This transcript reproduces Eileen Younghusband's writing as accurately as possible, including errors of spelling and punctuation. When personal and place names are misspelt, we have attempted to include the correct versions of the names in square brackets [ ] after the misspelling.

The language and opinions found in the diaries reflect the ideas, attitudes and events of the period. Some of the terminology and language used at that time may cause offence today but the content has been made available unedited. We hope that the context of the material will be taken into account and apologise for any offence caused.

Links in the text highlight images, publications, biographical information and other contextual material, including primary sources held by other archives, museums and libraries.

Suggested citation for this volume: Diary 6, Feb-Sep 1919; Eileen Younghusband archive, Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick (MSS.463/EY/J6)

Images of the original diaryLink opens in a new window are available through Warwick Digital Collections.

Sunday February 23rd 1919 continued.

There were two pretty little water colour pictures of Anne and Joan by Fred PegramLink opens in a new window in the exhibition. Joan was splendid but he hadn't quite hit off Anne.

We went on to a birthday party for Brian at Cousin V's.

Must go to bed now.

Monday February 24th 1919.

Yesterday morning Mummy and I went to Church at St Martins in the Fields. We got there at 10 minutes to 11 expecting the service to begin at 11 but it didn't begin till 11.30, but even when we got there there was a crowd waiting outside the door of the Church we joined it and by the time the doors were opened there was a huge crowd all across the porch and down the steps. We were put right under the pulpit. It is a splendid service with beautiful singing by a mens choir. The curate Mr Jenkins preached a very good sermon.

Daddie went down to Wimbledon to see Lady BarringtonLink opens in a new window after luncheon.

An Indian lady whose name is Miss Sirabje [ Sorabji ]Link opens in a new window (I don't know how it is spelt) came in the afternoon. She dresses in the beautiful parsee dress but she talks quite perfect English and has lived in England a great deal.

About 6 o'clock a General SheppardLink opens in a new window called. He was with Daddie in Tibet and has been in Africa the whole of the War and is now home on the first leave he has had for four years. Daddie thinks if he had been in France that he would have been next to Haig by now. He is very nice and very amusing and he stayed to dinner. He is the champion raquets [ racquets ] player in the Army.

My jumper is finished and I am wearing it.

General Townshend has written a book about KutLink opens in a new window and he has sent it to Daddie to read, it is partly typewritten and partly in manuscript and in two fat parts and with a great many "I's" and poor Daddie is getting very bored with it.

I had a letter from Mary the other day.

Lady Barrington sent me such a pretty little silk coat of a most beautiful shade of green.

Wednesday February 26th 1919.

Daddie came in just before luncheon on Monday with the news that the Amir of AfghanistanLink opens in a new window had been assassinated. He had heard the news at the India Office that morning; all the afternoon he was beseiged by report[ers] who wanted to know what he knew about the Amir and articles by him came out in several papers.

I went to luncheon with Peggy and we had a dancing lesson at Vancani [ Vacani ]Link opens in a new window after. I went to tea with Aunt Lil who has got a very pretty flat in Cumberland Mansions, Bryanston Square. She was very sweet and kind as usual and lent me two books.

Nothing much happened yesterday. Miss Russell sister of the other one came to tea. Wolfie sent me a very pretty surprise a round basket full of snowdrops - masses and masses of them.

I cleaned large quantities of extremely dirty silver in the evening.

Poor Shortie is still far from well.

I have been reading a splendid book called "Don Orsino"Link opens in a new window by Marion Crawford but it is a tragedy and I object to tragedies.

There is a perfect craze for assassinating people at present.

The guards arrived home from Germany yesterday. We just saw the tail end of them.

Thursday February 27th 1919.

Daddie went down to Bristol for the day yesterday for a meeting of Clifton College Council and he brought Professor MacTaggert [ MacTaggart ]Link opens in a new window who had come up from Bristol and was going down to Cambridge back to dinner.

I went to Trinity College yesterday.

