1933 January
From LJT to Annette
14/1 Rowland Rd
Calcutta
Jan 4th 1933
My darling Annette
Fancy having to send this letter to school - ! To me the holidays seem to have gone very fast. I suppose they did the same to you.
Your last letter – for which many thanks, gave your examination marks – which seem to be very good – especially algebra, geometry and latin – all up in the “ninties”. I am interested to see that your chemistry marks are better. The previous term, if I remember right, that was your weakest subject – now I see History was the lowest, although you were top in it.
The end of 1932 seems to have been a satisfactory term all round for the combined families.
We enjoyed our Christmas holidays very much. The Government offices were shut from Christmas Day till Jan 2nd. Its true that Dad went and worked in his office every day except Christmas and Boxing Day – but he generally came out about 3.30 – so that we had time for a bathe in the warmed water at Tollygunge followed by tea and a short walk before dusk. The relief from heavy pressure of work did Dad a tremendous lot of good.
We took Joan and Lorna and Mrs. Janvrin out to bathe at Tollygunge on Sunday morning and then sat under the trees drinking beer or lemonade, according as fancy dictated. We had one or two other people there and they gave us great accounts of the fancy dress dance at the Saturday Club the previous night – New Years Eve.” Apparantly most people went in biggish parties, all got up to represent some group of people. Joan was in a “Gangsta” party – They were all armed with revolvers and had a pretence machine gun. Another party represented the servants hall – with cook – butler – footman maids, charwoman and so on. The best of all, I hear, was “St. George and the Dragon” got up by some friends of ours. It took eleven people to make the dragon. (Did I tell you about this last week? I have a sort of idea that I did! Anyway I’ll go on now.) There was a huge head made of paper mostly, on a light bamboo frame work – Then each person had a cloak of green scales coming right over their heads – so that when each one stooped forward to the one in front, it made the whole body. There were huge red wings and red webbed feet. They formed up outside the Club – and the Secretary arranged to have the lights turned out and only a spot light on them, while the band played weird sort of thundery music. Apparantly the entry was most effective and the dragon wiggled beautifully, but in a very few moments was attacked – not only by St. George – but by heaps of other people as well – while one energetic man tried to put his partner into the dragon’s mouth! Not very gallant, was it?
Dad and I stayed quietly at home and Mr. Jones came in to dinner with us. We sat talking – not round the fire – but round an electric radiator, fairly late But we did not stay up till midnight to see the New Year in.
I have been busy with all sorts of jobs this week. The end of one year and the begining of another, meant a lot of accounts to do. One of the High Court Judges, who is rather a friend of mine, has just asked me to get a fancy dress made for him for the Historic Pageant Ball which the Viceroy is giving next week – so I had to visit the Imperial Library again and make some sketches from books there and to-day I was out in the bazaars hunting for cheap materials, during the little time that was left, after a meeting of all the Guide Commissioners and Captains, at which we fixed up all the arrangements for a party to be given to all the Guides who have not gone home from school for the holidays. It is rather sad to find that there are nearly two hundred girls in Calcutta, who are spending holidays at school. Anyway we hope to give them a nice afternoon on Monday. We start with games for about an hour – then tea and then a real camp fire with songs – all out of doors, of course. Although a certain amount of dew falls in the evenings, a good blazing fire seems to dry it up before it falls. We used to find that out in camp in the jungle.
Have you any recollection of the Proclaimation Parade which is always held by the Vicroy on the 1st of January every year? I remember very well taking you and Rosemary to it the last year we were in Calcutta. It is held on Jan 1st to commemorate the occasion after the Indian Mutiny when Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India. Dad and I went this year. It was a very good parade and its interesting to see from year to year, how much larger part the mechanical or motor transport takes. This was the first occasion on which I have seen the guns pulled by small motor tractors instead of horses. It may be efficient but it is not half so picturesque. The Viceroy’s and the Governor’s bodyguards look fine when they ride by. There is no doubt that a pugeree or turban is a form of headgear that is impressive and picturesque.
I wonder whether you will start work on your gardens directly you get back to school. I suppose there wont be much to do just yet.
Best love, darling and lots of love and kisses from
Mum
From HPV to Annette
Calcutta
Jan 5th (?1933)
My dear Annette.
