AU10/102/1/192

Typewritten letter

27 August 1970

From: 1970 To: 1970

"At last I find myself alone after two months of entertaining an incessant stream of people - many from France and Italy and America - throughout July and August. Now the younger generation of my French cousins are growing up, and they and their friends have heard so much about THE CASTLE, they all want to come. Moreover, now we have a 40 minute Hovercraft crossing from Calais to Ramsgate, they are almost next door. My Japanese friends at Oxford also wanted to come, but I had to tell them there was no room. I must work them in somehow next summer, as Satsuki will be finishing his course at Oxford and returning to Japan. I had a quick run up to Yorkshire for the christening in Selby Abbey of my second cousin's Anne's son, Tom. I think I told you the baby arrived belatedly on June 16th. Poor Anne had to have a caesarian operation, which took a lot of getting over. Anne's grandmother - my mother's cousin - aged 99, was present at the ceremony, looking wonderful, and very gay and lively. There will be great celebrations at Wistow Grange, Anne's parents' home, next summer, if she survives next winter. One day in August I had a day in London, specially to take Mrs.Stavert to see Greenwich. Like me, she is very interested in history and architecture, and this jaunt to Greenwich has been promised for a very long time. It happened she was staying with friends in Chiswick, for a few days, so we seized the chance. I took young Pierre and his brother with me, and we met at Westminster Pier. Fortunately we could not have had a better day: and, being Monday, there was not a crowd on the steamer. We sailed merrily down past the Tower and under Tower Bridge, and on arrival at Greenwich Pier, went over the Cutty Sark. Then to the Trafalgar Tavern for lunch: then to the Painted Hall in the Naval College (where Godfrey Place took me to a dinner last year), then to the Queen's House and the Maritime Museum. Incidentally, in the Queen's House they are holding an exhibition connected with Malta and the Knights which would interest you. It made me decide to take a trip to Malta next year. We then took the District Train back to Charing Cross; walked across Trafalgar Square, up Pall Mall to my club, where we were refreshed by tea. The two boys had a swim downstairs in the swimming bath: then we put Mrs.Stavert in a taxi, and we walked to Victoria to catch the 6.40. On returning here, we found Jacques had prepared us a wonderful French dinner ... so ended a very memorable day. Mrs.Stavert told me, by the way, that Barbara Moyse has left Hawick, her husband having got another job. Mrs.S. thought she was a charming woman, and had intended inviting her over to Hoscote. I, of course, only remember her as a girl about 14. Incidentally, old connections keep popping up. Some people here called Winter ... very wealthy, house in London, three sons formerly at Eton etc ... had a girl staying with them when I went in recently. She turned out to be the niece of Lady Stewart at Maulden. I met Lady Stewart, who was Mrs.Ronald Stewart then, once at lunch at Sir Anthony's. That would be very early in the war. Then I met her, and her sister (the girl's mother) at an afternoon party at Dr.Macklin's, shortly after he had made that swimming pool. That must have been early in the war (1940 I imagine), since Dr.Macklin died shortly afterwards. I always remember his funeral. I had one of my periodic attacks of laryngitis, and could not utter a word. I had to get the Vicar of a Bedford church to come and take the service. Foolishly, I attended, and of course could take no part. Everyone must have wondered why. I should have stayed away. Is the swimming pool still there? I think you said the widow of the man who owned Flitwick Manor was living there until recently. I saw in the "Telegraph" this week that a Mr.Godfrey Russell (48), Lord Amphtill's son, was in the news. [This should probably be Geoffrey Russell, not Godfrey.] He is the famous "baby" in the Russell Baby Case which caused such a stir about the time of the First World War. Lord Ampthill refused to recognise the baby as his, and the Courts pronounced in his favour: which of course made the child illegitimate. (He, Lord A., was then the Hon.Jack [John] Russell.) But the child's mother (Christabel) took the case to the House of Lords, and the verdict was reversed! However, I think the Russells continued to stick to their opinion, and did not recognise the baby. I always understood that the costs of the case ruined the then Lord Ampthill (brother of the Miss Russells). Incidentally, when Florence Eagles and I were returning from