Convalesent Camp
Hornchurch
Jan. 17th 1919
Dear Bill
Your letter dated Oct. 20th arrived at the close pho last month another N.Z. Mail came in last Tues. and with it came letter Jess & Nellie who both mention receiving Uncle’s Photo. I hope they arrived in good order. By this time my letters written since the Armistice will have arrived there, tell of my having the Measles & etc. I was sent accross to England since I became well enough and through it all I have been fortunate enough to strike special New Year leave of nearly 12 Days 6 of which I spent with Uncle Willie and the rest I spent touring round a bit more
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of Scotland going as far as Inverness by way of Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and back by the Highland railway through Perth, Stirling, & etc. to Glasgow and hence south via, Carlisle, and the Midland railway to London. At Whitley Bay I found them all keeping pretty well. Uncle Willie was telling me that he has had a rather better business year this time than he had last year; it wasn’t the Tarriff that he was being barred from raising, it was the rent on his house property at Gateshead which he has let, and now he tells me that he been given 6 months notice to leave the house in which he is at present; the owner has offered the place for sale and in the event of him not selling he,
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(the owner) may require it as a residence for himself, still, Uncle Willie says that is a possibility of him not have to shift at all, but he would know sometime soon as to whether he would or not. It would be a bit awkward for him if he had, for, he may not be able to get another house in Whitley and then, he would have to go back to his own in Gateshead. The weather was pretty cold while I was there this time one day there was a heavy fall of show in the midlands but none at all in Newcastle though it rained there most of the day. i didn’t feel the cold very much between N’Castle, and Aberdeen but beyond the latter it was pretty cold again Aberdeen is a nice
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Town built chiefly with granite blocks and has a very clean and new appearance, unlike Edinburgh which is almost black with age and smoke, there is not much to seen between Ab’d’n and Inverness the latter isn’t much of a City but is nicely situated on the banks of the Ness. I may visit this place again later and take a trip through the Caladonian Canal to Oban this trip is much recommended. There is some snow covered mountainous country to be seen from the mid Highland railway but it isn’t any way near as precipitous as what we see in N.Z. all through the agricultural parts of Scotland was to be seen the two horse plough at work; I didn’t see any ploughing which would not catch the eye of an N.Z.
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ploughman at a local match there; it was all so straight and well turned. At Glasgow, I stayed two nights visited the Shipbuilding Yards of Elder & Co. at Fairfield, on Clyde saw various boats under construction including 3 submarines. Glasgow is a busy bustling City and one good thing about it, it has splendid wide street which mostly run at right-angles like those of Melbourne and Invercargill. You will probably have heard from Mary that trying to get my discharge here in England. I dont know yet whether I will get it or not but should know soon now such applications have to be approved of by the N.Z. authorities, should I get this I will be granted leave with a free railway warrant such as is granted on discharge in N.Z.
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It is my intention to return by way of Canada, there is a large number of men in this camp just now waiting for troopships about 500 are going from here tomorrow to catch the Zealandic at London. You will be able to find out from Mary what my future movements are and my address & etc. I hear that the terrible Plague of Influenza has been playing havoc around about Wyndham. I hope you have all managed to escape it. Well, I have written all that I can think of just now so will stop trusting you are all keeping well
Your affect. brother
John Hall
