Rose Croft, Brentwood, Essex - December 21st 1972

Dear R, C, Elephants, pussycats, monkeys and anybody else with bulges in their back pockets. Thanks for the nice photos. I guess my Christmas greetings were a little premature. If not one thing, then another, as Mrs. Wibley would say. I'm afraid I've been rather thoughtless when it comes to sticking the right stamps on certain envelopes ( so Lynne tells me!) and certain that Kenya is still part of the Great British Commonwealth ( all stand up and face Buckingham Palace!) I've been getting away with cheap communications. I do hope you have not been acosted by pygmy postmen demanding reconpence! I shall abide by Her Majesties regulations in future ( Note - thin paper ). The other day, being Sunday, we all strode over to Weald Park in Bill's van and then dragged our feet around the wintry landscape, sniffing the soil and kicking up leaves, squirrels and anything else that lay in our path. It was very muddy but being resourceful chaps managed to negotiate the more hazardous stretches of quagmire by going back the way we'd come. We found lots of interesting fungus that Bill nibbled to see if it was poisonous or not ( He's not so daft as he looks!) And a lovely hollow tree with a very low door and a little round window to peek thru' etc. I'm reading gavin Maxwell's "Ring Of Bright Water" - excellent stuff! I've been wrapping up my Christmas gifts and still making things for people. I'm a little tired of it now tho'. Too much of a rush. Bill and I hitched up to Cheshire a week or so ago to stay the weekend with our old friends Trevor and Jenny, who ow live by the canal in Beeston. It's a beautiful place- the gently sloping hills around with sheeps and cows, and Beeston castle in the distance. The railway line is nearby too, so Trevor is really in his element being a chuff-chuff addict. The local brew is nice too, brought up from a cellar below in big frothy jugfuls, like in days gome by. We visited Chester too whilst we were there - another fine place with a wall that goes round the town and lovely old shops with verandahs and pedestrian walkways, years ahead of it's time! I really felt a comfortable glowing Christmas feeling there in those bustling tiny streets, nothing quite like it for a long time. Soon it will be snowing. Happiness among the animals and growing things.From Michael.