April 7/16

Dear Mother

Very many thanks for your letter last mail. I’m afraid I’ve got most awfully behind hand with my correspondence, I never seem able to deal with any. I get out of the office so late & absolutely brain weary that I don’t feel inclined to anything, & certainly nothing in the writing line. How I hate it all, but I’m afraid it’s got to be done. I try & get a game of golf in the evenings, anything to get some nice clean air & some exercise. There should be a mail in today, several letters arrived yesterday, but ours addressed India office always roll up a day late.

I have had an enlargement made of that litle photograph of Nell, the last one she had taken, with her hair up. It looks perfectly sweet and it is the only big one I’ve got of her. Everyone seems to have heard of her up here, anyhow lots of people have said to me that they’ve heard she’s very pretty & nice in every way, & people to whom I have shown her photograph always are quite overcome. However, I know there’s a good deal more in old Nell than her physical beauty, which, though something & something very very sweet, is by no means everything is it mother. I hope old Nell will be able to go & stay at Guildford for a bit soon, I want you to get to know her well, & she you.

More air raids I see, though we seem to be a little more successful lately & have bagged some Zepps I see. What an awful time poor old Topher has had, but I’m thankful he’s all right. It is a shame he can’t get any leave, but I supppose there are big things just coming off so they simply can’t spare anyone.

We got Reuters yesterday with all the new Taxes in them; of course they will be severely criticised, & everyone will say the working man is’nt taxed enough, but on the whole they seem fairly reasonable; we’ve simply got to face it & there’s an end of the matter. It will tend to force economy on people a bit I suppose & will bring the war still more home to them.

It’s lovely up here now, nice & cool, but sunny. I have begun sleeping outside in the verandah, it’s gorgeous; but this won’t appeal much to you at home with your snow & blizzards will it! By the way we’ve seen no more about that blizzard of a week or so ago; I do hope some real spring weather has begun now, how the troops in France must have suffered.

10 o’clock, I must get off to work. Excuse such a hasty scrawl mother & tell the others I’ll try & write next week; I’m most awfully sorry about it but I simply can’t cope with the situation. I’m very fit & well & going strong.

Love to all

yr loving son

Ted