305 ORPHANAGE ROAD ERDINGTON BIRMINGHAM
My Dear,
Thank God its raining, cats and dogs; thus is it easier for me to resist the temptation to go to Moseley to watch rugger and to Sutton to play golf. Thus the fire and the light and the desk are more attractive. As maffact we are doing the Dairymaid make-up this afternoon and evening, a straight stretch of work from 2 to twelve, with two intervals, for high tea at Pattisons in Sutton at 6.30 and for coffee at the Tom Tom at ten thirty. So we proceed and so we increase our income.
Talking of light, as I did above, I have been rash and ill advised and have bought a lamp shade. When fetching my crippled lamp, now restored to health and uprightness, I saw an opaque shade I liked, and bought it, because the one I had was very decorative, but swallowed much illumination to make itself glow prettily. Working at a desk by electric light, as I do, can be tiring without sufficient light. So I have laid in a metaphorical store of midnight oil by buying a sixty watt bulb, a hundred for the room light, and a new shade for the standard lamp. And on the way down from the shop it dawned upon me that you could have done me a nice friendly shade just as I want with bears on it or some such. Too late now. But its a nice soft light and far better than the other.
You are noble and sensible and most helpful in not minding my many evenings at the desk. But it will be worth it, and I must collect some reserve of money if I am ever to be in the position to say gercher to clients. One advantage of my job is that by working harder you can make more, whereas in other jobs you can work less and earn the same.
I worked until half past one last night and shaped Scene IV, but it wasn’t quite right in the dialogue. Anyhow, it is the framework, now I’ll have a smack at getting the dialogue swifter and richer. We proceed. I’ve got tomorrow morning and afternoon at the script. Whether it is any good or not I cannot yet say. There is always the chance of it being a complete flop, which will serve me right. But we persevere.
There is no need to get excited, and no need for congratulation, but I believe I’ve landed a mid-Post article. I sent one on Monday, and it didn’t come back this morning. In the past they have always come back by return of post, or of Post. A little green shoot of hope, which may wither into brown rubble tomorrow if it sails through the letter box rejected. But perhaps. I said nothing about the Radio Times article because I am such a blasted boaster anyhow and I hate such things and try to curb myself, and also because I thought it would be a pleasant surprise if you stumbled across it next week. But I must strut and hit my chest and flaunt my petty achievements, which are nothing, -yet. (There we go!)
Anyhow, I’ll let, you know if the article does not come back. Its called Car Pride, and is quite good fun.
If you go about with me much longer you’ll get used to being used for an idea sorter for me. Its an absorbing job, writing, but a hell of a full time one. Think of the people you will help create, the disasters you will participate in, the deaths you will help to contrive, the glories we can give our people, just by wishing it so.
Saturday we must make merry, a show is indicated. You’d better meet me in Town, after football, and we’ll go places, or else I could trundle across to your place as last week, but I don’t leave the field until, let me see, five, and then I have to go home, to change muddy shoes and trousers, and that means that it would be six before I could get there. Say Smiths at six this week as an experiment.
I should write accepting the wedding invite, saying that you understand that it is 12.30., and forget her ideas for a wild night. Its her affair and there may be hitches. You might send a formal acceptance in the third person as well for their file of acceptances.
If I have an idle evening I’ll let you know, but ‘don’t expect too much. Busy days. Happy days, too.