Quite a varied week for me. Not so varied for me as for some people: for I went to office most days during the holidays. But I did go out to Tollygunge club several times, had tea on the lawn once or twice, strolled down to the end of the golf course and back again afterwards, and bathed two or three times. Your mother and I dispute over diving: she urges me to get a hollow back (little diagram inserted so to speak) and I find this very difficult in the ordinary straight dive: I can do it all right by trying a swallow, but, as I tell her, not if I do the swallow correctly according to the book – in fact I cannot manage to do a swallow correctly. If I throw the arms up to the swallow position directly from the sides, I can do it but the book says that the arms should be moving up in front and then out, which takes time and when I try it spoils the dive. The thing is really to jump up so high as to give extra time but that is not easy. They warm the water in the bath at Tollygunge and it is much warmer that the air. How much nicer diving would be if one didn’t have to go into the water: in other words it would seem that trapeze work, acrobatics, should be pleasanter. It is getting out of the water each time after a dive that is exhausting: and that is why the Americans advise practise on dry land.
What else have I done? gone to the parade in the morning of New Year’s Day or rather the next morning. A good show in its way: but all the cars got jammed up coming away from it: everyone pushing forward in a foolish manner and thereby blocking the exits. And also we went to a ceremony, opening the school of tropical Hygiene. Not very interesting. The Viceroy was to have come but was ill and did not.
Lucky in the weather, we have had no Christmas rains
Much love
Daddie.
From LJT to Annette
14/1 Rowland Rd
Calcutta
Jan 11th 1933
My darling Annette
What a splendid long letter you wrote me from “Sevenoaks”. It was full of interest too. I love hearing about how the school life is arranged now and am glad you won a gold star for your house.
Your reports also came this week and they are both good. I expect a copy went to auntie and that you were able to see it. In case you did not; Miss Chinneck says of your conduct in Form “Fairly good but she is too self-centred” and Miss Capstick after praising your work says “I would like her to try to do more for her school now. She must realize that we desire active goodness as well as passive.”
Though one may not like criticism, it is a help, you know, to be told how other people see you, for it is very difficult to see yourself. Young children are always selfcentred, but as one grows older, one should try to throw ones interest and ones affections out to embrace all the people with whom one comes in contact. In the long run the least self centred people are the happiest and the best beloved. Auntie is an example of a person who always thinks of other people before herself and puts other people’s happiness and comfort before her own and she is wonderfully happy and wonderfully beloved. Another person who immediately comes to my mind is Auntie Janie Wrey. Although she lost her husband when they had only been married a few years – and although she has not had very good health, she enjoys her life enormously and has a huge circle of friends who are most warmly attached to her, because she has the delightful ability of making people feel that she is just as interested in their joys and sorrows as she is in her own. People enjoy her company and love to have her with them for that reason. Of course we eventually come back to the supreme example of a man who was not selfcentred and that was Christ. Budha is another great example. He gave up everything in order to try to find some way by which mankind could be made happier and better. This, perhaps, is an idea that you might keep with you during the time that you are preparing for your confirmation. You are soon going to take upon yourself the promises that Christians are called upon to make, when they are sufficiently grownup and intelligent to make a choice of the line of conduct which they wish to persue and to realize something of what those promises mean. The great prophets and teachers of the world, particularly Christ, have set a very high ideal before us. You remember what Christ said about the commandments? I am quoting from memory and may have a word or two wrong. He said “Thou shalt love God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all they mind and the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” - Now if you try to obey that second commandment, you will soon cease to be self centred, because if you do obey it you cant be self centred.
I had a long and extremely interesting talk yesterday with Col. and Mrs. Weir. Col Weir has been the British resident in the State of Sikkim for the last few years. He is also in charge of all the political relations between the British and Tibet. This year there has been trouble between a section of the Chinese and Tibet and there was considerable alarm in Lhasa. The Dalai Lama invited Col. Weir to go up to Lhasa to help him negociate with the Chinese – so Col. Weir went up with his wife and daughter and they spent three months in Lhasa and had many interviews with the Dalai Lama himself. He was anxious to discuss Western ideas and ideals as opposed to Tibetan ones, and Mrs Weir says that many of his questions and criticisms were extremely difficult to answer, particularly when he asked whether the passion for speed and for wealth had made people any better or any happier. Mrs. Weir says that many of the old Lamas with whom she talked were full of peace and wisdom.
