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The Townend Family Letters

Correspondence from the 1930s - 1940s between members of the Townend family
HPV + LJT Letters 1933 to 1935

1935 February

From HPV to Annette

Calcutta
Feb 6th 1935

My dear Annette.

It would probably make for letters better suited to my readers if I wrote them first at random and then, after inspection, added names at the top. I usually find myself being high-souled to Rosemary and reciting to you anecdotes of birds and woms; while Richard receives a diary of social events. All fail to escape discourses on political science and prophecies of the eventual triumph of paternal schemes. This time I have to record the good news that the last stage but one has been passed: the Governor General ie. Viceroy has sanctioned my Bill. Though apparently with some doubts. You are spared the details: but would not be if I had not discoursed upon the at length to others already.

Receive my felicitations on your prowess in the matter of skates. Continue always, my infant. – Tut. The modern person is uneducated. Would you believe it? Not one person present knew (or, say, inquired about) (1) what Retallick hated or (2) what he suggested was wrong with whose whats. Now place me that quotation: even if you leave the two problems unanswered.

Your mother has been out a great deal this week: in the evening: to dinner and such: and I have therefore had the gramophone out. Now, whereas it is a matter of common knowledge that the younger generation have recondite information about this and that, tell me what method may suitably be adopted for straightening warped gramophone records.

In the “Vie” (a vulgar paper) there was a picture of the French shopgirls looking at the statue called Discobolus (a athlete throwing a disque) – and saying “Ah! in those days then they disliked the gramophone”. An example almost perfect of delightful fatuity. I recommend it to you.

This day I have written pages and pages and pages. Mostly of arguments and sneers against the Government of the neighbouring Province of Bihar and Orissa: which has offended me much – officially. (And incidentally has given me extra work).

So I am off to bed

Much love
Daddie

From LJT to Annette
14.1 Rowland Road
Calcutta
Feb.7th 1935

My Darling Annette,

Once, when I was about 10 years old, I won a competition for dressing a doll, and I can see that doll so distinctly still. She wore a pale mauve silk dress with a boloro,and a dark purple velvet hat, - - very stylish I can tell you. I hope your effort for the toy-makers badge will be equally successful. My poor Guides have got measels in the school, so we cant go for the picnic which I had arranged, and they cant come to the parade service which we had been practicing for so busily. Its disappointing for us all.

What fun that your skating in Darjeeling is now standing you in good stead. I wonder whether the craze will last in Chelmsford. Its a pity I cant get my skates home to you, but it would cost more to send them than it would to buy a new pair, I expect.

At a lunch party yesterday the subject of “school” was being discussed, and one or two people were saying what a pity it was that people had to go to boarding school, and one girl who was there said she had hated school, so Mrs Hughes (One of Dr Graham’s daughters from Kalimpong) and I spoke up, and said we had loved our years at School, and did not feel a bit sorry for our sons and daughters having to go to school in their turn. You would much rather be at boarding school, than living at home and having to trail off to school every morning, would’nt you? - - or than hanging about at home with a governess? I cant help thinking it must be a lot people’s own faults if they are unhappy at school.

I have just arranged a lot of mauve sweet sultans in a lovely green pottery bowl that I got as “bakshish” from the Chinaman from whom I bought our dining-room carpet, and they look so lovely that I keep on pausing for a second to have a look at them “But since to look at things in bloom
Forty years are little room’
About the woodlands I will go to see the cherry, hung with snow”


Do you know those lines from Houseman’s “Shropshire Lad”? I thought of them this morning when I was looking at a silk-cotton tree, which has just burst into a glory of crimson flower. It could scarcely be a greater contrast to a cherry, but its “things in Bloom”. The “Shropshire Lad” is at Highways in the drawing-room bookcase if you want to read it any time, and it is worth it, for it is full of charming things. Have you written any poems lately or has that fancy passed for the moment? I always liked your “May-tree” one.

