January. Great fog. Nora meets Mary. Grammar School inspected: headmaster's high academic standards and humae outlook, but "a bad showman".
Sunday, Jan 1st
It rained and blew in the night and I hardly expected Mary would want a picnic. However it wasn't actually raining so about eleven o'clock we started for Coombe. Beacon Hill looked very grand and tawny yellow. We pulled up in our usual place in the pine plantation just past Litchfield about 12.30. I had gathered some wood when a storm blew up. We sat in the car till there was a break of half an hour. This was just long enough to heat up Irish stew, tomato soup (mixed in with stew) and already cooked potatoes in our billican. For second course we had peaches and cream. Then it began to drizzle again. We had a nice tea in the flat, haddock for supper. I left Mary tucked up in bed about 10.30. A lovely New Year's Day.
Monday, Jan 2nd
Hilary went back to Cowley by the evening bus. He crosses to Germany on Thursday. Perhaps Nora will cheer up when he has left.
Tonight the French election results are known. Stalemate again! Another five year's futility. The extreme parties, Communists and small shopkeeper, neo-fascists, have gained seats, but neither of the two centre groups, the right-wing Faure or the radical Mendés-France, have got enough seats to form a stable government. Reynaud says the only thing the Chamber can do is to draw up a new constitution, but I can see them doing that. They will set about cracking cabinets as a monkey cracks nuts.
Wednesday, Jan 4th
An amusing day. Cold and frosty with some fog in the morning. When I reached the flat Mary had a streaming cold. After tea I read extracts from the Diaries of 1950 - 55 and time passed pleasantly till supper. We noticed the room had a slight dazzle. We looked out. Only the street lamp immediately below was visible and that was fading into the murk.
I decided I had better make an early start about 9.30. I drove out into the Bath Road and switched the spotlight on. It bounced back from about one yard's distance! I turned it off and drove cautiously across the road for the curb. In two minutes I realized that the problem was not to reach Henley but to get the car turned round and back into the front of 1 Bath Road! I found the bollard and locked hard over to the right, hoping that nothing would loom up out of the murk and hit me. The car swung round and mounted the pavement, but I was facing west. I saw the seat near the entrance and turned in, but I was too short and found myself facing a brick wall. A figure appeared and asked me what I was trying to do. I explained there was a drive-in just there I was trying to find. He was most kind and piloted me in and up to the fence. He then asked if I would mind if he got his car in too and left it there for the night, as it was no good trying to get to Marlborough.! I told him I did not live at the flats but supposed that it would not matter. He brought his car in from outside and disappeared to look for a hotel. I then went back to Mary to explain what had happened, borrowed 4d, and went out again to phone Nora.
We got out the safari bed, two blankets and and knitted rug. I remembered two wraps in the car and went down to get them. When Mary was in bed. I made her a hot lemon and sat with my arm under her shoulder while she drank it, my black trousered legs and red slippers on the bed. Much to my surprize and pleasure, she said she wanted to. It was very sweet of her.
I had my breakfast in Mary's bed and left about 11.0. Had to stop frequently to scrape the ice off the window.
Friday, Jan 6th
The fog seemed to be clearing. I took the quite unnecessary precaution of going over to Reading by bus. I had just crossed the Bath Road and was about to go into the flats when the Peaches drew up in their car, whereupon I rapidly invented a visit to to a friend at Dunedin Nursing Home, towards which I proceeded until they were out of sight
Discussing fuel costs with Nora. Coke, which in 1953 cost 114/- a ton, is now 169/-. We seem to be spending about 16/- a week just heating water. May be the boiler is too big. To use an electric immersion heater seems to work out at about 10/- a week.
Monday, Jan 9th
Lady Eden has asked a cottager not to hang out her washing, something Mrs Churchill and Mrs Attlee never did!
Mary C came to lunch and in the afternoon we had tea in great comfort at the Compleat Angler, Marlow. Tea for two cost 8/-, my highest priced tea to date! For that we got pastries, two sorts of sandwiches, buttered toast and brown bread, white bread and jam. It was a bitterly cold day. Tried to purchase a woollen ski cap in the morning in Henley, but only one I found had red stripes, which I thought a bit undignified for the headmaster!
Tuesday, Jan 10th
Met Mary at Reading station at 2. Richard Burton was playing Henry V. He was good but inclined to shout. The production I thought inferior to Jan, 1951, and Stratford, Sept, 1951. We got back to the hotel about 11.
Wednesday, Jan 11th
They gave us a good breakfast and Mary caught the 8.55 to work. Visited the C18th Taste again, then lunch at the N.B.L. Back to the flat about 2.30. We took the bus to the housing estate and went to the canal for a walk. Lyons Bath buns, the best in he world, for tea. Home by the 9.50 bus.
Friday, Jan 13th
Found Mary very low on this appropriate date. She had left her bag in the Library at lunch time and thought she had lost it or it had been stolen. A letter had come from the Head Office pointing out that the profits of the branch last year were so small that no rise for the junior could be more than 2/6. She wondered if this was an indirect warning to her that they intend to close the branch, and if they did what could she do. The economies of the lending library very shaky today. The inflation has made the middle class subscriber cut his expenses and use the county library, and in spite of all she can do the people with small fixed incomes cancel.
Monday, Jan 16th
Heard that G.E.Fasnacht (Fassy), who was lecturer in history when I first went to Leicester i 1929, had died. He was an odd man, very amusing, and, until he very surprizingly got married about 1934 or so, a kind of academic bum. He spent his day in Leicester moving from one café to another. He drank so much black coffee he said his veins must contain nothing but caffeine. Sherry and endless cigarettes were also a weakness, not to mention a vast mass of daily or evening newspapers. He must have been a year or two younger than me and took History, in which he got a first, in 1922. His wife, Ruth Anderson, was one of the spottiest women I have ever known. They produced daughter Mary and lived happily enough in the same road in N. Oxford as my Mary.
Tuesday, Jan 17th
The inspection began badly today with girls' PT. Young Mrs Brackston was condemned pretty thoroughly for her passive attitude and and lack of positive teaching. She is a very quiet girl and perhaps rather lazy, but seems to get on with the girls well enough and always has them in good order. She always seems to me a little childish and not very grown up, but a fully trained person always an asset these days.
Tonight Nora set off to have coffee with Mary at the flat at 8 o'clock. It was her idea. I don't know what will come of it. The last get together they had (in 1943?) was largely devoted to Nora warning Mary I was utterly selfish and wouldn't stick to her! I only hope it is amicable and neither gets irritated with the other for speaking too frankly.
Clem turned up in my room and wanted to discuss the non-collection of savings by Miss Jenkins "as a matter of principle". I said nothing would induce me to discuss it as a matter of principle. But the staff did not know what do do with the money. Tell them to give it back, or tell the children to buy stamps at the Post Office, or buy them yourself if you prefer it, I replied.
Wednesday, Jan 18th
Nothing was said at breakfast or lunch about the visit. I got over to Mary about 2.30. She was very surprised to find how full of unrelated and impractical ideas Nora was. Mary's plants, she was told, should be immediately expanded into a business! Hilary was to go to Oxford on Aunt's money. When however she tried to get more information about Nora's plans, she did not get beyond a lot of "possibilities". She was I think rather alarmed by the wildness and scattiness of it all. I felt that after this Mary would have a much better idea of the difficulties involved.
