Reference
AU10/102/1/108
Title
Typewritten letter
Date free text
4 April 1960
Production date
From: 1960 To: 1960
Scope and Content
"Many thanks for the Beds. Mag. which arrived this morning. I am sorry I overlooked your offer of a ticket for S.Paul's next Tuesday. After reading your letter, I put it in my "unanswered letter" niche in the writing bureau intending to reply in due course, and forgot all about it. But in any case I could not get to London next week as I have more than enough to occupy me here. The Beds. Mag. has many interesting items. I should like to see Andrew's History of music in Ampthill church sometime. Perhaps you will bring a copy when you pay your visit. I will gladly provide the 2/1! I was also interested in the cutting about Miss Russell. She looks even younger than she used to: I find it hard to realise she is 80. I wonder if our generation will produce "characters" like her! I have made a note in my diary of June 8th. for your visit. If you telephone me the night before saying which train you are taking on the Wednesday morning I will meet you with the car at Broadstairs.
I am interested to hear of the discovery of the Tudor fireplace in the dining room at S.Joseph's. There was no "covering up" during the years of my acquaintance with the house. It must have happened before I came. There was a sort of alcove in the wall where I presume the discovery has been made, and it contained the electric oven. When the dining room was made, the oven was shifted into the kitchen next door (which was darkened by the Barton's palings which caused so much trouble) and a sideboard was placed in the alcove. I always knew that the back part of S.Joseph's was Tudor, and the front part Georgian. I wonder what has happened to those Tudor stables and outhouses at the back of Mrs.Seabrook's house. I always thought a very attractive cottage could have been made out of them.
I find that when I am abroad I am able to get the continental edition of the "Telegraph" (one day late) practically everywhere. It is identical with the Telegraph we have in England, except that the paper is very thing and soft (presumably it comes by air). Even in the remotest parts of Sicily, in the towns, one sees it on the news-stands, together with the Observer, Sunday Times and News of the World! I believe it was at Syracuse, down in the south of Sicily, that I saw the notice of Mrs.Aylett's death.
I am expecting my young cousin Anne, and her friend Muriel (art mistress at the girls' school at Darlington where Anne is P.T. instructor) tomorrow, with my car. Anne has been in London over the weekend. Fortunately, the weather has changed, and today we have sunshine and blue skies, and much less cold.
I don't know how long the girls hope to stay, but they must be out by Saturday, as I have a man friend from Paris coming for the weekend. He is on business in London this week. Sydney Crouch arrives on Maundy Thursday till the following Tuesday, and then I am expecting to go down to Devonshire for a few days either that week or the following. I leave for Salzburg and Vienna on May 9th. I will send you a postcard from somewhere in Austria. I am very keen to see Bad Gastein, where the river flows in a raging torrent through the middle of the town, and makes impressive waterfalls here and there.
It struck me, by the way, reading your letter, that you are going to have a terrific scramble on June 7th. if you are going to travel down to Deal after a service at S.Paul's and a reception afterwards. Assuming you are clear in time to catch the 7.19 from London Bridge (nearest station to Stationers' Hall, I imagine), you won't get to Deal till 10.20p.m. However, your friends at Deal will know more about the trains to Deal from London than I do, as they go on a different line from those running from London to Margate. But it looks as if London-Deal is rather a slow journey, with many stops.
I seem to have answered your letter, though I started this with the intention only of acknowledging your note of this morning. I hope you have a happy Easter, and enjoy a good rest from the strenuous life at school.
Yours sincerely,"
Level of description
item