The lunch-party yesterday was rather a dissapointment. It was at a house where I usually meet a few interesting people, and where the talk is always interesting, but yesterday it was a big party, and really rather dull. Our hostess was a woman who is very keen on design and colour, and she has fascinating books on those subjects, some of which I am always meaning to borrow, but I never seem to have time to read.

I am getting very knowing in Calcutta now, and have a very shrewd idea where I shall meet the people who interest me, and try to avoid the parties where I think the people will be dull and talk about nothing but bridge and clothes and gossip.

How’s school going this term? Have you been able to read the Wild Animal book by BengtBerg in German yet?

Must move on to the other letters now
Best love my darling
From
Mum

P.S. I put in this cutting about Peru, which rather interested me.

From HPV to Annette

Calcutta
Feb 13th

My dear Annette

That Richard has, two weeks running, referred to your voracious way with books is bad. Believe me who has done it when he tells you that fast reading is unsatisfactory reading. Take it slow and nibble it a bit. To chew food and reading matter are both good. Merely to read for the sake of finishing the book is folly. For no man can read all the books: and if he could he’d be a poor creature.

For your own edification see if you can sum up in a phrase or two your friends and companions: something vivid: but by no means merely cutting – for that is by comparison easy. Forsaking the surface. Though my best description yet achieved was mere surface and hardly kind: “a moustache and a pair of ears” of Mr C.M: who and whose brother also admitted the truth of the label.

I am weary: very weary. Having done nothing and fussed much. Council is on. The Legislative Council sits, is what I should have said. I get no work done in the afternoons but have been very busy. The Governor made an announcement when he addressed the council, about my Bill: praising the idea and commending it. The comments in the newspapers have not amounted to much. It is to be published tomorrow: and it is likely to annoy.

It is hot tonight. Your mother has gone out to a concert. I remain, to battle with the mosquitoes. The American Vice Counsul said that he had no rest during the day for the “roaring of the crows.” How vivid! A misexpression which calls up an expressive picture of the scene. The mosquitoes are no less riotous this evening. It is all very well to light mosquito coils: but they make me feel all fuzzy and do not particularly peeve the mosquitoes.

I have put a washer under the horn of my gramophone so as to lift it far enough to allow of warped records to revolve below it without grating noises. And on the strength of this have run the gramophone while shaving these two mornings. To cure warped records place them on a piece of plate glass (which is quite flat) under a heavy weight: a woman told me: but I have no glass.

Much love
Dad.


From LJT to Annette

14/1 Rowland Road
Calcutta
Feb 14th 1935.

My darling Annette,

There were some bright and amusing thoughts in your letter, but nothing to encourage me to philosophize or moralize, as I have just been doing to Richard. Richard is a sober sort of person, is’nt he? How odd it must be to have really wild children, and never know what they are going to do next. Thank goodness you all seem to have a reasonable sense responsibility, and are not like Barbara Earwaker’s brother who was always stealing motor bikes, and going off to London on them, and then saying “oh, he had always meant to give them back”. and things like that. The sad thing is he has not outgrown this lack of sense, and has lost every job he has been in, both in England and out here. I feel awfully sorry for Mr Earwaker.

On Sunday morning out at the Chummery I found myself involved in a tremendous discussion on the subject of horoscopes and fortune-telling. We could not induce one of the men there to see the difference between what is claimed by the Horoscope casters, i.e. they work out the times when the stars or the natural forces will be working for you in any certain way, and when they will be working against you, and they do not claim to fortell definite events, - - - and the fortune-tellers, who do claim to forecast events. It reminded me rather of the discussions that go on at Highways between you and Joyce and Richard, with occasional words thrown in from other members of the family.

Dad is swinging between elation that his Bill has done as well as it has, in being approved by the Government of Bengal and the Government of India, and fear that it will crash in Council. I wonder too. I fear it wont go through without a lot of opposition.

I don’t think I will write any more.

Best love
Mum


From LJT to Annette

14.1 Rowland Road
Calcutta
Feb 18th 1935

My darling Annette,

Its true that it is only Monday, but I have got to get my letters done in good time this week, as I have promised to keep Thursday (mail day) free to help the woman who has taken over my section at the Health Week, to arrange the Exhibit, and as there is a Girl Guide committee meeting on Wednesday morning, and I am going out to lunch, and I am playing golf that day, it behoves me to look ahead.