Tuesday, Jan 19th
After supper I talked to Nora. She said she had told Hilary that Mary and I might want to live together later before he went back to Cowley. This may have accounted for her extreme gloom and silence before he did. She also said she was going to apply or a job in St Albans with adults, but (and this surprized me) she had no hope of getting a full time job at her age. On the other hand she had told Mary there was plenty of work Cambridge and Hilary would like to live there - so what are we to make of it, I don't know. She has one idea after another.
Friday, Jan, 20th
Had my hair cut against the inspection!
Monday, Jan 23rd
A letter from Mary in which she said, "I can't help thinking how wonderful it was on Wednesday. I felt so utterly possessed." I thought of Blake, "What is it than man requires? The lineaments of gratified desire." Dear, dear Mary, my darling heart.
Tuesday, Jan 24th
The Inspectors arrived. Besides Lady Helen Asquith there were a little red-faced young Lancashire man, French, a tall rather grim looking chap with light eyes, a small whiskered woman with thick glasses, scripture. I took a dislike to the last two, but it turned out unreasonably! They were not so bad when you got to know them.
I had prepared a lesson on the agricultural labourer with Fifth, but of course no one came in to it.! The next lesson was with 1D on the Spartans at Themopylae, the little fat man arrived. I don't think he appreciated the Herodotus: I was moved as usual. Never mind.
The D.S. inspector was down for the day, and the music inspector, a rather raffish gent, for the second morning. I spent the afternoon listening to their summaries accompanied by Lady H. We got good reports on these two subjects, but a poor one on Girls' PT. 2 - 1 score so far.
Wednesday, Jan 25th
Inspectors at Prayers - all four! Lady H came to my form period with Sixth, talked to them about visit to the National Gallery this term, enlargement of vision etc. Told some jokes, but too polite or overawed to laugh. Had 1y to myself and did Thermopylae again. Little fat man came in for Hazel's lesson on Drake, which went quite well. I felt he hadn't a clue really, but he was quite polite and friendly. I asked Clem what he was like. "Son accent est tout à fait abominable!" but he knew his stuff.
Lady H and the tall man came to lunch, which I think they enjoyed. In the afternoon the art woman have her verdict and I took the history chap to show him my history room. The art was 50/50, a draw. I wasn't surprized to hear from the maths woman that she took a poor view of Roberts, dopey and lazy, definitely 0 - 1 against us. Private means, a nice comfortable job, a house, The Times' crossword puzzle.
Thursday, Jan 26th
Inspectors at Prayers again. No lessons today as I only took Rada Barnicott, and she stayed away! The P.T. man turned up and inspected Wally, and rightly observed that it would be no good going into the philosophical implications of what he was doing. Two junior inspectors to tea. They left for the final inquest at the Red Lion.
Friday, Jan 27th
Today, as the Americans would say, was the pay-off. I had the inspectors in turn, except the science chap who left yesterday, and finally Lady Helen. "Lady Helen," I said, "It is a delight to meet someone like you." It was clear that the report was going to be a good one and that they were going to back me with the non-examination subjects.
Only about 12 governors turned up, but Chorlton appeared for the first time for years. At the last inspection in 1938 I was turned out for some time and fully expected to be this time, but I had hardly got up to my room before the telephone rang! I was invited back.
My "high academic standards and broad and humane outlook on education", but I was "a bad showman". The deficiencies of the building are so well known to the H.M. that he almost disregards them. H. M. had made a courageous stand for the unexamined subjects and the Ministry would give every support in their power for his policy. Hurrah! Recognition at last after 22 years! The children moved about in an orderly and sensible way. There was sound and effective leadership. Mrs Clayden and I were "the twin pillars of the establishment." The boys and girls were quite delightful as people. They were welcoming and well mannered, and they had enjoyed belonging, if only for a few days, to such a happy community.
This was marvellous! The governors then spent some time chewing over the buildings. It seems likely we might get a lab but not a gym. Perhaps changing rooms might be built by themselves. Lady Helen began looking at her watch and the meeting came to an end. The governors were now out of the Canon Crosse influence. Old Denham said he went away happy and even unpleasant old Pullein Thompson insisted on offering me his flabby hand. Tom Luker was very pleased. I told him as he got out of his car, "We're going to get a good report."
[Editor: The Diary entry on the conclusions drawn by the inspectors is fully borne out, virtually word for word, in the printed report, which was confidential and was not published, or quoted from in public, at the time. The report also provides some facts and figures.
There were 277 pupils in 1955 - 56 compared with the 192 on the roll in 1938. Some 87 of the pupils came from Henley itself and the remainder from villages within an eight mile radius, some of them in Berkshire or Bucks. The school became co-educational in 1928, but until the war there was a preponderance of boys.
In the year of the inspection, girls outnumbered boys by 11, but in the first-year forms there were 41 girls and only 19 boys. Of the 110 pupils who had left the school in the three years prior to the inspection, only 6 left before reaching the age of 16, some 35 were 17 or over and 32 left from the Sixth Form, which had 24 pupils in 1955 - 56.
Only 29 went on to some form of further education, 7 to universities, 6 to training colleges for teachers, 5 to nursing and 5 to apprenticeships. The rest entered a fairly wide range of employment, the largest groups going into banking and insurance, the Services, and clerical work of various kinds.
The Headmaster, noted the report, "gives an important place to the arts and attaches less weight to examination successes than to the realities which such successes should, but do not always, represent. His sincerity and his tolerant, considerate respect for the personalities of others are largely responsible for the obviously happy relationships which exist within the school." The broadening of the curriculum introduced by the present headmaster when he arrived in 1934, the report added, had not led to any decline in academic standards. "On the contrary it is clear that the all round standard of work has risen considerably since the last report was written."
In addition to the headmaster there were 15 full time teachers and they were "unusually competent", with a single exception (maths).
The non-examination subjects, regularly referred to in the Diary and subject to battles with the governors, included history and religious instruction at O level, and the lower stream did not take English literature at O level either. The inspectors commended this, saying it released teaching from the trammels of examination syllabuses which may not be specially appropriate for the particular pupils who have to follow them.
The argument about examinations, which, the Headmaster complained, his governors seemed incapable to understanding, was fleshed out in the Headmaster's 1956 Prize Day report:
- We want to take advantage of the much greater flexibility of the new General Certificate of Education as compared to the old school leaving certificate. The new certificate with its greater freedom and higher standard can be related to the individual boy or girl who wants to qualify for university entrance or preliminary examinations of the numerous professional bodies. It should not be treated a school leaving certificate, but as a qualifying certificate to a particular career, and there is no reason why a boy or girl in the fifth form should not by-pass some subjects at the fifth form level altogether. The educational value of a subject does not depend on whether the subject is examined or not examined, but on the content of the subject itself and how it is taught, as we see for example in the case of Religious Instruction or Literature and Music.
Saturday, Jan 29th
Went up to London with Mary C by 11 train. We had a compartment to ourselves and went over the inspection and Lady Helen. She is a marvellous person, giving out all the time, and with perfect manners and consideration for others, yet with no condescension. You felt a great spiritual vitality in her presence and this stirred you and stimulated you to do your best.
