Bellaire Inn Motel,
6639 Ferris,
P.O. Box 1156,
Houston,
Texas.

April 27th1974


Dear Folks,
  Loads to say, as usual, but this letter is going to have to be condensed, I have loads of others to write. I have sent you a card, but it may take some time getting to England because I put a wrong stamp on it. It’s almost midnight now, so I may not finish this in one go. However.

  The flight over was ok, surprisingly, because it was a DC-10, the ones that tend to fall out of the sky. However, this one didn’t and here I am. Houston is great, so far, rather sudden posting, but anyway I’ve done nothing but work eighteen hours a day so far. It looks like this situation is likely to be normal for about the next three weeks. After that I think life may get more civilized.

  I’m staying in a motel, as you’ll see from the address, and there are three other English guys staying here too. One of them is on the same ComMand course as I am, and we’ve been given a car to get around in, a great American limo, brand new. It has everything, radio, air-conditioning, seat-belt warnings, plush leather and carpets. And it goes like a rocket. I’ve driven it once, but I’m not really supposed to, as I don’t have a licence. So normally Peter, the other guy here on the same course, does the driving.

  The motel is splendid. Colour T.V., radio, swimming pool. And the weather is fine, 70F to 80F most days. We’re given $63 a week pocket money—about £27—on top of everything else, so as usual I’m rolling in it. Been here a week now, but as I say, the course is extremely intensive, so I’ve had no time to explore the extra-curricular delights of downtown Houston. I’m doing well though, 1st or 2nd in the course every day, and about halfway through. I hope to be able to take it easy a bit now.

  I’ve been watching T.V. it’s not true that American colour is lousy, it’s just as good as ours, though a lot of sets are badly adjusted. I have mine set up well now, and with seven channels to choose from, there’s always something interesting to watch. Sports programmes, musicals, chat shows, comedies, scientific discussions, news, current affairs, I think there’s a lot more to watch than British T.V., if you select carefully.

  It’s very affluent of course, here, everything is air-conditioned, new, and vey clean. There’s a lot of violence, they give reports every day in the local news, and a typical day in Houston will provide 500 breakins, muggings and car thefts, 3 or 4 rapes and a couple of murders. But I think, as is the case with so many cities, most of the crime tends to occur in certain notorious areas.

  Anyway, I have to close here, reply soon. I have another three letters to write, at least, then I have some work to do. I’ll write more fully next time, meantime so long for now,

  Love David.