Letter number 13 - London

3rd December 1924 [Regent Palace Hotel, Piccadilly Circus, London, W1
[postmarked London W1 Dec 3]

 

Regent Palace Hotel,
Piccadilly Circus,
London, W.1.

TELEPHONE: REGENT 7000 (25 LINES)
THE STRAND HOTEL LIMITED.

 PROPRIETORS OF

STRAND PALACE HOTEL

REGENT PALACE HOTEL

 

3rd Dec 1924 

Dear Family,  

I received a letter from both Mother and Father and as I owe Fred one this letter will serve to answer all I hope as letter writing while on these trips is still inconvenient.  We had had no mail from Aussie for a fortnight until yesterday so it was good to know everyone was well at home and Father should be quite an apt pupil for Yankee slang judging by his outburst that preface his remarks on the back of Mother's letter.  It is also pleasing to hear that the natural increase in the McMullen family was not attended by any accidents.  I hope Fred gave a good account of himself at White City and that his surf career is still showing the same success as he was enjoying around the Spring Carnivals.  It is bad luck Mother being the only worker these days but should you want a holiday and there is sufficient in the old account of mine why fire ahead but leave a quid or two for my return as I may want a few bob until I earn a bit and on my return you had better bring a fiver to the boat as I may want it to go through the Customs as I have bought quite a few things that I am bound to be forced to declare and they may not accept English money.   

Well since last I wrote quite a lot of time has been taken up in visiting Bill but that is now all over and he came out of hospital yesterday morning and is feeling very well but still a bit weak after his week in bed and is off the Cornwall on Monday next and leaving me on my own for 10 or 12 days when I shall join him down there after seeing Paris and the battlefields of Flanders and Belgium.  I will then stay in Cornwall for Xmas and N. Year and come back to London to catch the "Ormonde" on 3rd.   

I had quite an interesting afternoon with all the notables at Mme Tussaud's Wax Works last week and thoroughly enjoyed it as the representations are really lifelike even to Stanley Bruce, Bill Massey, the heads in the Byswater case, Bill Tilden and their Majesties in full robes of office.  I think everyone of note in the world is there and lots of the ropes that hanged some of the said notables also.   

Another interesting afternoon was spent in the sorting rooms of the London GPO and it sure is a wonderful place with four basements and 6 floors where they handle 366 thousand million letters per year.  Their machines for cancelling the stamps on letters handle 300 letters per minute each and they have lots of them going all the time.   

We still have to see the Tower of London and the Mansion House.  The latter is where all the plate etc. of the Royal household is stored and where State receptions are held so that should be interesting and we are hoping to do both of these places this week as on Monday I track Bill to Cornwall in the morning and I think attend a jazz at the Savoy at night on Tuesday I hope to see over Cambridge Uni or see a footy match between Oxford and Cambridge and then on Wednesday to go to France. 

If possible we are going to see the Sth Kensington Museum but as it was full of historical relics, Tutankamen recoveries and Musty books it did not over impress me as my idea of a museum is a place full of stuffed animals and showing different stages of mankind etc. and not filled with musty books written by some bird who died B.C. and did the deed in a language as dead as himself.   

I have a great time here in the tubes.  They are great affairs and much better cleaner and nicer than the Yanks.  Passengers go down to the trains in lifts + are about 200 feet underground.  The system leaves no room for any person who can read and is intelligent, taking the wrong train and they sure do move.  Last Saturday we went to see a football match out at Richmond between Oxford Uni and London Scottish and took the underground and were there is not time although to take a bus or tram there would have taken over an hour.  Oxford got *towelled up but then Pup Raymond was not playing for them although most of the best players that day were Rhodes scholars from Aussie and N.Z.   

I note Chas brought his girl out to you for approval one night but you are evidently not over shook on my sister-in-law to be as you did not give me your idea of her.   

I will also bet that the Terrigal party of his did not come off as Bowie would forget to get his holidays or someother thing that seems characteristic of that person.   

Well that is the lot I can think of so will close this missive up hoping you both enjoyed the Bulli trip.  What did you think of the Pass?   

Hoping all well  

Love from
Gordon

 

Yesterday we had a London fog.  It is all we have heard of it and more.  It rained in the morning and about 12.30pm it came down a beaut fog.  I went out to lunch at 1.45 and the street light were on and also the electric signs and the lights of vehicles.  It was just like night with gusts of the soupy stuff called fog all around.  They stayed on until night fall and I have not been out today so do not know what the weather is like today but it certainly is brighter.   

This weather would kill me in about 12 months and I am longing for the sunshine again - hope to be lucky enough to get some in Paris next week.   

I am going over on my pat if I cannot find a mate but think I have one, a young NZ doctor of about 25 summers so we should have a good time.   

G