Letter number 12.

[postmarked London WC ... Nov 27 1924 in envelope marked]

Australia House.

Dear Everybody,

This issue is to be for the whole family as I have not time to write individually or even to two of you. Since last writing I have not received any mail from Aussie except for Fred's record breaker of 4 pages full of news for which I thank you.

I am still having a good time of course but Bill is in dock again. Keep this little lot strictly to the family as I do not want anyone else to know as should it get back to the Treloar family they may be annoyed. It is nothing serious but he was not improving as rapidly as he though he should and attributed it to the old trouble of his nose and so saw a specialist here who advised an operation to remove a septum from the back of his nose that prevented the normal use of his nostrils and the matter was being swallowed and perhaps poisoning his stomach that way. He went into a private hospital on Sunday last and was operated on last Monday morning. He was pretty sick for a couple of days but yesterday and today has been as fit as possible and a bit better now I think than ever before and he thinks so too which makes a lot more noise than what I think as now it is only a matter of his mind over his ailment.

I go twice a day to see him and try to keep him cheered up so that keeps me going some and leaves little time to write letters as hospitals do not exist in the heart of London and I have a long way to go to see him. Excuse the scribble but I still have to write to Mrs Treloar and make some excuse for Bill not writing.

The fact of not telling them is Bill thinks they will worry and think he is not as well as he is and he does not want that as in reality he is nearly right again.

In the intervals between going up to see Bill I have been looking around this little old place and general seeing the sights. It is always smoky and cloudy in this place of course and to see anything you have to get right on top of it.

I employ the bus service to get around on and last Sunday we went to the Crystal Palace and saw it from the outside only as there is nothing on there at present. It is a wonderful place built entirely of glass and covers quite a few acres. We also saw the fine Westside homes at Wimbledon and Putney and also the old women's shopping centre at Tooting. I think I told you in my last letter that I had seen over the King's Stables so I will not repeat myself.

Bill will not now come to Paris with me as he has been advised to get out of the cities until his nose is quite healed again so intends going straight to Cornwall and let me go to Paris on my own if I am unable to find a mate to go with me. I will get there somehow even although I go alone as Bill will be quite alright down in Cornwall with his people. and I will follow down there for Xmas and perhaps New Year.

I have just had two good suits made and so I look the cat's whiskers these days and I now have sufficient clothes to last me for ages to come.

Well must close this up and pen a few lines to Mrs Treloar. Hoping you are all well and that the summer is not too hot as yet.

Love to all

Gordon

Letter number 13.

[Regent Palace Hotel, Piccadilly Circus, London, W1 postmarked London W1 Dec 3]

3rd Dec 1924

Dear Family,

I received a letter from both Mother and Father and as I owe Fred one this letter will serve to answer all I hope as letter writing while on these trips is still inconvenient. We had had no mail from Aussie for a fortnight until yesterday so it was good to know everyone was well at home and Father should be quite an apt pupil for Yankee slang judging by his outburst that preface his remarks on the back of Mother's letter. It is also pleasing to hear that the natural increase in the McMullen family was not attended by any accidents. I hope Fred gave a good account of himself at White City and that his surf career is still showing the same success as he was enjoying around the Spring Carnivals. It is bad luck Mother being the only worker these days but should you want a holiday and there is sufficient in the old account of mine why fire ahead but leave a quid or two for my return as I may want a few bob until I earn a bit and on my return you had better bring a fiver to the boat as I may want it to go through the Customs as I have bought quite a few things that I am bound to be forced to declare and they may not accept English money.

Well since last I wrote quite a lot of time has been taken up in visiting Bill but that is now all over and he came out of hospital yesterday morning and is feeling very well but still a bit weak after his week in bed and is off the Cornwall on Monday next and leaving me on my own for 10 or 12 days when I shall join him down there after seeing Paris and the battlefields of Flanders and Belgium. I will then stay in Cornwall for Xmas and N. Year and come back to London to catch the "Ormonde" on 3rd.

I had quite an interesting afternoon with all the notables at Mme Tussaud's Wax Works last week and thoroughly enjoyed it as the representations are really lifelike even to Stanley Bruce, Bill Massey, the heads in the Byswater case, Bill Tilden and their Majesties in full robes of office. I think everyone of note in the world is there and lots of the ropes that hanged some of the said notables also.

