July 4 1915

Dear Mother;

This has been one dandy day. People about here say it is English weather and if it is I can stand lots of it. I have put in a very quiet and restful Sunday. We generally have about the same routine on Sundays. Got up at 8 o'clock and had break?fast. At 8.45 I attended church parade. We have it outside, of course, on the side of the hill. Generally about 1000 men attend, and we always have a band. The sermon, or rather talk, is always short, so the men like it. Then from church 'till lunchtime I read the papers or anything I have handy. Lunch, rather dinner at 1 O'clock on Sundays, other days we have dinner at 6.30 P.M. After dinner a sleep for 1 or 2 hours and then my two chums and myself walked down to Hythe, which is about 1 � miles from camp. There is a lovely beach here so we lay on the sand and sleep or talk. This afternoon it was so nice we went in for a paddle, up to our knees. It was grand on the beach, then at 7.30 PM we had dinner at this hotel, which is a typical English hotel of the better class.
Garfat and I stayed here for two days while the camp was getting into shape, when we first arrived. Now I am sitting here enjoying a nice cigar, and writing to you. We are all writing home so you see we are all good boys.

Father's and Emily's letters arrived last week. I can't understand why you had not heard before that. I am sure I wrote soon after I arrived. However you doubtless have long before this. I might say that the report re our moving to France was quite wrong. We do not intend going over until about the first week in September. We do intend however to change our camp in near future. We will move, probably next week, to another camp at Otterpool, but that will not change my address at all. c/o 6th Infantry Brigade Headquarters will always get me even in France. If you like I will cable you before we leave England.

We had a meeting the other day, of Officer's Mess. The Brigadier seems to be quite pleased with the way I had run things. I had been President of the mess ever since I arrived, but I had hoped they would appoint a committee as soon as possible. However at our first real meeting last week they made me President and Secy-Treas. all in one. I kicked on the idea but Brigadier insisted so I will do what I can. We really do awfully well with eats. We have everything that's going. The strawberries and cream we get over here are delicious. The one thing I miss is ice cream. They don't know how to make that. It is like butter with salt in it and no taste. However they make up in charging what they lack in producing. They charge $1.50 a quart for the stuff. Imagine $6.00 a gal for the darned stuff. It is worth that to eat it.

If you can get a couple of pair of nice soft socks I wish you would send them over. They will be good for the winter campaign in France, as we are certainly going to have one. I wear 7 1/2 shoe so please don't have them too big.

If you think of anything you want to know just write and ask me. There are lots of things I take for granted, and don't bother mentioning.

Hope Em arrived in Winnipeg O.K. I am so glad she is going to have a nice summer. I wish you all could have the same. So you can if you will just get out lots. Get a car by all means. I am out in ours every day and it is fine. I always have a nice ride when I do my shopping.

Lots of love for Father, Alf and your own dear self.

Loving son
Wilbert