13th March 1965

The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank
Central P O Box 227
Osaka,
Japan

Dear Mum Dad and Alan,

Many thanks for your letter and the cheque for Susan and Elisabeth.  We had lots of presents for Elisabeth and today had her small party with the little girl Jeanette Sayer from next door.  Went to the Oji Zoo in Kobe this afternoon with them and on many of the moving things in the amusement park there.  It started very fine but snow came at one stage but not enough to spoil it and they had a fine time.  Susan and Adrienne stayed at home because of tempertures - flu has been going the rounds but the worst if over.  Cannot thin of anything for my birthday at the moment - Christmas has just passed and I more or less stocked up on leave.  We have a library for books at Margo's Women's club so they are no problem.  I don't know which child is the most musical but we no longer have the mouthorgan or flute at home - perhaps they have been lost - I hope.  Glad you saw Con he is between 55 & 60 so will have a few years more to go yet as far as Eagle Star are concerned.

I find it hard to believe that anyone told the Home Staff that the Bank was run for the Foreign Staff.  What is difficult to make them understand is that under present conditions as opposed to those of pre-war the Home Staff are materially better off, whereas it should be the other way round, in compensation for some of the bad postings one has to put up with.  However, the least said the better and Ian is not doing so badly.  I don't think I heard about the pub - unless I let it go in one ear and out the other as just "one of those things".  I hope it turns out OK as there have been so many schemes.  Thanks for the horoscope - rather than do too much there is a tendancy to sit back in the quiet periods rather than stir things up.  Still no union meeting but they are hatching something and that can keep us busy if they really got cracking.  They don't have that bother in London office.

Well all else is well - this cold snap must go soon and we will see more of the countryside.  Look after yourselves.

Love from us all Peter.