Another interesting afternoon was spent in the sorting rooms of the London GPO and it sure is a wonderful place with four basements and 6 floors where they handle 366 thousand million letters per year. Their machines for cancelling the stamps on letters handle 300 letters per minute each and they have lots of them going all the time.

We still have to see the Tower of London and the Mansion House. The latter is where all the plate etc. of the Royal household is stored and where State receptions are held so that should be interesting and we are hoping to do both of these places this week as on Monday I track Bill to Cornwall in the morning and I think attend a jazz at the Savoy at night on Tuesday I hope to see over Cambridge Uni or see a footy match between Oxford and Cambridge and then on Wednesday to go to France.

If possible we are going to see the Sth Kensington Museum but as it was full of historical relics, Tutankamen recoveries and Musty books it did not over impress me as my idea of a museum is a place full of stuffed animals and showing different stages of mankind etc. and not filled with musty books written by some bird who died B.C. and did the deed in a language as dead as himself.

I have a great time here in the tubes. They are great affairs and much better cleaner and nicer than the Yanks. Passengers go down to the trains in lifts + are about 200 feet underground. The system leaves no room for any person who can read and is intelligent, taking the wrong train and they sure do move. Last Saturday we went to see a football match out at Richmond between Oxford Uni and London Scottish and took the underground and were there is not time although to take a bus or tram there would have taken over an hour. Oxford got *towelled up but then Pup Raymond was not playing for them although most of the best players that day were Rhodes scholars from Aussie and N.Z.

I note Chas brought his girl out to you for approval one night but you are evidently not over shook on my sister-in-law to be as you did not give me your idea of her.

I will also bet that the Terrigal party of his did not come off as Bowie would forget to get his holidays or some other thing that seems characteristic of that person.

Well that is the lot I can think of so will close this missive up hoping you both enjoyed the Bulli trip. What did you think of the Pass?

Hoping all well

Love from

Gordon

Yesterday we had a London fog. It is all we have heard of it and more. It rained in the morning and about 12.30pm it came down a beaut fog. I went out to lunch at 1.45 and the street light were on and also the electric signs and the lights of vehicles. It was just like night with gusts of the soupy stuff called fog all around. They stayed on until night fall and I have not been out today so do not know what the weather is like today but it certainly is brighter.

This weather would kill me in about 12 months and I am longing for the sunshine again - hope to be lucky enough to get some in Paris next week.

I am going over on my pat if I cannot find a mate but think I have one, a young NZ doctor of about 25 summers so we should have a good time.

G

Letter number 14.

[Letter written on "Licoricine" (acts like magic) note paper. Printed around a white window is: "Cures Coughs Colds and similar complaints. Painting novelty. The Aquagraph. Acts like magic. You will be surprised. Directions: Get your water colours, or ink, or Mother's blue bag, or even pencil will do. The blue bag must be wet. Use an old bit of rag with the ink, or paint with the water colours, from top to bottom of blank space and with magical results. If you have any difficulty, write to: Mandall and Co. Stepney Rd, Newcastle on Tyne. Provisional patent applied for."

Note: contained in very small formal envelope without stamps, postmark or other markings.]

[starts on obverse] 'and I still have to find an envelope'

11/12/24

Dear All,

Do not get a shock when you see my new paper but the fact is that am on my way to Paris and on reading the paper in the train saw a mail was going out today at 6pm will post this from Folkstone if possible and let you know that I am still O.K.

Bill has gone to Cornwall and I join him on 23rd after seeing a bit of the continent.

London has been under a fog for 36 hours now and it is a wonderful sight to see the electric signs shining dimly through the soupy stuff at midday. It is supposed to be the worst fog for many years and I can tell you it is none too nice to [take/toxic] anyway. I have still been flying around London and on Sunday went to see some friends of the Treloars at Bushey on Sat we saw the old AJF headquarters and ye olde curiosity Shoppe down Portsmouth St.

On Monday we saw Cambridge Uni and went all over the Colleges which of course was most interesting and enjoyable. On Tuesday I spent the morning fixing up this trip and in the afternoon saw Oxford/Cambridge football match. It was a good match and O won 11 to 6 and I barracked for the winners.

Yesterday I spent at the fat cattle show and saw some of the King's prize herd which of course won out there too. They have some great animals in this country. On Thursday last week we went to the Tower of London and had a great time with the Crown Jewels etc contained in that wonderful [old] place. That is all that has happened since last I wrote I think so will leave the subject of sightseeing and go on to generalistics instead.

