SYLVIA'S LETTER TO FRIDA LYNGSTAD

As with all things the letter shown below must be kept in context. Along with others close to Harry we were rather appalled, that the letter he sent to Frida Lyngstad was never answered, indeed, of us all, he was the only one it didn’t bother at all.
Some believed that his letter probably never got to its destination, being filtered out with thousands of other letters by paid assistants along the way. I could go along with this except for the fact that she was also sent a signed copy of the book with a separate letter a few months later and this also was never answered. A stray letter, yes, a signed book with letter, no, this was nothing more than arrogance.

Now in 2008 the whole Mucky Ducks saga is drawing to an end, Harry is the last of this wonderful team of silent heroes and he is in poor health at too young an age.

SYLVIA'S LETTER - SENT WITH A COPY OF THE BOOK

In the letter that Harry Drake sent to you in March 2003 he mentioned that the book ‘The Mucky Ducks’ was soon to be published. The reason it has taken so long is because on the 3rd of August 2003 he disappeared from his home and to date, we have had no contact from him. With Harry missing and due to the rather sensitive nature of this story, it has been difficult for us to address the many legal issues and ensure the privacy of those who played a part in this biography.

There are only a few people remaining that I am sending copies but I know that Harry would have wanted one to go to you. The resemblance between Anna Minet (Alicia Pilet) and yourself gave him many a chuckle and also some hard times from Alicia who wasn’t at all happy with the fact.

Your music and that of others, plays quite a role in the story and during the incident on the ‘Albatross 11’ it was one of your works that brought him back from the edge; for that I thank you. At the time of Harry’s departure we had reverted to just being friends but if he hadn’t rallied on the ‘Albatross’ I would never have known him at all, or known their strange and wonderful story.

I have often speculated on what would have happened to Harry if, after Alicia’s departure, the two of you had met. I’m not sure how he would have handled the situation, probably rather badly. Alicia actually asked Harry to tell you her story if she went before he did, knowing how jealous she was this was a strange request.

Although intended for men, the book has brought many letters and emails (around 70%) from women. He has had many proposals of marriage and others not quite so innocent in their desires. If he was here he would have found this very unsettling as, behind the facade, he was actually a very shy and sensitive person; a fact that not many realised. I believe it takes a woman to understand a man such as Harry Drake; men, who let’s face it, are often not very intuitive, only saw the face he showed the world, it took a woman or rather women to see through the mask.

I hope you get time to read the book, I think you will like it. It’s easy reading as the main part is just as Harry dictated it to Hendrick, so it’s almost as if he is in the room talking to you. Other comments were added by Hendrick, the surviving Ducks and me to give a secondary view of the situation. However, I have tagged the pages that refer to your music so that you don’t have to wade through the whole book, I realise that you must me a busy person.

I keep referring to him in the past tense which is something I shouldn’t do as he may well still be with us. If he is, he is probably closer to your part of the world than mine, as I still believe that he went on one last search for Alicia, a woman who claimed to be Swiss-French but with an accent that was more in line with Denmark/Switzerland/Norway, there was no French influence. None of those left that actually knew her are very good at determining an accent. I guess, like so many of the events in this book, she will have to remain a mystery.

Although it may seem impertinent I have to add one last thing. Although you and the group were very successful, reaching the top of your profession, this means absolutely nothing beside the fact that one of your lesser known works did a great service to Harry during that terrible night on the ‘Albtross11". If you never did anything else in life this would have made it worthwhile.

The strange tale of the Mucky Ducks is one that, I believe, in the future will be told in ports and aboard ships around the world. Mortals they were but not of the common variety.

Harry always signed off letters to friends in a rather special way. I used it to sign off in the book and believe that if he were here he would have ended by saying:-

May you always find safe harbour.

Sylvia Ross MD