Aug 1st Saturday
Millionario told me of radio news from Paris about international incident of 2 Italian planes that were forced down by the storm in French Morocco: and of an (??) international conference today to decide on protection of
foreign property. Blue Trousers from Margarita modista. Time & Fortune came – first mail since July 20th or so.
The oleandersrose bay eds. in full bloom, also zinnias and dahlias. Cornflowers transplanted to main bed, where path finished. Short sent a p.c:postcard eds.
Expect 'all clear' to sound in
within a week.
Second section of Troy.
First grapes. Camionbus KG did not go to Palma.
Beer at Costa D'Or, where no people again – foreigners retreated, Palma people patriotically returned to the bombs – now heavier ones.
* Bartolomé finished work and cleared up the grounds. Supper with Lots:? Possibly guests at the hotel Costa d'Or. WG asparagus, cray fish, beer etc. Cabrera taken by
Govt
Government
. Mallorca reported from England evacuated of foreigners under threat of bombardment. Cheering
F.
Fascist
patrol every night.
Aug 2nd Sunday
Rumours of surrender, to be announced by smoke signal from mountain
Teix KG.
Apparently no bombing yesterday, for the first time for a week. Last night in the garden by full-moon; scented by
damas de noche
candlewood, see Mar 15, 1936 eds..
Finished going over Troy
II
part two
. Began
III
part three
.
Aug 2nd Sunday
At 2 o'clock. Lindo Webb ex-consul told us we our last chance to go was this evening by a destroyer from Los Pinos, Palma. One suitcase each. We had just had lunch. Packed hurriedly and at random. Gelat came & undertook to do everything. He said 'sin verguenzas'shameless, i.e. the
F
Fascist
's KG and wept. Magdalena & Medora came. Antonia and her husband to sleep at Can Torrent, and look after Alice & NicholasLaura's cats eds.. Gelat
took keys, will keep everything for us, don't worry
K.G. adds this note:
pts.
pesetas
3.000, which I had saved from bankrupt Bank, handed to L.R., who gave them to Gelat for expenses
eds, will take SolomonGraves' dog eds. for walks. Everyone weeping as we went off. Skirted Palma – saw broken windows no other damage. Today 60 bombs dropped. Soldiers lounging about. Growing beards already. Letters for Schw & Str. who stay at Deyá to forward to Nickel & Emmi's sister. Forgot to excuse ourself to tea with the Junyers.
Short confident Fascists will soon win. Saward
examined passports at English tea room.
Aug 3rd Monday
Last night we went aboard the 'Grenville' a brand-new destroyer, by tender. Everyone very nice to us.
Lt Comm.
Lieutenant Commander
Evans asked me to sign Claudius which he had with him. Made an exception. He invited me to bridge. Saw anti-aircraft guns & various gadgets. Old fashioned chart and sliding rule for course. Women
Officers cleared out of cabins for women. Men slept on collision mats with 1 blanket apiece on deck. Refugees from Mahon had been on board since yesterday. Bully beef, ships biscuits, lime juice. Today to Ibiza, to pick up more. Captain & interpreter went ashore to round them up. Here all day. Bathed over the side twice borrowing shorts from Lieut
Evans. Got to know Eric Tattersall who had Malta fever, & Sjaenke Waltison, Czech. Monsieur George, the French fossil collector & his numerous family. Lady Shepherd & Mrs Starkie queening it. Slept tonight under 4.7 inch gun. 150 refugees or so.
Aug. 4th Tuesday.
To Valencia where by tender of
Repulse
to Hospital ship
Maine
, from Malaga with refugees. Maine had been 10 months at Alexandria & was just refitting, one engine out, taking out bug-ridden panelling when ordered at 48 hours notice on this job. The surgeon commander who took passports carried on generous
trad.
tradition
of
Grenville
which allowed Karl to stay with us instead of handing to German boatpocket battleship KG which would have meant concentration camp for him. Maltese waiters. 22 nationalities all grabbing the food which we ate in the after deck recreation room instead of passing it along please.
