Dear Mike - Tues 15th January 1974

Received your letter dated the 8th today, the card and the letters written on the 3rd received on John and Dee's birthday, you couldn't have judged it better. Pleased to know the money arrived O.K. I thought it best to send it in two lots just in case, you are certainly wise to get the right rate of exchange, way back in my period in France it was 177 Francs to the £1, a French soldier got 75 cent: a day and we were getting a £1 a week so we were able to live like gents for about 8 months, used to go along all the bottles in the cafes and soon found out the water and the wine. I would like to see you going along those country roads on your moped, wild thing! How about driving licenses and road tax etc? Are their laws anything like ours re; this? As you say, the Europeans have different ideas about animals and are a hard hearted lot, the Germans were worse than the French, the poor hares used to get a good chasing in the Winter and the hunts were like the fox hunts over here except everyone was on foot, dressed up in a kind of green outfit with feathers in their hats, mad b------. John went out on Saturday 12th and got boozed up; his mates brought him home at 10.30pm. Dee and Steve were here. I was at work. Dee said he was in a state, like death warmed up, his trousers looked like he had crawled from Southend, he slept on the settee until 5.30am when he wasn't being sick. Barbara is sleeping at home for a couple of nights as her John is working away, you can see the ofspring quite a bit now, sideways on. Irene T. was married last saturday, same complaint so we are informed. With ref to John and Dee's card, you posted one on the 3rd as I have already said but your letter of the 8th you said you had just posted it; whose confused? me or you. Just about to do the usual evening cook up, it won't be pig's trotter soup though, can you imagine them facing that; sounds good to me, hope you didn't bend your utensils seeing it off. Will close now, thanks for your letters, we all like to know how you are. Mum comes on her usual days and reads your letters and has a laugh. Cheerio Mike, love from Dad and the rest of the Leighs.