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Stoneleigh
Thursday
Darling Barbara,
Your letter arrived this afternoon & I was so glad to have it. The neglected feeling was beginning to come on again. After we have seen each other, it always seems to take a week or so to get into our letter writing stride again.
You see that I am now reduced to foolscap. I find it difficult on this stuff to know whether I have written a long, short, or medium letter. Perhaps it is that on the usual stuff my letters are not as long as I think they are.
I will write C.P. & ask him to write this Ordnance recommendation letter, if he thinks the other thing is at all hopeless. I will also write this Colonel Sampson man in Chester. But I'm beginning to feel more & more that I'm stuck in the Cheshire Regt. Transfer, except into some [death?] or glory racket which calls for volunteers seems to be pretty hard to get - & seems to depend so much on string pulling & friends at court or somewhere. And it's so bloody difficult to find someone who really will put himself out for you. In other words, if C.P. would get down to it properly, he could probably find one thing or the other, but he's all words & no action or results.
30/- a week seems a bit high for a caravan, being as much as rent & rates for a house - but I suppose it is cheaper than usual in peace time. I will go & have a look as soon as possible. A nice caravan, a nice farmhouse, a nice pub - how would you place them in order of merit?
p.
We had a fairly pleasant party last night. The Reads produced the usual generous supply of booze, & a really exquisite buffet supper. Frank came along, & was in tremendous form, having had the unprecedented sum of two baby Bass all in one evening.
We had a drink in the Grosvenor, & there ran into Col. Owen's wife. She told me that Zag had particularly asked for me, when war started, & had been very disappointed when I was not sent. If only I had been - how different everything might have been. Such small things seem to be able to alter the entire course of one's life.
About a baby darling - I do want you to start one too. Please see Mr Hughes or a doctor & find out if you are really ready to start. and then we should be able to try in May.
The situation certainly has changed - but the powers still seem to think that we shall carry through our summer programme.
The question of my promotion seems to have taken a further step forward - as I received a form to fill in today. 2/- per day extra will always help - & every extra pip seems to take one a bit further further away from the dangerous places. You had better not tell your father I said that - he might even send me a white feather.
Off to bed now sweetheart.
All my love & kisses - Harry.
I'm so happy that you enjoyed last weekend.
