Herewith, three pictures made by Henry last Sunday morning of the Adjutant, outside his office. That official is your husband and your son Richard’s father. And well would he like to be with you. Heigh ho. Two most excellent letters came today, one with the feet which shall be duly shod and the other newsy and nice. As for the feet thay are in hand if you get what I mean. Telephone; bought this afternoon and posted tomorrow, for the Christmas Tree. May he talk to me soon on it. Hope it suits the gentleman. Yes indeed, the camp bed, on which I have slept for many a grateful night and which has travelled far. He will like it. Only I can really assemble it. And can I really have the little room for my own ? Is it fit for Mary or any Mary if we have one ? If we can afford a Mary we can afford a hut.

                        The play is always with me and develops well in my mind. This is after dinner on a Wednesday and I hope to redo the first half of the first act this very evening for the final time. Its such fun; the story and so nice the people. I must persevere. Somehow I think that inspite of the patent difficulties of creating anything in this life communal and military that I shall do it and it might be good. But if I write plays it will be solo, no collaboration even with Muriel, any more than camel brasses for Mrs. F.

                        Dickie as Plumbers mate’s mate is a nice thought oh dear. The two balls are in the telephone parcel.

                        Peggy Swiffin came and Ronald, what a pair ! My love to Peggy too. Poor pair. NO I don’t go to the Greek folk, I only went with Desmond but haven’t taken them over they were too well dressed, well bred and langorous for me. I’m not social with individuals away from you only with families as such. How sweet of the nice Suffield men to take you to St. Joan, a good play, and the entertainment sounded very good. Nice pair with their soap. Do you want Peter and May Carter as neighbours, no, too Warry.

                        I have NOT given Fifi your kindest regards, she is a typist and has great respect and fear for me. Fow some play. Henry, bathd and bedding with a book has been in and scowled at me for not playwriting. I love you. And want to love that Dickie too::::

Dearest:    Three days since I’ve written. The reason being that I found It necessary to throw myself wholeheartedly into the social & normal life here to learn the language of this new life. There are many people I must understand & docket, two Colonels to get familiar with & a new way of life to become initiated into. As I’ve had a very hectic & not unenjoyable three days. A diary form of account will be the best. To register the end, I’m now sitting at my rather imposing desk, in a good basket chair, two telephones & a lot of lists pinned to the wall & a modern lettered nameplate on the desk saying Adjutant, 4 Docks Group. It Sunday morning, 11o/c. As usual the weather is very pleasant, blue sky & a few gay white clouds, & the treetops of the Greek Cemetery & the tall well blocked buildings, beyond all bright & dark shadowed.

                        But let’s tell you of the past three somewhat unusual days. While here I shall live quietly & as economically as possible, but first I must do as the Romans do, and then, when I’m settled in, adjust my way of living. There is a certain amount of social & convivial activity necessary to the successful running of this job, but it will be minimum for me.

                                On Wednesday I spent the morning in the office & touring the billets with my predecessor, a certain Desmond Smith, from Sussex, a likeable type, intelligent & a little fashionable. He’s very friendly & helpful & I think capable. The billets are large, a Fascist Italian school, a modern building in Fascist style, brilliantly designed & very fresh, young & imposing, well  steps, “streamlined” towers, long wide windows, courtyards. But the interior walls are plastered & the water pressure won’t reach the top floor, & the drains are dreadful ! However, Sapper services have coped & the billets are very fine in wide open ground, with finely built schools, the British Girls School one of them, around. After touring the place it was lunch. We work  hours, 6 – 1230, & 5 to 730 hrs, leaving the afternoon free for swimming, racing, tennis, sailing, golf & all the “Sahib activities”. Also garden parties & sleeping. On Wednesday afternoon I explored Alex & liked it. In the evening I stayed quietly in the Mess, wrote to you & then played Bridge & so to bed.

                        Thursday morning was used reading through the files & so on, going to the bank for money & that morning passed. In the afternoon I went off with another bloke to the local bathing beach & very fine it was. The usual Med. colour & warmth, & a soft sandy beach to sprawl on. & so back. In the evening I went out with our very enthusiastic young Education officer to the H/Q of a Palestine  A.T.S. where he gave a gramophone recital, classical, & very peaceful. But the room was so warm, the chair so easy & I’d drunk so many Guinness (4) that I slept gently & sweetly. And so back to the mess. So ended Thursday.

                        And at that point the telephone cried – I live by telephone – & the Sunday morning’s activity ensued. In the afternoon I went out swimming at Sidi Bist, another good beach, & we disported ourselves in the rollers & great & playful they were, and in the evening I settled down to continue writing & the top Colonel here invited us to play poker & I did for policy & fun, & made 25 piastres & so that day ended ! Now it is 8o/c Monday morning & a day begins. I’ll get this off & continue this evening.

            Rather chronicalistic letter, I’m sorry. But still all I see & like, all that pleases me, I need you with me. And I do love you so very much.

You didn’t put the foot-plan in your last letter, hope you’ve thought of it again.  Have Richard’s sandals arrived yet ? They may be large but you can either (a) smallen them or (b) feed him and ask him to largen his feet.  The Time should come. I have sent a nice pair of excellent black shoes to Peter Carter for Lanave which will gladden his kind heart. Worth a fortune in poor Italy. Which finishes with the shoe topic.  I have just sent off a parcel addressed to you and allegged to contain one elephant.  It does. A blue elephant with the nicest face – phase – phace – you ever saw on any elephant.  He is blue and suede (clever typewriter° and (not so clever°) and is for my son’s Christimas tree with much love. I was driving down Avenue Fuad last night and he winked at me from the brightly lighted window of a shop, I stopped the taxi and went in.  There was also a grey suède (show-off) cat and a little girl elephant in a check frock. I liked the blue one best, but was uncertain. So a young man who was cruising about the shop looked young and I asked his father his age and he said 2£ no he didn’t he said 2£ OH, 2½ !  So with Henry and the father and the shopkeeper we asked the little Greek to choose and he thought and chose the blue elephant and I modestly claim that he is quite remarkably nice with leather feet and beautifull stitched coat and lovely ears. If you have a Christmas tree he would hang enchantingly thereon. So please stow the elephant away until the 25 of December and I forbid any other elephants to be given to him, please. Let mine be the elephant for Christmas. I think you’ll agree that he is distinguished. I’ve been haunted by elephants in shops ever since (not pink ones in my room) and none compare for nicesness with our elephant. So that is that.

                        Also this evening I bought some red stuff which is sent tomorrow, and hope it pleases, the man who was French said it was Parfait for une chemisette with short sleeves, and the mètre et demi would be enough. I also bought to 1½ metre lengths of some spotted with squares cottony stuff for shirts for Richard, I suggest daft buttons but doing up the Manly Way.  Oh and two rubber balls for Richard please to give them with love. Candy can use them but she must play fair.

                        Seeing this little 2½ year-old was alarming, he was so nice and free and straight and pick-upable, quite faith-ful and trusting, ready to laugh and expecting goodness from others, delicately featured with that heavenly bloom of health of the young, – all that set me thinking and there I was.  so much love and goodness in my home and me away from it, all that and only in addition to you and your steady lovingness.  Oh dear, deary deary me.  So the elephant and the red cloth pleased me, because I hope you will be pleased !

                        We carried through our military funeral this afternoon without hitch and dead on time, a businesslike Padre, me and some twenty firneds of the deceased soldier, four large wreathes, with red roses and white crysanths, and a Guard of Honour very martial and three volleys over the grave. That is that, so sad and final, and what can I say to the father, and how comfort his fiancee.

                        What weather you poor dears have been having indeed ! Here the sun shines and the sky is blue. One ten minute shower on Saturady is the talk of the town. Do be careful, standing under trees and things.

                        How goes your mother’s house-hunting ? I mean to say.

