University College London ● Gower Street WC1

Dear Daddy,

I rang you up the other day (I was feeling full of the bond of humanity and was full of other stuff) but you were not in. Happy New Year. I never can remember things like Mamma's birthday in time to do anything about it, but must try to write notes to myself to be opened on 1 December.

I was wondering whether you might still be interested in writing a high school chemistry text. It may be too late, the market is already flooded, and no doubt you are interested in other things. I am applying to the Royal Society Paul Instrument Fund for money to make my new multichannel parallel single crystal diffraction instrument, and to NIH for some running expenses for my project on the structure of molecules affecting cholinergic nervous transmission systems. I have done acetylcholine bromide and I think it very interesting. Peter Waser, Jurg’s brother, is making me some muscarone, a synthetic substance related to muscarine which he has used in his studies on the cholinergic receptors.

I originally thought I would like to come write a book with you if I did not receive these grants. I now think I could come and would like to come even if I do get them, because they will not show up for a year. It would mean coming this summer. It will take me until then to finish the papers I am now doing.

Over Christmas, in three days of 18 hours each, I got my room in the basement cleaned out and ordered, and am now very pleased with it. A paper two years old and rejected by three journals, I finally sent off to the Institute of Physics, and they are going to publish it in the British Journal of Applied Physics. I had to rewrite it and make it bigger. I have done that and I hope it will be published soon. It is on a programming system for large computers. I have written a short paper for Nature on acetylcholine and am now trying to get my co-authors to agree to it.

I have not yet prepared the list of publications for you but shall do so shortly. I am trying to make it longer. I shall need it for these applications.

Perhaps we should write a general science book too. I think we could do a good job. Full of pretty pictures.

Anyway, let me know if you are still interested and can do it this coming academic year.

We had a very nice Christmas at home. Julia did very well and was happy. The children had a quite good time. Julia's elder sister and her 3 large noisy girls came for Christmas dinner. Julia gave a New Year's party which was a great success. I think everyone had a good time.

My friend Willoughby Lathem is going to the Rockefeller Foundation, I think as number 2 in the medical side. He is great fun. He has been here for several years as the NIH man.

If we were to come, it might be convenient to be associated with some academic institution so that I can apply to the NIH for some equipment which I could bring back to England in my suitcase. I might be able to work that. Perhaps Barclay might take me on.

Much love,

Peter

11 January 1966

Dear Linus,

Happy New Year. I am sorry not to write to you sooner. I rang you up the other night but you were out.

If it is not too much of a bore, will you please send me a recent copy of some Hi Fi magazine such as Audio Engineering, a copy of some Model Railroad magazine, and a catalogue and price list of Kumata Japanese model locomotives? What I am really interested in is the models of Interurban electric cars. Kumata seem to have a series of models of these, particularly some Pacific Electric cars.

Please you might advise me on pickups and arms too. What is the current advice in the States? I am getting disappointed with my old GE pickup. I think I shall have to try to arrange an M7N21D. I have an old Pickering arm, and while I was thinking about a new one they are very expensive and I think perhaps I shall just work over the Pickering. It got a bit bashed with all our house building and moving. Actually I have two turntables. The 13" one that I made at Caltech (with help) which is pretty good and I bought a 16" table in a junk shop. I plan to put the 13” one in the living room eventually and use the 16" one myself in the basement, though it is probably not as good as my own little one.

I have got my room in the basement cleaned up and fairly well organized. It is quite nice; I can get some work done. Manual labour (sanding dust) is rather mixed up with paper work, but that just provides old world dusty books.

What is the current advice on loudspeakers? How do Lansing compare?

I wish you would come to London for a while. You would have no trouble getting a job. It would be great fun. We can build a Lotus 7 in the children's playroom, record a year's worth of music off the BBC, you can have a flat in town which I can borrow, we can go sailing on the Mediterranean, etc.

Much love,