Reference
AU10/102/1/75
Title
Handwritten letter
Date free text
17 December 1956
Production date
From: 1956 To: 1956
Scope and Content
"I laughed heartily over your letter from Nigeria! Whatever are you going to do? If you enter on a correspondence with him, you will at any rate be able to boast of your friend Prince Henry! I don't know what the A.M. stands for! Miss Eagles would have admired the stamp. She had a very fine stamp collection (did you know?). It had to be sold, along with all her funiture and other possessions (apart from a few personal jewels and her silver which were deposited in the Bank at Richmond) when she went to the Priory. I was surprised that it raised only about £50. at Harmer Rooke's, the top stamp dealers. But I imagine there must be an immense amount of closed circle bidding at those stamp sales. Miss Florence always used to say she had some very rare and valuable specimens. But I know nothing whatever about philately.
I shall look forward to seeing the Prof. on TV. He has provided a great deal of colour and amusement to the contemporary scene during his term of office. He will be more cheerful, I imagine, than poor Gilbert Harding last week, who, I thought, looked a pathetic figure at the end in his grand house, clutching his horrid little snuffling Peke! This really is only a few lines with my Christmas card. As I think a Christmas card should be about Christmas, I am sending two: but I thought it a good opportunity to have this charming old print of Kingsgate reproduced. It was known as Bartholomew Gate before Charles landed ... there was some kind of barrier to keep out smugglers. The caves are still much in evidence in the cliffs. The gate is now in the grounds of a convent. I went to see it one day, and had a great flutter of nuns round me, all most interested in the local history, in which I am now considered an authority!
Newby's niece at Millbrook has written to me about Newby, says he told her to let me know: so I am writing to Clapham. These old people living by themselves are a real problem. Is Capt. Cunliffe still on his own in Church St.? That house is the first house I entered in Ampthill, apart from the Rectory: on my second visit, he took me in and gave me some tea. Next year it will be 10 years since I left!
Oddly enough, the other night I dreamt I was back in the pulpit preaching at Ampthill - most vivid. When I woke I could have reproduced the sermon there and then! I did not see you in the congregation - but Sir A. was there, and Miss Russell and Mrs.Macklin!
I am helping my friend at Walmer again this Christmas. Sometime in January I hope to join two friends for the winter sports - Cortina in Italy, which is new ground for me: but the Olympic skating rink is there, and apparently really grand. But my friend Sydney Crouch (now Headmaster of Great Ballard, a smart boys' prep. school near Camberley) is coming for a few days first.
With all good wishes to you and the family for a very Happy Christmas.
Yours sincerely"
Level of description
item