They had a most interesting time altogether. They were entertained by the nobles and officials and had to go to dinner-parties were they were sometimes given over a hundred different dishes. Then they had to give parties in return. The wealthy Tibetans import all the Chinese luxuries. They have careful and elaborate table manners and use the most beautiful plates and dishes – and eat with chop-sticks. They differ from Europeans in the particular that it is polite to make a great deal of noise when you eat, sucking in the food as loudly as possible and making sort of “sushing” noise while you eat it. Mrs. Weir says they learnt to do this so well that now they find it quite hard not to do and almost find themselves on the point of doing it at table at Government House where they are now staying. They did not leave Lhasa till December 1st and as you may imagine, the cold during their journey down was intense. It was cold enough between Gyantze and Phari when we did that journey in August and I cant imagine what it must be like in midwinter. She says that the sweat froze on the ponies coats before it could fall to the ground. Everything froze. The greatest difficulty was getting water for the horses, because all pools and streams were frozen solid and there being no trees on those high plains and no coal, fuel is scarce and expensive. Before they left Lhasa the Tibetan ladies gave them satin trousers lined with sheep-skin, with the wool inside and satin coats lined in the same way – and these garments were the greatest comfort to them all through the journey in Tibet, but when they had crossed the Natu La pass and got over into the milder and damper air of Sikkim they found their clothes beginning to smell dreadfully – The sheepskins had not been properly cured! Tibet is so cold and so dry that things don’t go bad there.
Well! I did not mean to take up almost the whole of my letter with accounts of Tibet, still it is interesting to have some first hand information from people who have just come from Lhasa, because so few Europeans have been there and very very few have seen the Dalai Lama.
There’s not very much to tell you about ourselves. We had to go to the Vicroy’s garden party on Friday which was quite interesting and we have had some lunch parties and tennis parties and a bathe or two at Tollygunge. I helped with a party which the guide Officers gave to all the Guides who had been left at schools in Calcutta and had not been home for Christmas. We had about 150 girls – We played games and then had tea and finished up with a Camp Fire and fireworks and I think they all enjoyed themselves.
Its nice that you get such good reports in French and how sweet of Mademoiselle Guyard to give you a book. Did you find time to write to her? I hope you did. It would be nice to keep in touch with her. I am very glad that you got such a good report for French.
Its splendid that Peg has passed her L.R.A.M. I am so glad!
I wonder how you got on with the job of teaching Rosemary her “pieces” on the piano. I am interested to hear that you particularly liked the Bach Prelude. I love Bach now, but did’nt when I was young. I must stop! Best love darling and lots of love and kisses
from Mum
P.S. Hope you are getting on well towards your Deportment Colours.
From HPV to Annette
Calcutta
Jan 12th (?1933)
My dear Annette.
The weeks chase me; I cannot keep ahead of them: no sooner has a mail day gone than another is upon me. Like waves. It is necessary then to copy out from memory last week’s letter and hope that you mistake it for something new. If I numbered my doings as reported to you, I might afterwards send you a letter in one line “6. 1. 5.2.2.1.” and you could look up the paragraphs and know that I had been doing again what I did before – in a different order. Tennis (n), golf (no), diving (once), dinner out (twice), cold weather (that’s a new thing). Satisfaction over your doings (and that’s not). The idea is good: but dull perhaps.
One Mrs Dodds told us a thing about the capybara at the zoo. You remember? The giant guineapig beast which fell into disgrace because it kept biting the tapir in the bottom and which was condemned to live on an island with the chimpanzee and in consequence to be much oppressed and to have hair pulled out of its seat. What happened. A youth came photographing: came on to the island: bent over, focussing – and was promptly bitten in the bottom by the unregenerate capybara. An animal of much character. One of the most stupid, to judge by its looks: very like a Bengali politician whom I know.
I now weigh 12 stone in my clothes: heavy clothes. What an event! For years I weighed 10 to 10 ½ without them. I have thus become a stranger to myself.
Much love
Daddie.
From LJT to Annette
14/1 Rowland Rd
Calcutta
Jan 18th 1933
My darling Annette
Its the first week since I don’t know when that I have not to thank you for a letter – but I suppose you were all very busy with Christmas and from Auntie’s account, you had a happy time. Before I forget it, here’s a riddle for you.