                        Symphony concert tomorrow evening, good. Music sets thoughts a-straying, and you will naturally be the theme of my day dreams. Glad you liked Aye-Aye-Aye. The sextette from Act 2 of Boheme is nicely too.  Its good that Richard asks for music, tte shall have music bless the boy.  Oh dear. I must have paternal instincts.

                        An exceptionally sweet & warm letter came today,   just at 11o/c as I was leaving for my Sunday walk along the Corniche with Henry. In the Club over our coffee I read it, opening it carefully. It had in it the pleasant R.N.V.R. acquisitions letter, a good man. Also the letter contained delightful descriptions of Richard, playing with Candy & barking; playing with words – Georgie Porgy Got Out of the Way. . . . , & The Fender sentence. Glad he liked the sweets. Did he really know they came from me ? As such ? Good. The other parcel I’ve sent will need rationing. There’s special Turkish Delight in it. Too many sweets are bad. I don’t remember the green ones. I’ve sent to lots of Candied Peel, one from Cairo per pro Barry Cottis & another lot from Alex at the same time as Dickie’s parcel. I’ll get some rice & macaroni certainly. It’s always a very great pleasure for me to send things to you or him. Such is love. It’s selfishness which prompts me – to pleasure myself by pleasuring you.

                        Today has been as perfect as any day without you can be, & your letter gave it the right note. I rose at 8o/c woke at 7, office & calmly busy from 9 to 1030, Club & Coffee &  – walked back & played Poker dice at the bar with the Colonel, a fine lunch & to the sporting club with three stalwarts & Henry as audience, & seven hard sets of tennis (& I’m getting better at tennis), a pint of Shandy & a hot & heavy shower, a change & back here. A quiet hour changing & writing this, & now out with Henry to the Santa Lucia for a dinner of Crab & steak & ice cream & to the Little Mercury to see, professionally as it were, Without the Prince. Coffee afterwards & a walk home by the sea & bed & half an hour with Buchan‘s Cromwell.

                        One of our men was killed last night, fell off a train. A shame, he is due to go home on Release next week. Funeral’s tomorrow & I have to be in charge of the Guard of Honour & Firing Party. Alas. Here’s Henry, so I must finish. I’m pleasantly & cleanly tired & hungry. So ariverderci & much love.
Oh dear !

                   Another morning letter on the desk. Last night Henry Vesey took me to the club, walking me along the Corniche to digest our dinner & got me talking on the play. Then he sat & read the Economist why had to sit at a desk in the Smoking Room & hammer out a synopsis. Eventually we walked home & discussed our  & spent the last hour on my bed with it. It begins to take shape. I’ll send you something soon. I don’t know. No harm can come off playing with it. I’ve a nice opening & a second theme. The last act is still unfocused. Twill come.

                        No news. It’s Friday & the week flashed by. Various activities fill the days. The ear is very well thank you & is normal. Day after Day is fine & sunny but it’s reasonably cool. B/D would still be too much.

                        Maybe I’ll play tennis tomorrow & Sunday – if tomorrow’s post-inspection darts & Guinness session doesn’t prove too heavy. Exigencies of the service !

                        Buchan’s Cromwell still goes very well. A sound book & very well handled. I’m following it in the C.M.H. in the afternoons in the Club library – though there is a tendency to doze between 2.30 & 3.30. Thus a quiet life is evolving for these last fleeting months. The play writing is fun & maybe useful. -Pro Bono Ricardo.

                        Going to the little Mercury here on Sunday to see them do “Without the Prince”. Then on Tuesday there’s a symphony concert at the Fuad Theatre the Eroica and a violin concerto. Again the faithful Henry accompanies me. He’s a slow speaking elderly young man, also a H/Q but at the Dock.

                          How does Richard’s day run now ? It must have changed since the last programme of a year ago & has he any new dimensions please ? Does he feed en famille now & fairly solo ? Is there a Bath ritual ? Does he play or just keep busy ? Is he yet interest in stories &/or picture books. How ignorant I am, yet you keep me so very well informed. News of Richard is second only in value to news of you.

