10th July, 1951

Hongkong Bank
Penang

Dear Mum Dad and Alan,

Many thanks for your letter and all the news. Guess you where busy - Henry's new estate sounds terrific. The house must be even bigger than mine! Against his grapes & fruit trees I can boast coco-nuts, sweet corn and bananas!

Fiona sounds fit. I shall send a parcel on the Corfu to them if the account stands it.

Good for Dorothy - am glad to hear of her change of job.

Your holiday was soon fixed up - have a jolly time and eat some ice creams for me. shall send this to ? - ought to arrive for the weekend.

My wireless goes jolly well and am pleased every night when I can first switch on as I go to bed and have a spot of music to lull me to sleep.

The work has quietened down to-day and from now on we should be normal. Have to be up at six on Thursday though as I have to organise a shipment of nearly 3 million to Ipoh. Have been packing it night. We have an armed police escort and one of our Ipoh staff to take it up.

(The letter continues on another page numbered 4 and 5 which either misses out page 3 or is from another letter as the writing is lighter than the first page it is with).

We have a race week on at the moment and I strolled in twice with the idea of using my member's badge. You have to belong to the turf club to join the Golf Club. It was very good entertainment though I was down a little even after three places. It was a change to see the ladies in hats. They never wear them usually, and the different effect that it had on them was quiete amusing. Some obviously felt uncomfortable in them and others seemed much happier to have them on. Anyway it was most colourful.

Played my first 18 holes on Sunday and enjoyed a good morning. The second time round, however, was stiff going. Saw "King Solomon's Mines" and thought it was fine colour and photography, though the story was not held together very strongly. A change to have an English acted film, we have a strong blood & thunder flavouring here as a rule as they are constant good box office. If they put on a Dicken's film, for instance, the theatre would be empty except for two rows of Europeans.

This week has been all upside down and since the first have had little time to think of private affairs. I have lots of letters to write and for over a month yours has been the only one to get done. Must get down to it soon.

Cheerio for now and love,
Peter