When we arrived at Paddington, Mary C decided to go to the Ladies' Turkish Bath in Russel Square and gave me a lift as far as Baker Street. Margaret Burton lived in a pleasant flat down a turning opposite Madame Tussaud's. She had some good furniture, pictures, glass and silver, and had prepared an excellent lunch. After lunch we chatted til 5 o'clock. Unfortunately I missed the 5.15 and had to go by a slow train home. Margaret was now very pale instead of rosy cheeked, but I thought less acid and totally condemnatory as in the past.
Wednesday, Jan 30th
A fearfully cold day. When I got back [from the flat] at 10.30 and drove into the garage a vast cloud of steam came pouring out of the bonnet. The top of the radiator had frozen and the rest had boiled. This was the coldest night since 1895! No wonder.
February. Good bad Army character. Capital punishment to continue. Women are the limit.
Tuesday, Feb 7th
House Committee. Mr Cook with logorrhea gave a long discourse to the other old gentlemen on the Bank of England, almost totally irrelevant to business in hand, which took an hour!
Read today in the paper that a soldier discharged from army with character "good" had a number of previous convictions. It appeared that "good" was the fourth and lowest category, the others being "exemplary", "excellent" and "very good".
Tuesday, Feb 9th
I went over to Oxford and had tea with Mr MacCarthy, who is the Dean and appeared to live in a most squalid ground floor room looking over the small outer quad. We had college sandwiches of jam and marmite with untrimmed crust and two iced cakes with 1 éclair while crouching over a nasty gas fire and sat in semi-darkness.
He told me an interesting story of an undergraduate who was building up a library in Wimbledon by removing books from the College, Blackwell's and Parker's. One of his methods was to pop volumes into a facsimile of the First Folio out of which he had cut the centre, thus making a box. He was sent down. His parents were crooks too. He went for treatment, but, as MacCarthy said, there was nothing wrong with him at all. He was just a smart Alec who was living on his wits.
After tea I met Mary C in Blackfriars by her request. She had a fearful oil heater in the back of the car which stank of oil fumes and nearly choked you and an utterly inadequate kind of rug of what appeared to be cotton. She insisted on driving to the Beatle & Wedge at Cholsey for dinner, but did not know what road it was on. When we did get there at last it turned out to be a smart drinking place which did not do dinners. I drove her back to the Lamb at Wallingford where we had a nice quiet dinner. My feeling that she was not a practical woman was confirmed!
Sunday, Feb 12th
Birthday. I got Nora her breakfast. She had developed a streaming cold. At nine I read letters from Mary, Molly, Hilary and Aunt. Later I went over to the school and found two letters from Mary C, one written to me when travelling down to Wales in November. I did not notice at first that she had put a bunch of freesias on my windowsill. I was "surprized by joy". She had also, she said to tease me, sent me a picture of St Hubert kneeling before the crucifix.
Wednesday, Feb 15th
Nora was very poorly and stayed in bed all day with a bad head and temperature. My cold was still rumbling about in my chest and in the afternoon we had the governors. They were more than usually fatuous because Mrs Griggs was not there last time and we had to have the Parent-Teacher Association all over again. Mr Denham got confused because one Tuttle had left to look after his grandfather's cattle. "I thought you said his name was Tuttle; now you tell me it's Cattle!" This rot lasted for well over the hour and then I came over to Nora and got her tea and took it up to her with her supper and a thermos flask.
I had to stop on the way over for fruit but arrived at the flat soon after half past four. We had tea. I wanted to lie with Mary, but it was after six before we had washed up an chatted over what had happened since Friday. It was very successful and lovely and giving, and we both felt so happy and satisfied that we did not get up till after eight.
Friday, Feb 17th
The Commons have voted against the continuance of capital punishment by a 31 vote majority. Rather to my surprize found Mary thought it ought to be retained for very bad murders, not so much as a deterrent as a kind of vengeance. I don't approve of this. It seems illogical to say that the taking of life is such a serious thing and then proceed to take another. It will be very interesting to see whether in this country the change leads to more murders or more armed robberies. Most experienced people think the professional criminals will not carry arms in any case. On the other hand it would be a pity to arm the police.
Tuesday, Feb 21st
Found a poem from Cherry written on an expedition in the snow. Told her I could not take a lift from her on Friday to go to Molly's [a visit to Holly Bush Farm cancelled because of flu], where at she proposed not to go away herself. Felt too much devotion!
Wednesday, Feb 22nd
Parents' Day. Quite a number turned up in spite of the bitter cold. We gave them a good tea with some excellent sandwiches and cakes, and had form parties, self, Mrs C, Miss Jenkins and Clem, taking them round.
People keep telling you the wireless has said there is a slow thaw coming when in fact it has said nothing of the sort. Must be a "psychological" thaw.
Thursday, Feb 23rd
Went over to Mary. I had suggested I came over Thursday and Saturday, but was told I could not come on Saturday as it was a "busy" night and Friday was suggested instead of Thursday. It was then suggested I might come on Sunday or Mary might take a half holiday on Monday. However, as Mary seemed so little pleased to have me at all, I was not very keen! Of course, as so often, it was left vague. She might go home on Sunday, she might not, she might take the afternoon on Monday, but then again she might not. Really women are the limit! Why can't they make up their minds!
Friday, Feb 24th
It was half term, so I had breakfast in bed with an oil heater on, but even then it was difficult to get the temperature over 45°. Ar 2.30 Nora went off to Oxford, so I had Cherry to tea. This was all very nice, but when it was time for her to go at six o'clock she suddenly shut her eyes, said she felt tired and sat down. I could not make out what was the matter with her. In the end I gave her a small glass of brandy and water. More trouble with women!
Sunday, Feb 26th
I had to return last night by the back way to avoid any revellers from the Old Boys ' Dinner at the Red Lion. I was unable to attend this year owing to a non-existent engagement in Oxford and don't intend to go while we suffer under Old Hamilton as chairman.
March. Praise from Clem Clifford. The Berkshire Hospital. Clem in the wrong bed. To the National Gallery with Sixth. Jim Stolarow.
Sunday, March 4th
Went up the lane with Cherry for an hour this morning. Although she kept assuring me that everything was all right at home, it clearly wasn't. Her father has not had his eye operation because he has a cough. Her mother can't be kept still. She has had to put off her trip to Rome at Easter. Nothing ever goes right with her for long, poor dear, and I am afraid I am a disappointment as well.
Apparently Clem, bless his heart, said at the Old Boys' Dinner that he was proud to have served for so long under me for I had "great ideas about education and great singleness of purpose". Well that was handsome, as I have often made fun of him.
Wednesday, March 7th
Nora had said she was going over to Cambridge tomorrow for the night and Mary was coming over. It was all planned when Nora said she was not going after all! Mary very disappointed, expressed her feeling about Nora and said she did not trust her. Why did she want to come over and see at all on January 17th? Pointed out that I had to live with N day by day and no good quarrelling with her unnecessarily. It is very difficult to balance the various pros and cons, financial, educational, domestic and legal. It is the financial that worry me most, I think.
Thursday, March 8th
Irate parent arrived, but I turned on all my charm to persuade him his offspring should not take maths before Christmas - and succeeded. We parted good friends. He was one of Hobbs' boat builders and had no grammar to speak of.
