T. E. Lawrence to Lord Carlow

Ozone Hotel,
Bridlington,
Yorks

4.2.35

Dear Carlow,

All work and no play here. I hope not so your end. If it is really snowing, you should be able to ski universally, and rumble about promiscuously - when it stops of course. Don't sit under one of your avalanches!

Boats are going well. All armour has been returned, modified from Hadfields, and we are keen on keeping our promised finishing date of March; for all boats. Into the water, that is; not necessarily finished tests. I might leave here (and the R.A.F., alas) immediately after.

Sometimes one is lucky with a bale of stored and shop-soiled knowledge... like yesterday, when I was able to take a solemn party over York Minster, and detail its glass and distinguished Nottingham alabaster... and to-day, when we sketched out an oil-hydraulic lifting gadget for the armoured hatches. But mostly one's learning is a bundle one keeps on carrying aimlessly about. A man who only stocked serviceable knowledge of current items would be fortunate until he got into strange waters. To acquire more and more knowledge becomes a craving, like drink: with the same hopeless end, for one can no more learn everything than drink Rheims dry.

That little Whitby motor-ship was built at Middlesborough only two years ago. The old fellow runs her more as a hobby than a business!

Other news? I have an Aesop's Fables for you, a duplicate that came my way: well printed and amusing. A private book.

There is not going to be a film of me. Korda proved most reasonable and decent, upon acquaintance.

John (Augustus) painted a small head of me last month. It is very good. He also drew me (in R.A.F. togs) ¾ length in charcoal. Also good. And he gave me the drawing, which is also good: very good indeed, in fact. John is a great man.

My regards to P. Beg her to avoid avalanches, also, please.

Yours,

T.E.Shaw