29th July 1971

Sofia

29/07/71

Dear Mum and dad

Just a short note to let you know I am well etc. I am giving this to Terry .C. our country manger to post in England so it should reach you quickly.

I was half asleep when you phoned last Saturday but of course was overjoyed at the news of a baby boy Marc Ivor, and thought about you all weekend wondering what you were doing in Belton.

I have been working quite hard since I got back so I have not had much time to feel lonely. Also as usual all the ICL gang are here so I have had plenty of company at lunch times and been out some evenings as well. I am really missing a car but do quite well getting two ICL people with cars to chauffeur me round. I am also getting competent on the buses and trams. The VW is in the customs compound and only Tony can get it out. J H came back from holiday and says I can stay with her if I get lonely. I had about 5 colleagues round last night chatting about the usual things- work, marriage etc. I can never understand why so many people are unhappily married.

I am going to Russe for the day tomorrow so I will have to get up early as the plane leaves at 7.50 am. It always makes a nice change to visit Russe as the people are so nice there.

I have been trying to persuade Terry C to go riding with me at the weekend but I don’t know if I will succeed. I expect I shall go swimming as there is a diplomatic pool we are allowed to use and go to the films at the embassy.

I expect Tony should be back sometime next week but I am not sure how long it will take him driving by himself. If you get the sack mum you and dad could come back with him!

I hope Nanny has a lovely holiday and that Paula David and family are all well.

Love Gillian and Tony

We were thrilled with the news of a new nephew and glad we had the phone at the flat. I was on my own when my mother rang as Tony was on a trip to the UK.

There was a complicated procedure we had to go through with the cars to finally get British number plates. Because we bought them tax free we had to own them for three years as non UK residents before they could be brought back into the UK system. The Dutch export plates, issued when we bought the car, expired after twelve months. We then had to go to England with the car and obtain British export plates known as Q plates because their first Licence plate letter was a ‘Q’. I guess this was one of the reasons Tony had taken the Daf to the UK, but how had he managed to leave the VW in the custom car park in Sofia?

The letter suggests Gill had been in the UK too. Tony must have flown to the UK, leaving the VW at the airport. Gill must have driven the Daf there and then flown home leaving Tony to sort out the Q plates and drive back in the Daf. We got used to these complicated  procedures and it did enable us to buy two new cars very cheaply- something we could never afford if we stayed in the UK. ICL were very generous with their expenses and paid our rent and many other living expenses.