From Howick 11.6.88

From Howick

11.6.88

Dear Alan, Lorna & Girls,

                Sorry to have taken so long to write to you all & to say thank you very much for a wonderful holiday & sorry that you had to lay out so much money on our behalf. We only back here to the farm on Friday afternoon , as we had to visit Uncle Fred, Aunty Myrtle, Aunty Violet, aunty Norah, the Murdocks & Aunty Betty. All were well and send their love – Aunty Betty is very old now & so thin & very unsteady. …………………………………………………We enjoyed our week touring Australia & loved Queensland, Why don’t you move there? It is just like the Natal North Coast & so lovely & warm & the beaches were glorious – we took a day tour to Fraser Island & that to me was far better than Mauritius.

We loved Hong Kong & did quite a bit of shopping & went on a couple of tours which I paid for in SA rands. Mauritius was a total rip off as it was D.B. & B. then you had to pay for everything else even the water you drank & I was so sick for  3 days  & Daddy is quite useless when anyone is sick – I had to tell him what to do for me as I had a raging temperature & couldn’t stop shivering & he thought I had malaria – the day we arrived home Aunty Phyllis rushed me off to the Dr (Dad was fed up wanted me to sit all day at Addington ) & I had bronchitis so I was put onto a antibiotic & it really knocked me for a loop – I am now starting to feel a bit better – I never swam or went into the jacuzzi at Debbie’s I just  slept most of the time. We had a tremendous home coming the plane was delayed for 3 hours so only arrived in Durban at 12.30 am – we were only expecting Neal & there nearly all the family were, well I just broke down as they were all standing there crying too. Aunty Phyllis & Aunty Dulcie were also coming but with the plane being so late they didn’t make it but Aunty Phyllis was at Neal’s before breakfast & stayed until 10 pm that night.

All the family piled us with questions about you all & were only interested in seeing pictures of you all & the video – Debbie cried all through the video.

It is very cold here we have had severe frosts the last 2 days – Aunty Maureen has just phoned & said it has been –6 & –5 there the last couple of nights & there is snow on the berg. We are going to Jenny’s at the end of the week for the kids birthdays. She has only one more exam to pass for her licentiate & she is doing well in her degree. Neal is at tech & doing very well. All the children are well poor old Jonathon missed us so much that he slept in my bed every night & if I went to the toilet he came too & nearly broke his heart because I left the coat a day before to come home.

You should see Jenna doing drummies & while I was  away she was sick so Sheila said to her “what am I going to do with you as I have got to go to work?” so she said “Phone Nana she’ll come & look after me.”

Well no more news for now. Thank you once again for a wonderful holiday.

Love to you all, Dad, Mum & family XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX