No 1 Company
N.Z. Discharge Depot
Torquay
Sept 9th 1918
Dear Mother,
I got a surprise today when your letter of July 19th was delivered. After receiving two mails inside three weeks I did not expect to get a third this week. The tin of lollies and tin of sugar arrived last week. The lollies were good and they were not long in “going west”. The sugar I am keeping to sweeten the cocoa in my Y.M.C.A. suppers and it makes a world of difference as the Y.M. is not allowed too much sugar. My daily job here is to tidy up the Y.M.C.A. recreation rooms and help the ladies was up the dishes. Some active service eh! I will most likely be leaving here by the next boat but whether she leaves in a fortnight, a month, or six weeks is more than I can find out. The weather is just starting to get cool again now, so that is another reason I want to get away south as soon as possible.
One winter is enough on this side of the globe.
I am going to try and get a day off this week to visit Exeter Cathedral but I am not sure that I will be able to get the special leave necessary. There are quite a lot of fine old churches in Torquay. Every street here seems to have its own church, but I can’t say I have found the people particularly religious.
I have been putting in some time fishing lately. The Y.M.C.A. provides four rowing boats for the use of NZ’s so fishing is not a very expensive pastime. My score of fish is not very creditable so far as it amounts to only for “dabs”. Dabs are a small variety of flounder. Still I am hoping to come in one of these days with a boatload of mackeril that will astonish the natives.
From present indications I should say that you can look out for me about the middle to the end of November
Cheerio
Norman