Women in wards. Men on deck with mattress & two blankets under awning. Very dirty from funnel. Good plain food. Canteen for cigarettes. Made friends with Colonel Gurney dying of 1918 gas. Valencia looked peaceful. Chimneys smoking.
Aug 5 Wednesday.
Uncomfortable night. Had to get an a petty officer to strip Germans of extra blankets to get my two. Rain through rotten awning. We sailed at dusk. Barcelona at 10 o'clock or so. German pocket battleship, Italian battle cruiser. British 'Devonshire' (I think). Aeroplanes. At the key
quay fishing with a basket for beer, minerals, newspapers. Nobody allowed ashore. Sailed for Marseilles in evening. Birthday party in Electrician Paul's cabin for Eric Tattersall. Bought him for 7/6Seven and a half shillings eds. a pair of real Breton sailor trousers from one Harold
Hal Wolfe a dissolute painter. About 30 more refugees making some 800. Lady Shepherd in lowest ward. Burole
Brindle KG
Sjaenke's dog kept in mortuary. Awful English fascist Dunn making Fascist signal on passing Spanish destroyer. Concert with guitarist.
Aug 6 Thursday.
Marseilles at 8 o clock. Consul would lend anyone 3rd class ticket to England. We had hopes of money from bank so would not lendborrow KG any. Laura had an expired passport so we must keep together. Karl could not leave without a 10 franc stamp, which it cost me 80 francs to get and 3 hours, travelling from direction to direction all over Marseilles. American consul useless.worse than – first time I ever saw L.R. weep: on leaving Consul's office KG Got £20 (£10 each) from Westminster Bank
). By 7 o'clock (no food) and inhospitable visit to Antonio Vives (secretario's brother) had all but English visa to L's passport. Met Garett at
Am.
American
Consul. Things improved (nice English cross-eyed concierge at Consulate told us of a cheap eating house). Got train and borrowed £3 from White (of Menorca).
b
Bought station food. Carriage to ourselves. Got some sleep, arriving Paris at 8 o clock. Luggage to other station. British consul
Aug 7th Friday.
ConsulateBritish KG opened at 10 o clock. By 10.6 had visa
Laura's KG. (Women helping) Taxi to station. Just got train 10.19 (Laura protesting). Wire at Dieppe to Maisie.
Roy Campbellin Cordoba hat and black cape KG on boatcross-channel KG: full of coloured lies. Apologised to L & me for libel on us in Georgiad
a long satire, published 1931 eds. or something. London at 6. Maisie there, just going to Scotland. To Nottingham Place: then J.F. put us in Kitty West's house at 32 York Terrace Regent's Park: she was in Ireland. Two nice Welsh maids & spring-cleaning. Wires to A.G. etc. Hot bath
Slept
Maisie gave us supper (and Pat Ewen) at Étoile.
Aug. 8th Saturday
Kylmann of Constable came to see us with Tokaybottle of Tokay KG. Phoned Arthur Barker, Cape, Watt, etc etc.
Fearful tired. Maids very nice (Mary & Violet Hale of Blaina)
Met Mother at 5.55 at Paddington. She went to Osnaburgh Hotel.
Clothes from Allen, which the children were going to bring out to me.
Kitty West wired, delighted for us to stay indefinitely.
Supper at Ward & Dorothy Hutchinson'sin Hampsted KG.
Aug 9th Sunday
Mother came to take me out to lunch with
Ros at
Philip at Prada's in Euston Road. Then by taxi to Halstead to see Ros & Jim & Roger. Ros unchanged. Lots of county neighbours. Jim bullies her & she seems to like it.
Supper at
Ward & Dorothy Hutchinson's
Violet & J.F.'s, & showed allergy laboratory.
Aug 10th Monday
Saw Mother off at 11 o clock. after shopping with her at Selfridges. On return found Honor which was nice. She has kept no copy of mislaid Heathen chapters.
