14th July 1961

Hongkong & Shanghai Bk P.O Box 98 Jesselton Brit. N. Borneo My dear Mum & Dad, Your parcel arrived this week & I am very pleased with the handkerchiefs - thank you very much for them & for the socks for the children. I have been meaning to write to you for months but the days fly past & then I decided to wait until the enclosed photos were ready. We hope you will be as pleased with them as we are. The one of Elisabeth is exactly like her - you will notice a big difference in her. She is chubby all over even her legs so we are hopeful that she will eventually get some use back in them. Elisabeths arms are much better now but she still cannot lift them up very high when sitting up. However, she can sit up & has a lovely straight back. We are trying to get her into a crawling position but it is obviously a great strain so we can only try it for about a minute. You can just see E's front teeth in the photo - she really has three teeth now & we are expecting the 4th at any minute. The children all sleep very well - but when Elisabeth is cutting teeth she sometimes awakes about 4am & isn't content unless she can finish the rest of the night in my bed! This she thinks is a huge joke & spends about 1/2 fidgeting & giggling until she falls off to sleep again. Susan is very good with Elisabeth and tries to mother her! It is hard to imagine that Susan is only 2 as she is an old fashioned little miss & can hold long conversations with us all. She likes Peter to read a book to her before she goes to bed & as soon as I've tucked Elisabeth up, Susan always tells Peter 'Alright - you can finish now, goodnight'. Caroline, poor girl, has had a nasty boil right between the eyes which must have been very painful. It was unfortunate as it came the week she started at the Primary school. This was a very thrilling event & Caroline was terribly excited about having to wear a school uniform. It is a green dress, square neck, sleeveless bound with cream. On the first day, I took Caroline into the classroom - the second day as she was getting out of the car she took one look at the lawn over which she had to pass & saw all the big children & quickly turned to me & said 'You take me Mummy'. Now she is used to it & sets off quite happily. She has settled down very well & seems to enjoy all the lessons. Adrienne has improved too & whereas I expected trouble at the kindergarten without Caroline it was the reverse. Adrienne is very boastful about 'my little school' & she can actually draw an 'A'. Mind you she will draw an 'A' now when she's supposed to be doing 1 or 2! Adrienne has a very different nature from Caroline & Susan - it is very difficult for her to concentrate & she can seldom be bothered to listen to a story or the records. It looks as tho' we are going to have 2 of each type! Although Elisabeth sits for ages with a book & turns over each page very carefully. She can say several little words 'Daddy, Mummy, Pussy Cat, Night-Night, Bye-bye etc! The favourites are 'Wow, Wow' & 'Daddys Car' which she chants whenever a dog or our car comes along. Now that I can drive I find it a big help as I can take Elisabeth out with me & she sits up in the little chair you bought for Adrienne. This chair has been a godsend & now that I've had a new seat made & repainted it still has a long life ahead of it. Caroline is thrilled with her birthday presents & is very proud of her shorts & sweaters. They are a good fit - I like the white sweater very much & have kept it on one side as it will be nice for her next year. We haven't heard any news of leave so I am preparing myself for November '62 although it would be nice if we have a summer leave. Are you enjoying your warm weather - it will be nice to sit out in the garden. Elisabeth is ready for her afternoon walk & the others want to go to the beach so I must go & get myself ready. Love from us all & big kisses from the girls. Margo CAROLINE XXX (note:I presume I wrote this on the letter in block capitals with 3 kisses)

24th June 1961

Written on HSBC Jesselton airmail letter. Dear Mum Dad and Alan, Thank you for the lovely parcel for Caroline and the others, it was a beauty. Caroline had a fine birthday party with the children old enough for games and easier to look after than last year - about fourteen of them. We had purchased a fully equipped dolls house from the Haymes when they left and Margo had painted it up and fitted new curtains, Caroline was very thrilled. All the children at school made cards for her and she had quiet a selection in the end. Caroline goes to the big school on 1st July and Margo is making the uniform for her. Your holiday sounds grand and I wish I was there enjoying countryside. Instead I am in the office on a Saturday afternoon unpacking glassware. However, this is unusual and should not happen again as it is supposed to cover five years supply. We are nearing the half yearly balance once again and next month should be full of interest as I am going to stand in for the Accountant for three weeks whilst he relieves in Brunei. As a matter of fact this month of June is the first in six months that I have done my own job continually and even then I was on the Accountant's desk for 3 odd days. However, there is something for variety. The share market has taken a dump just when Carreras had reached 5/-. I have applied for some new shares in Hongkong. The issue is worth £1 million and has been oversubscribed 56 times! We are awaiting the result of the ballot and I am not optomistic! Tins have skyrocketted and rubbers look dull. Hope the rest of your holiday is enjoyable and the sun shines. Margo's mother's family came from the west country named Webb. I wonder if there is any connection? Cheerio for now and love from us all Peter.

