Letters From New York
“D Day” eve 27th May 1968
Well, at the very least, this promises to be my last epistle from New York and, since it is written under some pressure, you’ll have to take it as it comes. Your letter arrived on Friday and was couched in much the same terms as Nanna Rogers’ “well I won’t be writing to you any more there”. It has been quite a hectic couple of weeks but seems to be coming to something of a climax now.
Am commencing this at the office (as always on deck until the last minute) but really haven’t had too much to do for all of 2 weeks. There’s been plenty of organising elsewhere, however, and I haven’t been at all slack in arranging all the finer details. Joan, too, has been working like a navvy and was virtually on her own the week I was so ill. Recovering quite slowly – still tire very easily (and the pressure hasn’t slackened) and the last vestiges of the wog are still eking out some sort of existence in my body. It was a real dilly and quite the most debilitating illness I’ve had.
Well, at home now, with barely a stick of furniture about that we can call our own. Using the boys’ old desk (which we’re leaving) to write on; seated on borrowed folding chairs. Michael & Helen are sleeping on a borrowed camp bed & cot respectively & Jenny will be thrown in between Joan & I on a borrowed double bed mattress on the floor. Anthony & Phillip are staying overnight at a boy friend’s house & Catherine with the Bartels. The neighbours and our friends have been, as always, marvellous and we’re really going to miss the very wonderful associations we’ve had here. Handed the car over yesterday – much to my sorrow, for it has been so good to us – and finally got rid of the washing machine on Saturday. Didn’t make a fortune on anything we sold but was better to have got some return than to give them away.
Had a wonderful party given in our honour on Saturday evening by one of our Australian friends and though principally Australians, there were a few “foreigners” and some delightful international cooking. We left the kids babysitting themselves and they were absolutely marvellous. It turned out, however, to be a very late night and left us somewhat wrecked for all the work we had to do on Sunday in preparation for the removalists coming in today. Where we thought we might get away with, at most, four suitcases for the train journeys we will, in fact, have to take six besides the individual hand pieces which each of the biggies will have to handle. That, of course, leaves me some job. Our itinerary is Depart New York 10.30PM Tuesday 28th; Arrive Montreal 8.00AM depart 2.00PM Wednesday 29th. Arrive Vancouver 11.40AM Sat 1st June Depart 8.00AM Sunday 2nd. Arrive San Francisco 9.55AM Tues 4th June Depart 11.00AM Sat 8th. Arrive Sydney Sunday June 30th at 11.00AM after stopovers in Los Angeles (1 day); Tahiti (2 days); Bora Bora (1 day); Rarotonga (1 day) & Auckland (2 days). Exotic eh what!! |
 Canadian Pacific train, Cathy, Anthony, Michael, Phillip. 29 May 1968 |
The kids are enthusiastic but there are going to be some hearts broken at our departure. I was given a wonderful sendoff at the UN on Friday and was presented with a beautiful silver casserole with pyrex bowls, and some moving speeches. Quite obvious my stay there was well thought of and the door is obviously wide open for my return if I so desire. Have been wined & dined all over town over the past week or two and there’s been a succession of farewells in the Village. All in all a quite hectic social existence.
Will of course keep you posted as we journey ever nearer to home. Have the kettle boiling.
Love,
Bill
Dear Mum, Not much left for me to say, Bill has given you all the news inside so by the time you receive this you can say “They’re on their way home now”. Must be off to bed Mum, we are very tired.
God bless, lots of love,
Joan