraid this week’s mail must have been lost in the Sussex, as none of us who have just come back have got any letters. All letters addressed direct here arrived all right, but all of us who had had our letters addressed c/o India office got nothing, so evidently the India office bag was lost. Is’nt it a shame; the papers said the mail was a very small one last week, as so many bags had been lost in the Sussex, but one sort of hoped that one’s own letters would roll up all right.

We are still very busy here; I have a little less office work thank goodness, but I have lots & lots of parade work, which I like far better & it’s out of doors anyhow which is a blessing. It’s awfully hot up here nowadays for some reason, & we’ve had no rain for months so the place is as dry as a bone. Today however we had a big sandstorm & now it is struggling to rain a bit; it’s gorgeous smelling the wet earth again. I wonder what it’s like at home now & whether you have done with snow at last.

There is no news to tell you. Things seem to be going very quietly up here & everyone working at top pressure. I wonder what they are going to do with us eventually & if they are going to keep us here now.

I have’nt heard from Dick lately, I wonder if he will be able to get an exchange with something he likes better. He seemed rather fed up last time he wrote.

Has old Nell been able to get up to Guildford to stay yet? Last time she wrote she said you had asked her but she could’nt go. I imagine you’ll have some difficulty in digging her out; she’d come like a shot but Pa & Ma I fancy will be rather silly about it. I do hope she manages it soon; she’s such an awful dear, & I want you to get to know her frightfully well. She was going strong when she last wrote; I’ve got a ripping enlarged photograph of her on my table. Any more news of Paul & Topher? I do hope the latter is having an easier time now. Must end up; this is a rotten letter; so sorry

Love to all yr loving son

Ted