1 7 West-Cliff. 1stNov. 1915 Dearest Mamma, I was glad to get your letter & all
the enclosures sent in this week from Terry, Emma,
etc. were so nice to get. I have forwarded them on
to Celia. I send Helen's back. We have had awful weather this week, blowing & raining
cats & dogs, it is very difficult & these conditions to
grope one's way about after dark especially where
we are on the sea front where no lights are allowed.
Fortunately a Miss Need is here & occupies Miss
Roberts. She is a great talker, & full of information
about people especially 'country people & royalties'.
She was terribly upset about the King's 'accident' &
makes remarks like "Ah, I see Queen Alexandra has
been to such & such a place, I was sure shewould
be there!" but she is a decent soul & quite nice
to me & I welcome any visitors. Who did I meet in the town one day but Mrs Linda
Johns, quite sane looking & nicely dressed. Her
brother lives here & she has taken a cottage somewhere
not far off. She had had all her front teeth removed
& was having others in the day after! 2 I met Mrs Bayford again yesterday & she asked
me to go & see her in a farm house at a village
just outside Eastbourne where she has taken refuge
now, her caravan being no longer comfortable.
Everyone is very kind & I feel I have a few friends
now. I go to the Red X Depot most days. Today
there was a funny coincidence two ladies at my
table were talking & one said, "a friend of mine
read me a letter from a man in the Notts &
Derby Yeomanry saying they were so badly equipped
& went into action with the officers in mufti
carrying little canes" etc. etc. I said I had a
cousin with them & I thought it could not be true
as they had been in Egypt for some time & were
fully trained & ready. It then turned out the
letter she quoted was from Bertrand Swanwick
written to her friend - Mrs. Harker. so we were
speaking of the same man! Miss Bruce asks me to go up for a night or
two to meet Hilda this week. I am just waiting
to hear from Celia. I may go up Thursday or
Friday. I am glad you are getting something to send out
to Emma, it makes me long to help. Do you get 3
the things by post or through some agency? I have got about £20 now for the Y.M.C.A. Hut &
don't know what D. may have got. E's letters are very interesting & very pathetic about the
men. I am sure she is splendid. I am glad she
has a little outing too. Mrs Donnet says she
will tell Mrs Dickie Dixon to look her up. She is
going out to join her husband. I had a note from poor Mrs Eastwood asking me to
stay a weekend with her, at Brighton but I can't
do so at present, she goes to Hampton Court for
the arrival. We had a Miss Patterson for lunch on
Sunday, her job is massaging the soldiers, at the
Convalescent Camp here, she belongs to the Pager Corps.
run by Miss French. They are badly paid & hard
worked of course! they can qualify after 6 months'
training. Miss P. has worked at it for several
years & says one can make £50 & one's keep at
ordinary times; but the W.O. does not give so much
of course. I think I have no further news. I
am sure you are busy writing letters to everyone &
other things. I hope you are not worrying. Love to all. Ever your loving Olive.