13 April, 1958

Dear Mamma,

Thank you for a lovely box of goodies that has come: all sorts of fine cereals and some nice skirts, though I look sort of funny in them. We have the cereals every other day and I love them. On alternate days we have oats porridge so they will last longer. It is terrible that I only like cereals for breakfast. Thomas is just as bad.

Thank you for the offer that you and Daddy made to supplement our income while we were here. It is really very generous of you and I know you could think of other ways to spend the money. I have not yet decided what to say in answer and shall think about it for a while. It seems to me unlikely that I should refuse point blank; I think we should be rather uncomfortable in many ways if we were not supplemented in some way.

Thank you for sending on the magazine Audio which is missing and is probably around someplace.

If it is possible, could you get me a subscription to Consumers Report, that is, get me a membership in the Consumer's Union? How expensive is it? It would not do me as much good as it would were I in America, but it is better than nothing and I am quite interested. Perhaps you could get them to send me the last Annual Guide too.

I think that we should move from this flat, though we could afford it now. It is not really good enough for Thomas, who wants a garden to run in. Also we would like to have more room and be closer to town. It is very hard to find a place to live in London and expensive. We may have to buy a place. It is what most academics do, even for two or three years, since it is almost the only way to find a house or flat.

I am sorry in many ways not to come home. I had wanted to come for a while just to be at home and in familiar places, but I suppose I can stick the big bad world.

We all have colds and I have been in bed for four days. I think I shall get up tomorrow though I am not completely well. I have a great deal to do. We plan to go to Spain from the middle of June to the middle of July and stay in a little shack on the coast. I expect it to be very nice, though perhaps too hot for Julia.

Love from

XXXOOO Peter