HMS Widgeon
Chunking.
19th Nov.
Dearest Mother,
Very many thanks for your 2 letters of Sept 26. & Oct 3rd- The mails certainly seem to be getting better – why I don’t know – because there is “supposed” to be a post office strike at Hankow – down the River – and a general strike to take place in a few days’ time! I daresay they will come to nothing-.
We are well into our cold weather now – temperature down to about 46º – not so very cold really – only comparatively – but we have fires going – it is so damp- I have been getting lots of Sunday papers from Ted – very kind of him- I wrote him a long letter the other day – but I fear he will not get it before he sails – to-day is’nt it?
I heard from Nance about the trouble over the house – but by previous letters I was almost certain she had bought “Riversdale” – & consequently I have all my letters there – and have sent one or two Christmas parcels also – now I hear she has not bought it – so don’t know what will happen – or where to send letters again – it is a nuisance.
What a lovely big house full you’ve had – and Topher at home now – am very interested to hear how he is etc.
Your old coal strike still seems to be going on in spite of miners going back – I suppose it will be finished some day- Everything is very quiet up here still – but there is awfully little one can do-
My best love to you all – and a happy New Year
from your ever loving son
Paul
As presented, this is the last of Paul’s letters from 1926 and the next batch start almost a year later. However, his mention of the house that Nancy was trying to buy, “Riversdale”, suggests it may be from the 1927 sequence which also mentions the house purchase. The reason I have left it in the 1926 sequence is that there is a letter which is definitely dated 19 Nov 1927 and he was unlikely to write two on one day.
