Reference
AU10/102/2/5
Title
Handwritten letter from Dorothy Payne
Date free text
28 September 1970
Production date
From: 1970 To: 1970
Scope and Content
"22 Chantry Road, Kempston
Dear Mr Underwood,
Many thanks for your very kind letter. Yes indeed I do remember Mr. Hillam very well indeed - How could one forget him - always bubbling over with the joy of life.
Mr Hillam was always a great asset as a guest. Full of fun and what a gifted pianist he was. I used to hurry through luncheon and go to a room above the drawing room in hopes of hearing him play. And what a pleasure it was when he did so.
I do remember the occasion of Sir Anthony. It was a very merrry luncheon indeed! I had quite unexpectedly come into possession of a case of old and very matured Kirsch and so had used quite a lot of this in making a very elaborate sweet dish, no one seemed to be able to place the flavour at all and quite some fun was had trying to guess - which they never did. Mr Hillam, Sir Anthony, Lennox Boyd and several other very nice gentlemen used to make these luncheons a great pleasure.
What we did not enjoy was "Hen Parties" as we used to term them - when the guests were all ladies and no gentlemen. Very dull indeed - as you may imagine.
What an enchanting picture you must have made, sitting under the [cork?] tree. Lucky people to own such a picture.
I don't think you have any room to complain even now. Puts a lot of others in the shade if I may say so.
Very sincerely yours,
Dorothy Payne"
Level of description
item