No 131

Major GS Andrews, RCE

Survey, HQ First Cdn Army O/S.

13 Sep 42

Dear Jean:

Your airletter of 31 Aug arrived 8 Sept which was pretty good time. It was a nice long one too. I notice mine seem to take about two weeks, but that is a lot better than a month to 5 weeks by surface mail. Last week I was up to town all one day, and called to see if Bert Hayward would have lunch with me. It resulted of course by me having lunch with him at his club. It was nice because I enjoy his company, and it was interesting at his club, a typical large London club, the National Liberal Club, they comprise a very important feature of London life, where men of very wide variety of interests collect to talk over politics, the current debates in the House of Commons, and of course now, the war, business, and sport. I got quite a kick out of observing the various types of faces, both singly and in groups. Books have been written about London, and indeed it is a colossal organism. I suppose there is no city in the world that has had such an influence on the whole world, and such a history. One of the things I have to show for the last two years, if little else, is a fairly good knowledge of the City, and an appreciation of it. Of course there are innumerable aspects of its life and geography which no one person could ever know, but for a "colonial" my education has certainly been advanced. After I had completed my business in the afternoon, I called in at the Royal Geographical Society, they gave me tea, and collected some of the papers etc they had borrowed in connection with public of my article and then had supper of pickled pigs feet with my friend Basso, who has recently got his commission, and his fiancés at her flat. Basso did most of the cooking, and it was a swell feed. They expect to be married next month, and have done me the honor of asking me to be best man. I like them both very much, and will do my best. She is an American who has lived in this country most of her life. I mentioned Basso in my letters about a year ago. We have been having rather nice fall days, clear & cool at night, misty in the morning, but bright and warm the rest of the day. Ecila is pleased because her tomatoes will have a chance to ripen. There is a good crop of them this year. Poor Mrs M has been chance to ripen. There is a good crop of them this year. Poor Mrs M has been ill again last week. She seems better yesterday and today, and will probably be getting up in a few days. Your parcel came on Friday, and I took the peppermints up, and the canned chicken, and fortunately it is just the one thing she will be able to eat when her present diet of milk and water can be augmented, and the peppermint chocs will be something for her to look forward to when she is back to normal. I hope you get the bag they sent. It was a lovely one. I expect you will be down in California by the time my next letter reaches you. I havn't your mother's address, so better keep sending your mail to Victoria and it can be forwarded. I hope you have a good trip down, and a swell visit, Ruth go back with you. Give them all my best.

LOVE Ger.