Dec 22/16
Dear Mother
I have two letters of yours to answer this mail, as I got one via Lansdowne as usual on Monday & yesterday I got another directed straight to Delhi. The first one was dated 17th Nov: & the other 23rd. Thanks most awfully for them. I think I must have told you in the ‘Arabia’ mail to address my letters c/o Cox & Co Bombay, as one’s address is so likely to change suddenly these days and I think it’s safer to have some permanent address. You see I can always keep Cox acquainted with my movements much quicker than I can you, so I think it would be best if you did that in future. Of course Delhi is good enough for the present, but in case of a move it would mean telling all the offices here which I should probably forget to do, & I’m sure a lot of letters would go astray.
Christmas is on us now & it is bitterly cold here now. There is a fair amount going on in the Christmas week, a travelling company is here for 2 nights, there is a dance at the Club, and a variety Entertainment, and some regimental sports, so the time will pass pleasantly enough I expect.
Yesterday I went to the Sergeants’ dance of the Wiltshire Rgt next door here; rather fun, but I had had enough when I came away at half time. I dined with Ricketts & his wife, you remember him in the hockey team at Sandhurst I expect. He has a staff job here & I see a good deal of him, & his wife I met for the first time last night, she seems awfully nice & I have a standing invitation for any meal anytime there, rather nice. Ricketts & I had great talks over old R.M.C times, & a good many laughs. He has a whole heap of photographs & cuttings about most of the matches we played in.
What fun Dick & Topher meeting in France. Yes poor Topher must find it very rough as a Tommy & I expect he would like a bit of a change now and get a commission & perhaps it would be better for him in the end. I expect they are getting a rum lot in the ranks now & I expect all his pals are scattered about for various reasons.
Very many thanks for suggesting a book for Christmas; I shall love to have one.
I hear from Ben fairly regularly & she seems much better. I try & get letters off to her most mails but I’m afraid I miss one or two. I have been out shooting all this afternoon, to try & bag a peacock for Christmas, but it was a complete dud as far as they were concerned for I never saw any. I only got a hare & a partridge, but I had a day in the country which is always pleasant. Nothing very definite about Jim’s Portugal job is there, though I should have thought they would’nt have hesitated as he knows the language & people so well.
What a splendid speech Lloyd George made did’nt he, & he certainly put it pretty plainly before the public that things can’t be as comfortable next year as they have been. But as he rightly says if everyone is ready to make some form of sacrifice things won’t be so hard but everyone will be alike & it will be much better for the country and for all concerned. I wonder if your home made bread shop will come off. I should think it would be styled a luxury & Lloyd George would probably be after you! But I bet it would be very popular & pay well.
The sword has’nt turned up yet, but I told you the B. Warm had did’nt I & it’s much admired & envied.
Your other letter I got yesterday & it was written from the Kitchen Club and you were having a lovely dinner of coffee & sandwiches, which sounds most attractive, especially as I am very hungry now after my afternoon out & have had no tea. However, the 1st Mess bugle has just gone so I shan’t have long to wait now. I have 2 guests dining with me tonight, two fellows who were attached to the rgt: in France & are here on job posts. What a huge crowd they are, like Hay or Guildford; lucky you could say you could’nt have any. I remember we billeted the C.O. of the 14th Northumberland Fusiliers was it? & great preparations were made in that top room for his comfort, & then Alec Black came round next day to pay you!
I hope the plum pudding turns up eventually; it will be equally welcome whenever it does; I’ll warn people about the 6d ! So glad you like the Carpet & that it reached home safely; do use it on the floor; it’s what it’s meant for after all! I have 6 more of those felt rugs awaiting despatch to you. I will finish this after dinner.
Later.
I’ve been much later than I thought & here it is ½ past 11 and my two guests only just gone! and I have to be up at 5.30 tomorrow for parade, as we are parading 5 miles off, and have to be there by 9, which means leaving here at 7.
Yes, is’nt the Xmas no. of Punch good; I have just flipped through it, but have’nt really had a good look at it yet. What a narrow escape Harry Yeatman had, but then all flying must be one perpetual narrow escape I think.
It’s so late & I must write a line to Nell, & then I’ve got to walk nearly ½ a mile to the post to post this so as to catch the 5.45 tomorrow morning.
Lots of love to all
Yr loving son
Ted
Lloyd George’s speech & response from Asquith and others
14th Northumberland Fusiliers
http://www.wartimememoriesproject.com/greatwar/allied/northumberlandfusiliers14.php
Possible Yeatman – Percy, but his father was Harry Percy
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/4011716/