I should think it is probably wise to give up music till after your exam. I should try to strum on a piano now and again if you get the chance, so that you don’t entirely lose all you have learnt. It will be awfully thrilling to hear how you do in the exam. I suppose it takes place in the summer term?

My French had a good airing yesterday, for at a late dinner for the Russian Ballet company after their so-called matinee performance, which begins at 6 p.m. and finishes about 8-45. p.m., I sat between two Russian Gentlemen and we talked in French, and after dinner I also talked all evening to two more Russians, one of whom could speak English, but the other could not, so for his sake we used French. It was the other way at a lunch party the other day when I was with two Germans, a Pole, and a Frenchman, and they all talked English for me, but as they all live in Calcutta they are well accustomed to it. As a matter of fact they did drift into German now and again, and I did my best to understand, but I fear with out much success

Dad and I both sympathize with you over the Chapel fund. Dad has been a bit annoyed about it from the first, but then he has not much sympathy with the idea of having your own Chapel.

Did I tell you that I had a letter from the Countess St Foix, explaining why the Count never came to see us at St Jacut. He was stricken down with appendicitis and was very ill indeed. She had to rush back from Aix where she was taking a course of baths, and take him to Paris as soon as he could be moved. I am sorry he has been so ill, but I was glad to hear that there was a reason for his not coming to see us, for I felt a little disappointed about it.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Auntie Winsome and John have just been in to see me, and I took this letter out of the machine in order to let John amuse himself with typing Young as he is, he can pick out the letters alright. There is no doubt that he is a bright young man. It is a pity he was not second or third in a big family, for I am sure he would have been a very nice child. I have not seen Charlotte for simply ages. I must go round and see her one day.

As soon as I have finished this letter, I must compose my programme for my Guide Rally to-morrow, and ring up my lieutenant and tell her about it. Between us we are handling two companies, oweing to the other Captain and Lieutenant not being able to attend because of the measels. Its a bit of a problem to fix up satisfactory work for 60 girls with only two people to look after them, especially as several of the P.Ls. have been taken off Guides for a few weeks before their matric exam.

Best love, my darling
from
Mum

From HPV to Annette

Calcutta
Feb 20th 1935

My dear Annette

I feel that you won’t get much of a letter this week. For the last ten days or more I have been labouring with statistics: and I had written a long, labourious and cunning note drawing from them certain conclusions. Two days ago I noticed something which aroused suspicions: and these were justified – the clerks who had compiled the figures had made a mistake at the very beginning. The figures compiled were wrong: and all my note was wrong too: necessarily. It is depressing. Because there is a lot of be done within a definite time and to have to do all this again is grievous.

All this is connected with my Bill. I have had a good press: though not much of it. The Member in charge, Sir Nazimuddin (corresponding with a Cabinet Minister) is amazed to find out how popular the idea is: members of the Legislative council have been coming up and talking to him. But this doesn’t mean that it will be easy to get it through in a form which will work. Bengalees have an itch to alter things.

Actually, I played tennis on Saturday. Not well: but without evil effects in the way of stiffness. On that evening I went to the Russian ballet: that makes twice. Next day, Sunday, to see some propaganda German films in the morning: the more propagandish they were, the more interesting. But I’m glad not a German. In the afternoon to bathe at Tollygunge. And then to supper 9.15 with the Carey Morgans who had a lot of the Russian ballet folk in: my French didn’t flow very freely with an aged lady who sat near me – but then I couldn’t hear her in the Babel. Nice unaffected people. All very debilitating.

I had my jaw X rayed this morning. There is another abscess. Alas! I fear greatly that another tooth must go: they are like tiles: when one goes those next come away too.

Your mother is out to Ballet again tonight. Second night running and fourth in all. She goes tomorrow night too: and on Friday there is a dance: at which I shall have to turn up: unless I have the tooth out that day.