Saturday, March 10th
Suggested I should go to tea at Cyril's as Nora was going to tea at Wallingford. He invited me for a drive to Eton, but first we called at Heelas and both went up to the library! At Eton we visited the second hand book shop in the High Street, where I bought K. Nott's The Emperor's Clothes and a little red guide to Norfolk. Then we looked into the Catholic Church, a tiny little miniature in Italian Baroque, most attractive. Cyril likes his tea in an expensive guest house, so we went to one at Ascot - an essay in Edwardian Tudor with a touch of Scottish baronial - where we had crumpets and jam, sandwiches, white and brown bread and cakes. They returned me to Reading in time for the 5.50 bus.
Had a letter from Molly today. Her luck is out; She has been in to have an x-ray and there is a shadow on her lung which is due to a virus or a fungus caught from hay (farmers' lung). She has had too hard, difficult and worrying a winter.
Sunday, March 11th
A great rumpus in The Observer this morning; Koestler in his anti-hanging book accused in H of Lords of quoting only part of a Home Office document which the H.O. had refused to publish!
Rang up Molly tonight. She sounded bad. Said she felt very poorly and was very short of breath. Had had one attack when she thought she was going to choke and was naturally very alarmed.
Tuesday, March 13th
Cherry has been conducting a single-handed war with the eye ward at the Berkshire Hospital, where her father has been lying flat on his back with his eyes bandaged waiting for the operation. She says he has been disgracefully neglected and left in solitude, dirt and squalor to such an extent that he is danger of a complete mental breakdown. Visiting is only allowed on two days and on other days no one has spoken to him; his things have been put where he can't reach them, his teeth have been lost, his wireless batteries have been allowed to run out and generally he has been treated as if he were an animal and not a human being.
She wanted to move him to a private ward, but was told that this was impossible under the N.H.S. even after the operation [for slipped retina]. If he were moved the operation would have to be cancelled and the whole process would start again from the beginning. She couldn't see the sister for some days and of course no appointment was possible for this.
Friday, March 16th
Mary more cheerful than Wednesday and I took her to see The Lady Killers with Alec Guinness at a very low cinema on one of Reading’s housing estates. When the lights went out you hardly liked to look at the audience! The film started well but failed to keep it up.
Saturday, March 17th
Spent the day in London reconnoitring Nat. Gallery and the Tate. Lucky I did as there has been a shift round [of paintings]. I went into the magnificent Banqueting Hall to see the Rubens ceiling. It is a magnificent place, but cluttered up with show cases. You pay 2/- to go in and tip the attendant, who provides a chair and a mirror for you to examine the ceiling. He also put on the light for me as I looked so distinguished.
Sunday, March 18th
A pre-birthday [Nora’s] for lunch. Invited up Phyllis. She told me that when Mrs Clifford’s brother was on his honeymoon, he and his new wife were invited to stay with them and they moved out of the double bed so that the honeymooners could enjoy it. Clem got up in the middle of the night to relieve himself and then gets into the double bed with his sister-in-law. This attempt to assert his droit de seigneur not appreciated by the visitors ! How typical !
Reflect that if you want any piece of news not to be circulated throughout Henley, do not tell it to Phyllis; if you do want it broadcast, then do tell it to her !
Put in annuals, candy tuft, nasturtiums, scabious, linaria, nogella and so on. Bedding hyacinths well up and will soon be out.
Wednesday, March 21st
Hilary wrote. He seems more and more browned off with the Light Infantry, says intelligent private soldiers go to the Engineers and so on, and has yet to meet anyone who admits to liking the regiment. He thinks in the near future he will go to H .Q . in the intelligence section. He had spent 10 days on manœuvres in a dilapidated hotel by a lake surrounded by pine forests. They went out shooting duck and tried to pot a small deer. It was very enjoyable as there was very little discipline.
Thursday, March 22nd
We started out at 8.45 for the National Gallery, the culmination of a term’s Wednesdays. One snag, both Ladies and Gents out of action in the building ! The driver found one where he could pull up near the Albert Hall, so that hurdle surmounted. We got our camp stools and started on Pollaiulo’s St Sebastian, The Rout of San Romano, Botticelli’s Mars and Venus and Nativity, Titian and Tintoretto and Veronese, Guardi and Canaletto, Rubens, Rembrandt and the Spaniards, ending with El Greco’s Agony and a quotation from St Theresa. I was quite overcome when Cherry said how brilliant my hour’s lecture had been.
We sent Lady Helen two landscapes, one from Cherry and I and one from the Sixth signed by Annette and Jim Stolarow [head girl and head boy].
We walked down to the Victoria Tower coach park, ate our lunch and reached the Tate about 2 o’clock, a brief look round, and then I went to find a Welsh papist artist in the basement called David Jones – the Basement very rewarding when you can discover it. Tea about 3.15 and plenty of liquid for I was dry with much discourse. Started back at 4.0 and reached home at 6.45 via Reading to drop people. These children brought up to expect to be carried everywhere. Ask them to walk a mile home and they think it’s a dreadful hardship !
Friday, March 23rd
Mary’s bowl has : Blackthorn, Japonica, Pussy Willow, Alder cones, Polyanthus, Chionadoxa, Crocus, Hyancinth, Coltsfoot, Celandine, Aconites, Violets, Chestnut bud – all in a fine bed of green moss from the garden.
Saturday, March 24th
Oxford were not expected to win the Boat Race, but they did stick to Cambridge to the bitter end and made a fine struggle of it.
Cherry came up to lunch and tea. She is now fighting another battle with the God-directed Quaker and I have to calm her down. When Nora got back about eight and we had had our supper, she declared someone had stolen her winter coat from the cupboard under the stairs. It was my fault for leaving the key in the door, and she had always said it would happen, etc. And this year of all years !
Sunday, March 25th
The winter coat was found in the back room where for some reason Nora had put it! Spent the morning on the allotment and tidying up the garden.
Monday, March 26th
The tortoiseshells and brimstones were flying and the bees carrying in pollen to the eight hives. They were beginning to work the opening hyacinths. Spring is coming in very rapidly after the hard winter and the grass on the field turns green as you watch it from one day to the next and the air is full of song.
Tuesday, March 27th
Had a talk with the God-directed Quaker, Mrs Eastland, at Mrs C’s request. She is a very stupid young woman and very sure she is right. I told her she must accept authority and that as far as she was concerned Mrs C was authority. Mrs C has got right across her and talks of «spiritual pride » etc – the Catholic and the Quaker. Mrs E says she is given contradictory advice and is then blamed because she could not follow it. She thinks Mrs C is trying to interfere with her life outside the school.
Wednesday, March 28th
School broke up without incident. I told the G.D.Q. she would not have a form next term, but refused to discuss the matter. Her husband began ringing up as soon as I had got away to Reading.
Thursday, Good Friday, March 29th – 30th
Would not answer phone. It kept ringing all day. I suspected the G.D.Q.’s husband, so, lay low and said nuffin !
I took Mary the first lavender and white violets. We met at our usual place, opposite the Corinthian church in Castle Street and about quarter past six set off for The Hatchet at Newbury. This was near the Queen’s Head, but lower in the social scale. There was only one other diner and we were the only guests. After a very good dinner with lager, we went round looking at the shops. The town was full of desperate characters, Americans in civilian dress, English bums, and tarts tottering on high heels.
We came back and sat in front of the electric fire. I was much overcome with emotion at the sight of Mary and told her there was no one else, she was the only woman I wanted, and that I loved her more than anyone else in the world.
