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

6th May 1961

Jesselton

Dear Mum Dad and Alan,

I am late in writing this time because of a short revisit to Beaufort for the end of the month and have not been able to find energy to write after a day in the office. The rain has started again and for the most part this is beneficial but usually the evening is muggy. Your parcel arrived safely and the pyjamas and records were just what i wanted - thank you very much indeed for taking so much trouble, I do appreciate it a lot. Beaufort is going very well in that it has run without me and without snags. They handle Current & Savings accounts, Loans, remittances and many other odds and ends. It taught me a lot of things in a hurry and I also found I had to draw on memory of events way back. I went back for 2 days to help them with their month end returns and expect that in future someone else will go up on monthly inspections as I am booked to understudy the accountant in June for a three week relief job in July. Also I have two weeks local leave this month when we hope to go to Ranau for a few days. This is a very quiet spot in the interior which is supposed to be cool.

You appear to pack more and more into your daily life and weekly letter than ever - from museums to wills. I imagine you without time to sit down. I am not to have the "appointment" because I am too junior! But I have got the desk allowance and the Bank's Power of Attorney. It is all very odd and I have not heard of such a thing happening before. but as I cannot in anyway question the matter I do not supposed I shall ever know the real reason for it. It is certainly a strange sort of job after the Books routine. I spent one morning last week going over the bank building with the architect & then obtaining estimates for running repairs etc. We have a dozen or so offices overhead which we lease and thins require repairs all the time from WC doors jamming to touching up the paintwork in the lifts & leaks in the roof after a heavy rain. This afternoon (Saturday) I have unpacked £500 worth of crockery being 5 years supply to the entitled housed in the 3 territories. The next thing is to pack part of it and ship it off & get it on to the inventories. £500 worth of glassware is to arrive next month! There are no packing facilities or extra staff to handle this sort of thing & normal work must go on so it is all extra time to be given up. I do not mind it for the most part, but there is nothing to show for it in the end. One thing, the people between the Mess standard & accountants are now to be given their own crockery, glassware & cutlery & kitchen ware. It is not up to the standard or quantity of the other, but will be a great help. I am ordering it now & expect it will arrive in a year's time. So perhaps next tour we shall be able to leave some of our stuff packed up. The stock market seems higher than ever but my shares have just not responded to it and I have lost interest for the time being. Hope Carreras produces a good end year result otherwise 1962 is going to be a long time to wait for. The rubber price has been firm at 90 cents for a few weeks & anything above 80 cents should give Bangowan a reasonable trading profit - I think they must have a good year. Margo has spent a very busy day with the Red Cross selling on a magazine and book stall in part of their annual bazaar. Apparently there was such a rush that they had to fight off a mob. They sold (2 ladies) all the books most at 10 cents each & raised over $250. The great news of the week which I have left till last is that Margo has passed her driving test! Freda Ingham took her out time after time & Margo passed easily - as she should have done the first time she took it in Jesselton. Ever since she has been out and about in the car and is busier than ever. Wee took the Ingham's out to dinner - Steak & a bottle at our air conditioned eatery & afterwards to the Golf Club where the US Navy gave a band show & dance. Margo went on the heavy cruiser USS St Paul in harbour here & took Adrienne & had an amazing morning sightseeing. That night we were at a cocktail party at H. E (Gov House) to meet the officers. There were Captains & Admirals all over the place and a very cheery bunch. They were all down here on the SEATO exercise and we have had helicopters and other weird aircraft overhead for a few days.

Cannot hold the pen anymore. All our love expecially from the girls.
Peter

13th April 1961

Written on HSBC Beaufort airmail letter

Dear Mum Dad and Alan,

I have not received a letter for some time but expect there is one waiting for me in Jesselton. I return in two days time having completed the job I came for. The opening was an exciting affair. When I first arrived the contractors were still in the building and the first conferences were held in the dirt street. We got in in the evening before the opening and unpacked the desks and stationery to make the place look like a bank. At 9 am we set off the firecracker which made a five minute explosion and covered the road with red paper and the new paint with soot. Twenty minutes later when the smoke had cleared from the interior we were able to reenter the office and phone through that we were operating. The two managers from Jesselton came down in the evening and we had a party for 200 people in the Beaufort Club which was quite successful despite a large proportion of the guests not being in a position to write let alone run a banking account. However, we have progressed steadily since then and although nothing startling has occurred we have opened several accounts of different types and have our first loans & overdrafts approved by Jessleton. I expect to come down periodically to see how things are going. The train journey is hot & tedious and the Rest House very utility. The place has no attraction whatsoever although business wise it should grow and if a few roads are built out to civilisation the place itself may improve. I have not received official confirmation of S/Acct and am unlikely to do so now - however, I am being paid for the job & that is all that matters. I am of course curious to know why they have changed the system but I guess the ways of Head Offices have to remain mysterious. The family are all well & a visiting physiotherapist was pleased with E. progress and had some suggestions to make.

Cheerio for now and all my love, Peter

24th March 61

H.S.B.C
PO Box 76,
Beaufort

Dear Mum, Dad and Alan,

Firstly very many thanks for your parcel - it was really magnificent and the children looked very smart in their shorts. Both Susan and Elisabeth enjoyed their birthdays, although we did not arrange special parties for them. Secondly, your letter about your water-heater beats the experiences we have had with Beaufort. I am not there yet but go on 27th and open on 29th. The contractors have not finished, the safe door handle has broken, some stationery is missing and there hasn't been any time to train the staff. As far as I tell I am the only person worried about it so, as usual, I should not be. Anyway the waiting is almost over and in a week's time I guess we will see the results. I shall come back to Jesselton for Easter then spend 2/3 weeks in B. My appointment is not through yet - but as I am receiving the desk allowance I am not at all concerned. Roans have gone up, presumably on Sir Roy's acceptance of the N. Rod. constitution. My other interests are also graded upwards for the moment but am still doubtful about the rest of the year. I did not obtain 'Tonibell' which went to 80% premium! What an issue that was. Ian Macleod, who was teaching me bridge in Calcutta, is coming here in Nov as Accountant, so with Peter Hammond in Towan, Ken Rice in Sandakan, all to come this year, we shall have 4 people from my time in Calcutta in North Borneo. I cannot remember who Ethel Webb is or was. It is very hot here and difficult to do anything and am soaking wet all day, everyone else is the same and with the usual frustrations all day long, things do not progress as well as they might. A good storm should arrive soon and then we can relax. Hope your heater is in now and all is well. I will not know the house on leave, will I?

Love from us all and Best Wishes,
Peter
The odd writing is due to a bent pen!