Langs’ Beach

Waipu, N.Z.

03-03 – 73

Dear Donald,

We were more than pleased to get after Christmas letter bearing your family news. This must be a riposte of a kind – an after birthday reply, but at least bearing witness that you were not forgotten, and also bearing loads of good wishes from us all. (Elsie,Myra,Hilda)

Do you remember, when you were very young, Hilda used to say she could easily recall the birthdays – Donald on 3rd, Smithy 4th, Anne 5th, Hector 6th. Smithy of course was her famous cat. She really invented he birthday. He had many tricks – tapping on a window to be allowed in, etc. He was a Manx and highly intelligent – just couldn’t quite talk! He came from the Dr. Ventry-Smith family of Whangarei – hence the “Smithy.”

Do your folks keep you posted on the developments up here? In the last week or two we are hearing the noise of the bulldozers and seeing the changing shape of the land to the south – or is it S.E.? – end of the beach. The scars will heal with time. The old boat sheds are fading away.

You should be here for a dip in the same old ocean. It is especially popular this summer, the hottest we have had for years. And the windiest – and dustiest. Sydney must be sizzling.

Love to Jean and the two nice children. Bring them all to see us soon, won’t you? And to yourself, love and “slainte and slainte and slainte again” – in the words of the old wassail.

Myra