Dee's Letter home from London

14A Randolph Gardens
Maida Vale NW6

My dears -

If you weren't my nice family I should not bother to write regularly, because you never answer my letters - even Neddy has deserted me with a vengeance - I had a few lines from you Mill, one whole month ago when my new nephew was 2 days old & that is all I have heard - need I tell you I feel quite worried when I don't hear from at least some of you - I do hope Alma is alright & the lad behaving like a gentleman - do please, for goodness sake write me all the news at once - fancy I don't even know his name yet.

I'm still hopping around, getting in all the things I missed last year - I went to the Tower of London yesterday - the real tourist - guide book, flat heels & etc. etc. but I'm glad I didn't miss it - it is of course the history of England & I loved it - the Crown Jewels are too marvellous for words - the Crown the King wore at the Coronation seems unreal I just can't believe there are so many diamonds & etc. in the universe - I tried to grad the Black Prince's Ruby - thought of all we could do with it - but the old Keeper was a meany & I couldn't make it.

Today I went to Covent Garden to see the Russian Ballet - I love the ballet better than Opera, & as I'd never been to Covent Garden I seized the ballet as an excuse. Two ballets I had seen before in Sydney, but the other one, 'Francesca de Rimini' was super - the costumes & scenery were superb - the other day I went to see Raymond Massey in 'Idiot's Delight' - it is an excellent show & he is a wonderful artist, I came out in a daze - it is one of those Dictator present-day European situations so I was more than interested. Other than this I have just been relaxing - saving my pennies for the Continent - but I'm having a good old loaf, then I trot off to Hyde Park to watch the world go past & listen to the orators - humans are very entertaining especially over here - really I can't help thinking we're jolly lucky to be born Australians & live in such a grand country - our design for living seems, to me anyway, such a sensible decent one - here this class consciousness is pretty awful - everyone seems to be on a different plane - to a complete democrat it is pathetic - anyway it was very funny on Sunday. Nellie & I decided to go to Regents Park after tea so trotted off & on our way there got mixed up in an intense procession of stern jawed serious males, all swinging along very tensely with miles of policemen for an escort - we got all mixed up with them & as they were going our way we had to fall in -we found out we were swinging along with a batch of Oswald Mosely's silly blackshirts - all with black banners, shirts, drums & etc. - & in front, marching like a leading actor was Oswald himself - he looks rather a nice thing really, it's a pity he gets like this - however, perhaps in this year of grace its just as well to be a Fascist as anything else - whatever one is one never seems to get any place. Europe seems to be backsliding very surely into incurable insanity - never do we get any nearer to solving this problem of how to indulge in peace & normal existence - I'm afraid the English (not British) attitude towards foreigners will never help the situation - I get furious when I see them sneer & bristle with superiority when they meet up with anyone who isn't English - gosh I do sound like a Marxite or something - but don't be alarmed I'm still me, but an experienced & more tolerant (believe it or not) me now - this trip has done me good in every way - I seem, even to myself, to be different - more sedate or something - I s'pose I was a typical example of arrested development before - I'm just waiting until you all tell me a few home truths when I get home.

Nellie is very thrilled about going home, she sails on the 'Orion' on Oct. 8th - she is very well now & quite settled, she is on night duty at University College Hospital specialing - Ween is also specialing in a Nursing Home at Esher & Phyl Sheehy has a case, so the girls are all busy - sometimes I think I want to go back to the bosom of my family, to the heavenly sun, the freedom & nice congenial folk, but I haven't quite enough cash yet - I want to save now & take you all home something decent & after this Continental trip of mine I shall start working again until next summer - I think that is my best plan - anyway I'm not thinking so far ahead - I shall come back when I fell I must - I'm glad Ween & Phyl are here & I think later on I shall join a London Club & come to town - there are lots of Australian lasses here I know & one has miles to do in town - Helen Evans rang the other day - she is just back from Scotland & her two sisters Joan & Ruth are over here now - they have just gone off to Paris together very thrilled - Neddy, Jean Smith rang me the other day, she has a job & she & four other lasses are looking for a flat - I will be seeing her when I return from my trip - I expect to get back about 25th July. I'm wildly thrilled - I just can't believe its me on my way to see all the fascinating spots I've only read about - I'm to be at Victoria Station for No. 1 Continental Train departure at 9.30am Saturday July 9th & we go from Dover to Ostend & pick up the Motor Coach there - there are only eight people going so it will be just a nice party - all English. I'd like a mixture, but people seem to be a little nervous of this Central European Zone however something is urging me to do things in this way, so here's hoping all is well - but don't worry my pets - think of the grand experience I shall gain if I am put in a concentration camp - I'm quite philosophical about my future, so always remember, if anything should happen to me, its my own fault - my curiosity is endless - but I wouldn't change anything for the worlds - I could never have settled down sanely if I hadn't done this - you know that -

This is the eve of the 3rd Test & its raining in wretched Manchester, so heaven knows what will happen - I should have gone up is the tour hadn't started at the wrong moment, but I'll be there in spirit anyway - cheering my pets on -Isn't McCormick doing his stuff - I shall have to tell you how much so & all the details when I get back - you see I'm seeing the English angle & hearing it right on the spot - they, papers & press, almost had impossible things about 'no ball McCormick' as they called him, before the Test began, but he has earned his place well so why worry about a few no-balls - every time he bowled a no-ball in the Lords Test the crowd would laugh all around us - however I reminded them he was worth a few no-balls if he could get 3 English cracks out before lunch - they had to agree - he fielded well for him too - the catch he took in slips to get Ames was a very hot one & the one he caught Wellard was one of those things miles in the air - I never thought he'd get it - he was wobbling about underneath it with his hands out for hours it seemed - I had to hide my eyes - for fear he'd fall or something - I'll bet Don felt like I did, too - and my nice Stan McCabe - gosh what a man in any team - I know he doesn't shine with the glint of a Don Bradman, but he more than pulls his weight - if you could have seen him bowling & working like a black all thro this Lords Test you would understand. Fleetwood-Smith was useless, one good ball in twelve or so, so Stan & O'Rielly had to do everything when Chipperfield went off with his finger - with McCormick to help occasionally - I began to get panic-stricken when Hammond & Paynter went on & on I thought Don would have to bowl himself - but the devil looks after his own. But I do hope all is with us this year again - I'm enclosing a few snaps - the others were no good, but the two I took at Wimbledon of the Team are excellent, don't you think. My pets, I must stop - I've just had a ring from the Travel Place - I've to rush in with my passport - it would appear Hitler has now demanded a Visa on New Zealand passports & the man in the Travel Agency doesn't seem to think there is any difference between the 2 places, so they are rushing my passport up for a visa in case - I'd hate to get to the frontier & be held up - Hitler must be afraid of someone running off with his W. Plan or Code 11 or something - I won't write again until I get back - airmail letters from Europe to Australia cost something like 5/6 so I'll wait until I return - my very best love to every one of you - did you have a nice birthday Mill - a busy one I s'pose - Earle too -

All my love,
Doe