Q. Why is a schoolmistress like a polar bear sitting on a block of ice?
A. Because she keeps her-school and he keeps his.
Do you remember that silly book, making fun of English history, called “1066 and All That”? I wonder if you have seen the book by the same men, which came out recently and is called “And Now All This”. It is about general knowledge and geography and most awully funny. Do read it if you get the chance.
We have had a gay and busy week, including the ball at Belvedere on Friday – which was simply splendid – and I think I shall tell about it on a seperate sheet, so that I can make carbon copies and send one to each of you and so save writing it three times. I am enclosing the outside of the programme as I thought it might amuse you to see it.
I am getting on with my golf and went out to play at Tollygunge on the golf course for the first time on Monday. Unfortunately I had been riding rather a frisky horse on Sunday morning and as I had not been on a horse since I left Darjeeling, you can imagine I was rather stiff on Monday and it made it difficult to swing my club freely. However I did not get on too badly. I had another ride this morning, with Mr. O’Connor (the man who married Miss Jones) and we had a splendid gallop round the race course. I am still stiff – but I suppose it will wear off soon.
The rush of official garden parties and so on is quieting down – but there are still lots of things going on and I have been rather busy about my Health Week Exhibit. Do you remember Sara Majwinder? She married while I was home and she has just had a little son. I went to see them yesterday – Its a dear little baby and looks very contented.
I think I shall put the rest of my letter the “carbon copy” – Best love darling from Mum
P. S. The 3rd carbon copy I took of my letter about the Ball etc. did not come out very clearly – so will you pass yours on to Rosemary when you have read it? My love to June and thanks for her letter.
[carbon copy follows]
The big historical pageant ball which the Viceroy and Vicereign gave last Friday was a splendid sight. People were asked to go in any period of historical costume. The Viceroy went as Charles I and looked exactly as if he had stepped out of an old portrait. Lady Willingdon was very good as Queen Henrietta Maria, though I dont think it a very becoming period for women, with the somewhat straggly fringe and curls. The whole of the Viceroy’s Staff were in the same period dresses – The A.D.C’s. were all in bright turquoise blue.
Our Governor and all his staff were in Warren Hastings period and looked awfully nice.
Belvedere – the old Calcutta Government House is a splendid setting for a ball. The ballroom is well proportioned, with a gallery supported on white pillars, running all round it and under this gallery the floor is raised two steps above the level of the dance floor. There are plenty of exits and entrances to the drawing-rooms, refreshment rooms and the gardens – so even with twelve hundred guests there, we were not uncomfortably crowded. When most of the guests were assembled, the Bodyguard, in their scarlet and gold uniforms marched in and made a lane up the middle of the ball room. The Governor of Bengal and his suite then walked in in procession, followed by heralds and then Charles I and his Queen and Court followed by more of the bodyguard. It was all very fine and impressive.
There were a tremendous number of excellent costumes and few poor ones. The Indians turned up trumps. Rajputs and Moguls of the XVI Century were the favourite dresses amongst them. Our minister Bijoy Singh Roy and his uncle were in genuine old family Rajput fresses of cream and gold – with gold and orange pugerees, kumerbunds and huge curved swords and green and gold shoes with turned up joints. They were all loaded with jewels. One sporting old Indian lady, who is the only woman member of the Corporation of Calcutta, came as a Sunnyashar (a Hindu Holy Woman). She had her hair hanging down in long tresses – the saffron coloured robe of devotees of the holy life – a roseary – and a Shiva staff with a trident on it. I don’t know that it was strictly speaking historical, as it is what the Sunnayashis wear now – but they have worn it for thousands of years.
Lord Inchcape made up very well as Napolean – and there were the most adorable pair “The Little Princes in the Tower”
The old Lady Teazle dress did me very well and Herbert looked awfully nice in the Jane Austin kit. The hat was specially admired. There were a great many men in that period of dress but no one else had a hat like that.
The whole show was wonderfully run – Lady Willingdon certainly has a flair for making her parties go well. She always seems to enjoy them so much herself, which is a help and has an invaluable knack of remembering people and their names.