Every morning while I shave, tooth-clean, and bath, I run French records. Maybe some of it sticks.

Much love
Daddie

Family letter from LJT

14/1 Rowland Road
Calcutta
Feb 20th 1935

My dears,

The last few days I seem to have been living in a whirl of Russian Ballet both as a spectator, and off stage as well. It started on Thursday evening, when Hugh and Phyllis Carey-Morgan and Mr Shrosbree who is living with them, and I, all dined with the Charles Carey-Morgans before going to the Ballet. Mr Shrosbree, more commonly known as “Shros”, is managing director of the New Empire Theatre where the Ballet are Performing, and that evening instead of letting us sit in our comparatively humble seats in the Circle, he took us all into the Directors’ Box. It was a heavenly programme of Ballet. They started with the “Magic Flute,” which they did beautifully, followed by “Sylphide”, which they did quite as well, and which is really one of the most adorable of the Ballets, and then a charming gay thing called “Promenade. Old Vienna”, which we all loved, and they finished with a well chosen group of dances. It was a splendidly balanced programme, because there was something of every sort in it. Shros asked me if I could go out to Tollygunge on Saturday afternoon to act as hostess for him to a party from the Ballet he was taking out to tea and bathe there. As perhaps one might expect for a bathing party, it was chiefly the English members of the cast who turned up. Stanley Judson, from the Old Vic—Sadler’s Wells Ballet, another Englishman called Kemp, two very charming Russian men and three English girls. They were all delightful. Stanley Judson is the only one who is not very good class, and in spite of a surburban accent, he is a nice fellow. They simply adored bathing, and though none of them were any special good at diving, they did all sorts of things on the trapizes and rings, especially the Russians, Rosskof and Toumin. Its not often that we manage to take such good value for our money at tea at Tolly. They are only allowed a very light meal at 7 o’clock, and like to tuck in to a really good tea. The Head butler at Tolly was delighted to find such an appreciative party, and kept on bringing more and more cakes and pressing them on our guests!

The same party of friends dined with us on Saturday evening, and Herbert broke his rule and came along to the Ballet with us. We had an extremely amusing dinner during which Herbert and the Carey-Morgan brothers skated on such very thin ice, that the Carey-Morgan wives and I laughed till the tears ran down our cheeks. We did not think this third programme of the ballet so good as the first two. They did rather a long ballet called “Visions” which is supposed to be based on the “Sleeping Beauty” story, but one would never guess it, and I think it is a little dull till almost the end, though very dainty and pretty. This was followed by “Carnaval” which I adore and which they did awfully well. In the second half of the programme they did dances from the “Coppelia” suite, and a good group of dances at the end. Shross and I had asked the party who were with us in the afternoon whether they would like to go on to supper and dance at the Saturday Club after the show, and we went round behind the scenes at half time to find out how many were coming. I had never been behind the scenes before, and was interested and amused to do so. Herbert and the Carey-Morgan families would not come on as they said they were too tired, so Shross and I went round again after the Show and talked to the Musical Director while we were waiting for our guests to take off the paint and get dressed. Launitz, the Musical Director is a perfectly charming person. According to what the others say, he has had an extraordinary life, doing all manner of different things all over the world. At one period he got himself into a high position in the Air Branch of the Red Army, while acting as a secret agent for the White army, which I should imagine must have felt rather like sitting on a live volcano. Our party collected wonderfully quickly and consisted of our men and six girls. One of the girls was the sweetest little Russian who has lived most of her life in south America. Her name is frightfully difficult to pronounce, and since it bears some faint resemblance to “Mickey Mouse” that is what she is always called. We picked up a few young men at the Saturday club - - - - there were plenty only too willing to be picked, - - - - and sat down to a good meal of Sausages and eggs and bacon. Having eaten they all wanted to dance, which seemed to me very energetic of them. I said so to Rosstof, and he said he found it very nice to dance for his own pleasure instead of for the public. By the time the dance had finished and we had taken them back to the hotel, it was nearly 3 o’clock, so I felt a bit sleepy when the bearer came with my tea at 6.30, and put out my riding clothes! By the way it was marvellous dancing with the “dancers”, especially Stanley Judson. He does not seem to touch you much and yet he can make you do anything he wants.

