Judging by Kathleen's regular purchases of stamps (‘Stamps 5/-’ is frequently part of a diary entry), there must have been many more letters than the 409 gathered within this book and hopefully more will come to light. Here are four late arrivals. The first letter mentions a concert given in London by Marian Anderson, the black American contralto. The two singers had met some three months earlier during Kathleen's American tour. According to Win's biography, Anderson attended the rehearsal for Orfeo conducted by Pierre Monteux at San Francisco on February 15th 1950 and her immediate response to hearing Kathleen's voice was ‘My God, what a voice and what a face!’ The ‘Doc’ mentioned could be Dr John (surname unknown), recipient of Letter No.197.

No.397 [Letter to Bill and Benita Cress]

29th May [1950]

Dearest Bill and Benita

Another grand letter waiting from you when I arrived home from a week's holiday in Scotland yesterday. It is lovely to hear from you and I love all the bits and bobs you put inside. Thank you so much for sending us the parcel – it hasn't arrived yet – they take about six or seven weeks – but oh! we will bless you for all the trouble you have taken, and the contents will be just wonderful. Things are looking up here a bit now – petrol has just come off the ration, the first time for ten years – so perhaps butter, meat and sugar will soon follow. I love the two stories in your latest letter and ‘our father’ nearly dropped his teeth larfing.

I am so relieved to hear Doc has got a new maid – what a joy – long may she last to fatten him up!

The bath is still reposing in the hall, but the lav's back in its usual place – heaven be praised. But we’re going to look awfie smart when we’re all through, so I guess it's worth it.

Now I go to Vienna on the 4th June and stay at the Astoria Hotel there until the 17th – then on to Grand Dolder Hotel, Zurich until 3rd July – oh boy – that looks a lovely place.