Antigua proofs came.
Visit from Glendinning.
Shopping by Laura, who came away with little , and visited Watt
. Giving Honor material for refugee article.
Laura has got a lot of grey hair from all this. Avoided Morning Post reporter.
Nice letters from children: especially nice from Catherine.
Aug 11th Tuesday
More Antigua proofs.
Laura shopping.
I visited Watt to discuss the Savage business. Lunch with Honor & Gordon at Criterion Brasserie at Piccadilly.
Everything rather blank. Impression: sherry
Supper at Ward & hot baths
Dorothy
telling our story
over & over to
different people.
the sequence of words and deletions from "Impression:" to this point may be an intentional pattern, but this has not been confirmed. Please refer to the ms image of this page. eds
Honor returned to Arkesden where Mary & George have descended on her.
Cafá Royale. Dull.
Aug 12th Wednesday
After shopping at Selfridges with Alan, mostly underclothes & stationary, Spent day with Liddell Hart who was very nice & son Adrian & masterful wife Jessie & secretary Miss Gamage at Merrow Grange Hotel Guildford full of very stupid people. L.H. agreed Savage's terms
imposs.
impossible
Would try Arnie again before declaring war. Has been overworking gets £
3,4000
£3,400. KG a year, can't suggest reducing standard of living. Would like to chuck his job. Gave me notes to read, for possible publication. Covering
manoevres
manoeuvers
.
James & Mary came.
Supper at Barcelona restaurant Alan, Karl, Laura,
Honor, Gordon,
James & Mary
, Ward & Dorothy, me.
Aug 13 Thursday
Sold Lawrence
Mss
Manuscript
for £1000 (£884 clear).
Mad day at Denham Studios. Korda sent car. Watched Rembrandta film directed by Alexander Korda. eds (RPG 248). being filmed: only Laughton & Elsa Lanchester on set. Same passage 8 times or so. Laughton discussed Claudius. Korda promised money, sen wanted to send car for Laura, wanted to give Jenny a part. Saw Vincent the decor job chap who wanted to be an artist again. So did Laughton. Mad restaurant meal filled with costumes of Elizabethan film, Swedish police & Russian refugees, English waiters etc. Vivian Leigh supplying dirty rhymes.
Evening, after tea at Barbillion's, spent with Harry Kemp and Sterling the osteopath (at Cafe Royale) just going back to Spain with Friends' AmbulanceFriend's Ambulance Unit attached to the 16th French Infantry Division eds. .
Enclosure – Letter from
Sam Graves
Poulk Press
Sutton
Veny . Warminster . Wilts
Aug. 11
th
1936
My dearest Father,
How are you? I am so glad that you
are safe from the Spanish
Cival
Civil
War. The newspapers simply buzz about it.
I was
very interested when I was told that you were brought here by a destroyer.
We are
lailible
liable
to see you in London or at Harlech.
I am just as keen to see you as you
to see us! There is a wheat shortage here and the
prices for bread are rising higher, about 2dtuppence eds. more.
We have changed quite a lot that I am
afraid you will not recognise us very easily!
When we meet you (as I am
definite
definitely
sure we shall)
please tell me about your voyage, never
not
to say anything about Gulliver's . . .
Aug 14 Friday
Packed up. Goodbye to Constable's.
Jenny arrived. Very sweet. We had lunch together at Hungaria & then she went out to Korda's. She liked Laura, she said. I Sent £100 to N.N.
Cat (Courtenay) caught young moorhen.
Jenny
said: I like clothes & I like jewellery & I'm not ashamed. The only thing I am ashamed of is keeping in with your brother Charles.
Staying with E.D. Very promiscuous & jealous of Ann's young men: puts them into cubby holes for herself.
Laura with Gordon by car to Gt Bardfield. Karl & Alan & I by train to Bishop Stortfordrail station eds., met by John. 1564 house, built on in successive centuries,
floors tilted, good garden, early Victorian interior. 4 cats. Short handed. Helped wash up. Cat Courtenay caught moorhen.
