1821 Haro St.
Vancouver, B. C.
April 14, 1940
Dear Mother:
The war seems to be opening up in earnest at last. There was a great deal of excitement last week and the newspapers seemed to turn out several extras a day. I wonder if Sweden will be drawn in to the war—didn’t the papers say some time ago that Norway and Sweden had made a pact the one to support the other in event of war. Just one of those rumours, I guess. I hope the reports on the sinking of all the German boats are correct.
Mrs. Hill tells me that Nigel Pooley has got into the army at last with the Princess Pats. She couldn’t think how he had managed it.
I am afraid that in all likelihood I will be away when Mary comes down. In about 10 to 14 days I am leaving for Ocean Falls and will be away almost three weeks, I imagine. They say Ocean Falls has about the heaviest rainfall of anywhere in B. C. which is an unpleasant thought.
You might as well do what you think best with my spiked shoes. They are no use to me now. I think it would be better if you send the Life Magazine on to Dick as somebody in the house usually gets one.
I also am glad that Grote Sterling was re-elected. Hugh Dunlop seemed to think he hadn’t much chance against the C. C. F.s.
Last night I danced at the Panorama Room. After hearing so much about the place O was very disappointed—I think the floor space for dancing is the smallest I have ever seen anywhere less than half the size of the Mission community hall. Mart Kenney’s orchestra was good but there was such a crowd dancing was quite impossible.
I had eight sets of tennis today—playing rather badly too which was the result of a late evening. In the afternoon Bunny, Dick and I played at the Denman Club for the first time. There are only four courts open for play so far so we had to wait rather a long time between sets. Kay Hill took us around and introduced us to lots of people. Bessie was there and asked whether Mary would be coming down with Eileen. While there a girl came up and said hello to Dick and I. Neither of us recognized her, perhaps because we were thinking in the tennis world, however it was someone from near Calgary that we had known at Varsity.
One of the girls staying here, Verity Sweeney, is the daughter of and Old Haileyburian. I could remember seeing that surname in the “Old Haileyburnian” so when she happened to mention that her father went to school in England I asked if the school was Haileybury.
Last week I have been on the audit of a stock broker company. Two of us spent several days doing nothing but count securities held for safekeeping for clients. A miserable job. One of us must always be with the stock and one of the firms staff is supposed to always be in the same room with us. I had one set of keys to the safety deposit boxes in the bank which was just accross [sic] the street. When we went over in the morning a policeman accompanied us but never during the day or after work so there wasn’t much point to that. Most of the securities were obviously worthless—a lot of oil stock bought in 1929 etc—but there was quite a lot of Dominion Govt bearer bonds which I think should only be kept in a personal safety deposit box. We have to be so very careful in this type of audit it is very difficult to avoid giving the impression that we don’t trust the staff. For instance we are mailing circulars to all the clients telling them what they have and to report any discrepancies. Sometimes a client comes in and the circular can be handed to him direct. But I have to go downstairs and actually see that circular handed to him. Foolish is it not and rather an insult to the staff. Probably another senior would not be so strict in this respect.
Lorna has just asked if I want a cup of tea and having accepted I finish the letter accordingly.
With love from
Tony.