We are having quite a good time still enjoying London more every day I think as the place seems to grow on one I come back here on 20th and leave for Cornwall on 23rd and then back to sail on 2nd Jan so this is one of the last letters you will be getting from me as I should be home about 2 weeks after you receive this. Well hoping you people are all well and thanking the Strand Magazine for the paper I will close. Love regards Gordon

[superscript: 'I summoned an envelope from a chap in the carriage but the inventory is not too good ']

Letter number 15.

[note enclosed: toothpick from "Au Bon Accueil" 7, Rue du 29 Juillet. St-Petersbourg]

12th Dec 1924

Dear All,

I really did try hard yesterday to write to you and I will enclose the effort with this as further evidence. It was impossible for me to post the missive though as the fog made us late and so had to rush through Folkestone and Boulogne without getting a chance to get near a Post Office and finally arrived in this gay city of Paris at about 6 last night or in the words of Continental time 18 hundred as they take the full twenty four hours from midnight.

It was quite a novel trip across from London as the fog was so dense leaving Victoria Station they put detonations on the line for miles and then went very slowly. The fog lifted a bit just outside Folkestone and we sailed into that station at a great pace. Before the boat left however the blanket was down again and we went miles past Boulogne before the skipper found out and so back we went to the screaming of foghorns and whistles finally docking about 2.30. The Customs were again easy and I seem to be lucky as so far my boxes have not been opened at all and I am frightened it is all being saved up for me until reaching Sydney when I will have quite a lot to declare.

Well off again in the train to Paris and she sure is some flyer. I think the fastest train I have ever been in and we got to Gare du Nord in a little over two hours. As the fog had lifted in France I got quite a good look at the scenery on the way down. At Gare du Nord my troubles began as these Frogs do not speak French the way I do and it was hard work telling the taxi where I wanted to come to but I finally succeeded and landed in the pub where they spoke English a little before 6 o'clock and a bit tired. Later a chap dropped in whom I was expecting and after dinner adjourned to one of the shows - The Casino. That little town in N.S.W. does not know it is alive in comparison and I will tell you more of the show when I return as it would look under written down in black and blue.

Well after the show we adjourned to a very nice little cafe where a lot of the theatre folk attend and a very nice end was put to a splendid evening.

As it was not early when I went to bed this morning my arrival at the breakfast table was long delayed and so I have just returned from a walk around and lunch, to write this letter.

Tonight I hope too see the bright lights of Monte Matre and then to bed as tomorrow I do the trip around Paris and Versailles and also Eiffel Tower so must be in good nick for it.

On Monday I leave Paris for a day or two to see over the battlefields around Arras and Amiens Camrai etc and return on Tuesday night so that will be that. and our Saturday I leave Paris for London and take my trip la premiere per air as it is my intention to fly to Croydon and then into London that way. It is a much quicker trip and nicer I hope as I shall be in London in 3 hours from here whereas it took me 11 the other way.

Well that is all the news so I will close down hoping you are all well,

Gordon.

Letter number 16.

[7 page letter in envelope marked with name of hotel and postmarked 15th ?Rue Gluck Hotel St-Petersbourg]

15th Dec 1924

Dear Everyone,

So this is Paris and I have now had 4 days finding my way about a foreign city where they do not speak the same language we do and so it makes matters most complicated. So far I have done very well and have seen nearly everything there is to see in this city and so after spending the next two days on the battlefields I think I will go back to England on Thursday as it is very tiring trying to make these froggies understand what I want and besides it is most expensive living around these parts.

There is no doubt this is the gay city of the world but to live here and see the sights would cost a fortune in no time.

This letter is only three days after may last and the reason I am sending this so soon is because I have seen so much in the last few days I am afraid of forgetting some of the things if I delay too long.

I think this last item of interest was the Casino de Paris in my last letter where the lassies run around in their birthday suits so I will carry on from there.

On Friday morning I went to the bank and saw around the city per boot and later wrote some letters and had a sleep. At night I again sent on the ran tan and saw Mont Matre by night. It is a peculiar part of Paris that is absolutely dead until midnight and then seethes with people all going to cabarets etc where they stay until daybreak it seems. We saw it early first and went to Café du Neant where we drank beer off coffins and later witnessed our burial and decay and later the 3rd day. It is very skilfully done and quite amusing if you are not of the nervous type. The illusions are marvellous and to see a chap from the audience become a skeleton before your eyes is quite good.

