May 6th
I had a very good journey and it seemed to go very quickly. And but for an hour’s wait at Swindon I enjoyed it very much. My trunk and bike were both very conveniently ready when I got here. Everything in the trunk was safe and sound when it arrived. The cake was soon demolished but there is still a little bit of the cheese left.
I went into Oxford on Wednesday and had a very enjoyable time and I brought a painting of geese by Peter Scott.
We are having ice creams here at the shop. They are simply gorgeous and they are made by Walls and although they cost quite a bit and there is always a great queue for them it is well worth queuing.
I am happy and enjoying myself very much. We haven’t done much work this term so far but there will be plenty to do in the near future. As well I haven’t done much rowing although I have been out sculling twice.
The new shoes are very nice and they fit very well as far as I can tell. I am wearing them now as my others are very wet from yesterday’s rain. As for the trousers I have not really worn them yet, so I don’t know what they are like but they look very nice.
I am going out on the river next Thursday as it is Ascension day, and we all get a whole holiday. There is going to be a bonfire and plenty of other celebrations on VE (Victory in Europe) day and goodness knows what time we will get to bed.
Its terrible as I am infested with fleas and all the time I am discovering fresh bites.
The war seems to be almost at an end and we ought to be having VE day any day now. To-morrow would suit me best, but I can’t pick and choose!!!!!!!!!! I have heard rumours of a four day holiday but they sound rather hopeful to me.
May 22nd
I really haven’t done much this week. I don’t think I will get into the third eight, now, but I will, I hope, get into the 4th or Colts’ eight. I think the sculling races start in about ten days time, but I am not quite sure. But I know that they aren’t far off. I am getting on fairly well with my work I think.
My spots are improving very much and the lotion is going fairly fast. Do you think that could order another bottle of it and send it on one day.
May 26th
Thank you very much indeed for your nice letter. It contained some very welcome news indeed about going back to Little Mount.
I haven’t done much this week really. I had another game of croquet yesterday. I have been doing a lot of sculling, but that is about all. There is quite a chance now that I may not get into the Colts’ eight, but I don’t know exactly yet….Friday while rowing I got absolutely soaked to the skin, still I am no worse for it. The sculling races are next week
June 3rd
I rowed my sculling race on Wednesday and lost, but the person I was racing was the winner, and I actually did the 3rd best time over the course. I am very pleased at that. I went out in the Colts’ VIII again on Tuesday, but I am still very doubtful as to whether I will be in it or not. I hope I am. We haven’t been out again since then because of the races.
There was a very good Sermon last Sunday by the Dean of Windsor. I went to Communion this morning.
June 17th
I had a very nice letter from Uncle Tom1 last week enclosing a check for £5. It was terribly kind of him. It arrived on the Tuesday.. He said it was half what he would have given Michael. I wrote back to him the same evening.
I have been going out in an VIII almost every day this week and we are getting on quite well. We (that is the Colts’ VIII, which I think I am almost definitely in) are racing up at Oxford on the Wednesday after the week-end on which I will see you. I went sculling a long way yesterday and have got a very sore behind at the present \moment and I hope it soon goes. It is much better than it was.
I have got another bottle of calamine lotion for my spots.
July 8th
It is a lovely thought writing to Little Mount and I am longing to write the envelope!! You seem to be going to lots of parties.
I am afraid that I was not able to get to Henley at all. I was very disappointed indeed as I was longing to go. I expect you have seen in the papers by now that we won the public schools race at Henley. It was marvellous doing it. We did the best time of any eight there. it was the first time that our eight has beaten Eton in a straight race. We might get some sort of Holiday for it.
I haven’t been doing any rowing this week. The next races aren’t until the last six nights of term. We race on the last four of them, bumping races. I ought to be in the 2nd IV again.
July 15th
I have had quite a good week here and have been enjoying myself. There was a terrific thunderstorm last night and I woke up and I have never seen such lightening. It was blinding. I got out of bed to watch it.
I went out to-day to a friend’s home with Soames and we had a very good time indeed and I did a lot of bathing in the afternoon and I enjoyed myself thoroughly.
The school exams start to-morrow and finish on Thursday and for the next four days we have ½ hour extra in bed which is very nice.
July 22nd
What I would like to do is to have Granny to tea on the second day of the holidays, the Tuesday, if this would be possible. I am sure she would love it and must see a lot of her these holidays. Do you think there would be any possibility of my getting a decent .22 rifle as I have Uncle Tom’s check, various other savings, altogether coming to about £11 and also there is my birthday and I think you can get a nice one for about £16 or so.
I have done quite a lot of rowing this week, preparing for the bumping races next week. This is the last letter I shall write to you this term, but if you tell me in the letter which I hope you will write to me (!) what time the post arrives I might send you a post card by the Saturday post so that it will arrive home an hour before me (Just for fun).
I don’t think there is much more to say now, Oh! We had all the school exams last week and in the two French exams I came once 4th once 3rd. On an exam on a French book we had to prepare during the term I came top with 84/90 and the master gave me a prize, very unexpectedly, of ten shillings. The only other exams I did were the German School Certificate in which I do not think I did too badly 2.