Princess Patricia of ConnaughtLink opens in a new window was married to Commander Alexander RamseyLink opens in a new window today at Westminster Abbey. We saw it from the hut which is in Parliament Square. We got there about 10.30 and even then there was quite a big crowdLink opens in a new window, the hut was a splendid place because one stood on the steps and looked right over the heads of the crowd. About 11 the people who had got seats in the Abbey began to arrive and among the first was Admiral Beatty who walked down the middle of the road and was loudly cheered by the crowd. Part of the crowd suddenly took it into their heads that they would get a very much better view if they were higher up so they clambered onto the roofs and anywhere else where they could get a foothold of several motors which were waiting by the Abbey, it is a wonder they didn't overturn or the roofs didn't give way because there must have been over 20 people on each of them. People also climbed onto all the lamp posts and up the trees and a good many soldiers got onto the statues and one soldier sat with his legs round the neck of the statue which looks up Whitehall; some soldiers even got onto the roof of the hut but were made to get down because the roof is very thin. The crowd did a most tiresome thing, it suddenly surged forward right across the road and there weren't nearly enough policeman to force them back so they had to be left half way across the road which very much interfered with our view however when the procession came back the crowd was forced to the other side and they came down our side of the road. The King and Queen arrived about five to 12; they were in an open carriage, the King was in naval uniform and the Queen in very pretty silver grey; Prince Albert and Prince Henry were with them. The Prince of Wales and several other people were in the next carriage; then came Queen Alexandria [ Alexandra ], and several other people. At 12 o'clock Princess Pat and the Duke of Connaught arrived in a carriage drawn by four white horses with scarlet harness and scarlet outriders. The service lasted a little over an hour; just before 1 the bells of the Abbey started chiming and went on for about a quarter of an hour. Princess Pat and Commander Ramsey were in the carriage coming back, he looking most radiant and grinning all over his face as well he might. The crowd was fearfully pleased because one small bridesmaid - I think it was Lady Mary Cambridge - sat in the motor with her people with the most solemn face as if she had been to a funeral and waved her hand at the people the whole time but without the very ghost of a smile. Another thing pleased the people very much, as Queen Alexandria [ Alexandra ] drove past Canning's statue she saw a soldier sitting in an extraordinary attitude on the statue and she looked up at him and laughed. Winston Churchill walked along the road when he came out of the Abbey and got a good many cheers and a good many pocket handkerchiefs were waved at him but the crowd were rapidly nearing the stage when they would cheer and wave at anything. I took four photographs but doubt if they will come out as the light was bad.

We went over Mummy's old home - Chesterfield HouseLink opens in a new window - this afternoon. Uncle Claude and Aunt Di and Aunt Lil and Miss Wolff came with us. There is no one but the housekeeper and a few servants there at present as Lady Burton has sold it to Lord Lascelles and it is being dismantled. It is a most splendid house with beautiful ceilings and mantlepieces and heaps of reception rooms mostly opening out of each other. It must have been terrible to leave it.

Friday February 28th 1919.

I had a letter today from a cousin of Peggy's who I have never seen and am not sure that I heard of asking Peggy and I to luncheon with her one day.

Daddie has as usual been out all day.

Another meeting for the settlement of Mr Russell's affairs was held here this evening.

I have just finished two of the best books I have ever read, "Scarasinesca" [ Saracinesca ]Link opens in a new window and "Sant' Ilario"Link opens in a new window both by Marion Crawford the second being the sequel of the first. They are the history of one of the Princely houses of Rome in the sixties. "Don Orsino" and "Corleone"Link opens in a new window are the history of the children of the hero and heroine of the first two books; the first hero and heroine are much the best - in fact I am not quite sure if Don Orsino is altogether meant to be a hero!

Saturday March 1st 1919.

I went to Wolfie's for the literature class this morning.

There was to be a big review in Hyde Park by the King this afternoon of troops who are going to form the Army of Occupation in Germany and as they were all in the Park when we came out of Wolfie's (they had come up from the country) we went to look at them and I took two photographs of them.

Daddie was giving a lecture on "the Lost Opportunities of an Explorer" for the Gilbert White Fellowship at the rooms of the Guild of Art WorkersLink opens in a new window in Queens Square, Southampton Row and Cousin Gerty was coming with us so she met us here at 2.15 and we got onto a bus to go to Southampton Row when we got to Hyde Park Corner all the traffic was held up and there was a big crowd all across the road and before we had been there a couple of minutes the procession appeared, first came the King riding with the Duke of Connaught with him and behind the Prince of Wales, Prince Albert and several other people, then a carriage with the Queen and Princess Mary in it, then another carriage with Queen Alexandria [ Alexandra ] and I think Princess Victoria then some more people on horse-back and that was the end. It was a great peice of good luck that we got there just at that time and we saw it all splendidly. Daddie's lecture was very good; Sir David PrainLink opens in a new window was in the chair Miss Willmott wasn't there and some one said she had had 'flue poor thing! Afterwards Shortie, Mrs Idie and I rushed off to Grosvenor Square where I had tea with Mary ThynneLink opens in a new window. She is quite a nice girl of 16. On the way home we saw the tail end of the soldiers who had been reviewed and who were going off from Victoria.

