Letter to David Donaldson from Ian

Letter to David Donaldson from Ian

Birthday letter to David Donaldson from his brother Ian who is living in Basingstoke. Ian writes about their joint efforts to sell a sailing boat the 'White Squall' they all sailed when younger.

Two page handwritten letter

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EDonaldsonIDonaldsonDWXX0129

Jan 29th
West Ham House
Basingstoke
Hants
Dear David
Herewith to wish you many happy returns of the day. If I can remember I will enclose something for you to creep off to the pub with when your wife is otherwise occupied.
I am very pleased to hear about your house, though even now its[sic] sounds rather a paper victory, & nothing much seems likely to materialise very quickly. Thanks for the information re the White Squall; I have [one word deleted] heard no more from friend French, but it being a fine afternoon yesterday, I bicycled down to [indecipherable word] to have a look at her, and fell in with a type I took to be one of the Beck family who took me down to her & proceeded to do the old penknife trick showing me what awful gaps there were in her; and advising me to take the first offer I got if I got one; I must say I rather wondered at the time if he wasn't trying to prepare the way for some other denizen of the Prince Consort to come along & offer me £10 for her; but we will wait and see.
[page break]
meanwhile I conversed with one of our marine types who happened to be here and he assured me that £100 was reasonable, & that you could caulk a seam up to 1/4” easily, & advised advertising in Yachting World, which I will endeavour to arrange. But I don't doubt that Beck will buy her for firewood in the end.
I am very fairly accommodated here & even have a spare bed, minus bed clothes; were Basingstoke a more salubrious spot I would say come down and see me sometime
My regard to Joyce Frances and her grandparents.
Yrs
Ian
P.S. There appears to be a top hat crisis imminent as John is anxious for me to wear one, which make me very cross; however I suppose I shall have to make an effort on his behalf but they dont grow on trees in Basingstoke. If I am unable to arrange for Moss Bros to fit me by post, will you be wearing your ['s' deleted] outfit? I suppose you will, but if not would you consider lending It to me
Yrs
Ian