                         By the way this afternoon I’ll write at least one Guardy. essay maybe two, & send them. I’ve done one but want to rewrite it – “Poker with Madame Kollokoroff “ !

Little letter again, but length is no criterion. Your letters – & one may come this morning are the main events of my little days.

HQ 4 Docks Group RE MEF
Evening…..

Dearest….
This is urgent.   I am a stickler for presents being presents – not expected, not necessary things and not dull. I have just strolled up and down the Avenue Fuad, and with the shops ablaze with light and full of lovely things I am struck dumb and impotent. So please say, and you shall not know what the action will be, whether you need :- a handbag   (I fancy that is unoriginal), a permanent kind of compact for powder, a suitcase,  jewellery, something odd and unlikely. Or anything else. Write soon because we have to post by 7 Nov.

To be too matter of fact and practical would stifle the make-believe necessary for our trade; therefore a little castle-in-the-air building, even if prefabricated ones, cannot harm. So I was brooding of a First Night and you with a new and snuggly furry coat for the occasion. First write your play, then find the animal that died with a smiling sigh, then buy your fur coat, I know.   I know.   Dickie would love you to be befurred. Candy might be slightly jealous or even superior about the fit.   Hers is a lovely coat.
Pigs well.

Inspectionitis tomorrow, at 10 o’clock the Lord Mayors Show starts from this office and round we go and at the end darts and Guinness at the Sergeants Mess. Tennis on Sunday, needle match, mens fours at the Sporting Club. Got my unmentionable bit of bronze up for the first time. I don’t know.

It doesn’t bear thinking of, the delights, the whole catalogue of delicious things, in this other life of mine. You, you all the while, you on walks, you singing little songs in the kitchen, you in the sitting room and us at peace and a quiet fire and Candy lying stretched right out; and now with a sleeping Dickie above added to that heavenly scene. You in the morning, padding prettily here and there, the view of our Rowan tree through the casement. The crockery I know, the backs of the books, Uncle Jack on Sunday mornings, regular and secure and kind, the village street in the evening, the view from the wash-basin over gently dipping fields, that fascinating weir on the mill walk, Postie coming. And as I say, a whole large catalogue of new unknown and only guessed at aspects of living through Master Richard John.

Best not to think of it, yet I must, and God willing it shall not be long before I am there to revel in these delights.   I think much and love very much, and it is of you and you, always.

Bless you, dearest….

                               Just a little note before the post goes, written over my morning office tea. Ah! For tea or coffee in fine china on my own desk in your company. It’s all the little details of life which make up the wonderful whole of life with you.

                        They say there is a wireless announcement that all officers are deferred till February ! This is a bitter blow for you, worse than for me, who am busy in a pleasant & useful job. But I was, weakly, beginning to  for Christmas ! The only attitude must be the sane one that we are needed, that Britain must have her armies overseas, & that duty is just as necessary now as when the War was still on. As a believer in the rightness of the British concept of living, & therefore the necessity of being able to force our will, I cannot really complain if I have to remain. Personally it’s an unpleasant blow; generally I applaud the decision. We need men in these stations, & for training & adapting the new  Intake, the existing offices are necessary.

                        Alas poor us. Another 3 months. But February is not far away, & we must find the patience & fortitude somehow. I pine so often for you, & this Dickie of ours. However, God has spared me & you through many vicissitudes of fortune, & we have so very much to be grateful for. It would be unworthy of our happiness & gratitude to bemoan the additional separation too much. Yet it’s very difficult ! Far worse, I’m sure for you than for me. You have all the associations of our life around you. I have a quite foreign background.

                        Later : 2 letters which have been leapfrogged yesterday, of the 2 & 4 of October. Very delicious letters. And just now one written on the 13 – five days ago. Postie has got settled down now. You gave a fine description of Stratford Mop. I’m so glad you went, & Ella E. is a good solid sterling person. Funny hats, delicious & a Thing for me. It shall be over my bed always. Name ? I’ll wait & see. Your latest letter was better even than usual in warmth & comforting truth of feeling & expression. I continue to wonder at my good fortune in having you, & shall never cease to wonder.

