.MTQ1MA.MTI1Nzk0

Maidstone, Feb. 19, '66 Dear Jack:

  The weather today is quite mild, so that I only just now lit the fire in the basement room facing the street.  The weather here we sometimes compare to California, though it can and does get colder here in winter, with a bit more rain the year 'round, which I don't mind as much as the natives.  I often used to tell people in Chicago that the weather changes, the winds, etc. were not simply a Chicago phenomenon.  Buffalo always gets more snow (source:  Adirondacks), and can be as cold as Chicago anytime.  I never saw so many weather changes so quickly as in No. Ireland.  The most-feared winds in these parts come form the northeast.  Crocuses have come to life in the tiny forecourt of our "terrace house," but could be pushed down again soon, as winter is not yet over even in these parts, though Spring does come earlier.  The air here agrees with both my wife and I.   We think of Chicago as being quite dirty, yet dust quickly accumulates inside the house here, and there's not very much industry.
  Conditions haven't permitted a trip to London, haven't been there since about Nov. 10, but will surely visit Collett's store as soon as I go again, which I hope to do early in March.  I would dearly have loved to live close to London, could not undertake it because of the opposition of my wife.  She really cares little for travel except under the most favorable circumstances, which probably goes for most women of middle-age or beyond.  I must take the blame for coming to Ireland, later England, and not finding things as we'd have wished.  I think my wife worries unduly, like the wife in Orwell's COMING UP FOR AIR, a book I lent to Jimmy Sheridan and which disappeared when he went back for his 2nd. (maybe final?) stay at the state hospital.   I send him a card now and then.  Had a copy of PANORAMA, the Chgo. News supplement, sent to me by Jack Sheridan.  The copy contained an article re. Studs Terkel, by Richard Christiansen, wherein Terkel complains about the folksinger, Bob Dylan, giving him the cold shoulder - and after all he done for him!  It has been amazing to see how the English young people have gone for the folksingers and the so-called "pop" artists.  People yo never heard of in the U.S. are big stuff here.  Absolutely celebrity nuts they are.  I was always sickened by the hero-worship in the U. S.  Believe me it's a fantastic thing over here.  People here are prepared to believe the most awful Barnum figures on the incomes of stars of all kinds.   There are numerous fan clubs for people like Frank Sinatra and even Humphrey Bogart-a-mouldering.
    Amongst the two trunks of books I brought over here is MUCH ADO ABOUT ME, by Fred Allen.  Reading I WAS DANCING, I came to the name Toowoomba, which rang a bell, so I went up to the top floor of our joint to get the Allen book, found that Toowoomba is mentioned by Allen, as I'D thought, also that O'Conner had spent some months in Ireland with Allen & wife, and now I believe O'Connor must have helped Allen, who knows how much, in Allen's authoring.  I have read Allen's book several times, still get a kick out of certain incidents and phrases, and if you've never read it, be my guest.   I trust your recent re-publication is doing at least tolerably well and will do better.  A letter from the U. S. is like manna to me, or any publication, and I haven't seen a U. S. newspaper in full since we left there.  I enjoyed seeing some scenes from the recent hearings at Wash. D. C. on Viet Nam.  I notice the R. C. boss of the longshoremen is acting like a good member of Catholic Action toward the British carho [sic] ships that go to Viet Nam.  Saw some baskets from V-N in a store here the other day.  Our kitchen set turns out to be from Jogoslavia.[sic]  Bought eggs that came from Poland alos [sic] strawberry jam ("Confiture de Fraises") that was made in Rumania - in a super mart.  the other day.   Butter from N. Zealand is ubiquitous, also lamb from N.Z.  Very good grape fruit from Israel, So. Africa and Cyprus.  Lots of Spanish onions (and I try not to patronize things Spanish, a/o Uno Y.)  Potatoes remain around 3¢ lb., good ones, too.  A special kind of small potato, known as King Edward, sell for about 14¢ lb.  Too special for me, as they come from the Canary Isles, another France domain.  Forgive typing.  Hate to put the typewriter in the shop.  Never know when it'll come back.  Ordered a suit.  Will be rushed to me in 3 weeks.  Usual time 5 to 6 weeks.  Thanks again for the O'Connor book, and will return it if it is really a loaner.  

Best wishes F. Mead P.S.: H. Cooper, hvywt. mediocrity being readied for Cassius Clay in left margin P.P.S. I don't suppose anyone in the U.S. ever heard of Cowboy Davis, who was K.O.'d by Cooper the other day. / Enjoyed the clippings. etc. /