Miss Buxton came to tea here.

There is no wildly thrilling news that I can think of.

Monday March 3rd 1919.

Yesterday morning we went to Church at St Martin-in-the-fields; it was a beautiful service and a very fine sermon. Princess ChristianLink opens in a new window and Princess VictoriaLink opens in a new window were there in the Royal Box. We went to luncheon with Lady Treowen, there were three gentleman there a Mr Macarthy who had travelled a great deal and was very interesting; a Mr Skipwith who was nice but not wildly thrilling and is the manager of the chief branch of Lloyds Bank and Mr Walter Maxwell who is Lady Treowen's brother-in-law. We stayed there till nearly 4 and then we started off calling; Mummy went to Mrs Nicholl and said she would meet Daddie and I at Mrs Cazalet's in Grosvenor Square; so first we went to Princess Dolgeruki [ Dolgorukov ]Link opens in a new window (havn't the vaguest how it is spelt but it sounds something like that) who lives in Upper Grosvenor Street but she was away; then we went to the Duchess of BedfordLink opens in a new window in Berkeley Square and she was away; then we went to Mrs Eckstein in Park Lane and she was out; so then we went to Mrs Nicholls in Seamore Place but she wasn't at home and Mummy wasn't there so we went to Mrs Cazalet's but they didn't think she was in and Mummy wasn't there so then we went to Mrs Bishofsheim in South Audley Street but on the way we met Mummy who had just been there so we felt so faint that we all came home feeling throughly defeated.

I went to luncheon with Peggy today and on to the dancing which was at Mortimer Hall in Mortimer Street instead of the Small Queens Hall.

A Battalion of the Scots Guards arrived homeLink opens in a new window from Germany today; they were due to arrive at St. Pancras at 10.30 so at 11.30 we went and stood by the Palace to watch them on their way to Wellington BarracksLink opens in a new window but we were told they weren't arriving till 1 so we went away. We started at 12.45 to go to Peggy's and walked slowly up Constitution Hill and waited at the top and finally at 1.15 they came, there were 550 of them preceeded by the band of the Brigade of Guards. The Duke of ConnaughtLink opens in a new window was waiting in a motor at the Arch at the top of Constitution Hill to recieve them. They looked very worn and ill.

I have been reading a very nice book called "The Grey Knight"Link opens in a new window by Mrs Henry de la Pasture.

Wednesday March 5th 1919.

I went to the debating class at Wolfie's yesterday afternoon, it was the worst debate they have ever had but it was very amusing in parts, the subject was whether or not Members of Parliament should be paid. Kathleen Curry [ Corry ] who lived at Wimbledon was there and I am going to tea with her tomorrow, Betty Waldegrave was also there and she asked me to go out to Hampstead to see them next Tuesday. Wolfie brought me back and went to tea with a friend in this building and then came here after. The Crightons sent up after tea and asked me to go to go down there to see a girl whose name was Emmie Seeley and who used to be a Wolfite, another girl who had been driving a motor ambulance in France also came in, she said the French were perfectly beastly to them; it is most amusing the way the Allies are all beginning to hate each other.

We went to Church this morning being Ash Wednesday.

Daddie has gone off to Harwich to lecture to soldiers.

Sir Harry and Lady Emma Crighton came to tea and Uncle Holly came in after tea.

Friday March 7th 1919.

I had a drawing lesson yesterday morning from a nice little Scotchman called Mr NessLink opens in a new window who is a friend of Wolfie's.

Mummy was out most of the morning.

I went to tea with Kathleen Curry and had a very good time. When we got back we found Cousin Nell had been here and Mrs Tyndell Biscoe who is the wife of a clergyman in KashmirLink opens in a new window was here so I went in to see her for a few minutes and then went to get ready to go with Wolfie to a concert at the Aeolian Hall; it was a very nice concert by the "Harmonic Trio" who are the same people who gave that concert which Wolfie took me to when we were at Warley. We got home just before 11.