As I am on the story of the Ballet doings, I may as well carry on with it. Shross gave a dinner for them after their Sunday performance, which though called a matinee, began at 6.o’clock and ended at 8.45 or so. It took place in Hugh and Phyllis’s house, and was done by Firpo and Co. I think there were 15 of the company and ten others. I sat between Vilzak, the leading male dancer - - (and a magnificent dancer too) and another Russian and we talked French, as Vilzak can scarcely talk any English. It was very amusing and interesting. After dinner I had a long talk with the old maitre de ballet and the music man, both of whom are interested in Hindu and Buddist philosophy, and who were obviously delighted when I promised to take them the next day to see Mr van Manen, the learned old Secretary of the Asiatic Society. All the principals were there. Natasha Bojkovich, the premiere ballerina was sitting just across the table from me at dinner. She is not at all young but is a charming little creature. There was a good deal of laughter about the question of drinking wine at dinner. Natasha took about half a glass of light white wine, and then touching her forehead with a fairy-like finger, she said in very broken English, “it has all gone here. I feel quite dronke”. Vilzak also took a little wine, saying he seldom did because he did not think it was “good for the legs.” I thought it a good remark.

I liked all the company so much, and found them so perfectly natural and unaffected, and the girls so much less spoilt than most of the girls in Calcutta, that I felt moved to do what I could to make their stay pleasant, and seeing how much they had enjoyed Tollygunge, I asked if some of them would like to come the following day again, and they almost whooped with delight! We had a great party. I asked one or two people to meet them including my flying friend Mr Mathews. He came up to scratch splendidly and asked as many as liked to go out to the Flying Club at Dum Dum and promised to take up as many as there were time for, for short flights. I borrowed a couple of cars, got out of a golf engagement for myself, and we had a great afternoon out there. They even enjoyed the drive out through the North slums of the town, which we always look upon as the great drawback to an outing to Dumdum. We took ten people out, of whom nine had flights. I forgot to mention that Mr Mathews had been to dine with us the previous night and we had been to the Ballet. He was so pleased with it that he said he must come in again last night and asked whether I could not possibly go with him. He came here to pot-luck, and we enjoyed the new programme enormously.

I am sorry but owing to having been out so much I have not got my mail written ahead, as I intended to do, for I have to go out this morning to help set up my old exhibit at the Health Week exhibition, and I have other things on all day, so I am just scrambling through this before breakfast, and must pop these letters into their envelopes now without even correcting them, and I have been hurrying so that I know I have made heaps of mistakes.

Best love to you all
LJT


From LJT to Annette

14/1 Rowland road
Calcutta
Feb 28th 1935.

My darling Annette,

The awful inertia of longing to sleep after food (following also a series of late nights, I must confess) is upon me, so I fear you wont get a very interesting letter. I hope June’s swelled glands did not turn out to be anything very serious, - - or even mumps.

It was rather an interesting idea saying that you could all write letters suggesting improvements in the school. If you have the time and the energy do tell me what some of them where some time.

Discussing riding with Rostoff, who is an ex-cavalery officer, and Toumin, who apparantly is no horseman, Toumin gave rather an amusing description of his riding. He said “Quand je monte au cheval, c’est un peu comme l’Alpinism. Je monte, et je descende.” Having to speak so much French with these Russians has made me feel that I must really find time to do a little work with the gramaphone, and try to improve my vile french.

It was bad luck for Dad losing another tooth, was’nt it? He detected a slight swelling, and fearing an abcess, went to get an x-ray done, which showed a big abcess, so out the tooth had to come, and Dad felt very pulled down in consequence. He is just beginning to pull up again now.

