Reference
AU10/102/1/125
Title
Handwritten letter
Date free text
20 February 1962
Production date
From: 1962 To: 1962
Scope and Content
"Many thanks for your birthday greeting and enclosures. I am still in charge of S.Andrew's, but a new priest-in-charge has been appointed, and will be taking over shortly.
I had a party on the Saturday night and invited my neighbours in, plus 3 masters from Wellesley House and one wife, and also Patricia Stavert who was spending a few days with me. My Swedish friend sent me an enormous cake - a Swedish speciality - light, because it was a sort of meringue mixture - but very nice. We had it with champagne when the other drinks and canapes had had a good run. My friend Sydney Crouch has bought the flat next door to me. It came up for sale (furnished) recently. He has always had his eye on this particular flat, so it has happened fortunately. He will not come into residence until he retires (whenever that is), but use it as a base at any rate, in his holidays. I am so pleased about it.
I am expecting my Swedish friend over at Easter, then I go to France for a while. I have promised to join a friend in Bavaria in early June to explore the castles the mad king Ludwig built: August I spend with the Staverts in Scotland, visiting the Waddingtons en route: and in the autumn I am planning a trip to the Far East on a brand new Jugo-Slav ship with my friend Giles Isham. The ship sails from Rijeka, which I remember from the cruise I had in the Adriatic in 1960, and goes to Aden (where Adam Stavert is ADC to the Governor), Bombay, Madras, Singapore, (where Kenneth Timbrell, once Sir Anthony's llama boss, is now Lt.Col. and O.C. the Dragoon Guards), Bangkok, Borneo, Hong Kong, Japan. The journey back touches at different ports, and the round trip takes 5 months, so I may be celebrating my 64th in the Red Sea or thereabouts!
I have had one or two visits to London since and just before Christmas, and seen "Becket" which I enjoyed very much, "Luther" which had fine acting but a disappointing ending, "The Music Man" (which we could hardly sit through it was so boring), "Irma La Douce"(which I thought dull and disgusting), and one lovely evening at the Ballet.
Yes, Newby's niece wrote to me. I told Perton not to send me the A.News any more, as when I go away and find a pile awaiting me on my return, I really cannot wade through them. Also it is rarely now I see anyone I know mentioned. But Valder furnishes a lot of information when he writes!
No: the smugglers' cave of your cutting is at Broadstairs. They are building a big seawall there. Eventually one will be built here to surround the headland on which we stand. The gales have died down and we are having quite pleasant weather. I am looking for the 100 daffodils I planted last year on the slope facing my window near the hotel: also 100 bluebells under the trees. It has been a long and trying winter somehow!
Yours sincerely,"
Level of description
item