Daddie got back from Harwich about 8.30 having had a splendid time and having seen the largest areoplaneLink opens in a new window in the world which is to fly across the Atlantic, he says it is a perfectly enormous thing with five propellors. Unfortunately it will have to be taken across to Newfoundland in a ship and then fly over from that side because the winds are wrong from this side.

There has been a serious riotLink opens in a new window in a camp of Canadian Soldiers in Wales. Several officers and men were killed and 20-30 injured and a V.C. officer who tried to stop the rioters was trampled to death. They have raided the stores and canteens all except the Salvation Army one which they didn't touch and they have made the camp a mass of ruins.

A bad fire occured at Hudsons furniture depository just by us in Wilton Road on Tuesday and someone said that a £1,000,000 worth of antique furniture has been burnt.

Saturday March 8th 1919.

Mummy and Daddie went to tea with Mr Ward-Cook yesterday afternoon.

I went to see some pictures at a gallery in Bond Street with Kathleen Curry this morning; it was one of those kind of galleries which belongs to a picture shop but they didn't worry us to buy at all probably, as Kathleen truthfully remarked, because we didn't look very hopeful customers. There were some pretty water colours by various artists and some charming little pencil sketches and etching.

While we were walking down Bond Street we discovered another gallery so we went and peeped in there; there were some rather bad wild animal paintings, some very clever pencil portraits by Anning BellLink opens in a new window and one or two beautiful garden sketches.

Two gentlemen came to luncheon. A little American named Major Sears who was very kind in showing Daddie round New York when he was there; and a Mr PhilbyLink opens in a new window who has been in Arabia. Daddie went to see Lord WillingdonLink opens in a new window this morning. Mummy, Daddie and Major Sears went over the India Office this afternoon.

Emmeline came at 3.30 and gave me a lesson. I forgot to say that she wrote and told me not to go to Trinity College last Wednesday because she had a terrible throat.

I was expecting Kathleen to tea but Mrs Curry came round at teatime to say Kathleen had developed a dreadful cold and she didn't think it safe for her to go out.

Mummy and I went to see Cousin Nell after tea. She told us that at Princess Pat'sLink opens in a new window wedding the Earl of MacduffLink opens in a new window (aged 4) had an altercation with the other page about what part of the train they should each carry and he finally sat down on the train and had to be forciably removed!

Sunday March 9th 1919.

We went to Church at St. Martin-in-the-fields this morning.

This afternoon Mummy, Daddie and I went to call on Lady Hylton. Betty took me up to her schoolroom and we amused ourselves by throwing small peices of coal on the heads of the passers-by. Daddie and I went to tea with the Duchess of Bedford.

Monday March 10th 1919.

I wrote to Lady Treowen, Uncle Jack and Aunt Di this morning and to Mother Thérese yesterday.

As usual I went to luncheon with Peggy and on to the dancing. Christian Guthrie was staying with Peggy and she took us all to tea at Rumplemayer'sLink opens in a new window including a cousin of his - Violet Guthrie - who used to go to Wolfie's.

Wolfie has sent me an easel and drawing board for my drawing lesson, also a cast.

I have been re-reading "Huckleberry Finn"Link opens in a new window by Mark Twain, It is a killingly funny book.

We are going out to Hampstead to see Betty Waldegrave and Co tomorrow.

Daddie is having two dinners of 9 people each on Thursday and Friday of this week and the manager of a catering company has been to see about it today. They are going to be all-men dinners - very dull!

I got back my last lot of photographs on Saturday. Three of the ones Daddie took at Scapa have come out; one splendid one of the Iron DukeLink opens in a new window against the sunset; one of a cruiser just off the land, taken at some distance; one of a ship whose name we are not certain of but which is probably the Marlborough. The ones of Princess Pat's wedding didn't come out at all I am sorry to say but there are two quite good ones of part of the Army of Occupation for Germany in the Park the Saturday before last.

Tuesday March 11th 1919.

Mr Ness came this morning and gave me a drawing lesson.

Cousin Violet Bond called this afternoon I have only a very vague idea of who she is but I think she quite a near kind of cousin.

Daddie and I went down to Hampstead this afternoon to have tea with Mrs Waldegrave and Betty. They are going away to the country at the end of this month which is a pity because I like Betty very much.

There was a fightLink opens in a new window between a large number of American soldiers and the police in the Strand on Sunday.

The paper this morning says that a tunnel under the Channel is going to be started at once.