It rained and blew in the night and I hardly expected Mary would want a picnic. However it wasn't actually raining so about eleven o'clock we started for Coombe. Beacon Hill looked very grand and tawny yellow. We pulled up in our usual place in the pine plantation just past Litchfield about 12.30. I had gathered some wood when a storm blew up. We sat in the car till there was a break of half an hour. This was just long enough to heat up Irish stew, tomato soup (mixed in with stew) and already cooked potatoes in our billican. For second course we had peaches and cream. Then it began to drizzle again. We had a nice tea in the flat, haddock for supper. I left Mary tucked up in bed about 10.30. A lovely New Year's Day.
Monday, Jan 2nd
Hilary went back to Cowley by the evening bus. He crosses to Germany on Thursday. Perhaps Nora will cheer up when he has left.
Tonight the French election results are known. Stalemate again! Another five year's futility. The extreme parties, Communists and small shopkeeper, neo-fascists, have gained seats, but neither of the two centre groups, the right-wing Faure or the radical Mendés-France, have got enough seats to form a stable government. Reynaud says the only thing the Chamber can do is to draw up a new constitution, but I can see them doing that. They will set about cracking cabinets as a monkey cracks nuts.
Wednesday, Jan 4th
An amusing day. Cold and frosty with some fog in the morning. When I reached the flat Mary had a streaming cold. After tea I read extracts from the Diaries of 1950 - 55 and time passed pleasantly till supper. We noticed the room had a slight dazzle. We looked out. Only the street lamp immediately below was visible and that was fading into the murk.
I decided I had better make an early start about 9.30. I drove out into the Bath Road and switched the spotlight on. It bounced back from about one yard's distance! I turned it off and drove cautiously across the road for the curb. In two minutes I realized that the problem was not to reach Henley but to get the car turned round and back into the front of 1 Bath Road! I found the bollard and locked hard over to the right, hoping that nothing would loom up out of the murk and hit me. The car swung round and mounted the pavement, but I was facing west. I saw the seat near the entrance and turned in, but I was too short and found myself facing a brick wall. A figure appeared and asked me what I was trying to do. I explained there was a drive-in just there I was trying to find. He was most kind and piloted me in and up to the fence. He then asked if I would mind if he got his car in too and left it there for the night, as it was no good trying to get to Marlborough.! I told him I did not live at the flats but supposed that it would not matter. He brought his car in from outside and disappeared to look for a hotel. I then went back to Mary to explain what had happened, borrowed 4d, and went out again to phone Nora.
We got out the safari bed, two blankets and and knitted rug. I remembered two wraps in the car and went down to get them. When Mary was in bed. I made her a hot lemon and sat with my arm under her shoulder while she drank it, my black trousered legs and red slippers on the bed. Much to my surprize and pleasure, she said she wanted to. It was very sweet of her.
I had my breakfast in Mary's bed and left about 11.0. Had to stop frequently to scrape the ice off the window.
Friday, Jan 6th
The fog seemed to be clearing. I took the quite unnecessary precaution of going over to Reading by bus. I had just crossed the Bath Road and was about to go into the flats when the Peaches drew up in their car, whereupon I rapidly invented a visit to to a friend at Dunedin Nursing Home, towards which I proceeded until they were out of sight
Discussing fuel costs with Nora. Coke, which in 1953 cost 114/- a ton, is now 169/-. We seem to be spending about 16/- a week just heating water. May be the boiler is too big. To use an electric immersion heater seems to work out at about 10/- a week.
Monday, Jan 9th
Lady Eden has asked a cottager not to hang out her washing, something Mrs Churchill and Mrs Attlee never did!
Mary C came to lunch and in the afternoon we had tea in great comfort at the Compleat Angler, Marlow. Tea for two cost 8/-, my highest priced tea to date! For that we got pastries, two sorts of sandwiches, buttered toast and brown bread, white bread and jam. It was a bitterly cold day. Tried to purchase a woollen ski cap in the morning in Henley, but only one I found had red stripes, which I thought a bit undignified for the headmaster!
Tuesday, Jan 10th
Met Mary at Reading station at 2. Richard Burton was playing Henry V. He was good but inclined to shout. The production I thought inferior to Jan, 1951, and Stratford, Sept, 1951. We got back to the hotel about 11.
Wednesday, Jan 11th
They gave us a good breakfast and Mary caught the 8.55 to work. Visited the C18th Taste again, then lunch at the N.B.L. Back to the flat about 2.30. We took the bus to the housing estate and went to the canal for a walk. Lyons Bath buns, the best in he world, for tea. Home by the 9.50 bus.
Friday, Jan 13th
Found Mary very low on this appropriate date. She had left her bag in the Library at lunch time and thought she had lost it or it had been stolen. A letter had come from the Head Office pointing out that the profits of the branch last year were so small that no rise for the junior could be more than 2/6. She wondered if this was an indirect warning to her that they intend to close the branch, and if they did what could she do. The economies of the lending library very shaky today. The inflation has made the middle class subscriber cut his expenses and use the county library, and in spite of all she can do the people with small fixed incomes cancel.
Monday, Jan 16th
Heard that G.E.Fasnacht (Fassy), who was lecturer in history when I first went to Leicester i 1929, had died. He was an odd man, very amusing, and, until he very surprizingly got married about 1934 or so, a kind of academic bum. He spent his day in Leicester moving from one café to another. He drank so much black coffee he said his veins must contain nothing but caffeine. Sherry and endless cigarettes were also a weakness, not to mention a vast mass of daily or evening newspapers. He must have been a year or two younger than me and took History, in which he got a first, in 1922. His wife, Ruth Anderson, was one of the spottiest women I have ever known. They produced daughter Mary and lived happily enough in the same road in N. Oxford as my Mary.
Tuesday, Jan 17th
The inspection began badly today with girls' PT. Young Mrs Brackston was condemned pretty thoroughly for her passive attitude and and lack of positive teaching. She is a very quiet girl and perhaps rather lazy, but seems to get on with the girls well enough and always has them in good order. She always seems to me a little childish and not very grown up, but a fully trained person always an asset these days.
Tonight Nora set off to have coffee with Mary at the flat at 8 o'clock. It was her idea. I don't know what will come of it. The last get together they had (in 1943?) was largely devoted to Nora warning Mary I was utterly selfish and wouldn't stick to her! I only hope it is amicable and neither gets irritated with the other for speaking too frankly.
Clem turned up in my room and wanted to discuss the non-collection of savings by Miss Jenkins "as a matter of principle". I said nothing would induce me to discuss it as a matter of principle. But the staff did not know what do do with the money. Tell them to give it back, or tell the children to buy stamps at the Post Office, or buy them yourself if you prefer it, I replied.
Wednesday, Jan 18th
Nothing was said at breakfast or lunch about the visit. I got over to Mary about 2.30. She was very surprised to find how full of unrelated and impractical ideas Nora was. Mary's plants, she was told, should be immediately expanded into a business! Hilary was to go to Oxford on Aunt's money. When however she tried to get more information about Nora's plans, she did not get beyond a lot of "possibilities". She was I think rather alarmed by the wildness and scattiness of it all. I felt that after this Mary would have a much better idea of the difficulties involved.