                        And that Richard ! His “Parding-Harding” monologue is delightful. He is getting a young person indeed. There can be no greater a adventure and experience in life than that which awaits me when I have the opportunity of meeting him. Meeting your own son as a walking talking individual isa  stirring thought. I wonder what colourful & strangely proportioned picture he has in his questing mind of “Daddy” ! Oh dear, it’ll be far worse than an OCTU board all over again ! You say he’s reasonable. He’ll need to be, & very charitable. But I’ve an all powerful ally in you.

                        Later on Friday. A lull in the evening session. I had a busy morning & this afternoon read in & slept over Johnson’s Dictionary at the Union, & back for the Mess dinner at 5o/c. Then I mounted the Guard & have been dictating Duty Officer’s Orders since. The officers here have been grossly neglecting their duty with the men, no officer has mounted the Guard until this evening ! But I shall be Very Unpopular tomorrow because fully backed by the Col. I rewritten the duty officer’s orders & they will have to inspect Billets, be present at meals, move the Guard, & sleep in my office & take Staff Parades, lights out & Reveille. They’ll hate it & me, but there we are. We’ve been having a kitchen & dining hall Blitz too & I have a men’s messing committee. Feeling the wheel I can now change the course a little.  the officers who have always had base jobs in Alex here don’t know what commanding men means. So there have to learn. The men hate not having an officer over them.

                        Mildly poorly David ! Not serious & no one knows, but from bathing I’ve twice had my ears full of wax. I had them “done” a week ago here & now and infuriating boil has developed deep in my right ear. Quite infuriating & tiresome it is too. Nevermind. It’ll go. The M.O. is coping twice a day, last & bless him.

                        Yes I’ll see about some material. I’d better take Fifi. Poor scatterbrained Fifi. She suggested the cinema the other evening so I parried successfully by producing my colour pictures of you !

                        I’ve a very smart office here, with the Col. next door one way & the Clerks with a connecting door the other. Two clever, quiet H/Q types of clerks, & a factotum named Boyle, elderly & cockney & knows & does everything. And Fifi ! Not our type but pleasant & her shorthand & typing is good, but her English tends to wobble.

                        This officer deferment is very bad for some officers who have been in the army since 1939 & have 3½ years service overseas ! Worse than for me. Peter will hate it. My cobblers making a pair of shoes for Lanave.

                        Dear sweet you, all sufficing & ever satisfying. And our little Richard ! Yes, I am so very impatient to see him too. And my third love, beauteous Candy. Ulysses’ dog remembered him. Will Candy?

                        Played a quiet and modest four rubbers of Bridge this evening,  after a latish dinner, preceded by two hours in the office, before which I watched my little H.Q. Company – of which I am O.C., play their first practise match on the ground here, the which I watched being mown this morning before going down to the Bank and walking there to learn the geography of the city, which was after two and a half hours solid telephoning and dictating.  So that was today.  Yesterday I went to the cinema alone in the evening but didn’t last the show out, it was the worst kind of English film, very Welwyn.

                        Two letters from you today, the first in bed where you had mysteriously crocked unto, you poor dear, its me and managing you want.  You were off to the Stratford Mop – a splendid idea – in the second.  I wish you had a handsome male companion though; you need one, even if not handsome, to set you off.  I’m sorry you went poorly. May it have been transitory.  The MFOs had arrived, with the head and things various, and records unbroken  and S.D. out and on its way back, very good that.  One has to dress for this part and in a month SD will be the vogue. You are a good person. Mary H. had been and was helpfully understanding.  Eric was not to return. Its odd his affair.  Compassionate leave is very very hard to get, I have had sapper’s cases turned down when the situation is serious. Officers don’t consider it unless death of wife is in question, then they fly back and return.  I can’t make it out. Someone somewhere has lied terrifically.  Nemmind.

                        A letter from Chris, most affectionate but also most congested as to matter and method, poor dear.  He says he takes the School Certificate next year ! No, its not right.