Wednesday March 12th 1919.

Mummy, Shortie and Mrs Idie went off soon after breakfast to look at some things in a house in Cavendish Square which are to be sold by auction.

Daddie took me to Trinity College and Shortie fetched me.

I played the piano most of the afternoon.

Daddie had luncheon with Mr Macarthy (who we met at Lady Treowen's) at the Jules Restraurant today.

Uncle Claude and Aunt Di have asked me to go down there to stay on the 21st as Cynthia is going to be there.

I have just discovered that I am using a paint rag as a pocket handkerchief

Thursday March 13th 1919.

I had a drawing lesson this morning.

This afternoon Aunt Di and Major Sears met me here and Lady Treowen called for us in her motor and took us to the Tower and Uncle JackLink opens in a new window who is keeper of the Crown Jewels took us over the Tower and told us a great many very interesting things about it. We had tea with them in St. Thomas' Tower where they live. Uncle Jack's bedroom is a tiny little room and someone was in prison there for twelve years and then died, 11 spies have been shot in the Tower during the War and the Russian Canadian Bolsheivicks [ Bosheviks ] who started a riot in that Canadian camp in Wales are in prison in the Tower now.

Great preparations are going on for Daddie's dinner which is tonight. There are 9 people coming - Sir Henry NewboltLink opens in a new window; Sir Geoffrey ButlerLink opens in a new window; Sir Philip ChetwodeLink opens in a new window; General BirdwoodLink opens in a new window; Sir Geoffrey FeildingLink opens in a new window; General SheppardLink opens in a new window; Lord CarnockLink opens in a new window and Daddie.

Saturday March 15th 1919.

The dinner on Thursday night was a great success.

Yesterday morning Shortie and I went to the Duke of York's TheatreLink opens in a new window to get two seats in the dress circle for that evening's performance of "The Man from Toronto"Link opens in a new window; we managed to get two in the fourth row, which as it is a small theatre did very well. Next we went to the Stores and got various things then we came home. In the afternoon I persuaded Shortie to go out with me to buy a stamp catologue at the little shop in Brewer Street as I have developed a violent fit of stamp mania. The catologue, I am sorry to say, cost 5/- but Shortie paid half as a birthday present to me as she hadn't given me one. I also bought a 10s Union of South Africa King George stamp used, price 1/3 which is 1/2 the catologue price.

Mummy's George Russell Committee came at tea time.

Mrs Idie and I went to "The Man from Toronto", it was an awfully good play and very funny. We couldn't get into a 'bus or get a taxi when we came out so we had to walk home but it was a beautiful night.

The last night's dinner party seems to have gone off splendidly, better than Thursday night in fact. The guests were - Admiral NicholsonLink opens in a new window; An Australian General whose name I have forgotten; Colonel Kent; Uncle Douglas; Lord Sligo and Sir Rhys WilliamsLink opens in a new window.

I went to the literature class at Wolfie's in the morning and Miss Medd-Hall came in the afternoon.

The Dates brought Joffie back today. Apparently he has behaved very badly spoilt little wretch!

Major Sears and Sir Cosmo Antrobus came to tea.

Daddie is dining with Lady Percy.

Monday March 17th 1919.

We went to Church at St. Martin yesterday and Mummy and Daddie went out calling in the afternoon.

We went to luncheon with the Cazalets today. Thelma CazaletLink opens in a new window used to go to Miss Wolff's, she is twenty and very nice. I gave up the dancing as it would have been quite impossible to get there by 2.30. Shortie fetched me and we went and did some shopping and then went to tea with Peggy.

Major Sears came to dinner and Daddie has taken him off to some lecture or discussion or something.

Mr George RussellLink opens in a new window has died. it is sad but he has been ill for a long time.

Tuesday March 18th 1919.

I had a drawing lesson this morning.

Betty Waldegrave came to luncheon and she and I went on to the debate at Miss Wolff's. The resolution was that the blockade should be raised and the Amendment that it should not be raised. Betty and I both spoke on the resolution which was past by the casting vote of Mr Gorst who manages the debates. The girls votes for the resolution and amendment were equal so Mr Gorst appealed to the stranger's gallery and their votes were equal so he had to give the casting vote.

I am busily engaged in valueing all my stamps by the catologue which I bought the other day.

There is a great crisis between the coal owners and the miners who threaten to strike which would be very serious because it would mean that the railways would be unable to run and consequently food supplies would be practically cut off.

