Que hore es? Son lasquatro menos viente.

Good morning to you Teacher. I hope you are well. I wrote this by hand in candlelight last night and now transpose it to improve legibility.
It gave me great pleasure to hear your voice yesterday after such a "seemingly" long time.
I'm sorry for being caught in possession of the ball, ifyouknoworrimeanlike? But….well you know I ……ifyouknoworrimeanlike you do don't you Pagpa?

I've just cooked myself a meal cos' I went to sleep not having eaten much yesterday, cash flow problem as per usual, "ifyouknoworrimeanlike", and I'm sure you do Teacher. It will however be sorted later today-nite as Tony Blair pays my Senior Citizens Allowance at medianoche e dos.

I came to London, must be over two years ago now, initially for a weekend, with the object of having a look at Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, with Christopher Robin and Alice.
N.B. Guardsmen do not call it Changing of the Guard, we call it Guard Mountain - just thought I'd mention it teacher, as not a lot of people know this.

I had started to write this in my local library on the net, cos I wanted to email you in regard to the Manjushri Retreat@Vajravarahi.

St Mungo's Social Workers rescued me off the streets some time ago. I was very fortunate to have a room and full board at there hostel in Harrow Road, sort of Paddingtonist/West London. N.B. about two miles from where my Dad was born, 'what goes around comes around'. Eh Teacher?

N.B…… There was even a street called Alfred Street, about 100 yards from the hostel, just a bit deja vous' ish, eh?

I now live in a block of flats owned by a Housing Association (Sally Army). Whitechapel is a culturally diverse area, with a wide range of people from all over, what used to be the British Empire (They have come to get there own back I think).

I also belong to the Japanese Karate Association (England) which is Shotokan Karate. I am the oldest 'White Belt' in Whitechapel (not a lot of people know this by the way). N.B. 'the word on the street' in Whitechapel is that I am White Belt Karate Man, so all the old ladies and all the old men cross over the street when they see me coming.

Before you fall asleep with boredom teacher, one more bit of 'deva vous' in the library tonight there was a small section expounding the history of Brick Lane, which is ten minutes from where I live. It explains about the emigrant communities who came to live there 300-400 years ago. One community or racial/religious group were from France. They were non conformists in terms of Roman Catholicism; they were called 'Houganoets'. My Dad's Step Sister told me many years ago that she believed that our family came from France in the fifteenth/sixteenth century.

When my Battalion and me came home from Egypt at the end of 1954 (I was a Drummer Boy) in the 1st Battalion of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's 3rd Guards Regiment. After Christmas we were stationed at Wellington Barracks in Birdcage Walk, a stones throw from Buckingham Palace. My Battalion had not Trooped the Colour since 1936, the year of my birth. The Battalion was due to Troop our Colour in June 1955 in front of Queen Elizabeth II, because this day is also her official birthday. When the Queen has arrived and the Guardsmen are assembled, there is along moment of silence……………………………………… Too heavy beats on the bass drum and the Massed Bands step off in slow time to a march 'Les Houganoets', they always play this march at the Trooping of the Colour, it's a tradition that has gone on for a very long time.

Two days before my Battalion was due to troop its colour in 1955, the Queen cancelled the parade due to a national rail strike. My Dad was 'pig sick' and so was Drummer Craft of the Corps of the Drums first Battalion Scot's Guards (Same Regiment, same Battalion as my Grandfather).

Deja Vous? I leave it to you (poetic licence).

Love in the Dharma to you Teacher and to all at Vajravarahi.

Please remember my friends at St Mungos, Pugpa, next time you are in the Gompa for showing kindness to a Bohdisattva, Ifyouknowworrimeanlike?

Alfred