The BC Adventure 5

Dear Mums

June 30, 1920

We have had two letters now from you, so I must make sure you get a long one back from us. Tell Dorothy she must write too, although I knew both she and Daddy do not enjoy doing it much.

The area where we have our cottage is in the Gordon Head area in the locality called Saanich after one of the Indian tribes and it is by the sea. In 1860, 13 men owned all of the land on Vancouver Island including Mr. Strachan who Dick and Mark work for. He is an old man now, and probably will
be retiring soon. The region is famous for its strawberries. The skyline is dominated by a huge gravity fed water tower, which is necessary for keeping the market gardens going. These last few years have had scorching summers, with droughts. There are plans for city water service but at the moment we are doing the long job of hauling water from the local water tower for the huge number of greenhouses there are on this farm. There is a tank on a raised platform and we can buy water to fill our barrels from there.

The Peases who are our nearest neighbours run a strawberry jam factory, and each July there is a huge strawberry festival, so we will no doubt be busier than ever in a month or so. They also sell home made wine made from strawberries which is delicious. Apparently at the festival there are art and craft works available to buy, and all sorts of market stalls. We will be kept busy selling strawberries and cream.

Gordon Head is named after Admiral John Gordon who in 1845 commanded the HMS America in the North Pacific.

There are several parks where we take Peter often, as he loves walking along the half-rocky and half-sandy beaches. He won't be going to school in September, as the children here must be
six to go, but we will see if there is a kindergarten that he can enrol in to meet more children.

I will send another snap from out trip. They really didn't turn out very well. This is me by the train in Banff. I look like I am seasick, but I am only wanting my lunch.

Thanks Mums for you information about Edward, the Prince of Wales in his trip to Queensland in New Zealand in April. It was right that they were properly thanked for their roles in the Great War. I know that Mark's brother Jimmy was very chummy with some Kiwi's as he called them, when they were in Palestine in the Camel Corps.

We don't get much foreign news here, although I'm sure we could find it if we looked in the right places. Mark said he met Lord Mountbatten once so he was interested to hear about the railway carriage he and the Prince were riding in in Western Australia that overturned. Luckily the Prince was unhurt. Dick really enjoyed reading how the Prince (who he doesn't much like) made light
of the situation, emerging from the wreck with some important papers and a cocktail shaker, an act which endeared him to Australians, and caused them to give him the nickname the Digger Prince.
 

Love to Daddy and Dorothy,

Gwenllian