The evening before the ball, I attended an interesting function. It was the reception after the wedding of an Indian Girl whom I know very well. She is a Bengali girl, mostly brought up in England and belonging to the Brahmu Sumaj a sort of sect of reformed Hindus, who are practically Unitarians. She married a young Pujabi, whom she met in England and the wedding ceremony had to be conducted in English as she could not understand Panjabi nor he Bengali. After the ceremony, about 300 or 400 guests were entertained to dinner in the Indian fashion – A huge empty house – almost a palace, had been lent for the occasion – Some of the rooms had been furnished as reception rooms and places to show the presents and in other rooms, bare of furniture, long narrow strips of carpet had been laid down and all along in front of them were oblong pieces of banana leaf, about 10 inches long and 6 inches wide, and to each leaf, there were half a dozen little earthen-ware saucers, about the size of coffee saucers – and two earthern-ware goblets full of water. Some of the earthern ware saucers were already filled with chutneys and spices. I was taken charge of by Mrs. K.C.De the old lady whom I have already mentioned as having come to the Ball as a Sunnayashin and after saying how-do-you-do to the bride and bridegroom, we went into one of the dining rooms and sat down on the floor. There was a tendency for the women to sit in groups and the men in groups. In a really orthodox house of course, the women would not be able to eat till the men had finished. First of all we had to dip the right-hand in one of the goblets of water – Meantime young men, relations and friends of the bride, dressed in clean white dhotis, white silk shirts and white shawls, came round with huge dishes full of pilau (boiled rice, with spices and raisens) – luchis – flat sort of biscuits made of flour and water – little rissoles, highly spiced, coated in potatoe and fried – fish currey – mutton curry and various different sweetmeats. They served out these different things, either on to the bana leaf – or the very runny ones with a lot of gravy, into the saucers – and we ate in our fingers – right hand only – and I can tell you that its not awfully easy. The food was hot and beautifully cooked, but I could not manage to eat anything like all that I was given. For the dinner part of the proceedings, I was the only European there and was warmly congratulated by many of my Indian friends at my courage in eating with my fingers! Most of the guests there were the highly educated emancipated Calcutta people and they say they have almost forgotten how to eat with their fingers themselves – as they all live in more or less European style.
After dinner we looked at the presents and sat about and talked, very much as one does at an English wedding, only we all said good-bye to the bride and bridegroom and left before they did.
From HPV to Annette
Calcutta
Jan 19th 1933
My dear Annette.
The Fancy Dress Pageant Ball went with a whoop and a crash from start to finish. Brother Harry looked amazingly well in a War of the Roses costume: as good a dress as any there, I thought: others also – some others. Your mother’s looked admirable. There were a lot of very fine costumes: but the crush was so thick that it was not easy to see any of them properly. We stayed on to the very end having had some people to dinner and having brought some of them in our car. Being an official fairly high up in the Bengal Government I had tickets which let me in by a special gate and it was therefore much quicker to go in our car: there was a block at the other main gate. Next day by dinner time I was dead beat. Too much work every day to be able to cut sleep short without feeling it. How difficult it is to write legibly when I have got into the habit of scribbling hurriedly at my work! Everyone in the department where I now am has developed an appalling fist. All corners cut so to speak. I must buy a copy book.
Much love
Daddy
From LJT to Annette
14/1 Rowland Rd
Calcutta
Jan 26th 1933
My darling Annette
We had a real feast of letters from you all last week-end. It is such fun hearing about all the family doings and fun. It was nice of you and Richard to think of Air Mailing your letters which missed the ordinary post and but for a bit of sheer bad luck, in that bad weather delayed the Planes, the letters would have been here easily before we had to post home. Anyhow, lat or early, we enjoyed them just the same.
I am writing to Auntie about a Prayer Book for you as a confirmation present. I don’t know whether ones with ivory covers are frightfully expensive, but we will see what can be done.
The last two weeks I have been frightfully busy and have had that rushed feeling of having rather more to do that I know how to get through. Its true that a lot of it has been playing games and seeing people whom I like and find most interesting – but the thing is that one fixes up the games a long time before in Calcutta and cant let people down by saying one is too busy to play at the last minute. I have therefore again written the “General News” with carbon copies, so as only to have to do it once over – Perhaps you would read as much of it as you think will interest her to Rosemary when you see her –
A couple of evenings ago I came in to find such a nice present from Mr. Percy Brown waiting for me. It was a huge bunch of the most heavenly dahlias of all colours – so many that they would scarcely go into a big bucket. I so enjoyed arranging them and they are looking heavenly – so that I don’t want to go out and leave them.
