Leaving Stanstead

The family consists of Barbara 14, Sheila 11 & Robin 7. We had a different child each night of the three that she was here. Jen had Barbara & they talked till 11 oc, when some instinct impelled me to look in on them, when I caught them red-handed!! Jen adored Barbara. The next night Gill moved in to the double room with Sheila, who is an utterly bewitching person. Barbara is heavy & fat & jolly - very able, but not imaginative. Sheila is brilliant, fat & good natured, but quick & intuitive, & has always made me wonder whether she had French blood. I asked Guli this time, & it transpired that Jack had a French grandmother! so there it is - she is utterly French - she is excitable, dramatic, vivid, & with the vision & logic of a French child & yet an overlay of Guli's pleasant tolerance & humour, a most charming child.

Guli is a lazy old thing. Sheila announced quite dispassionately that next day she was going to have to have her hair cut off - because it had become matted & she couldn't comb it out. She has the most glorious hair, masses & masses, well below her waist, & I was filled with horror - for matted it was & solid, dusty & felt for about six inches down from the head. Below this the poor child had plaits. I can't understand Guli's letting it get like that. I told her to hold on & let me have a go at it. I couldn't bear to think of her being robbed of that lovely mane. So when it came to her turn to come I went for it, but after half an hour that night I had hardly got anywhere. Do you know it took me two & a half hours, with five short rests, to get the poor head combed our, but I did it, with her most brave co-operation & saved her hair. The children nearly wept with gratitude, but old Guli, though more than grateful, showed no shame!

She is very easy going, but she is a dear, & I felt very sad at her going - for we have seen each other several times & have so much of family & the past to talk about. We had Robin the next day, & it was lovely to see him & Jon together! They tussled & played & laughed & bathed together. All those three days the family was in & out. Roger came up to tea one day, & we sat down nine! I had to cook three complete panfuls of sausages - oh! I wish I hadn't mentioned that darling. Your remarks about Jon's birthday party with cake & "swingers" cut me to the heart. We are told we may eat sausages as they are made out of bits, & couldn't be sent to England, but I often nearly choke as I eat them & think of your beastly "bags o'mystery".

I saw Guli off with a lump in my throat & I admired her - she had to go right down to San Francisco with her family & then spend 5 weeks (I think) at sea - landing in Sydney with only one friend to contact. I feel anxious about her going there - people are rather grim about Burma, but she feels she must be nearer Jack for the sake of communications.