Feb 4th 74

 c/o H & SBC

P O Box 896

Collyer Quay

Singapore

My dear Mum & Dad,

Many thanks for your letter - so glad the girls weren't delayed & had a good trip back.  I've just been out shopping & collected some photos so thought I would write & send them off.  It is a miserable day, damp & overcast.  We were going out on a boat yesterday but it poured with rain so we all went to the club for curry lunch.

I had hoped to do some gardening today but it is too wet so shall write letters instead.  The days rush by & the girls will be back again in no time.  It's a pity that I didn't get a photo of Adrienne with her short hair cut but will try again at Easter.  Peter is up to his eyes in work, their  doesn't seem any end to it.  Tomorrow we are going to a dinner at Singapore's largest hotel to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of one of the Chinese banks.  Imagine it will be a lavish affair.  The following day we go to a cocktail party to meet the chairman of Chubbs, Lord Hayter.

Pippa is settling down well & couldn't understand where the girls had gone.  To make matters worse Chinese New Year followed soon after & the servants were off for 4 days.  Pippa followed Peter & I everywhere.  I think she was afraid we would vanish too!  She has been quite good to house train & now she is no longer shut in one of the bathrooms at night but as the run of the house, with her basket outside our bedroom door.  Luckily we only have female dogs in the compound at present so it shouldn't be too bad when Pippa comes on heat.  I am all prepared with the 'PILL" and "antimate"!!  You can see from the photos that she likes to be carried!  When Peter gets in from the office she runs out to the garden steps ready for her walk on the golf course.  (We have a 3 hole "course" in the compound) & hardly gives him time to take his jacket off.

What do you think of our hi-jackers! -it's put Singapore on the map for awhile.  It all seems a big joke but of course could have been serious if they had succeeded.  It's been all excitement here what with animals escaping from the Z00 a hippo which has taken itself int the reservoir, an eland & of course the black panther which escaped 10 months ago & has just been found (&killed) in the area where our Manager lives.  Friends of ours in the same road lost their dachshund recently & they now think the panther had him.

No other news. do you have Margaret & Ians address?

Love from us both

Peter & Margo