9th August 1963

The Hongkong Bank
Hong Kong

Dear Mum, Dad and Alan,

Thank you for your letter with all your news - I hope you have the photos.  Elisabeth in her new walker was showing off that morning.  Yes, thank you - the £3 will cover both presents.  Margo purchased a very good leather frame which looks most attractive.

Congratulations! Alan, on your engagement and our Best Wishes to Janet also.  I should write separately but at least this way I get something on paper.  The girls will be thrilled to get another aunt as they only have one up to now.  Can we have a photograph in due course please.

Our new reservoir will not increase the water supply as it must rain first to fill it up.  We have 3 1/2 thousand million gallons at the moment and must reach 7,500,000,000 before the end of September - this is in addition to a minimum daily consumption of 40,000,000 gallons each day.  Actually, the population will outstrip any new planned storage and they will have to convert seawater.  Many means are under discussion but the cost is high and the talk around the subject will take several years before anything is done.

The girls are on holiday at the moment and all four went to the pictures to-day to see "Flipper".  Margo said it was wonderful, the main actor being a real live dolphin, who, apart from everything else that it does, can laugh!  Adrienne has the new bricks in her class and I hope it helps - also I hope the next schook use them, otherwise confusion is going to set in.  Mt Charlotte were tipped by Acorn in July so they must be a good thing to hold on to.

I am looking through another set of the photos I sent, do you see Caroline's watch?  It still goes and she can nearly tell the time.  The Wendy house was purchased from someone going on leave and the jeep which is Elisabeth's was bought in a second hand market and is very strong.  The place they are playing in is the verader to C & As bedroom, which is through the door on the left.  Elisabeth's in the lounge which does not look to best advantage, as I have not focused for the background.  The lounge is 3 times the area shown, with another verander to the right, where we sit overlooking the harbour.  In the scene with Margo, the pram is held to prevent the pram blowing away - Signal No 3 was up!

The reservoir near us is 1/2 full and is in picturesque surroundings.  What do you think of the dog - we were very lucky to have one so well behaved - he is no trouble at all and very playful.

Cheerio for now and love from us all,

Peter