I shall await with such interest the report of what the doctor said about your eye. My poor darling – its been awfully hard on you having to put up with a thing like that and I do hope and pray that they may be able to do wonders for it. The only thing to do is to count your blessings instead – and you have many of those, especially a strong stomach and first class digestion, which Mr. Dunn always says are the greatest blessings any one can have. I shall stop now and enclose the carbon copy as a postscript. Best love and kisses from Mum
[up side of first page] There is a Mr. Nicholson who is head of the Darjeeling Railway. I wonder if he is the father of the girl you mentioned.
[carbon copy follows]
Occasionally when I am driving about in Calcutta, I make myself look at the streets and the people as if I were a stranger and its interesting to find how many amusing things one sees. I was driving back from Tollygunge Club yesterday, through a quarter which is inhabited chiefly by fairly good class Indians – I began to play my game and within about five minutes saw the following – A Sadhu or Hindu Holy man, dressed in a very new, bright and clean saffron robe and pugree –This was nothing out of the ordinary – but instead of being bare foot, as the usually are, because they are not allowed to wear anything made of cowhide or pigskin – he was wearing an ordinary pair of white sand shoes which he had had dyed saffron to match his robes – and so asen religious India progresses - ! A few yards further on I met a cart drawn by a nice pair of white bullocks, with long pointed horns which had been painted bright Reckitt’s blue. Next I saw a man whom I am sure was a fortune teller or an astrologer, wearing full trousers of primrose yellow and a shirt and pugeree of the same, with a dark coloured waistcoat – He had a large and much thumbed book under his arm and I am sure for a few pence he would have been willing to read all the good fortune in the world in ones future. After this we had to swerve to avoid the very smallest pie dog puppy, who was lying contentedly in the middle of the busy street, while its mother lay on the edge of the pavement, looking at it with pride. Along the gutter a small – very small cow – not much bigger than a St. Bernard dog, picked her way with dignity. She was evidently a personage, because she was covered with a sort of net made of cowrie shells which hung down on each side, like the trappings of an old war horse, and on her head, with bits hanging over her nose and ears, she had a head dress of the same picket out with turquoise blue beads. As a matter of fact I have seen her near this place once or twice before, and I think she must belong to some temple. At that moment we left the busy street and turned along a little frequented road – where except for a couple of dhobi’s donkeys, attempting to graze on the refuse in an over-flowing dust bin and an ancient woman, who was carrying a great many newly washed clothes piled in a damp tower on her head, I did not see anything particularly striking.
Talking of astrologers, as I was a little way back, reminds me that I was amused to find in the beginning part of the telephone directory, where one can look people up under the professions, two names under “Astrologer”. One claimed to be an astrologer and palmist of 30 years experience and the other said “The biggest astrological society in India Talismans a speciality” – so there is your chance if you are in need of a talisman.
A couple of days ago, I went to a big garden party given by one of the big Calcutta Marwari merchants, to the Governor and others, at the Bengal Club. We were fed most sumptuously and after tea there was an entertainment of conjuring and various other things, with one really most remarkable turn. It was given by a nice looking Bengali lad of eighteen. He stepped onto the platform clothed only in a tiny little pair of sort of bathing drawers, made of leopard skin and proceeded to give us an exhibition of how he could control all the muscles of the abdomen. First of all he drew in his tummy, so that in the place where most people bulge out a bit, ha had a cavity almost large enough to hold a football. Then he made different ridges of muscle stand out one at a time. The one after another – then two to-gether and so on. Its difficult to describe it, but really I think it must be a unique performance. The boy has been training at a Bengali school of boxing, wrestling and phisical culture, where they say they have never had any one with this astonishing individual muscle control and they are thinking of sending the boy on a tour round the world. It is interesting to remember that one of the things in the doctrine of Yoga is to obtain complete mental mastery over the body in order eventually to free the mind – but this end is led up to by years of practise of a most elaborate system of breathing and muscle control.