Forgive me my dear if I don’t write any more, but go and snatch a little sleep before going out to a wedding

Best love
Mum

From HPV to Annette

Calcutta
Feb 28th 1935

My dear Annette

No time for a letter. You will say “There never is, apparently”: and that is true. I have reached a stage of being always behindhand in everything. Tooth out last Thursday. A knock out too. An injection: no pain but afterwards flabbiness and depression. Like the squalling child I was “quite discouraged.” Now gradually I am reviving: but behindhand in all things.

Social events nil – owing to the tooth: at least I believe that people have been in but I have not really been interested: though they have been pleasant people.

No time for a letter. I was nearly forgetting that.

Much love
Daddie

Family letter from LJT

14/1 Rowland Road
Calcutta
Feb 28th 1935.

My dears,

My last letter went off in a great rush, and was very badly written, I know. Mail day last week was a very busy one for me. I spent the whole morning at the Museum, helping to put to-gether my old section of the Health Week Exhibition, which I refused to be responsible for this year. I got away from there about 1 o’clock, dropped into the U.S.Club for a wash and a brush up, and went on to the Grand Hotel to fetch Petroff,, the maitre de Ballet, and Launitz, the Musical Director of the Russian Ballet, whom I had invited to lunch with me to meet Van Manen, Secretary of the Asiatic Society, Mr and Mrs Percy Brown, and Pramila Chaudhuri. There was no lack of talk at lunch or afterwards. Launitz and I had to leave the party still looking at Percy Brown’s wonderful photos of Lama dancing, while we went off to fetch a collection of other members of the Ballet to go for a picnic in the Botanical Gardens. Three friends of mine had joined me as hostesses. We sent my car right round by road, with food and servants, while we crossed the river by one of the Ferry boats. It is about a twenty minutes trip on the river and quite an interesting and pleasant one, whereas it takes about 40 minutes to drive through the slums of Howrah over the most abominable roads. The troupe loved the voyage and went into ecstacies over the gardens, which certainly are looking very pretty now, as a lot of trees are in flower, and heaps of them are in their new spring green. We walked to the famous Great Banyan tree, about which the foreign members of the cast produced a flow of adjectives, amongst which “formidable” figured largely. There is always an old man near the Banyan Tree selling green cocoanuts to drink, and Mr Mathews started the ballet drinking them. They were thrilled and thought the dab juice delicious. They all took snapshots of one another drinking, and one or two of the girls even went to the length of taking their cocoanuts home with them to show to the rest of the company. For drinking purposes the cocoanuts are cut quite green, before the actual nut has formed, and when the big green husk contains about a pint or more of liquid rather like lemon squash.

We wandered on round the gardens, finally returning to the spot on the edge of one of the many lakes where Mogul had laid out tea. We had spent so long walking that we had rather a limited time for eating and drinking, but we were well placed where we could see across the river, and watch for the boat approaching, so every moment could be made good use of, and the cakes and sandwiches disappeared rapidly. It was pretty going up the river just as the sun was setting, and they all seemed to enjoy it.

