Friday Dec 25th

Presents from Lucie & John. From[RG] Picture of Cowboys near San Francisco, a set of mock-Roman buttons, bead teapot stand, small gilded glass-bottle.
Got breakfast. housework.
Lovely Christmas dinner at Maisies. Laura Maisie Honor Gordon Julian Alix, Karl. Turkey, Moselle1, pickled damsons, cranberry jam, mincepies; a Christmas tree with electric fairy lights presents. Laura got a Trojanish cream-jug (Wedgewood ×××× [indecipherable] slip-ish) I a pair of nutcrackers.
To Jenny for 2 hours. Laura talked her sensible, after tears.
Proofs.
Party at J.F.'s. Present Margaret & her husband (& child upstairs) J.F., Violet, Tristram, Honor, Gordon, L, me, three others Ruth Pat etc. Played charades: Elisha, Levita, Isabella II. Then Advice. Then Fort Belvedere. Jenny complications. Wrote to N.N.

Editorial Notes

1wine eds.

Hands Referenced

    • Annotation: ink correction
    • Character: regular
    • Ink: black

People Mentioned

  • J.F.

    Freeman, Dr. John
    friend of RG; married to Violet Freeman eds.

  • Jenny

    Nicholson, Jenny
    Jenny Nicholson: oldest daughter of Robert by Nancy Nicholson.

  • Laura

    Riding, Laura
    (1901-91) American poet. Laura Riding (née Reichenthal; then Laura Gottschalk).

  • Nancy

    Nicholson, Nancy
    (1899-1977) First wife of Robert Graves; married 1918, separated 1927, divorced 1949. eds.

  • Maisie

    Sommerville, Maisie
    Head of BBC Education broadcasting department. Friend of R.G. and L.R. Arranged accomodation for them when they returned to London as exiles. W.G., eds.

  • Honor

    Wyatt, Honor
    Journalist. Arrived in Deyá fortuitously. Married to Gordon Glover...Son Julian. W.G. First acquainted with R.G. and L.R. early in 1934; returned to visit in 1935; continued friendship in England. eds (RPG 211).

  • Gordon

    Glover, Gordon
    Married to Honor Wyatt. WG

  • Karl/Carl

    Goldschmidt, Karl
    Karl Goldschmidt, later Kenneth Gay: Graphic artist, friend and secretary of Robert Graves and Laura Riding since 1934. R. G. spells both as Carl and Karl.

  • Violet

    Freeman, Violet
    wife of Dr. John Freeman eds.

  • Alix Kemp

    Kemp, Alix
    Married to poet Harry Kemp. The couple shared a house with Graves and Riding in Ewhurst, Surrey (1937). eds (RPG 277); also referred to as Frau Eierman by RG eds. see Diary August 30, 1936

  • Aldridge

    Aldridge, John
    (1905-1983), painter and close friend and collaborator. WG m. to Lucie Brown 1940 eds.

  • Lucie

    Brown, Lucie
    Married artist John Aldridge. eds.

  • Julian

    Glover, Julian
    Honor & Gordon's baby. WG

  • Pat Ewen

    Ewen, Pat
    likely: brother of Maisie Sommerville's lover, John Ewen eds.