My Girl Guides are back from their Christmas holidays and on Tuesday I suddenly discovered that the Captain of the other company in my school, was away and at the moment we neither of us have a Lieutenant – so it looked as if I should have to tackle both companies single handed. Luckily Miss Ogle was lunching with me, when I was rung up about this matter and volunteered to come and help me, for which I was most truly thankful. We are having the big annual Guide Service on Sunday and I had to make the girls practise formation and drill with colours.
I have had some very interesting evenings this week. Last Thursday my old friend Mr. Ledan La from Darjeeling, whom I think you all remember by name if not in person, came here to meet Cavalier Gino Scarpa – the Italian Consul General, who is a deep student of Budhism. Mr Percy Brown who has also read and studied a great deal on all Indian religions in connection with art – which is his subject, came too – and the most interesting discussions went on from 6 o’clock till past 8. Ledan La told us the life history of the present Dalai Lama, which is most interesting – I will try to write it down for you some day – but I hav’nt time this week. Ledan La was wearing one of his beautiful brocade robes, which as a rule he only does on rather special occasions. It was a deep cream colour and the collar was open at the neck to show a chestnut brown brocade undergarment, while beneath the hem of the robe one could see cinnoman coloured brocade trousers tied round the ankles with bows of turquoise blue brocade.
Yesterday evening we had a “mountaineering” party at the Club. Two of the four men who went up into North Sikkim just before us – but who turned west to-wards Kanchunjunga from the end of the bungalow route and climbed a beautiful mountain 20,540 feet high, called “The Fluted Peak”, brought their photos to show us and it was most frightfully interesting seeing them and hearing about their experiences. One of them, a Mr Gourlay, who has done some very fine trips either alone or with one companion, told us several striking things. He says that when you get up very high, your brain ceases to function properly. It gets lethargic and lazy so that it becomes terribly difficult to make up ones mind about things. Therefore before you start in the morning, you have to try to vizulize anything that may happen and decide how many photos you will take and from what places you will make observations and so on otherwise when the time comes you do nothing. We began to get a bit of that lethargic feeling on our trip.
We have been to an interesting display by the Calcutta Fire Brigade. It began at five o’clock, with displays by different fire engines and life saving methods – and finished up soon after 6 when it was just dark with a fire in a tall sort of tower of a house, which the Fire brigade use for practising, and engines rushing up – bells clanging – people being carried out of the windows down ladders and immense jets of water playing on the house. Very realistic and very exciting.
This past week (when writing I time my weeks from mail day) has brought Calcutta a great musical treat, in the shape of two piano recitals by Moiseiwitsch. I went to both and was entranced! He plays like an angel! The second concert, on Sunday night, was entirely Chopin.
I have had a couple of golf lessons out on the golf course at Tollygunge and I am feeling rather excited to-day, because I am playing an ordinary game for the first time! I have just purchased a new driver and iron with steel shafts, as the ones I had were over 20 years old and had warped – I am hoping the new clubs will help me to play better. Yesterday and the preceeding night, we had a great deal of Rain – We generally have one or two days rain in January and it is always exciting coming in the middle of months and months of dry weather.
From HPV to Annette
Calcutta
Jan 25th 1933
My dear Annette.
Whenever I meet a ridiculous story the cry goes up “Annette would like it”. But I do not remember them. However here is one: out of a book recently read. Small town-boy (about six) to farmer “how can you kill the kind pig which gives us such nice bacon?” Which calls to mind (because it has nothing to do with it) the following. Irish train Passenger: “Guard, guard is there any station between this and the next?” Guard “There is not: this is the next.”
All of which is not news. What is? Your Aunt Winsome has had to spend three days in a dark room. I exchanged a few words with her on Sunday when I went round: but they had promised to go out and so I saw only John and Henry, really. Henry had been run over by a car and though he didn’t seem to be badly hurt was sorry for himself. John full of life: I revealed to him the matter of your Joseph, [bacon smile, bit] and he was astonished by it.
Today we have been to a fire brigade show: very good: the last part was after dark with a tower on fire; fire escapes, engines and such dashing about; smoke, hoses going, glare; and the bells of more and more fire engines coming up. The bells seemed to me the best part. Who was there but John: I shook hands. He said This is Mary (or Jeanne or something) – I shook hands: she lifted up a foot and so I shook that too. – Is that my news? Yes. And quite enough too. Lots of work: I am learning golf out of a book: and we went diving on Sunday.
Much love
Daddie.