22 September 1936

Dear Mother:

I spend most of my time here at Canada House when I am not wandering about the city. I think I will open an account here for some clothes if I can because I certainly cannot turn up at Reading looking like a tramp.

There is a low-lying fog on the ground, but it is not cold.

Today I haven't enough money to pay next week's board, but if I get the money wired to me I shall be all right.

I met a girl here from Ponoka named Jean Strang. Her father is the bank manager at Ponoka. She says she will be glad to get home.

Frank Mills of Calgary told me today that he is going to Sweden on a walking tour for two weeks while waiting to hear result of Air Ministry enquiries.

Kaarsburg, one of the Calgary boys from the Aero Club who arrived recently, went immediately to the Spanish Consul here to see if he could get a job with the Spaniards in the war. What a chap!

I hear the Calgary Aero Club has a new plane and that Kepler is installing a radio for the club.

I read the other day about the speed of training at Civil Schools. It seems they go solo about eleven hours and two weeks later are rolling, spinning and looping like veterans. I hope so. I can hardly wait to get my hands on the joy stick. Up to the present the R.A.F. have been concentrating on bombers for offence, but now they are developing more fighter squadrons so I expect to be posted to fighter squadron. I hope so. It would surprise you to hear the number of R.A.F. planes flying about blind in the fog.

I visited the R.A.F. field at Hendon the other day and saw some real flying. At first I couldn't see anything - then I heard a deep moaning, like a cry of agony and six twin-engined bombers flew over my head dropping right out of the cloud - wind whining on the wires.

About thirty fighters followed - streaking along - Hawker Furies - Boy! What a screaming racket, but it sends a thrill right through you when you see the British Circles and know you are a part of it.

The planes broke formation and dived, spun, shot up like rockets in upward rolls - how they missed each other was a wonder.

Could they land. Came in any old fashion, one after the other. They would side-slip from a 1,000-foot fishtail from side to side to lose speed and then settle three point. They even looked a bit cheeky.

London is lovely in autumn, with leaves falling, but the grass is deep green.

My meals are:

Breakfast 9:00 a.m. porridge

1 slice toast

pot of tea

egg and bacon

Lunch 1:00 p.m. 1 plate meat, vegetable

pudding

water

Tea 9:00 p.m. tea and piece of cake.

Boy! Do I starve. I don't get enough to grow pimples. At least my complexion is clear.

It costs a fortune to wash clothes, over $1.00 a week, not counting suit and trousers.

I am so hungry at 5:00 p.m. that I go to bed and sleep till 9:00 p.m. for tea. One time I woke up at 1:00 a.m. and missed 9:00 p.m. tea. I nearly starved to death.

Bread costs 18 cents a loaf Canadian money and milk about 11 cents a pint - what a country!

If you want to reduce, come to England. If I ever get back to Canada, I shall eat for four hours stead. No second helpings here either.

I am naturally in a hurry to get to Reading so I can get a good meal.

When Mr. Bamborough says this is an expensive neighbourhood, he's talking through his hat. There are actually slums two streets away. Mr. Bamborough told me that he never stayed in London - only passed through it. What does he know about it anyway?

It would cost a couple of shillings to visit his friend Mr. Brown. It is about thirty miles or more away from where I live in London.

I have never seen either end of London yet. It is just one mass of buildings in every direction.

There are many jobs open here, but they won't pay anything to the young fellow or girl. Waitresses and girls generally are in great demand. There are many positions open with the Metropolitan Police, navy and army.

I feel might lonely, but I'll get over it in the R.A.F. Wish I was back home with mother, but Calgary would seem like a one-horse town to this and one can't get anywhere without risks.

I would hate to be born, live and die in the same place anyway. It is really wonderful the different types of people one meets.

Most of the English are strikingly polite and act like real gentlemen. It is supposed to be a crime here to go without a hat, but I see many young fellows doing it, but never a man of thirty or more.

Most of the people here at Canada House come from Toronto -Eastern Canada finds it much more reasonable to travel I expect.

Well write often

Love Bill
How's Ronny?