Also a letter from Oram; my ex-C.O.- who heard that Warnes wanted a series of history plays, 20 minutes long, for children, so I’ve written off. If they send for the plays for Cape, send them for them to see. JC has the option unless they outbid him. I can write them some new ones for bread and butter.  I gave them your address, they may communicate.

                        I sent Dickie and you a tuck box each yesterday, you raisons and things and he a lot of indigestible sweets, to be strictly rationed. An over sweeted little boy is podgy and dull. There was Turkish Delight and such like. I sent Chris some Turkish Delight too. What kinds of thing does Richard like nowadays ? Not for example an electric train set ? Nor yet a rattle. Where between ? I saw some  leather large coloured balls today, just too large for Candy’s mouth.  And a toy telephone. Guidance please, I don’t know him.

                        Funny how life is a matter of proportion. My pigs, now. We mutter in the Mess about the food, the fish being always fried and the sweets unimaginative.  Yet just because I had Ali floor out their bedrooms with grass mowings they were excited and thrilled and so grateful.  They do well, and grow, the young ones in stature, Desmond the adult, who lives alone,  in girth.

                  Oh, most important,  one of my ninety native employees whom I paid today,  is a cobbler, and clever and eager to please me. Send a drawing, plan, of your feet and he’ll make you shoes, plain strong walking shoes or fancy ones as you wish. He would rather have the dimensions than only the 9″ you have given me. Does RJSD want any ?  Let me have the size you want,  and a plan if he’ll oblige. Do this nowly.

                      You are better ?  Yes ?  I hate the thought of you interned in your bed.  Your two letters enlightened the day as your letter always do.  Bless you.

                         Not long now, and nemmind.  I have fen idea that I am going to be a little awed by the new Mummy you.  Yet I wonder. I shall be very pleased and shall look and look and look, and the sweets unimaginative. Yet just because I had Ali floor out their bedrooms with grass mowings they were excited and thrilled and so grateful.  They do well, and grow, the young ones in stature, Desmond the adult, who lives alone,  in girth.

                        Oh, most important,  one of my ninety native employees whom I paid today,  is a cobbler, and clever and eager to please me. Send a drawing, plan, of your feet and he’ll make you shoes, plain strong walking shoes or fancy ones as you wish. He would rather have the dimensions than only the 9″ you have given me. Does RJSD want any ?  Let me have the size you want,  and a plan if he’ll oblige.  Do this nowly.

                        You are better ?  Yes ?  I hate the thought of you interned in your bed.  Your two letters enlightened the day as your letter always do.  Bless you.

                        Not long now, and nemmind.  I have an idea that I am going to be a little awed by the new Mummy you. Yet I wonder. I shall be very pleased and shall look and look and look.
Bless you, I am fond too…so very fond…

                               What a play boy your husband has been today ! Office 9 to 1030, an hour extra in bed for Sunday, & then to the Club for game of Billiards & a read  the Air Mail Times of the 10th ! Then after lunch to the Sporting Club & five strenuous sets of tennis, 6 – 4, 4 – 6, 6 – 4, 4 – 6, 9 – 7 ! A splendid shower &  & the office 6o/c to 7.30. Dinner & shove ha’penny, 3 games of darts & to the club again & a 250 up game of Billiards ! A shocking life of luxury but some solid work in between. The sporting club is magnificent. It’s a lot of modern buildings surrounded by a race track. There’s a 9 hole golf course, 32 hard tennis courts, 6 squash courts, a superb bathing-pool, riding, raquets & all. We had a mens four & very nice it was. Mens sana in corpore sano.

                        Yesterday was Inspection Day & after, the traditional darts v gunners at the Sergeants Mess ! In the evening I went, as duty directed to the Sergeants Dance & danced four times with the R.S.M’s own, the telephonists Mother ! She is Greek or somesuch & fat & told me in the 1st round of the floor, (1) That she had had an operation which was All Right, & (2) that she was divorced. A terrible telephonists Mother.