From there we went to Le Ciel and L'Enfers (Heaven and Hell). The former is good as angels fix you up with beer and then take you for a trip through Heaven this time accompanied by St Peter who has the Keys for all departments.

On leaving this Mont Matre was awake and night life was in progress and we attended one of the cafes where we had more beer.

Do not think from this that I am on a jag as such is not the case as French beer is more mild that water if possible and has no effect on one.

Again I got home with the milk but quite satisfied with my nights amusements.

All this must be an experience that cannot be obtained anywhere else in the world and so I am going it hard for the few days I am here.

On Saturday I did the round trip of the sights of Paris. Starting at about 10.30 we saw nearly everything of interest commencing with the church the St Madeleine, Arc du Triomphe where the unknown French warrior lies with an ever burning light at his head. Down through Champs Elysees and Bois de Boulogne to see the great race course of Longchamps and the Eiffel Tower which we ascended and got a great view of Paris from the clouds. From there to the Trocadero which Napoleon built to commemorate his victories and then on to see the last resting place of that gentleman.

After lunch the Louvre where all the great pictures and paintings are and then to the Notre Dame where we saw thousands of pieces of the treasures given to the church by the Kings of other days. This church is the most beautiful I have ever seen and the windows are marvels of colours.

Leaving that we did a trip thought the Latin quarter and back to the hotel though Place de la Concord where all the executions of the Revolution took place. It is a most magnificent square with fountains and gardens everywhere.

At night we saw the wax works of the city but they do not come up to the Mme Tussauds' of England as far as figures go but they do have some remarkable illusions there. One is especially good done in a glass room where lights are continually changing and also the scenery. Then it was an early night and I wanted it.

Yesterday was Sunday and we did the trip to Versailles to see where the Peace Treaty was signed. Leaving the hotel by car at 11am we went out through Champs Elysées and Bois de Boulogne to St Cloud and then on the our destination. It is a wonderful Palace built in the reign of Louis XIV and improved through the reigns of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. All (or nearly all) their furniture is still there and to be seen on payment of endless tips to guides who explain them. The gardens are the finest in the world I suppose must look the goods in spring and summer time.

Yesterday the lakes and fountains were encrusted in thin ice and the trees were bare of course. From there we went on to the Grand Trianon which was a smaller palace built by Louis XVI and he later built the Petit Trianon for Marie's own use. She in turn built a model village where she played houses and had her own model dairy farm etc. It is still all there and we saw through everything returning to the pub about 4.30. Last night I did not go out at all and retired early.

This afternoon I will go a bit of shopping and have an early night as I leave at 7.30 in the morning for Arras.

This "we" I have been using thought this later refers to different people. One a guide and there on the trip around Paris was also another Australian and his wife and they were to be in the party yesterday the other fell sick and could not go and has gone to England today.

That is all the news I think so will close up hoping all well and that I have not bored you too much that this long account of places visited but I will want this on return to tell you all the things I have seen.

I have not had any mail from you for some time but that is my fault as I told the Wales to keep my mail until I return from Paris so will get some I hope on Friday when I return

love to all.

Gordon.

Letter number 17.

[2 pages, small envelope, no postmark]

23/12/24

Dear All,

Back again from gay Paris and down in Cornwall for Xmas where I am having a great time. Bill's relations sure are kind hearted and they cannot do enough for one. I leave this family on Sunday next and go to some others and from there I go back to London on the night of 1st and sail for home on 3rd so this will be the last letter you will receive from me before I return so this will be short and so will give you details later.

I had a great time in Paris but was glad to be back in an English speaking country again and my return to London was like coming home.

There are only a few instructions necessary I think and the chief one is to bring that fiver along to the boat when I come back as I may find difficulty in getting Australian notes on the boat and besides one never can tell and I may be broke. Also have a car there as I do not want much to have the trouble of finding a carter as I only have one trunk a suitcase and a small parcel or two and therefore not worth while making two jobs of shipment home.

Everyone is very busy here now and feasts are the order of the day. Xmas commenced last Sunday and finishes next Sunday so imagine the turkeys, ducks and chooks that have suffered.

Bill goes to town (Helston) today and we are bringing out the new car (Ford) he has bought. He is slowly improving I think but will take some time to regain his normal health and I do not think he will return much before our summer next year.

We must away and decorate the church so will have to close this and leave the news for a day or two until I return. Hoping you are all well as I am at my best.

Love to all,

Gordon