29th April, 58

Typewritten on HSBC Calcutta airmail letter. (All these letters are addressed to Mr & Mrs L.V.C Briggs at 65, Tamworth Park, Mitcham Surrey.UK)

Dear Mum, Dad and Alan,

Many thanks for your long letter, am glad the tea arrived, I sent one to Margaret also and one to Sydenham so hope they arrive. Was amused at your description of Fiona and Mary with Caroline and hope that there are some children at Herne Bay for her to play with . My weight is still up and am doing a steady amount of swimming. A third of a mile last night and shall work up to a mile by the weekend. The club is just round the corner from the office so I go there after work, have tea then splash in for half an hour or so. It passes the time and keeps me occupied; not to mention the appetite that I have for dinner. Its these B12 complex tablets that are doing it and they seem very effective. Thank you for sending the tie I hope it gets through without bother, I shall feel rather old on the ninth... getting on for forty! Yes, I thought it would be a good idea to spend the first night resting. I remember last time that I was absolutely exhausted and this way will have a chance to look more presentable. Still we shall see, it will depend on the plane behaving itself and arriving on time. The inspectors arrive today.. their plane has had a twenty-four hour delay and so the smart dresses worn by the typists and clean trousers on the clerks, instead of dhoties, will be a bit bedraggled by today. Margo mentioned that it is a lot warmer, it must have been awful in that cold and am very pleased that I missed it. Bill Mosely wrote to the same effect saying his first seven weeks were miserable. Is there anything special I can get you here for your birthday? You will have seen one or two things that Margo purchased here and may have something in mind. Let me know.

30th April.

The inspectors did not arrive - they were held up again at Bangkok and should be in this morning. B.O.A.C. are really excelling themselves.

Cheerio for now and Love
Peter.