99
Louisa Road,
Long
Nose Point
Balmain
21.4.18
Dear
Norm,
I
was very glad to hear by your letter this mail that you and Joe had met. Yes,
it must be great for the boys to go into a place like YMCA and see a familiar
face. From Joe’s letter this mail he is very thankful for what you have done
for him and as indeed we are. I did think that was a beautiful card you sent,
and I was up at Bundanoon having a holiday at the time and they sent it up to
me and I showed it to people up there. One lady was very touched by it and I
found since that she had lost her husband at the war. Yes Norm, wherever you go
these days you meet someone who has suffered by this cruel war. Just fancy you
being on rations, but I don’t think I could ever fancy myself tackling the frog,
much as they try to convince us of the delicacy of them.
Well
Norm, I came home from my holiday yesterday and have had a thorough change and
a finer lot of people I have never met. Nina was up with me for the first week and
she said she had had a great time. One man, a Mr Chancellor who by the way is a
YMCA man and a superintendent of the Chatswood Sunday School. I asked him if he
knew you, but could not remember you. He was a wonderful man all round Norm, as
for organizing. He arranged something every night and he was a wonderfully
broadminded man, but true to his convictions and is just the kind of man you
want now adays. We had a fancy dress evening one night. It was all arranged in
a couple of hours and it was wonderful the way some of them made characters out
of practically nothing. I could not help thinking of you Norm. One man went as
a Red Cross nurse and he came and borrowed my white shoes (which reminded me of
the time you came) as he wanted to be all in white and what do you think? They
fitted him! But he has a little foot for a man and I well----have a good hold
on Australia as dad says. We all had our photographs taken and I will try to
send you one and see if you can pick him and I out.
I
went on a 60mile drive through Moss Vale, Sutton Forest, Fitzroy Falls and
Belmore Falls and to me it is indescribable and I am quite sure you do not
meant to go out of dear old Ausy (as the boys say). One English lad was with us
and she said it was the nearest approach she has seen to English scenery since
she has come out. The leaves were just lovely, the trees in some parts
overlapping and then come to the falls and have driven right on top of them was
great. One man we met up there was a friend of dear old Mrs Cakebread and says
he is coming over to have a look at the church one night and see us in our
surplices. Well, Norm I must hang off my holiday or I would never stop. These
days you might say are not for holidays but still we are all closed in 50 weeks
in the year and we must for health reasons get out for 2 weeks.
I
missed the picnic, the first that I can remember but they had a great day. Ada
says that it is the most perfect day they had had and she was sure that
financially it would be a great success. She is going to write and tell you all
about it. They had the Annual Meeting and Bobbie Adcock has been elected
Churchwarden in place of Mr Day. It is grand to think of Bob coming back into
action again. He has already asked Ada to take a table for the tea meeting so
means business. He is just the one we need to keep the ball a rolling. CG has
gone for his holidays to Tamworth. I am glad he has gone inland this year for
every year he goes to Woy Woy and being so near the water it is no change for
him and he is not looking at all well of late. I think he has been working too
hard at office. It is annual meeting time and very busy as I suppose I shall
realize tomorrow.
They
are going to give an all round welcome home from the parish to 17 boys next
Monday.It was proposed to give a welcome to 3 or 4 of our boys, but Mr Manning
thought it would be better to make it a parish welcome and to include the boys
on the honour roll who have come home. I shall probably tell you their names
and all about it later on.
Well
Norm, I think I have told you all this time. I forgot to tell you that when I
went on the motor drive the rabbits came out in thousands as we were coming
home. There were 8 of us and the chauffeur and I sat in front and was assistant
and blew the horn as we rounded the corners and he showed me how to drive. As
we came round the corner he said to us look now and you will see 2 black
rabbits and we all laughed and sure enough they were there and then further up
he said there’s a white one up here somewhere. And he no sooner said it than he
showed up and ran across the road. Talk about how they almost came in front of
the car and said How do you do! As it became dark we put our light on and the
light showed them in twos and threes all along the road. It was quite
picturesque. Bess is still up there for another week and wish I was but shall
have to be satisfied and consider ourselves lucky these times.
Mrs
King has gone to Tasmania for three weeks and Dode is playing and Ada said she
managed very well. Norm I must close this time and Hope you are still happy in
your new work and do sincerely Hope and trust that things will soon be brighter
for you all in the food line and this terrible submarine business will be
stopped for it seems the biggest fight of all.
With
our very best wishes from all at 99
From
yours sincerely, One of the kind, Dot.
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