Gubby Under Pressure

My very best love to you and Mum Obbie P.S. Cable me if any news about Pat. Letter Twenty-Nine Hotel Waitomo Waitomo Caves New Zealand March 29 Darling Mum, Having failed to write to you for so long I will try my best now though my letter-writing powers are sorely exhausted. I am told that with a little bribery of the already grossly over-paid government officials this letter may catch the Australian air mail and reach you on April 17th. Anyhow I hope so. I wrote Dad a very hurried letter just before I left Wellington outlining my probable plans for my return journey to England and I hope he gets the letter all right. I wrote all that to him as I know he likes those details and I thought you would not. This will be the last letter via Australian air mail so you will hear nothing more from me until April 26th when the team returns. I think I wrote and told Dad about my rather hurried trip to Mount Cook. The drive was disappointing but Mt. Cook itself and the glacier were worth seeing. I did very little of interest in Wellington except meet the famous Mrs. Freer, the lady who was refused entrance to Australia and rocked the community, and Angela Downey almost the King’s sister-in-law. Rather a curious contrast. To look and talk to I would say Mrs.F was a badly treated woman but it is a well guarded story and no one seems to know the truth. Her husband, I gather, was a thorough scoundrel and his and her careers have been muddled up. To say that she was attempting to break up the happy home of the Dewars is ludicrous. Everyone in Australia knows that he was made by the family to marry the girl and there were many before him who might have been compelled to do so for the same reason. Angela Downey’s (née Scott) gossip about the abdicated King was foolish. She says he has mortgaged the Duchy of Cornwall for 3 years and left a bill at Cartier’s for $8,000. She also says she believes he was mentally unbalanced at the end. D of York wanted a form of regency for a few months so that everyone in the country should be certain whether they wanted the King to abdicate or not but Baldwin wouldn’t think of it and rightly so. B said that that would start a King’s Party which would always be a danger and might wreck the monarchy. We came up here last night and spent this morning going round the caves all of which, with great exception to the glow-worm grotto, were very disappointing. Will be seeing you soon now. Saw and liked Tom Corde in Wellington, who sent you his best love. Love Obbie Letter Thirty Oceanic Line April 16 1937 Darling Mum, Please excuse the pencil but I think if you knew the circumstances you wouldn’t mind. Last night we ran into a pretty strong head wind and today has been a day of doubt, doubting whether is is safe to try and stand up or just lie down and wait. Actually we have not had a bad voyage. It is quite a nice ship but the organisation and service is non existent. I have done practically nothing except play bridge or sleep and feel a good deal better for it. I reckon I was nearer to a mental storm when I came on board this boat than I have ever been or ever shall be again I hope. I have held the world’s worst cards all the way home and am lucky to have only lost about ×2 or 3 altogether. There are some quite good contract players on board and I have enjoyed playing with them but I spend most of my time playing with our own lot as they have all lost so many times to me during the trip that now that the news has got around that I am holding ‘muck’, they all want to try and get their revenge. Actually I have held wonderful cards until just lately and have won, mostly in Melbourne and on the “Orion” on the way out, a good £30 or £40. I was thrilled to get Dad’s cable at Honolulu about my NIECE. I rushed straight into the dance hall and stood most of the ship drinks The letters 96