Neil – Mother: 18 Feb 1919

Hornchurch
18-2-19
Dear Mother,
Received an NZ mail yesterday. Long letter from you 16-12-18. Of course, I expect I expect them all to be long now that you have only one of us to write to.

I have acknowledged all the parcels I’ve received. I got the cake with the whit handkerchiefs marked H alright. Some of the parcels have evidently gone west. By the way, tins of butter are very acceptable. I promised Glasgow that I’d let them have the first tin of N.Z. butter I got, to sample it, but forgot my promise when one came from Mrs Barton until I had consumed half of it on toast.

You seem to have had the ‘flu pretty badly in NZ;- rather worse than here. My young friend in Glasgow is just now convalescent from a rather bad attack of it that someone gave her for her nineteenth birthday present. You are getting to know quite a lot about her in these little bits of information that I am volunteering in each letter.

I wish I had been home for the wedding you were anticipating when you wrote. Never mind, I suppose I shall be home for Gerties. Be sure to bring up Vera’s little sister (anonymous as yet) in the belief that the best of her uncles is being reserved for her to see last. I want immediate inside information if either Vic or Trot look as if they were contemplating providing me with a new sister-in-law.

There is a rather shaky letter from Dad 12-12-18. The ‘flu seems to have hit him a bit of a smack. The dose I had before my first leave seems to have been comparatively mild although I raised a temp of over 104.

I have been up to Cambridge for the weekend, and had an excellent time. I shall be going to Gonville and Caius (pronounced ‘keys’) College instead of Trinity. I shall not start till October. They will probably give me assistance to the extent of £30 a year. I have no definite information yet, but I hardly think my job as an instructor will last beyond May.

(This letter terminates unsigned 3/4 length down the second page)