Officers' Mess,                

Grantham,     

 24.3.40      

Dear Dad,

          Thanks for the letter received this morning.   Good show of Alan's in the steeplechase - I have enclosed a note for him - we seem to be collecting a lot of mantelpiece decorations these days.   I suppose Old Tom will get a President's Pot at the end of the summer term.

          Regarding leave, our exams are on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of April, but we may have further flying to do after that.   However, there is a Guest Night in the Mess on the 10th which we are expected to attend, so I don't much think that we, in this mess, will get leave before the 10th.   I will certainly let you know immediately I know myself as to precise dates.

          We are doing formation flying these days, which is very interesting, but it's jolly hard work, due to the intense concentration required to keep at a constant distance from the other aircraft - it necessitates continual juggling with the throttles, and perspiration runs down your face after half an hour of it, particularly if there have been a lot of turns executed.

          We have finished night flying for the time being, and will not do any more until in Advanced Training Squadron, which will be some time in April.   I am piling in the hours now, and have already passed the hundred mark.

          I am glad to hear that you are digging for victory in the back garden, but be careful not to plant flaming onions by mistake.   We have had today free, and it makes a very pleasant change.   Last night I went with a party of fellows to Nottingham, and spent a jolly evening there, finishing with a grill at the Black Boy Hotel followed by Half-Coronas and Punch Habanas.   That's what you call a cigar!   We met lots of Army and RAF officers at the Black Boy, who seemed attracted by our white bands - of course, you know that the Black Boy is the Hotel in Nottingham, and is normally the stronghold of Majors and Squadron Leaders, but they didn't mind our intrusion.   We hired a large car and chauffeur for the evening, which worked out at 7/6 per head for six of us - pretty cheap, considering that we left the Mess at 5:30 and returned at 2:30am.   Fortunately, they kept breakfast on until 10:30 this morning.

          Well, cheerio now, I hope to find out soon about leave.

          Love to all at Home, 
                     from Geoff. 
                               (Cadet Hall)