Aug 15 Sat.
Proofs of Antigua.
Helping with house work. Gave Lucy silver skewer & silver necklace.
Walk with Alan; found 3 large mushrooms. Dull country.
Cat (Osset) caught snipe.
Peggy came to help with work.
Brandy; others sherry at the Bell while Fred and George
working-class types
KG played darts & teased.
Going over Troy after Laura. Bought chair for Lucy. John brought cups of tea at intervals. He has not changed.
Aug 16th Sunday.
Going over Troy
Sect.
Section
3 after Laura.
Sunny day.
Cat (
Courtney
Courtenay
) caught toad.
Bought Snow £30 and Horse £25 pictures from John.
Lucy Cook etc to tea.
Honor & Gordon & Julian.
Played with ball in garden.
After supper Charlotte Bawdon and Snake (Lloyd Thomas) came. No attempt to make conversation general.
'Troy' late.
Wrote up diary (lapsed since August 2).
Aug 17 Monday.
First real day of work. More Ant. proofs and finished 3rd section of Troy checking & going over with Laura.
Hot day. Karl & Alan punting in morning. In afternoon, coffee at Wolton's,
heard 6 o clock wireless of the Catalaninsurgents eds. landing in Majorca.
Wrote a few letters.
Every evening now at The Bell.
Heavy washing up.
Worked till 1 o clock.
Enclosure – August 18 newspaper clipping
Invasion of Majorca
[No transcription available for this item.]
Aug 18 Tuesday.
My new suit arrived, Laura's Bridget Hat,
p.c.
post card
from Juan (Pequeño)
pequeño means "young" in Spanish. eds dated Aug 8th, saying all well.
Ant. proofs.
Troy 4.
Dull warm day.
Mrs Fenwich Williams looked in at lunch &
asked was I a relative of Basil Taylor, was Laura a) Spanish b) on the stage.
Started with headache: went at 11 o clock.
Kicking a coloured ball about in the garden in the afternoon with John and Alan.
Walk with Lucie, John, Peggy in country – saw a barn of large flint, brick, pink plaster, black tarred end-boards, tiles.
Bell in evening with Gwen Hutcheson – Fairy outside in car.
Lady Shepherd has a house in the village, which we saw.
Bought dishes, cruets, sauce-dish etc for Canellun, for £6/11 in all at Woltons.
News of second landing in Majorca: at Puerto Cristo.
Aug 19 Wednesday.
Antigua proofs & Troy.
In afternoon in bed with chill doing proofs while Laura
Lucie
John
Karl
Alan went to Fenwick Ho's play.
Sent off Antigua.
Jenny wrote Korda has given her a job.
Aug 20 Thursday.
Troy all day and but for playing ball in garden with Alan & John – football (, goal-shooting) and ball-touch and grab hankie.
In evening George (the young village chapsee note August 15 eds. like Ronald Colman) came in & we drank while he held forth.
Aug 21 Friday.
To London in John's car (luggage by Wolton's) (Cottage Gardens)
Took John's mother's
Mrs. Lloyd KG flat for four weeks (£4) from Sunday. With Karl at Osnaburgh Hotel, Laura at Maisies (Maisie going to Norway early tomorrow). Tea with Len (found accidentally in St James' Square) John
Karl
L & I & then manzanilladry sherry KG at El Vino. Supper with Maisie at Prada in Euston Rd.
Aug 22 Saturday
Hair-cut, with Laura bought cut steel & horn necklace 4/6four and a half shillings eds. in Marylebone shop & two silver brooches 2/6two and a half shillings eds. & 2/3two shillings, 3 pence eds..
Lunch at Chata's where Karl helped someone to translate a German misprint. (Laura's lost red-coral & pearl earring.)
Made several small
techn
technical
changes in Ant. on
recommend-n
recommendation
of Stanley Gibbons' manager.
Earring found among Maisie's stockings.
Aug 23 Sunday.