That night I dined with Hugh and Phyllis and Shross. They were entertaining Sir Brojendra Mitter and his wife, both of whom are charming. Sir Brojendra is now a senior member of the Governor’s Council, and is a brilliantly clever man. He has a wonderfully quick and shrewd wit, and I always enjoy talking to him. Herbert was to have dined too, but he had had a tooth out the previous day, and was not feeling very grand. After dinner Sir Brojendra went home to rest or to work, and the rest of us went to the Ballet, sitting once more in the Directors box. After the show Shross took us all round behind, as he wanted to introduce the principals to Lady Mitter, who I suppose at the moment ranks as the first lady in Bengal, as we have no Governor’s wife, no Chief Justice’s wife and no Bishop’s wife. Also the Mitters have just come back to Bengal after some years in Delhi and Simla, and Shross wanted to get Lady Mitter to write to some of friends in Delhi giving the Ballet company a puff. Indians are particularly swayed by a personal recommendation. I felt quite sad that it was the last time I should see the Ballet in the theatre, for the following night was their last and I had to go to a private dance at Tollygunge. Some friends of mine, Col and Mrs Arthur (He is now head of Jardine Skinner, one of the business firms here, and she is one of our most active Girl Guide ladies) also had to go to this dance, but had invited the whole Ballet Company to a farewell supper after the show, so they and I crept away at midnight and just got back in time to be ready to receive the first arrivals from the theatre. The Arthurs’ is a huge and beautiful house, absolutely made for giving big parties in. The party started with a sit-down supper, two tables in the dining room and one on the verandah, at which there must have been about forty people in all. After supper we went upstairs where one of the big drawing-rooms had been cleared, and an electric gramaphone was playing, in case anyone wanted to dance. A huge box full of paper head-dresses was produced, and Petroff found a splendid tartan tam-o-shanter and Vilzack a Scotch bonnet. Taking arms they tripped out into the middle of the floor, shere at Launitz went to the piano and started playing a Schottische, and the two of the gave a splendid Russian rendering of the old Scottish dance. Launitz broke into an old-fashioned walz after a while, in which most ofus joined, till we were exhausted, and then one of the girls called on Rostoff to sing, which he did most beautifully. Madame Bojkovich told me that he trained for some years in Italy, and has done a lot of stage singing. He sang a few Italian songs, but mostly Russian, and so lovely. Several of us had brought cushions and were sitting on the ball-room floor, because we could hear better than in the big drawing-room beyond. Most of the songs had choruses in which all the Russians joined, and in one whenever the chorus came one or other of the girls sprang to her feet and did a wild little pas-seul round the room, including Bojkovich, who drifted round as if she were a bit of thistle-down being blown by the wind. We had more dances and more singing, and as at 3 o’clock no one had made the slightest move to go home Phyllis Carey-Morgan and I thought we had better give a lead. There were cries for one more dance, and then we all sand “Old Lang Syne” and trooped downstairs to pack into the cars. I drove no less than five of the party home in my car. They are mostly so small and slim that they seem to take no room. There were more good-byes and hand-kissings on the pavement outside the Grand Hotel, and I got home to bed a little after 4 o’clock. Luckily I had had the forethought to say I would not ride on Saturday morning so I was able to lie abed till 8 o’clock. Even this was not the end of the Ballet for they did not leave till 4 o’clock on Saturday afternoon, and Phyllis C-M and Phyllis Gurner and I had invited them to come and bathe at the Saturday Club in the morning. We went to fetch them from the Hotel, and had a most amusing time in the lounge, collecting those who could come and saying good-bye to those who were too busy to spare the time. It was quite a ten minutes entertainment for the other people in the lounge. We had great fun at the Saturday Club baths, various people drifted into the party, and we finished up by occupying about half the “bar” when we were sitting having drinks afterwards. I really said good-bye to them all with great regret. I have promised if ever I see any of their names billed anywhere in the world, I will send round a note saying “Do you remember the cakes at Tollygunge?” They say that Mrs Arthur and I are to let them know when we are home, possibly next year and they will collect any members of the present company then in London and have a party for us. It would be rather fun it it came off!

I am sure this letter and my last one must read as if I did nothing and thought of nothing but the Ballet, during that week, or eight days after I met them, which is not quite true, for actually I have had quite a lot of Girl-Guide work going on, beside my ordinary weekly Rally. Mrs Arthur and I had a special “treat” rally on Friday the 22nd for the two companies and the three flocks of Bluebirds, to celebrate the birthday of the Baden-Powels, and the children had a grand time with games and songs and things and finished up with a slice of cake, a few sweets and a drink of orangeade each. Himalayan Club work is always going on, more or less, and ther was a lad down here on Friday, Saturday and Sunday who is going out with four others to try to climb a 25,000 ft peak (Peak 36) in the Karakorams. He was one of the party the Daily Mail made such a fuss about last year when they made an attempt to climb Nun Kun in Kashmir, with very light equipment. This boy, Waller, looks such a kid, but it seems he will be the leader of the expedition, though some of the other lads are older. He came to see me chiefly about getting him two really first class Darjeeling porters, to make the final assult with them, and we spent a long time going through the porters register, which I have been making, and discussing the qualifications of various men, and the rates of pay etc for them. I am getting three men for Ron too, but he wants rather different qualities, so the two dont clash. He and G.B. and I sat out a dance to-gether on Friday evening to have a further discussion on the subject, and got so absorbed that we almost forgot to go back to the ball-room when the music started.