our visit to the Bishop of Bloemfontein on the Carnarvan Castle in 1939, we met the "baby". He would then be quite a young man. Of course, we were very tactful, and did not even mention that we were from Ampthill. I expect he will be the next Lord A. but he will have no estate to succeed to. His father (who must now be an advanced age) lives in a flat in S.Johns Wood. He has been married twice since Christabel. COUNTRY LIFE. I was a contributor to the magazine for many years. It was 1/- when I started. Then it went up to 1/6d., 2/-, 2/6d., 3/-. I told my newsagent that if it went up any more, I should cease to take it. It did, so I did! I only see it now when I am in my club in London. It is really not worth 4/-. Half of it is advertisements of houses etc. The reading matter is about half of what it used to be. If it were a monthly, instead of a weekly, I might consider continuing. But of course, I am away for 3 months in the winter, and miss all those issues. I wrote some articles for it myself some years ago ... about villages in the mountains behind Menton. Yes: I remember Mr.Page and Miss.Minney. In fact, I have a vague idea that I married them! But I did not know he was a doctor. However, if, as you say he was divorced, perhaps I am wrong about the wedding. I remember them as a very pleasant couple. We have been having a really wonderful summer here ... the best I ever remember - week after week of sunshine ... and it is still with us. I leave for USA on Sept.14th. I am looking forward to seeing my American cousins, and also the Marcollas. This is the family I met in Perugia when I was on that Italian course a few years ago. They were Mrs.M., Nancy and Mike. I met Mr.M. the following year when Patricia Stavert and I went to Gargnano together for another Italian course. They came to Gargnano and had lunch with us (trout from the Lake washed down with the local wine, Suavo). I think it was the same year they - Mrs.M., Mike, Nancy, and two friends - came here for a weekend. Mrs.M. and the two friends stayed at the hotel next door, and I went in there to dinner. They are, incidentally, millionaires, and have a big flat in N.Y. and a house in the mountains at Vermont. But they are simple people, with educated tastes. Mrs.M. dresses very simply, and I doubt if she has any diamonds! They should be wonderful hosts in N.Y. It is over 20 years since I was there. I did an extended tour of USA shortly after I left Ampthill. Of course, I have been to California since, when I did that voyage on the VOLTA and was entertained in Los Angeles by the Todds, friends of the Staverts. I expect to be back early in October. I am now catching up on some of the books I have had waiting to be read for some time. One is THE CONQUEST OF THE INCAS by John Hemming ... most interesting after my journeys in Peru last winter. I wish I had read it before I went ... but it was not published till late in the spring this year. I should like to have spent more time in the Andes - such magnificent scenery - and the Inca remains most interesting. There are whole towns still to be excavated - now covered with jungle. I can see the day coming when it will be a popular tourist attraction! Another book is THE DREAM KING ... about Ludwig of Bavaria. I have always been interested in this man, as I share some of his characteristics! He was the man who, when he ascended the throne of Bavaria at the age of 18, sent for Wagner who was in hiding from his creditors, and offered him an house and an income to go on composing his operas. There is no doubt that Ludwig brought Wagner's genius to fruition. Some years ago I went specially to Bavaria to visit all the castles Ludwig built. It was a wonderful experience. I expect I sent you postcards. The representative of a film company arrived yesterday. They want to use the Castle as a background - or location as they call it - for a film. It is supposed to be a castle on a remote island. I sent him along to the Manager, who is a local accountant. I expect it will have to come before a meeting of the castle occupants. But if they pay a whacking fee, it will be useful for repairs! Yours sincerely,"

item

Hillam, John George,
Grimmer, Honora,
Eda, Satsuki,
George, Anne,
George, James Thomas Richard,
Waddington, Christina,
Stavert, Pearl,
Place, Godfrey,
Moyse, Barbara,
Winter,
Lady Stewart,
Stewart, Ronald,
Wingfield, Anthony,
Macklin,
Russell, Geoffrey Denis Erskine,
Russell, John Hugo (3rd Baron Ampthill),
Russell, Christabel,
Eagles, Florence,
Browne, Arthur Henry Howe,
Page,
Minney,
Marcolla, Mike,
Marcolla, Nancy,
Stavert, Patricia,
Hemming, John,
Wagner

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