Settled up at Osnaburgh Hotel.
Laura
writ dictating letters to Karl all morning. Tea Lunch at Madame Tussaud's restaurant – all the knives & forks bent. At four o'clock moved into Mrs Lloyd's flat. 4 hours, Karl helping, to clear up mess and rearrange.
Supper at Prada's. with and walked along the streets under unhealthy glare of Neon lights.
Aug 24 Monday
Went out in morning to locate shops. Started work on Troy again.
Lunch in the flat.
In afternoon shopping with Laura at Selfridge's. In evening saw Norman for first time since 1932.
Very hot weather. Very tired.
Aug 25 Tuesday.
Up at 7 o'clock.
Troy: finished checking
(5)
section five
.
Jenny came at 12 & I took her to Maisie's flat; Laura gave her a garnet ring. J expressed her likes & dislikes frankly: she has a 3 months dancing engagement at the Dorchester.
Went out in afternoon & bought work chair for Laura (wheelback) £3.3, a pewter plate 15/-fifteen shillings eds. (1787) a pewter cigarette box £5/- & pewter salt cellar 3/-three shillings eds..
To Blackbirdsrevue KG with Len, Jane, L, Jenny Bad, all agreed, but for some tap dancing & one occasional crosstalk. about human anatomy & its errors.
Aug 26 Wednesday.
Troy in morning: at 1 o clock Sam & David came. Astonished at S's beauty. He talked much better than I had hoped and in very literary English.
L, Jenny
&, the boys & I lunched at Chata's. In the afternoon boys to cinema, Jenny to dancing, Laura & I to Troy.
Photographs of Ulysses from Lady S. addressed to me: no reference to Laura
Wrote to Faber, Margaret, Korda, Richards.
Worked late.
Aug 27 Thursday
To Bank to arrange payment of Pallas money to an
a/c
account
in Paris.
Troy. To Zoo with David & Sam. In evening went for a long walk with Jenny, down the streets, Jenny telling me of her biography, as far as the end of Oxford St.
Aug 28 Friday
Had to apologize to Mrs Bishop for Jenny's being up so late & breaking a light bulb. She & David keep on losing their keys. Wrote to Korda asking him to attend Dorchester opening with us.
Letter from Juan, asking dated July
August 20th. SolomonGraves' dog eds. well: evidently got no letter from us. The letter came off with an English boat.
David & Sam to a cinema. Sam full of tricks, especially enjoys playing with the lift.
Funny to see factory chimneys belching smoke.
Aug 29 Saturday
In morning letters, and lunch with 3 children at Prada
afternoon with Sam to see Sanders of the River1935 movie, produced by Alexander Korda eds.: David stayed at Maisie's to work, but slept. Saw Harry Kemp & Ward & Dorothy for a moment.
Supper at Chata,Chata's: restaurant. eds all of us. Diana Graves was there. Jenny invented: I keep all my kisses in my hand.. When
I've
I'm
required to vamp. I use a rubber stamp.
Troy till late.
Dreadful laundry ruin among clothes.
Aug 30 Sunday
All morning Troy. Finished going over
5
Section five
with Laura.
Sam to Hampton Court with Karl, Jenny to Poulk.
In afternoon tea with Harry Kemp &
Fr.
Frau
Eiermann.
In evening news theatre with David and long talk at Nottingham Place with him: about work, & inherited capacities.
Spending about £6 a day this week.
Aug 31 Monday
Amber necklace 30/-shillings eds. at
Gt
Great
Portland
St
Street
Station & topaz charm for Jenny's wristsilver cigarette-case for me KG... Sam & David went shopping in morning, rested in afternoon.
Troy
6
Section six
starting.
Very close weather.
Sept 1* Talked to Catherine (over phone) for first time for 6
7 yearsthe September date applies to this sentence only. eds.
David
Sam & I to Supper at Ward & Dorothy's (Karl, Sam, David too) & played ping-pong.
Getting confidence in traffic.