Gubby Under Pressure

The letters 73 and Indian Ocean was terrific and since then it has persisted in blowing almost a gale and raining. There has hardly been one of those lovely days when one lies out on deck and the boat is as still as house. The people on the boat are far better than usual. Lord and Lady Walleson are both charming, (I have known him for years) Dick and Pauline, Sir Sydney Snow and his son, Elizabeth Darling, Joan Ranking and Ken James are all very nice and I spend most of my time with them. The team has behaved absolutely perfectly from the word go. They have always been in good form at the right time and have never over-done it once. I am lucky to have this lot and not last time lot: even Voce is quiet and not drinking much. I have played quite a bit of bridge with Sir Sydney Snow, the Wallesons, Robbie, Hardstaff and Sims and have made money but nothing like as much as I should have made. My partners have been terrible. We generally play challenge matches and also as Robbie and Hammond have generally arranged the matches with me as their partner I have suffered, I hope in silence. I have had several short talks with Phyllis Davis and asked her to my cocktail party. I really rather like her and she has certainly been no trouble or nuisance. I have had my full of injections which Dr Mathews suggested and I must say my throat is quite clear. I don’t know that I feel quite 100% yet as I haven’t slept any too well on the boat but I hear everyone saying the same thing owing to the roll of the ship and the intense heat. Maurice Leyland is better and will probably be able to practice at Perth and play at Adelaide. He has made far better a recovery than the doctor thought and I only hope all goes well as he is invaluable to the Test side. Dad sent me a cutting in which it said that I looked worried. I am hardly surprised if you knew what I knew but I will tell you one day. I forgot to say that Mrs Blackwood got on the boat at Port Said. She had been staying with Joyce (her daughter) and Arthur Yeakin in Cairo. Hope you are enjoying your new abode. Please send this on to Dad as I shall not be able to write separate or very long letters on this trip. I look like having a hell of a lot to do. Very best love you both. Am very happy. Best love Obbie Letter Six Western Australian Cricket Association W.A.C.A Oval East Perth Oct 17 1936 Darling Dad, Though the air mail doesn’t go until Thursday I think I will start this now as we look like making a lot of runs today (the score is now 197-1. Hammond not 77 Wyatt not 58) and I have nothing particular to do. We did quite well yesterday to get W.Australia out for 142 but I don’t know that I was very impressed by the bowling. I am not worrying much about my own fitness at present as I don’t want to over train and run the risk of going stale as I have a strenuous time ahead of me, but the others didn’t look too good. However it is early days yet and the batting of Hammond and Barnett has been decidedly encouraging. Bob Wyatt has so far made 58 out of 197 in 3 hours and has played very badly. I only hope I haven’t backed the wrong horse. He caught a really great catch at cover so can’t have gone completely to pot. I seem to have got on to the cricket too quick so will go back to the last days on the boat and our arrival. I saw quite a lot of Mrs Blackwood during the last week and I liked her enormously. Nothing very exciting happened towards the end of the voyage; the weather continued to the end to be unpleasant and we had almost a head-on gale all the way from Colombo. We have been most warmly received here and everyone, both members of the team and Australians, has commented on the different atmosphere which prevails. I made 5 speeches in my first 48 hours in the country and, though I say so who perhaps shouldn’t, they seem to have gone very well indeed. Charles Fry said they reminded him of someone stroking a cat. The only one which I think was really good was my broadcast to the whole of Australia. I was furious when I heard it had been announced in all the papers