President Wilson is back in France.

Friday March 21st 1919.

I have been so gay for the last two days that I haven't been able to write my diary before.

On Wednesday morning I went to Trinity College as usual. Peggy came to luncheon and stayed till about 4; a few minutes after she went Cousin Gerty appeared and then Mr Frank Dugdale. Cousin Gerty said she must hurry home because Victoria was coming up to stay with her and would be waiting; we suggested telephoning to Victoria to tell her to come round here, Cousin Gerty agreed so I went and rang up Cowley Street, mistook the maid who answered the telephone for Victoria and greeted her with great effusion which caused some confu[s]ion but finally got hold of Victoria and she came round here. She had to go about 6.30 because I was going to a pageant called "The Dawn of Day" with Miss Wolff. Shortie took me to South Audley Street to meet Wolfie and the latter and another lady and I went off in a taxi which we got with great difficulty to the Lincoln Hall were the pageant was to be. It was supposed to show that there have been good women in all ages; there were 10 scenes beginning in the stone age or some other equally remote time and ending with a Y.W.C.A hut in 1918. There was music and singing and dancing and of course talking and it was most desparately Romantic (with a big "R"). At about 9.30 when it was half way through we came away because we thought we should never get a taxi unless we did. It was very difficult to get a taxi but finally we succeeded.

I had a drawing lesson yesterday morning and directly afterwards went off to the luncheon with Cousin Gerty. After luncheon Victoria and I went off to Maskelyne and Devant'sLink opens in a new window conjuring entertainment at St. George's HallLink opens in a new window; it was a very good show but lasted till 5.30 which as I had asked Kathleen Curry to tea at 4.30 was rather depressing, however she was still here when we got back and seemed quite happy which was lucky.

Sir Bernard Mallett came to dinner and Victoria stayed to dinner too.

Mummy and Daddie went to the memorial service for Mr George Russell this afternoon.

Sunday March 23rd 1919.

I didn't go to the literature lesson at Miss Wolff's yesterday morning because I didn't feel very well and also we were going to the triumpthal march of the Guards through London and were afraid I shouldn't be back in time. The Brigade of Guards (they are now a division) were to march through London beginning at Buckingham Palace where they marched past the King in the forecourt and then right through the City and ending up at Hyde Park Corner. The march was to take two hours beginning at 1.45. Uncle Douglas sent us seats for the balcony of Friary Court but when we got there we dicovered that it was the balcony at the back of the courtyard; we thought it would be rather far back so we went and stood at the edge of the courtyard where no one except the St. John's ambulance people were supposed to stand and for some extraordinary reason we were allowed to remain there so we had a splendid view. It was a wonderful procession; there were 10,000 men not counting the demoblished men who walked behind their various battalions and the wounded who went in motor lorries. The Prince of Wales rode with Lord CavanLink opens in a new window and was very loudly cheered by the crowd. There was a great deal of cheering and handkerchief waving and a great many flags flying and great crowds of people everywhere. They took an hour to march past and then as there were no signs of any more coming we started off home but at the Palace the people were as thick as ever and there was a band playing and lorries were coming through the forecourt and the King was standing under an awning saluting and we discovered that the Wesh [ Welsh ] Guards who had not appeared in the other part of the procession, were going through and after them came another battalion of the Scots Guards and then the Guards section of the A.S.C. I don't know how they had got separated from the main body of the procession. All the colours had wreaths of laurals on them and just after the Prince of Wales came the colours presented to the Guards by the town of Mauberge [ Maubeuge ].

Miss Medd-Hall gave me a lesson after tea yesterday.

Mummy and Daddie went to dinner with Mrs Bishofheim.

Daddie and I went to Church at St. Martin-in-the-fields and on the way out met the Haddows who are going out to India early next month.

Leslie Childers who is Hugh Childers' brother called in the afternoon. He is just going out to Constantinople as King's Messenger. They lost their father very suddenly a few days ago which is very sad.

Colonel and Mrs Kent, Oonah and Uncle Vesey came to tea.

Monday March 24th 1919.

Mummy and Daddie went to luncheon with Cousin Ruth at Les GobelinsLink opens in a new window today and I went to luncheon with Peggy and on to the dancing and then back to their house till 4 when Shortie took me to Lowndes Street where I was going to meet Mummy to have tea with Cousin Nell. Lady Lyvdyn [ Lyveden ] Victoria's mother was there.

