Mum & Dad's new house at Waikanae Beach




“Highden.”
Sun. 19th Sept. ’69.

Dear Mum & Dad,

Well, I can write after all! I pleased to hear that you have got a house. It sounds quite exciting. I tried to describe it to Rob. Devlin because he knows Waikanae Beach fairly well – my waving of arms and saying that it had a marcrocarpa hedge around it didn’t bring any images of any house to mind though! Will Francie & Leo be living there? Because if they are, where are you going to put all the visitors?! I suppose you will have to buy milk now – to put in your PINK fridge!!

The “Quaker Girl” looks quite exciting. What did Helen sing like? (I mean how did she sing?) & what was Rick like?

We had our last game of Tagg this afternoon but I couldn’t play because my knee is not yet 100%, but it is getting better every day. All I’m doing now really is waiting for the bruise to go. I can kneel down now. Actually it’s not the knee which is sore, but it’s the thigh where the bruise is (I don’t know why the bruise is on the thigh because I was kicked on the knee but the whole thing is quite interesting). I’m quite proud of it really – especially since I got it in rugby!

Tell Tony that I will get the information on the cattle, etc. after Retreat, but because we are not allowed to speak to the brothers (Novitiate Rule) it’s just a matter of “accidentally” banging into them at the right time. They lost their first cow with bloat this morning (none of the others seem to have any trace of it). All the cattle are in the paddocks now on the grass, and they have already sold about ½ of them. This was the best winter they’ve had for years, so it will be an early hay-making season if they can sell the cattle early for a good price.

We finished exams tonight, & have no study tonight, so that is why we can write. There is a Conge tomorrow, & then tomorrow evening we go into Retreat. It is supposed to be the best retreat of the lot. We come out of Retreat at Breakfast on Monday 29th Sept., the day before you come out of Main Rd. Waikanae.

We have almost finished putting in the new hedge in the Rose Garden.

Rob. Devlin has skinned a kingfisher & he is going to try & stuff it – the problem is, where is he going to get two speckly, green kingfisher eyes from? So if you find any buttons that colour…!

Well, I can’t think of anymore news. “See you” after retreat.

Love from
Bruce

P.S. Don’t over work yourselves packing!
Bruce

P.S.S. Please thank Rick – or whoever renewed it – for the licence.




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