Thurs Dec 31st 1936

O.K. replied not graciously.
Got breakfast.
Mary behaved as if she were dying. J.F took swab but found no diptheria.
Teeth cleaned at W.Turner's.
To Selfridge shopping for Laura.
Nancy came up. Lunch with Laura at Canuto's: then to Dr. Wright who talked over Jenny case & gave advice.
With Nancy to Belleville (gave her the horn whistle) Nancy went off at 6 o'clock. Boil reappeared.
Ordered golden bean to be engraved for Jenny in commem. [commemoration] of Follow the Sun1. Norman to supper. Then on to Alix & Harry's, (where sherry, coffee, games (and Moses ...)[RG] Then[RG] and Book Reviews, Grab-hanky, Three chairs) Then with sparklers[RG] to flat, & champagne New Year for all, including James & Mary [RG] with addition of Maisie and J.F. Night Custard2 jokes. New Year wishes remembering Deyá [RG]. Karl, first foot. Resolutions Maisie for Laura 'no smoking', me for James 'poems', James for Harry, 'don't worry about job', Mary for me "comb-drill", Karl for Maisie "change flat", Laura for Alix "Go big with Cheese", me for Mary "Write the Macdonald book", Mary for Karl "Pas pleurer3", Dorothy & Ward rang us up. We rang up W.N. Also the Freemans. Sent night letter to Jenny for 1937.
Maisie gave me a tortoiseshell [sic: torsoiseshell] gold & silver ×××× [indecipherable] brooch, & I, her, handkerchiefs.

Editorial Notes

1a Revue in which Jenny performed: see note June 27, 1936 eds.
2an elaborate copy-writer's joke by Norman & his friends at J. Walter Thompson KG
3 "Don't cry" eds.

Hands Referenced

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

Places Mentioned

  • Deyá

    Deyá, Majorca, Sp
    Town located on the northwest coast of Majorca, on the hillside between the Teix Mountains and the sea: this was RG's home with Laura Riding from 1929 to 1936. He returned there with his family after WW II. Eds.

  • Canuto's

    Baker Street, London, England
    a restaurant eds.

  • Belleville

    London, England
    a private nursing home where Jenny Nicholson convalesced in late 1936/ early 1937 RPG 264

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.

  • W.N.

    Nicholson, Sir William
    (1872-1949) artist; Nancy Nicholson's father RPG 4

  • Ward

    Hutchinson, Ward
    Photographer. Contibuted to"Epilogue." W.G. R.G. often refers to "the Hutchinsons" (Ward & Dorothy) as a couple especially when they were staying on the island. eds.

  • Dorothy

    Hutchinson, Dorothy
    Ward Hutchinson's wife. WG

  • Kyllmann

    Kyllmann, O.K.
    of Constable's RG; also referred to as O.K. eds

  • Mary

    Hale, Mary
    Welsh maid at Nottingham Place, sister Violet eds.; later, maid for RG and LR at Dorset St. "Laura pinched [her] from Kitty West" eds. KG

  • Harry Kemp

    Kemp, Harry
    Poet. Met Graves and Riding through James Reeves in August 1936, just after their arrival in England. In their previous correspondence, Riding had been intrigued by his falling-out with Communism. He became associated with their circle, collaborating on various projects. (RPG 248-49)

  • 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.

  • 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
  • Turner, Henry Watson
    Graves' dentist whose office was at 59, Wimpole Street; RG names him interchangeably: Turner-Watson, W. Turner, and Dentist eds.

  • Norman Cameron

    Cameron, Norman
    Poet. Built Can Torrent in 1932-1933. W.G.; m. to Elfriede, then to Catherine Vandervelde; friend and contributor to LR and RG's work eds.

  • James

    Reeves, James
    Schoolmaster, writer and Poet. Friend of Jacob Bronowski. W.G./ K.G.; m. to Mary Phillips; daughter Stella born June 14, 1938 eds.

  • Mary

    Reeves, Mary
    wife of James Reeves; daughter Stella born 14 June, 1938 eds.

  • Dr. Wright

    Wright, Dr.
    Jenny Graves' doctor at Belleville eds.

Organizations Mentioned

  • Selfridges

    Selfridges
    London department store eds.

  • J. Walter Thompson

    Thompson, J. Walter
    advertising firm where Norman Cameron worked eds.