Tuesday, Jan 19th
After supper I talked to Nora. She said she had told Hilary that Mary and I might want to live together later before he went back to Cowley. This may have accounted for her extreme gloom and silence before he did. She also said she was going to apply or a job in St Albans with adults, but (and this surprized me) she had no hope of getting a full time job at her age. On the other hand she had told Mary there was plenty of work Cambridge and Hilary would like to live there - so what are we to make of it, I don't know. She has one idea after another.
Friday, Jan, 20th
Had my hair cut against the inspection!
Monday, Jan 23rd
A letter from Mary in which she said, "I can't help thinking how wonderful it was on Wednesday. I felt so utterly possessed." I thought of Blake, "What is it than man requires? The lineaments of gratified desire." Dear, dear Mary, my darling heart.
Tuesday, Jan 24th
The Inspectors arrived. Besides Lady Helen Asquith there were a little red-faced young Lancashire man, French, a tall rather grim looking chap with light eyes, a small whiskered woman with thick glasses, scripture. I took a dislike to the last two, but it turned out unreasonably! They were not so bad when you got to know them.
I had prepared a lesson on the agricultural labourer with Fifth, but of course no one came in to it.! The next lesson was with 1D on the Spartans at Themopylae, the little fat man arrived. I don't think he appreciated the Herodotus: I was moved as usual. Never mind.
The D.S. inspector was down for the day, and the music inspector, a rather raffish gent, for the second morning. I spent the afternoon listening to their summaries accompanied by Lady H. We got good reports on these two subjects, but a poor one on Girls' PT. 2 - 1 score so far.
Wednesday, Jan 25th
Inspectors at Prayers - all four! Lady H came to my form period with Sixth, talked to them about visit to the National Gallery this term, enlargement of vision etc. Told some jokes, but too polite or overawed to laugh. Had 1y to myself and did Thermopylae again. Little fat man came in for Hazel's lesson on Drake, which went quite well. I felt he hadn't a clue really, but he was quite polite and friendly. I asked Clem what he was like. "Son accent est tout à fait abominable!" but he knew his stuff.
Lady H and the tall man came to lunch, which I think they enjoyed. In the afternoon the art woman have her verdict and I took the history chap to show him my history room. The art was 50/50, a draw. I wasn't surprized to hear from the maths woman that she took a poor view of Roberts, dopey and lazy, definitely 0 - 1 against us. Private means, a nice comfortable job, a house, The Times' crossword puzzle.
Thursday, Jan 26th
Inspectors at Prayers again. No lessons today as I only took Rada Barnicott, and she stayed away! The P.T. man turned up and inspected Wally, and rightly observed that it would be no good going into the philosophical implications of what he was doing. Two junior inspectors to tea. They left for the final inquest at the Red Lion.
Friday, Jan 27th
Today, as the Americans would say, was the pay-off. I had the inspectors in turn, except the science chap who left yesterday, and finally Lady Helen. "Lady Helen," I said, "It is a delight to meet someone like you." It was clear that the report was going to be a good one and that they were going to back me with the non-examination subjects.
Only about 12 governors turned up, but Chorlton appeared for the first time for years. At the last inspection in 1938 I was turned out for some time and fully expected to be this time, but I had hardly got up to my room before the telephone rang! I was invited back.
My "high academic standards and broad and humane outlook on education", but I was "a bad showman". The deficiencies of the building are so well known to the H.M. that he almost disregards them. H. M. had made a courageous stand for the unexamined subjects and the Ministry would give every support in their power for his policy. Hurrah! Recognition at last after 22 years! The children moved about in an orderly and sensible way. There was sound and effective leadership. Mrs Clayden and I were "the twin pillars of the establishment." The boys and girls were quite delightful as people. They were welcoming and well mannered, and they had enjoyed belonging, if only for a few days, to such a happy community.
This was marvellous! The governors then spent some time chewing over the buildings. It seems likely we might get a lab but not a gym. Perhaps changing rooms might be built by themselves. Lady Helen began looking at her watch and the meeting came to an end. The governors were now out of the Canon Crosse influence. Old Denham said he went away happy and even unpleasant old Pullein Thompson insisted on offering me his flabby hand. Tom Luker was very pleased. I told him as he got out of his car, "We're going to get a good report."
[Editor: The Diary entry on the conclusions drawn by the inspectors is fully borne out, virtually word for word, in the printed report, which was confidential and was not published, or quoted from in public, at the time. The report also provides some facts and figures.
There were 277 pupils in 1955 - 56 compared with the 192 on the roll in 1938. Some 87 of the pupils came from Henley itself and the remainder from villages within an eight mile radius, some of them in Berkshire or Bucks. The school became co-educational in 1928, but until the war there was a preponderance of boys.
In the year of the inspection, girls outnumbered boys by 11, but in the first-year forms there were 41 girls and only 19 boys. Of the 110 pupils who had left the school in the three years prior to the inspection, only 6 left before reaching the age of 16, some 35 were 17 or over and 32 left from the Sixth Form, which had 24 pupils in 1955 - 56.
Only 29 went on to some form of further education, 7 to universities, 6 to training colleges for teachers, 5 to nursing and 5 to apprenticeships. The rest entered a fairly wide range of employment, the largest groups going into banking and insurance, the Services, and clerical work of various kinds.
The Headmaster, noted the report, "gives an important place to the arts and attaches less weight to examination successes than to the realities which such successes should, but do not always, represent. His sincerity and his tolerant, considerate respect for the personalities of others are largely responsible for the obviously happy relationships which exist within the school." The broadening of the curriculum introduced by the present headmaster when he arrived in 1934, the report added, had not led to any decline in academic standards. "On the contrary it is clear that the all round standard of work has risen considerably since the last report was written."
In addition to the headmaster there were 15 full time teachers and they were "unusually competent", with a single exception (maths).
The non-examination subjects, regularly referred to in the Diary and subject to battles with the governors, included history and religious instruction at O level, and the lower stream did not take English literature at O level either. The inspectors commended this, saying it released teaching from the trammels of examination syllabuses which may not be specially appropriate for the particular pupils who have to follow them.
The argument about examinations, which, the Headmaster complained, his governors seemed incapable to understanding, was fleshed out in the Headmaster's 1956 Prize Day report:
- We want to take advantage of the much greater flexibility of the new General Certificate of Education as compared to the old school leaving certificate. The new certificate with its greater freedom and higher standard can be related to the individual boy or girl who wants to qualify for university entrance or preliminary examinations of the numerous professional bodies. It should not be treated a school leaving certificate, but as a qualifying certificate to a particular career, and there is no reason why a boy or girl in the fifth form should not by-pass some subjects at the fifth form level altogether. The educational value of a subject does not depend on whether the subject is examined or not examined, but on the content of the subject itself and how it is taught, as we see for example in the case of Religious Instruction or Literature and Music.
Saturday, Jan 29th
Went up to London with Mary C by 11 train. We had a compartment to ourselves and went over the inspection and Lady Helen. She is a marvellous person, giving out all the time, and with perfect manners and consideration for others, yet with no condescension. You felt a great spiritual vitality in her presence and this stirred you and stimulated you to do your best.
