Gubby Under Pressure

I am afraid I haven’t written to you for some time and now by sailing to New Zealand I have got still further out of touch with you. If I had had time to think it out I would have realised that and dropped you a line, however short, before leaving. I had a hectic last week in Sydney saying good-bye to the family and everyone else. Also I was determined to have a bit of a binge in order to try and forget the disappointment of the cricket. Well I brought both off and I didn’t miss one of the family (Uncles Arthur, Jack, Reg, Aunts Marcia, Mill, Hilda and Bee Browing, cousins Margaret, Joyce, Dick Dundas, Mary and Dennis, with the result that I came onto this ship a wreck. I had one last look at Sydney and as the ship passed through the Heads I went to bed. There I have been ever since and I don’t intend to get up until we reach Wellington but I feel better already and I think the binge and the rest combined have restored me almost to normal again. The night before I left Howard and I broadcast to all stations at 6.45. Howard was very nervous but he was quite good when his time came. The A.B.C. have given us both a gramophone record of our speeches. My voice sounds exactly like the D. of Windsor’s, everyone has commented on it. Dick and I gave a cocktail party on the Thursday and it helped me to say good-bye to lots of people I would not otherwise have seen. Eight of us went on about 9 o’clock to dinner at Romano’s and I didn’t get to bed until pretty late. I have seen quite a lot of Reg and Marion Bettington this week and of Denis who is a darling. I dined with him the last night and while he was dressing for dinner I played with little Pat. He is very sweet but not as good looking as he was 4 years ago. Dick and Paul’s son Timothy looks as if he might be something pretty good. I went another evening and had a drink with Dundas and Mary who is very nice and amusing. They seem to be very happy. The uncles are all in good form. Herbo looks just the same and Uncle Jack looks better every time I see him and what is so good says he feels it. I am sorry that the Australian part of the trip is over, which is natural as I had been looking forward to it for so long but I could not feel sad about it as I did last time. I really felt so tired that I was just longing for the boat and this bed. I think being made a fuss of in public is the most exhausting thing I have ever experienced and if it means anything to some people they can have all my share of it. I have still not made any plans about America. I have however written to California and New York and I expect I will stay there for a bit even if I don’t stay as long as I originally intended. However I will let you know soon after I land in America, i.e. about April 20th by cable whether I shall be back for the Coronation or not. I presume that will give me plenty of time. I am going to give this letter to the Purser who says he will take it back to Australia and post it by Air Mail for me as it appears it will cut many days off its journey. Can’t think of any more news. My best love to Mum. It is extraordinary to think I shall be home pretty soon after this arrives. Very best love Obbie Letter Twenty-Seven United Service Hotel Christchurch New Zealand March 22 1937 Darling Dad, I have just heard that if I write to you before lunch I can catch the mail to Sydney and the air mail home from there next morning. It will probably be my last letter that way as we move up to the North Island tonight and then only the mails via Panama and America will be any good. I have still not settled about America but I have got my permission from the M.C.C. to return separately and I think I am certain to do so but when I don’t know. My three days in bed on the way to N.Z. did me good but I am still a wreck. The travelling has been very hard lately. We landed in Wellington at 7.0 on the morning of the 17th and spent that night again in a boat on the way down here. We were turned out the following morning at 6.30 and on Friday I was called again at 6.0 to start on my Mt Cook expedition. I was lent a 10 h.p. Austin and with Verity and Bruce Harris I set off. It was 216 miles of hard driving but we got there to lunch. After lunch we climbed Mt Cook a little way and walked on the famous Tasman The letters 94