Gubby Under Pressure

The letters 87 hard up but she didn’t believe it. Apparently the paper got into difficulties a couple of years ago and they had to hand over the majority of their share in the concern to the public in order to get financial support, so I think the story must be true. We have heard nothing out here about the proposed matches which are to be part of the centenary celebrations at Lord’s next summer beyond the one vague mention which you made about it in one of your letters. I particularly want to know what the matches are and the dates in case I want to stay in America so could you possibly find out for me. Later. Monday Jan 18th Yesterday I motored up the Derwent Valley and lunched with some very nice people on their small station. I eat a good deal too much and then lay about on the lawn most of the afternoon. On the way home we visited National Park to see the falls. They were pretty good but I was much more impressed by the height of some of the trees. I had often seen them on the movies but never in real life before. In the evening I dined with Lady Lewis, who is friend of Uncle Arthur’s, and met a man called Maugham of Sydney who said he knew you quite well in your law days. It was not a very exciting evening except that they had a very powerful radio and we picked up England and various continental stations and I liked hearing them after so long. I have just realised that I haven’t said a word about cricket in this letter. Well there is only one piece of cricket news of any interest and that is that Bob Wyatt batted better for his 68 on Saturday night than I have ever seen him play. If he has struck real form what a difference it will make. Farnes and Copson both bowled well here. Farnes looked very nasty and really fast and if he reproduces that form against South Australia we might easily bring him into the side for the 4th Test. The one real disappointment on the trip in many ways, but this is between you and me only, is Robbie. He is very difficult on occasions when he should be setting a good example and is now going through one of his spasms of saying he hates cricket, is no good at it, and wants to go home. It is essential that he plays in the Tests but at the present moment he simply can’t bowl at all and looks as though he isn’t trying. He will never go on another tour, I know, and on the whole I think it is a good thing. I am very fond of him still and he amuses me a great deal but he has done some unwise things and the pros don’t respect him any more. He thinks it is clever to defy authority and refuses to see that it is a hopeless view to take especially on a tour. No more news. It looks like raining all day. Give my best love to Mum. I hope she is happy in her new flat. Best love Obbie Letter Twenty South Australian Hotel Adelaide Jan 24 1937 Darling Mumsie, I will start my letter to you now as I have got a few minutes before I need to go out to dinner and I don’t want to miss this week’s air mail as I have not been quite so successful at writing to you and Dad lately. As I explained to Dad in my letter last week, or I meant to if I didn’t, that being captain of an M.C.C. team in this country now-a-days means so much more hard work than I thought and, as I have to have a fair amount of peace in order to be in a fit state of mind to play cricket, some things just have to be left. I hate missing my weekly letter as I know you will be wondering what is the matter. At the start of the tour I struggled and battled through everything but I now find I simply can’t manage it, in fact I have had to give up almost all private parties just before or during the big matches which is sad. I suppose I get between 10 and 15 letters a day all of which have to be answered except those asking for autographs as I simply put one of the 1,500 slips, which we signed on the boat, into the envelope and post it. I must say the signing of all those slips on the boat was a great idea and has saved us all a lot of trouble. My one regular correspondent is Uncle Arthur. He writes to me at least once a week in spite of the fact that I have told him that I shall never have time to reply and don’t. This week I had 3 pages on how he and Margaret had entertained at Moombara 100 members of the