Capt. A.Scott Daniell R.E.  1224/5 Shipworking Sections R.E.  C.M.F.

No. 232….12 March 1945…..1….12.3.45….

Dearest, Numbers have got a bit mixed, through my being off it a bit. I haven’t missed more than two days and am in full harness now though a little elderly and weak, however, I go quietly and benignantly my ways and the sun shines. Your letter with the dimensions came   today, written on Wednesday and Thursday last, which has come swiftly, and in it you said Richard’s tin of things had come  last week, which is amazingly swift, the last ones, took six or seven weeks, these less than one week. Hope he likes them, I’ll do up a small tin for Christopher, he likes them too, They are very wholesome and made from the finest British and American rations, white sugar, real almonds, ground into paste, and all is clean and beautifully made by a Swiss lady named Stoppani who worked for twelve years in London and married an Italian in 1924 and came to Italy.

Richard does sound fun, and his hair growing back like mine is a touching thought and aren’t you observant ! And he accused another officer of having my hat, perhaps he had, of course. His dimensions make him very tall and little boyish which is fun. He will be self possessed and non babyish by the time we meet, but that can’t be helped, I called on Cav. Antonio Lanave this evening for an hour. He was just finishing the miniature which I think is jolly, but neither of us have the honour of knowing Dickie. However it is a person he has painted and a very lively lovable little person, too. He has given him a green background and, goldy whisy yellowy hair and large dark eyes and a gay amused mouth, which pleases his artistic   Judgement very much. Now he has an idea for mounting it and is going to carve a piece of walnut to sink the alabastar in so that it can hang on the wall or stand on a table. I do hope you like it when it comes. I’d like to get it there for the wedding anniversary. But post is so odd one can’t tell. I’ll send it off in due course cunningly packed. I’ve got the polyphotos now and nice they are indeed. Good person.

            Played billiards in the Officers tournament yesterday and to everyone’s surprise won and today went and played Major Baynes and beat him too, so really I will be getting cocky.    I’ll fall the next round I suppose.

            Foolish, just been looking at the diaries for 1942, 1943 and 1944. It is amusing to read about Scarborough, and Octu boards and leave and fever and sick-leave and Barton Stacey and Romsey and Swansea and Bromborough. And Sicily and Salerno and so on. Here. I am, still plodding on undramatically. Oh, Spink left this morning for the U.K. on Python, after four and a half years overseas. A worthy man, my good Spink. He has our telephone number, and I suspect he is going to get married and spend his honeymoon at Malvern, he was asking about it. He might turn up with a shy wife, if so be kind to him, he was a first class Orderly room sergeant, and a good friend. He smokes a pipe and likes music.

            What, a nice Famiglia the Sunderland one will be with such a range of bambini. It   just shows. It is good news. Say them so if you see them. And in July our bimbo will be two years old. That’s quite advanced I suppose.

            This mild unwellness of mine, something to do with the spring, has made me very lazy, I can do my work happily enough but have but little energy left for writing afterwards or anything but sitting and reading and then going to bed, hence no Things at all. I’ll snap out   of, it one of these days and tend our bank balance.

            Maybe the Jeavons fire will moves them out into Birmingham. They’ll make out of   it of course, by getting money for old and, useless stock and being able to renew buildings and machinery. But it may make them move. It would be a good thing. I wonder if Norman would take the property and let it reasonably ?  Would you like it if that did happen ?    Would it want too big a staff to run ?  Ours is a nice little house, of course. Has Peter been called into the R.A.M.C. yet ?  He will, automatically I suppose. Far East for three years will do him good anyhow. That might move Mrs. Jeavons. M.O.’s who have been overseas several years will want to be released to get civil practises going so they’ll call up newly qualified M.O.s  Sure to.

            This is a stuffy letter, I’m in a slightly stuffy mood I fear. Lethargic is the word.   Want you to fuss with bovril and scrambled eggs on toast, and little gentle walks. It will be very very good to take walks again with Candy and you or vice versa, and will R.J.S.D.   like to come  ? When I was describing Warwickshire and Malvern to Spink it was very nostalgic. This can be a lovely country, but the people are gormless and not rich in character like our Warwickshire folk. I believe it is a hard G in Hengist. He sounds a fine horse.     We could teach a little classical history but cutting a door in his side, scooping it out and putting warriors in side and playing The Siege of Troy, too.

            Going to have some tomato juice an American friend of Felix brought me. Funny these folk with their offerings. Got a fine gardening knife, a dagger taken off a man I gave 28 days Field Punishment to for playing knives. Prunes and cuts nicely. In a sheath.

            Poor letter but I love you very much indeed. . .