Well here I am once more after experiencing all the delights of being on leave.  For the first day it was kind of hard to settle down again but now all is jake-a-loo.

Well I certainly had a wonderful time while I was on leave.  Of course I told you about missing Leslie in London – That was surely a howling shame wasn’t it.  Just to think that I missed him by five minutes at the Strand Palace.  I have heard from him several times since however and he is quite well etc. etc.

Well as I said before when I landed in Folkestone I had to cable for money.  I had about $100 saved up but had to buy some clothes and I thought that I had better send for thirty pounds anyway.  I cabled from Folkestone and then caught the train to London.  I rushed to the Strand to find Les and just missed him by five minutes.  Naturally when I found that out I felt pretty rotten.  However I met the M.O. of the 20th Capt. Finnlayson – he just graduated in /16 so we hit it off together.  Went to some very good shows which we both enjoyed very much.  I went to the Royal Bank and told them that I had cabled.  The manager recognised me at once and he certainly treated me very very white.  He said that he had received no word of the cable yet but that I could draw any amt.  Well as Finn and I were going to Scotland next day I drew ten pounds and had about five in my pocket.
We travelled to Edinburgh by night leaving Kings Cross at 10.30 and arrived in Edinburgh at 7.30.  We went to the same hotel – The Caledonia where Les and I stayed a year and a half ago.  We went out to Rosslyn Castle a very beautiful old place with two Canadian nurses whom we met.

Without doubt we had the finest meal there that we had had since we left Canada.  It was a real old country affair – magnificent! –

Next day Finn and I with a chap named Malkin whom I knew in Canada.  He was a captain in the 162nd B’n.  Well through him we met an officer from the navy – Commander Hume.  He was awfully nice to us and took us out to the fleet onto his ship.  It was a tremendously interesting sight and also to have everything explained to us.  We saw the Grand Fleet etc.  You will remember that Les and I saw it on our landing leave in England.

Well all the time I was wondering whether I should go to Glasgow and look up the Family relations.  Previous to my coming to Scotland I heard that Leslie had been up.  Well I didn’t know exactly what to do so finally I just caught cold feet & never appeared.  You see though you have often written to us about it I forgot exactly what the relationship was and I didn’t want to go and make an ass of myself by any means.  So finally we returned to London and didn’t see our 42nd cousins –

Several days after getting back I went to the Royal to enquire after my money.  Was informed that £30 was there.  I asked them if I could have it arranged that the previous £10 which I had drawn could be taken from this money.  They were sorry but had already sent my cheque.  So in reality instead of drawing £30 or $150 I have drawn $200.  Well of course I didn’t need that much.  I could easily have spent it but there is no use a fellow making a fool of himself when he has a little money.

So to cut a long story short at present I have to my credit at the Royal Bank in London £20 or rather $100 and some odd cents.  Of course it is just the same there as being in the Royal Bank at home.  Only I am sorry because I would rather have the money in war loan at 5%.  But there is always this way to look at it.  I have a credit at the Royal and I’m a long way from home so I have a little money on the side.  For my next leave I’m going to try and save enough money out here to do.  In my three months in France – Nov, Dec & January I was able to save $100 which isn’t bad.  Well I came back from leave this time without drawing any of my may in advance and at present I have a few pounds credit in the Montreal.  Son on my leave which lasted 16 or 17 days counting the time I spent travelling I spent $200 which I consider pretty reasonable.  If I told a man out here that I only spent £40 he would laugh at me.  But I had a very good time on that much and I wasn’t short of money either.  Besides it costs an awful lot to live in England now.  About three times as much as in Canada, at least that is about how everybody looks at it.

So I wasn’t bad was I? -  Well as usual I went to Parliament and heard a very interesting debate on Proportional Representation – Perhaps you have heard about the P.R. squabble over here.

I went down to Witly for a day – saw Grandy – Jack Tudhope – Dick Harden – all of whom were very fed up.  Would like to have seen young Skid Watson and some of those boys who are in Witly now.

Guess who I met in the Strand?  Young Denzil Montgomery who used to live up by the Collegiate.  He is in the 127th the same B’n as Harry Knox whom he told me was well.
He told me that Harold MacPhee & Grant Thompson were in town – I sent them a note but didn’t see them I was very sorry too.  Also sent Dave Jupp a note – He was on leave but didn’t see him either.

OH.  Grandy told me that he is on draft for the 20th.  So is Gord Gibson – Leslie will be very glad to heard that.  He is coming over very soon now too.  Saw big Sgt. Major Johnston of the 157th.  He is going on the same draft now as Grandy.

Well, dear people here I am back here again now.  It seems to me that this affair isn’t going to last for many more years now.  And then Leslie and I will be back again once more.
When I do get back I wonder what I am going to do with myself.  I realize the fact that I won’t be the boy that I left.  I have had a whole lot of experience already – And it will be up to me to raise my own funds etc. etc.  I worry at times whether I ought to go back to school and take five or six years to even start at a profession.  I think that there will [be] lots of opportunities after the war for young fellows.  I wonder at times whether it wouldn’t be better for me to go into some business – In fact I am a little inclined that way.  However we shall see later on –

Well I must get some messages off now so had better “Carry On”.  Hope that you are well and that life in the dugout continues to be O.K.  Also is Aunt still O.K. or has she recovered from her recent illness – It was her teeth wasn’t it?  And I suppose Gren doesn’t have to come before a Tribunal does he – Tell him to stick where he is anyway.

Well – so long – Mater & Pater for just now – This is a long letter and hope that it hasn’t bored you –