When we arrived at Paddington, Mary C decided to go to the Ladies' Turkish Bath in Russel Square and gave me a lift as far as Baker Street. Margaret Burton lived in a pleasant flat down a turning opposite Madame Tussaud's. She had some good furniture, pictures, glass and silver, and had prepared an excellent lunch. After lunch we chatted til 5 o'clock. Unfortunately I missed the 5.15 and had to go by a slow train home. Margaret was now very pale instead of rosy cheeked, but I thought less acid and totally condemnatory as in the past.
Wednesday, Jan 30th
A fearfully cold day. When I got back [from the flat] at 10.30 and drove into the garage a vast cloud of steam came pouring out of the bonnet. The top of the radiator had frozen and the rest had boiled. This was the coldest night since 1895! No wonder.
February. Good bad Army character. Capital punishment to continue. Women are the limit.
Tuesday, Feb 7th
House Committee. Mr Cook with logorrhea gave a long discourse to the other old gentlemen on the Bank of England, almost totally irrelevant to business in hand, which took an hour!
Read today in the paper that a soldier discharged from army with character "good" had a number of previous convictions. It appeared that "good" was the fourth and lowest category, the others being "exemplary", "excellent" and "very good".
Tuesday, Feb 9th
I went over to Oxford and had tea with Mr MacCarthy, who is the Dean and appeared to live in a most squalid ground floor room looking over the small outer quad. We had college sandwiches of jam and marmite with untrimmed crust and two iced cakes with 1 éclair while crouching over a nasty gas fire and sat in semi-darkness.
He told me an interesting story of an undergraduate who was building up a library in Wimbledon by removing books from the College, Blackwell's and Parker's. One of his methods was to pop volumes into a facsimile of the First Folio out of which he had cut the centre, thus making a box. He was sent down. His parents were crooks too. He went for treatment, but, as MacCarthy said, there was nothing wrong with him at all. He was just a smart Alec who was living on his wits.
After tea I met Mary C in Blackfriars by her request. She had a fearful oil heater in the back of the car which stank of oil fumes and nearly choked you and an utterly inadequate kind of rug of what appeared to be cotton. She insisted on driving to the Beatle & Wedge at Cholsey for dinner, but did not know what road it was on. When we did get there at last it turned out to be a smart drinking place which did not do dinners. I drove her back to the Lamb at Wallingford where we had a nice quiet dinner. My feeling that she was not a practical woman was confirmed!
Sunday, Feb 12th
Birthday. I got Nora her breakfast. She had developed a streaming cold. At nine I read letters from Mary, Molly, Hilary and Aunt. Later I went over to the school and found two letters from Mary C, one written to me when travelling down to Wales in November. I did not notice at first that she had put a bunch of freesias on my windowsill. I was "surprized by joy". She had also, she said to tease me, sent me a picture of St Hubert kneeling before the crucifix.
Wednesday, Feb 15th
Nora was very poorly and stayed in bed all day with a bad head and temperature. My cold was still rumbling about in my chest and in the afternoon we had the governors. They were more than usually fatuous because Mrs Griggs was not there last time and we had to have the Parent-Teacher Association all over again. Mr Denham got confused because one Tuttle had left to look after his grandfather's cattle. "I thought you said his name was Tuttle; now you tell me it's Cattle!" This rot lasted for well over the hour and then I came over to Nora and got her tea and took it up to her with her supper and a thermos flask.
I had to stop on the way over for fruit but arrived at the flat soon after half past four. We had tea. I wanted to lie with Mary, but it was after six before we had washed up an chatted over what had happened since Friday. It was very successful and lovely and giving, and we both felt so happy and satisfied that we did not get up till after eight.
Friday, Feb 17th
The Commons have voted against the continuance of capital punishment by a 31 vote majority. Rather to my surprize found Mary thought it ought to be retained for very bad murders, not so much as a deterrent as a kind of vengeance. I don't approve of this. It seems illogical to say that the taking of life is such a serious thing and then proceed to take another. It will be very interesting to see whether in this country the change leads to more murders or more armed robberies. Most experienced people think the professional criminals will not carry arms in any case. On the other hand it would be a pity to arm the police.
Tuesday, Feb 21st
Found a poem from Cherry written on an expedition in the snow. Told her I could not take a lift from her on Friday to go to Molly's [a visit to Holly Bush Farm cancelled because of flu], where at she proposed not to go away herself. Felt too much devotion!
Wednesday, Feb 22nd
Parents' Day. Quite a number turned up in spite of the bitter cold. We gave them a good tea with some excellent sandwiches and cakes, and had form parties, self, Mrs C, Miss Jenkins and Clem, taking them round.
People keep telling you the wireless has said there is a slow thaw coming when in fact it has said nothing of the sort. Must be a "psychological" thaw.
Thursday, Feb 23rd
Went over to Mary. I had suggested I came over Thursday and Saturday, but was told I could not come on Saturday as it was a "busy" night and Friday was suggested instead of Thursday. It was then suggested I might come on Sunday or Mary might take a half holiday on Monday. However, as Mary seemed so little pleased to have me at all, I was not very keen! Of course, as so often, it was left vague. She might go home on Sunday, she might not, she might take the afternoon on Monday, but then again she might not. Really women are the limit! Why can't they make up their minds!
Friday, Feb 24th
It was half term, so I had breakfast in bed with an oil heater on, but even then it was difficult to get the temperature over 45°. Ar 2.30 Nora went off to Oxford, so I had Cherry to tea. This was all very nice, but when it was time for her to go at six o'clock she suddenly shut her eyes, said she felt tired and sat down. I could not make out what was the matter with her. In the end I gave her a small glass of brandy and water. More trouble with women!
Sunday, Feb 26th
I had to return last night by the back way to avoid any revellers from the Old Boys ' Dinner at the Red Lion. I was unable to attend this year owing to a non-existent engagement in Oxford and don't intend to go while we suffer under Old Hamilton as chairman.
March. Praise from Clem Clifford. The Berkshire Hospital. Clem in the wrong bed. To the National Gallery with Sixth. Jim Stolarow.
Sunday, March 4th
Went up the lane with Cherry for an hour this morning. Although she kept assuring me that everything was all right at home, it clearly wasn't. Her father has not had his eye operation because he has a cough. Her mother can't be kept still. She has had to put off her trip to Rome at Easter. Nothing ever goes right with her for long, poor dear, and I am afraid I am a disappointment as well.
Apparently Clem, bless his heart, said at the Old Boys' Dinner that he was proud to have served for so long under me for I had "great ideas about education and great singleness of purpose". Well that was handsome, as I have often made fun of him.
Wednesday, March 7th
Nora had said she was going over to Cambridge tomorrow for the night and Mary was coming over. It was all planned when Nora said she was not going after all! Mary very disappointed, expressed her feeling about Nora and said she did not trust her. Why did she want to come over and see at all on January 17th? Pointed out that I had to live with N day by day and no good quarrelling with her unnecessarily. It is very difficult to balance the various pros and cons, financial, educational, domestic and legal. It is the financial that worry me most, I think.
Thursday, March 8th
Irate parent arrived, but I turned on all my charm to persuade him his offspring should not take maths before Christmas - and succeeded. We parted good friends. He was one of Hobbs' boat builders and had no grammar to speak of.
