Dear Dave,

Every good wish to you for 1933, and welcome home [from Egypt]. Though you told me what the date of your arrival would be I have forgotten it, so can only hope that this letter reaches Caroline Street before you do, so that it may be there to greet you. I am longing to hear about your adventures (for adventures you must certainly have had, you being you!): don't try to tell me of them by letter, as that would be a hopeless as well as a lengthy task, but wait until my return to London when we can have a grand re-union and tale-telling. I expect to be back in Hampstead on Sunday next, the 8th, so if you happen to be in town and feel like ringing up any time during the morning I shall be there from 8 o'clock on (the train gets in at 7.20 a.m.); but don't ring in the afternoon as I shall be out from 2.30, though back again (probably) in the evening.

First and foremost, the two final Elgar concerts, at the first of which AB [Adrian Boult] conducted the Introduction & Allegro (a magnificent performance) and the Enigma [Variations], while old Elgar himself conducted the 2nd Symphony. This latter was a great disappointment to me: I don't think it is in the same street as the 1st - in fact, I began to get thoroughly bored toward the end of the last movement, and did not even feel that it was satisfactorily constructed. Having said that, I come to the most important news of all - is it possible you have not yet heard it? A 3rd Symphony is to be performed this year by the B.B.C., to whom it is dedicated!1 This is quite official, as it has been in the Telegraph and all the other papers. Also vague rumours of the final part of the Apostles-Kingdom trilogy, but of this I am sceptical, feeling it to be the usual Elgar-rumour, recurrent as Spring. If it did prove to be true what a great thing it would be, for it seems sad that the complete design of the Apostles- Kingdom should be left unfinished.