A long typed letter from Philip Larkin to his schoolfriend Arthur Burgess, discussing his Oxford Book Of English Verse, reminiscing on his schooldays, and catching up on the lives and careers of their classmates. Larkin opens by registering his surprised at receiving Burgess's letter, as he "had dreamed of you recently, and this seemed to constitute a remarkable case of ESP." Burgess had written to congratulate Larkin on his recently published Oxford Book Of English Verse. Larkin offers to inscribe his copy and reports that it is selling well, "it was a fearful labour of some six years, and I am glad it is over." Larkin then goes on to report on news of their fellow classmates from King Henry VIII Coventry, including Colin Gunner "he was very definitely on the unbright side, and left after failing his School Certificate, but he was a close friend of mine at the time, and has suddenly reappeared with a memoir of his army life. It is a good deal more amusing than many books by people who pass their School Certificate." In his roll call of schoolmates, he mentions "Buck" and "Temple" but has annotated each name with a cross, and added a note in the margins, "Sorry: these are St John's [Oxford] chemists: you probably never knew them." He closes by reminiscing, "your articles in the Conventrian were always funnier than mine. And I still haven't got over the embarassment of being invited by you to tea in Exeter on one Sunday, and coming the next."
 
A lovely, chatty, long letter, widely ranging from literary matters to those of his youth.