Saturday, March 10th
Suggested I should go to tea at Cyril's as Nora was going to tea at Wallingford. He invited me for a drive to Eton, but first we called at Heelas and both went up to the library! At Eton we visited the second hand book shop in the High Street, where I bought K. Nott's The Emperor's Clothes and a little red guide to Norfolk. Then we looked into the Catholic Church, a tiny little miniature in Italian Baroque, most attractive. Cyril likes his tea in an expensive guest house, so we went to one at Ascot - an essay in Edwardian Tudor with a touch of Scottish baronial - where we had crumpets and jam, sandwiches, white and brown bread and cakes. They returned me to Reading in time for the 5.50 bus.
Had a letter from Molly today. Her luck is out; She has been in to have an x-ray and there is a shadow on her lung which is due to a virus or a fungus caught from hay (farmers' lung). She has had too hard, difficult and worrying a winter.
Sunday, March 11th
A great rumpus in The Observer this morning; Koestler in his anti-hanging book accused in H of Lords of quoting only part of a Home Office document which the H.O. had refused to publish!
Rang up Molly tonight. She sounded bad. Said she felt very poorly and was very short of breath. Had had one attack when she thought she was going to choke and was naturally very alarmed.
Tuesday, March 13th
Cherry has been conducting a single-handed war with the eye ward at the Berkshire Hospital, where her father has been lying flat on his back with his eyes bandaged waiting for the operation. She says he has been disgracefully neglected and left in solitude, dirt and squalor to such an extent that he is danger of a complete mental breakdown. Visiting is only allowed on two days and on other days no one has spoken to him; his things have been put where he can't reach them, his teeth have been lost, his wireless batteries have been allowed to run out and generally he has been treated as if he were an animal and not a human being.
She wanted to move him to a private ward, but was told that this was impossible under the N.H.S. even after the operation [for slipped retina]. If he were moved the operation would have to be cancelled and the whole process would start again from the beginning. She couldn't see the sister for some days and of course no appointment was possible for this.
Friday, March 16th
Mary more cheerful than Wednesday and I took her to see The Lady Killers with Alec Guinness at a very low cinema on one of Reading’s housing estates. When the lights went out you hardly liked to look at the audience! The film started well but failed to keep it up.
Saturday, March 17th
Spent the day in London reconnoitring Nat. Gallery and the Tate. Lucky I did as there has been a shift round [of paintings]. I went into the magnificent Banqueting Hall to see the Rubens ceiling. It is a magnificent place, but cluttered up with show cases. You pay 2/- to go in and tip the attendant, who provides a chair and a mirror for you to examine the ceiling. He also put on the light for me as I looked so distinguished.
Sunday, March 18th
A pre-birthday [Nora’s] for lunch. Invited up Phyllis. She told me that when Mrs Clifford’s brother was on his honeymoon, he and his new wife were invited to stay with them and they moved out of the double bed so that the honeymooners could enjoy it. Clem got up in the middle of the night to relieve himself and then gets into the double bed with his sister-in-law. This attempt to assert his droit de seigneur not appreciated by the visitors ! How typical !
Reflect that if you want any piece of news not to be circulated throughout Henley, do not tell it to Phyllis; if you do want it broadcast, then do tell it to her !
Put in annuals, candy tuft, nasturtiums, scabious, linaria, nogella and so on. Bedding hyacinths well up and will soon be out.
Wednesday, March 21st
Hilary wrote. He seems more and more browned off with the Light Infantry, says intelligent private soldiers go to the Engineers and so on, and has yet to meet anyone who admits to liking the regiment. He thinks in the near future he will go to H .Q . in the intelligence section. He had spent 10 days on manœuvres in a dilapidated hotel by a lake surrounded by pine forests. They went out shooting duck and tried to pot a small deer. It was very enjoyable as there was very little discipline.
Thursday, March 22nd
We started out at 8.45 for the National Gallery, the culmination of a term’s Wednesdays. One snag, both Ladies and Gents out of action in the building ! The driver found one where he could pull up near the Albert Hall, so that hurdle surmounted. We got our camp stools and started on Pollaiulo’s St Sebastian, The Rout of San Romano, Botticelli’s Mars and Venus and Nativity, Titian and Tintoretto and Veronese, Guardi and Canaletto, Rubens, Rembrandt and the Spaniards, ending with El Greco’s Agony and a quotation from St Theresa. I was quite overcome when Cherry said how brilliant my hour’s lecture had been.
We sent Lady Helen two landscapes, one from Cherry and I and one from the Sixth signed by Annette and Jim Stolarow [head girl and head boy].
We walked down to the Victoria Tower coach park, ate our lunch and reached the Tate about 2 o’clock, a brief look round, and then I went to find a Welsh papist artist in the basement called David Jones – the Basement very rewarding when you can discover it. Tea about 3.15 and plenty of liquid for I was dry with much discourse. Started back at 4.0 and reached home at 6.45 via Reading to drop people. These children brought up to expect to be carried everywhere. Ask them to walk a mile home and they think it’s a dreadful hardship !
Friday, March 23rd
Mary’s bowl has : Blackthorn, Japonica, Pussy Willow, Alder cones, Polyanthus, Chionadoxa, Crocus, Hyancinth, Coltsfoot, Celandine, Aconites, Violets, Chestnut bud – all in a fine bed of green moss from the garden.
Saturday, March 24th
Oxford were not expected to win the Boat Race, but they did stick to Cambridge to the bitter end and made a fine struggle of it.
Cherry came up to lunch and tea. She is now fighting another battle with the God-directed Quaker and I have to calm her down. When Nora got back about eight and we had had our supper, she declared someone had stolen her winter coat from the cupboard under the stairs. It was my fault for leaving the key in the door, and she had always said it would happen, etc. And this year of all years !
Sunday, March 25th
The winter coat was found in the back room where for some reason Nora had put it! Spent the morning on the allotment and tidying up the garden.
Monday, March 26th
The tortoiseshells and brimstones were flying and the bees carrying in pollen to the eight hives. They were beginning to work the opening hyacinths. Spring is coming in very rapidly after the hard winter and the grass on the field turns green as you watch it from one day to the next and the air is full of song.
Tuesday, March 27th
Had a talk with the God-directed Quaker, Mrs Eastland, at Mrs C’s request. She is a very stupid young woman and very sure she is right. I told her she must accept authority and that as far as she was concerned Mrs C was authority. Mrs C has got right across her and talks of «spiritual pride » etc – the Catholic and the Quaker. Mrs E says she is given contradictory advice and is then blamed because she could not follow it. She thinks Mrs C is trying to interfere with her life outside the school.
Wednesday, March 28th
School broke up without incident. I told the G.D.Q. she would not have a form next term, but refused to discuss the matter. Her husband began ringing up as soon as I had got away to Reading.
Thursday, Good Friday, March 29th – 30th
Would not answer phone. It kept ringing all day. I suspected the G.D.Q.’s husband, so, lay low and said nuffin !
I took Mary the first lavender and white violets. We met at our usual place, opposite the Corinthian church in Castle Street and about quarter past six set off for The Hatchet at Newbury. This was near the Queen’s Head, but lower in the social scale. There was only one other diner and we were the only guests. After a very good dinner with lager, we went round looking at the shops. The town was full of desperate characters, Americans in civilian dress, English bums, and tarts tottering on high heels.
We came back and sat in front of the electric fire. I was much overcome with emotion at the sight of Mary and told her there was no one else, she was the only woman I wanted, and that I loved her more than anyone else in the world.
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