                        And how is the family, my family ? Dickie Dido & his Mother ? I saw a brace of Dickie’s at the sports club, their Mama was at the regular Sunday tea social function. Very nice & gay they looked too. Oh dear. But in 3 months, before Chris goes back to school, I should be home. Home & no longer a soldier ! It’s very difficult to understand. With  You. You ! I do hope I prove good enough. I’ll develop my tennis anyhow.

                        Settling in now. I know everyone & the Colonel, who was visibly alarmed at my myness, is getting less alarmed & we have useful & unshy sessions. He found me indigestible at first. I just can’t be meek & the yes-man. I think we’ll settle. I know the other officers now & have them indexed. A lot are D.O.V’d (Deferred, operationally vital) that they are the Movements ones & not the . Gloomy it makes them, gloomier still their wives, I fear. Adjutants aren’t irreplaceable & certainly not operationally vital. We need a lot of young recruit officers from home.

                        What are these dockers doing ! Ships are desperately vital to feed us & the world, let alone to move troops. Is Russia behind all this ? They’re so stupid, 25/-a day will mean all earn £450 a year & then prices will rise so the £450 equals £200 & we’ll all be broke ! Naturally, & Great Britain’s steadfastnss is the only token of hope to a bewildered world. Really they are tragically stupid to be led by the nose by some unknown enemies of the U.K. Poor Labour government, only just on the job . It doesn’t give them a chance! But, pah ! I’m sorry.

                        My pips flourish & were duly inspected yesterday.  is getting in fine form for Christmas.

                        Christmas – where ? With you in my prayers but that’s praps a little too sanguine. Soon after, anyhow.

  Bless you, dear one, & our son. I do wonder, & look at the pictures.

                            Idle postie, no letter for four or five days. Alas & alack. I didn’t write last night, I worked until 8, dined & went to the cinema, alone & saw the pantomime of Alex nightlife on the way & in the cinema saw & enjoyed “the Madonna of the Seven Moons“, a very excellent Gainsborough film which showed how when they try, British films can beat American all hands down. It was a brilliant story, cleverly presented & absorbing. I saw the preliminary posters of Henry V but the manager couldn’t promise it before December so I may miss it.
No news, it’s been a normal & fairly peaceful day. I’ve been reorganising the accounts system today, playing with accountancy.

                        Teach Dickie to say “Saida”, its the Arabic greeting & is quite the nicest greeting I’ve ever come across. It’s a soft sibilant word, “Sy – ida” phonetically, better, Sai – yda. Perhaps English, his own language, has problems enough !

                        You’ll be in full autumn now, wood fires in the evenings & misty woody scent in the morning air. If I do come home, as I expect too, in midwinter, what should I do to keep warm ? Tuck my head under my wing. I know ! But I’ll have a deep desire to hibernate ! But after so many solo nights, a human hot water bottle, to put it at its lowest virtue, will be a new advantage & some compensation !
Here I am in Alexandria & nothing to write about. We’ve had a Mess Meeting & they’ve elected me Messing Secretary. But it has to be approved by the Colonel, as his Adjutant is his possession, & I think I’ll get him to say NO. I’m not even sure of this job yet. There’s an element of doubt, not because we aren’t good friends & not because I can’t do it, but because I have rather more than usual operational experience & there is a growing shortage of operational officers. .

                        As there is no news, life is pleasant but uneventful. I am careful not to go out with people, because I consider it more sensible to keep money to spend with you. The usual custom here is to draw the £24 a month allowance, plus £10 from the bank, & have a private bank account. A stupid way of life. Will need the pennies until we get postie going with his Mss. cheque shuttle service.

                        I have a good bottle of sherry & a Napoleon brandy towards our sideboard. This sherry cost 6/6 & is genuine & the Brandy 17/6 & would cost a fiver at home. We can’t buy in unlimited liquor so these bottles must serve. Has Uncle Jack got some of his Vintage homemade he promised to use on my return. I’ll actually return as a civilian ! How odd civilian clothes will seem !

                             But what I adventure it will all be ! Not long now.

                        Bless you & your son, my son.