I shifted straight from Ballet to explorers. I came back to a quiet lunch by myself on Saturday, and thought I would take a sleep immediately after it, which I did to my great satisfaction, but was woken by the telephone bell about three o’clock, to find that Kingdon-ward had arrived. He had to spend the afternoon sorting out his belongings in Grindlay’s go-downs, but promised to come along to dinner. Herbert came in later and we went out for a quiet tea at Tollygunge, and came home to entertain a few people to cocktails. It was one of those nice parties when one has picked out a few people who want to meet one-another, and who have interests in common. It was such a success that it drifted over into the dinner-party. Shross was coming to dinner and to take me to see Yvonne Arnaud and Tom Walls in “Lady in Danger” and I had rung up Shross to get another ticket for Kingdon-Ward. There were four men left here when K-W arrived, and one of them had just told a very amusing story, so we were all laughing heartily. K-W rather had the impression that this cocktail party had been going on ever since he left us a year ago, for we had one as a farewell to him! “Lady in Danger” was a very entertaining film, luckily, for otherwise I am sure I should have gone to sleep!

Kingdon-Ward spent most of Sunday with us. We took him out to breakfast at Tollygunge, and from there I took him on to the Agri Horticultural Gds where we spent about an hour with the Secretary, and wandered all over the gardens. After that we thought we deserved a drink, and went along to the Saturday Club to listen to the band and drink Shandy. Unfortunately Herbert and i had to go out to an extremely dull lunch given by one of the Indian High Court judges, and it went on a very long time. For sheer dullness it was in such contrast to all the parties I have been at lately that I could hardly bear it! Almost directly that was over, I went to fetch Kingdon-Ward and we went down to the Botanical Gardens by boat, and luckily found the Superintendent Dr Calder at home, and had tea with him and his wife on the verandah of their delightful house, which looks right down a big bend of the river. Between the house and the river there are two tall trees, and right to the top of each of them has ramped a brickred bourgainvillia. They are in full flower now, and really a glorious sight. I enjyed the botanical talk, and was sorry we had to leave so early to catch the last boat. By this time I was feeling a bit exhausted, so I took K-W to my gardening friends the George Morgans whom he had met last year, and where I knew he would spend a pleasant evening. Herbert suggested going round to see Harry and Winsome when I got in, but I felt I must sit for a while, so he went off, and I stretched myself on the sofa, intending to read the newspaper, and promptly fell asleep till dinner-time.

This week life has gone back to normal again, though there has been plenty doing. I was dining out on Monday, and to my grief had to play roulette, and by the end of an hour was exactly one anna down. We had the last Symphony orchestra concert last night, and there were a few people dining here before it. I made a determined effort to go to a wedding on the wrong day yesterday. I think it is the first time I have ever made a complete mistake about an engagement. I had entered it on the wrong day in my engagement book. I put on my frock and hat, and was going downstairs when I thought I would just look at the invitation to see the number of the house where the reception was being held, and low and behold the date of the wedding was for to-day. The servants thought it a great joke when I had to get out of my best clothes, and have a cup of tea at home.

I have just been interrupted by a long visit from the wife of the Magistrate and Collector of Midnapore, the District where three Magistrates in succession have been shot. She is such a nice girl. I had never met her before. She says her husband says that he does not mind always being guarded, but she thinks underneath it much be a strain.

This letter has grown out of all bounds, so perhaps its just as well that it has grown late and I must stop. I apologise for making so many mistakes. I am trying hard to get up more speed, and as I look at the typewriter, I suppose I must expect to make errors. I wish I could make myself give up the time to learn to type without looking.

Best love to you all
LJT