30th January, 1951

H & S. B. C.
Penang

Dear Mum, Dad and Alan,

Have received yhour letters of 17th & 26th and also Grandma's for which many thanks. Shall answer them all here for the moment as with the end of the month at hand I may not feel like writing for the next few days.

Have noted that Henry has moved and imagine that he will be glad to get over with - must have got the wrong impression earlier on as I thought that that house was off.

Am glad the parcel arrived and was found to be satisfactory. I see that your meat ration is down to the shocking low of 8d, so will send all meat or salmon in the next.

The bank have now seen the light and have given me the OK to go ahead without the down payment. I have put 80 pounds down anyway so shall away to a good start. Thanks for Dad's offer of a loan. I knew I could call on him if necessary but in this instance I was annoyed at the bank and wasn't prepared to give way.

Alan is certainly moving fast - Aberdeen this time! What was the result on the difficult machine that had been out of commission for a long time? The comment on Army & Official wives is probably correct - there are many of them with husbands away for weeks at a time and expect that they get bored stiff. The drinking sessions are the same in most parts of the Far East though Penang isn't as bad as Hongkong.

It is very good news about Ian - expect you have fuller details by now and shall ear more about it your next letter.

Grandma's letter was very welcome and I shall write to her again in due course. (Letter ends here)