21January1996

My dear folks,

Just a shorty. I have woken & supped & must shortly take myself into the night to earn a living. Jones is clearing up in the kitchen, with half an eye on the telly. A documentary programme is recording the history of the secret support given by Stalin to Kim il Sung of North Korea in the 50s - after the North Koreans & their Chinese backers came under pressure from the UN forces. Now elderly pilots from both sides are recalling their combat missions. It’s an era I know little about although I was alive & kicking at the time.

Jones has at last managed to get in a visit to Waterperry. We drove up yesterday for lunch & walk. It was cold, around 3*C, with a sharp wind that made it feel much colder. Jones had on her usual three coats, your blue one on top, Cathy, & was buried inside a woollen cap with attached scarf. I might have been wise to follow her example. We walked fast to keep the blood circulating, across the fields & through the lovely village of Waterstock. The gardens, normally rainbows of colour, had little to show for themselves. They were pinched by the winter. It was easier coming back, with the wind behind us & a second round of refreshments to look forward to. Waterperry makes cheese scones that Jones just adores. They’re pretty good, if I say so myself.

I choose warmer clothing (Dad’s overcoat, Mother) for another outing today. We were invited to lunch by friends at the Beeb who live a brisk 90 minutes away on the river.
We headed across Hyde Park - lots of French tourists braving the elements - & then through the back streets as far as possible. London is so big that one can visit different streets every day for years & these were certainly new to us. The friends did us proud, giving us an excellent lunch. They stayed with us in Portugal last year & have booked to come again this summer. They have 2 children, both beautiful & highly articulate. 4-year old Lily thinks the sun shines out of Barbara’s eyes & insisted that she should be down in Portugal again this year. We were able to reassure her. Then home again - with some assistance from a passing bus - for a nap. And that’s about the size of things.

Love you lots
T