30th May 61

HSBC, Jesselton, BNB Dear Mum, Dad and Alan, Thank you for your letter which once again was full of news. Donald's pending marriage seems to have collected complications alread - it is a pity a compromise cannot be arranged. We have known people with similar problems and it is upsetting. We would like to give a wedding present which is another job for you - unless cash would be in order, in which case how much? I must also have the date of the wedding in order to send a telegram. The dinner at G.H. was very pleasant. We were first met by the ADC who showed us the seating plan and told me who to take into dinner and Margo who the person was who would take her, then we went forward to be introduced to everyone - about 14 in all. A drink & then dinner and passing the port after the ladies had left. When we joined the ladies we split into two groups, one with Lady Goode & the other with HE for half and hour or so and then off. We left for Ranau the next day taking C & A who enjoyed the plane ride leave S & E behind with Mrs Ingham. It was very quiet up there with nothing to do except walk for a little way. We went along a jeep track to about 4000ft but it was very bumpy riding and nothing very special when we got to Kandasan as the big mountain was shrouded in mist. However, it made a change for a couple of days. The bank's Power of Attorney allows me to sign legal documents & do anything short of selling the bank. It is only usually given to persons with appointments and the main use of it is that it is registered here and I can make use of it in registering mortgages etc when the Accountant is away. Although it may be returned to H.O. when I am doing another job it will exist until I leave the bank and in itself it is a valuable document. I am now back in the office and being kept busy on many fiddling jobs. Just as I was about to leave this evening a main water pipe burst and as far as can be seen it will be a major job to replace. Typically there is only one water cock for the whole building & and toilets for a few hundred people will be out of action tomorrow. Tomorrow being 31st! Oh well! It will solve itself I hope in time for the next problem. Cheerio and love Peter.

18.5.61

Jesselton Dear Mum, Dad and Alan, Thank you very much for your letter - I must have received the one that you thought you had lost and you will have received my reply by now. Kenneth had better join the HSBC if he is without qualifications but I doubt whether this has any attraction for him. Children: presents; we seem to have a lot of records for the moment & The Pooh Bear one is particularly attractive so I think at some future date the Christopher Robin books would interest them. Adrienne still doesnt listen very closely so both she and Susan would like the simple ABC picture books or the picture books with just a little written underneath. The toys that you buy are well appreciated and it is best if I leave things to you to choose as I have no better idea. I know how difficult shopping can be and your parcels are so very good that it is obvious you put a lot of thought into doing them. Margo would like some handkerchiefs - Pyramid - coloured, if you can manage that. Yes, Elisabeth has two large front top teeth and I expect at least one more soon as she had a very restless night-this only happens at teething times and because the teeth are late there must be difficulty in breaking through the toughness of the gums. She is very happy apart form this and loves her swim in the sea. The left leg still shows no sigh of life and this might hold things up. Being able to sit for short while without any back support, please her. She does this by leaning on her arms and using her sense of balance. I am on holiday just now - playing golf and sitting in the sun. We are going up to Ranau for three days just to say we have been away and I hope to take a few photos. I have quite a number in the camera which are old, but taking the last two or three is holding me up on developing. Margo is busy making a long evening dress for the dinner at Government House on Monday. A big circus has come to town & C.A are to go. They are looking forward to this and I am hoping that it will be worth while. They lost two elephants in Sandakan as they somehow became entangled in a live wire in their compound, but a lot of other animals should amuse them. We all hope you have an enjoyable holiday in Ross with fine weather. I am enclosing a cheque for £2 which is unimaginative, but please buy something you would like with it or have a day out on your birthday. Cheerio for now and love from us all Peter