Jan 23- 17

Dearest Mother

I rec two letters from you today also your cards, I gave my chums there two cards & they said thanks very much, and am very glad you like your locket & glad Bill & the girls got theres O.K, today was the first mail I have had for three weeks, so I got eight letters all told, so had lots of mail to read, I just got back to work this morning after my six days pass, was to Edinburgh & Glasgow in Scotland, and on my way back I stopped off at Manchister for a day, I dont really like Scotland at all, But it would be a really pretty place in the summer time, But I dont like the Scotch people at all, they are to mean for me, I like Manchister fine, I will send some post cards of the sites I seen up there, And when I got back I went up to Mrs Jones place and Mrs Jones father had just died, So the funeral Will take place from the house tomorrow at one oclock, I am geting a pass to go up to the funeral, that will be two funerals from the house inside of three months, Poor Mrs Jones sure has her share of troubles,

I guess you have heard all about the explotion by now, Will all our windows in the boarding where I am staying at now where broke, so we are living in a house now with out any windows in, Windows where broke for three miles around, it was a terrable thing, it was only 2 ½ miles from hear, But must not say where it was, because the censor will scratch it out,

I had a letter from Hazel today. she seems to like it fine down there. I wish I was down there two, I also had a letter from Dad & uncle Frank Thicksen, and it seems to be very cold in Manitoba just now, we sure are having cold weather too, I think it will snow tonight. it has been freezing for some days now, cold enough to freeze one alive, I sure am fed up with the works now, nothing But work and no money, and we get the dirty end of every thing, I am fed up & I semply will not work, all the boys are fed up, But I hope the War will soon be over;

you say the censors dont open my mail going over, will they open nearly every letter of yours, you speek of my lettle girl Stokey. Yes she is a real good nice lettle girl, I see her two or three times a week now I go to her house every Sunday evening for tea. She has a beautiful Mother, and she treets me like one of her own sons, one of Stokeys Brothers is in France now, he has just won the Military Medal, and her other brother has been out in France and is disgarged now, he had a bullet through his head, Maybe I will bring Stokey back with me, But wait & see, we are only good Pals as yet, She is a very pretty girl, I guess I will close now as it is so cold I can hardly write, I will go to bed & get warm, as I must go to funeral. tomorrow, the old man was about 80 years old, so it was time for him to go, Lottie is much better now, and geting on fine, I am feeling all O.K. myself. & hope you are all O.K. at home,, you should get a letter from me every week as I always write once a week any way. With love to all I am as ever your Loving Son

Harold