Saunton
Arm-chair
Sunday 4.15
- I'm beginning to have a firm belief that all my letters are highly inconsistent. That's probably why I so seldom sound sincere- & why I'm a dreadful person to make a friend of.
- Your letter arrived on Monday - and the 'souvenir of the occasion' at exactly the correct moment on Wednesday - when we all arrived in from the theatre at 2.0 am. I found it on the hall table. Thank you very much indeed, old thing - exceptionally good taste and my favourite colour. It's exactly the right size. (awful feeling I shouldn't be able to get it on!!)
- I paid 1/- duty on it or something - I just tell you this because we should both be so horribly embarrassed if you found out later (at least I should) - & if you dare so much as suggest paying me back, I shall send the whole thing back & you'll have to pay the other end anyway! - Amen. - But it was simply topping of you - & I love it.
I had a lovely birthday (my 19th - by the way - so thank-you very much!) - The garden party was quite a success - everybody turned up who accepted - including a few who had refused! - I had lots of small presents. Racquet, balls, nice bag, 3 pairs gorgeous gloves, sponge bag, 2 powder puffs, Broome Stages (Mr Hodson) - a woolly rabbit to take to bed from Jill - & I bought myself a complete Shakespeare with Grannie's present. - oh & enormous cigarette case from Roger Standing who appeared at party ½ an hour early!!
On Thursday I busted myself in Hyde Park - crowds of people watching us - it was great fun. And yesterday we had my supper picnic - 24 of us all together - 11 males - 13 females - they partnered off in the 10 cars quite well (with a frightful lot of manipulating & tact from me!) - I went with Mervyn in M.G. - joyeous - I sat up on the back coming home - with our head-lights on down long leafy lanes & a warm breeze blowing through my head - I sang & recited & made up poems until Mervyn was quite convinced I was barking! - It went off jolly well though - we played rounders in a pine wood - had bananas & cream for supper - & ended up at Shere - (as ever!).
The weather this weekend has been gorgeous - hot as Hades - I've just played 3 sets of tennis & eaten a Walls choc. ice. The family have gone somewhere to bathe in sea - & Mums is watering garden.
- Can you give me the slightest rough calculation of how much it would cost N & me for 2 weeks in Nice? - there's not the venist (sic) remote chance of chance of us coming, but it would interest me to know - you can't suggest any nice small place in Devon or Cornwall - sand - sea- sun - not many people - cheap - can you?
I regard Aldershot Tattoo as (1) something to look forward to for weeks (2) 3 hours original entertainment inspiring admiration of discipline and delight in effects (3) an extra specially wonderful picnic supper afterwards (chicken & salad & strawberries & cream) and (4) staying a night with Norah. - I bet you the majority of the audience do the same - (in their different ways) - I never look upon it as something "military" at all - but when you come to actual war, that's quite different. - & it's not use my trying to tell you what I think of that, because I don't know enough about it - but I'm not sure there's not something to be said for a bloody 'eye for an eye' doctrine, it if the only other alternative is a patched up, hypocritical 'love they neighbour as thyself' one - of course circumstances alter things - & I suppose we're now arriving at a sincere 'love thy neighbour' one - but you're probably thinking out all the knock-out arguments you'll treat me to in your next installment for talking such rubbish - so I won't sound my mind on the subject any more.
- I had enclosed photograph done on Wednesday - (they, most thoughtfully have stamped my birthday on back) - it's not very good ('family judgement'!) but it shows off my new jumper to perfection - & you can keep it if you like - but send it back if you don't because I wouldn't like to waste it. - the snaps are all definitely bad - but I said I'd send them , to here you are - but send them back - Haven't you got some of yourself with "Margate" all around you yet? I would like to see some.
We're going up to the May races at Cambridge on June 10th - gorgeous!
Mr Allen's a wood-lice and Katie is a jellied-eel - & I must stop & do some elocution for tomorrow - do you know 'Real Property' by Harold Munro? Lovely.
Mums sends her love
- Mary Pleasant (aged 19)
XXX
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