Letter from Thomas Gold to Mr Oscar Guth, Executive officer, School of Physics, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Thanks him for his letter. Gold was going to write anyway, to say that he simply cannot free himself for a sufficient period in the summer to make a trip worthwhile. The reason is that he has accepted major commitments on his time for textbook writing, and this will in the long run be important to him. He regerets that he will not have the opportunity to see all his friends this year either, but circumstances are difficult. 31 January 1974