The Geographical Society wants Daddie to lead an expedition up Mount Everest but he has declined.

Aunt Di has written to ask me to go and stay down there for a week or 10 days on April 4th which is very nice.

My music exam is on April 3^rd and I am beginning to feel very quaky.

Wednesday March 26th 1919.

Mr Ness came yesterday morning and gave me a drawing lesson. I am doing a side view of the cast of a boy's head which Miss Wolff lent me.

I played the piano for a large part of the afternoon and after tea Shortie took me to see Miss Wolff.

Daddie had luncheon with Sir William BirdwoodLink opens in a new window yesterday.

I went to Trinity College this morning. We had to tear back and have luncheon then tear off to Wolfie's because she was taking Princess NinaLink opens in a new window and XeniaLink opens in a new window of Russia and me to "Two Gentlemen of Verona" which was being given privately by Rosina Fhilippi [ Filippi ]Link opens in a new window at her studio. It was acted by pupils of hers and extraordinarily well done so I enjoyed my first Shakespere [ Shakespeare ] play throughly. Wolfie came back to tea here, Cousin Margaret Magniac had been to tea but had gone which was a pity.

Daddie has gone down to a hospital at Clapham Junction to lecture to soldiers this evening.

Poor Lady Treowen's brother has died.

Hungray [ Hungary ] has joined the Bolsheivicks [ Bolsheviks ]Link opens in a new window and Germany is becoming very uppish which is bad.

Thursday March 27th 1919.

Mr Ness came this morning.

I had arranged to go to the Wallace CollectionLink opens in a new window with Kathleen Curry this afternoon and she called here for me at 2.30. We thought the Wallace Collection was still shut so we decided to go to the National GalleryLink opens in a new window so we went into Victoria Street to get a 'bus and got to the stopping place just as one was starting off; Kathleen tore after it and hopped on but it was going so fast by the time I got to it that I couldn't get on so I got left behind and didn't know whether to follow her in another 'bus or wait to see if she got off so I walked slowly along and soon she appeared and we got onto another 'bus. On the way she said "I don't feel at all like a gallery let's go to a cinema" I said "right-o" so we went to a cinema in the StrandLink opens in a new window and saw one or two quite good funny things. When we got out Kathleen discovered that she had left her purse inside so she went back and found it by an extraordinary peice of luck. We went to the National Gallery and waited till Shortie came there to meet us at 4 o'clock then we went and had tea at the big Charing Cross Lyons. On the way out we bought some very large hunks of very sticky toffee which quite prevented us speaking for some time. Then we walked down the Strand looking at all the stamp shops we could find and then we came home.

Daddie and Mummy are going to dinner with Julia Lady Tweedale this evening.

I have finished valueing my stamps from the catologue and they are worth £22.

Friday March 28th 1919.

Mrs Idie went to Bath by the 11 o'clock train this morning taking Joffie. We went to the station to see her off and had to tear out at the last moment to a shop near by to buy a muzzle for Joffie because the guard said he couldn't go unless he had a chain and muzzle. Poor Joffie's dignity was very much injured!

On the way back I went to the little stamp shop in Brewer Street and bought a 2 1/2d 1910 Union of South Africa stamp price 8d and a 5 cents blue seal Newfoundland stamp 1896 price 1/2.

Peggy came to luncheon and tried to make me believe she was engaged to a young man who she doesn't even know. She did it so well that I almost believed her and then she went into shreiks of laughter and told me she was only hoaxing.

Daddie and Mummy went to luncheon with Lady Percy St. Maur.

Cousin Margaret Magniac was supposed to be coming to tea but she never appeared which was most depressing.

Mummy went to write her name on the Queen of Rumania [ Romania ]Link opens in a new window this evening she has been staying at Buckingham Palace.

Saturday March 29th 1919.

I went to Miss Wolff's for the literature lesson this morning and from there to Trinity College because Miss Medd-Hall wanted me to try a perfectly terrible piano there is there. She came and gave me a lesson here at 2.30.

Some things which Mummy bought in a sale a few days ago arrived today. There are some nice cushions which is a good thing.

Cousin Nellie came this afternoon also Aunt Mable [ Mabel ] who has been dashing about wildly trying to find a public school for Maurice; she says it is almost impossible to find a vacancy now and there are huge waiting lists; He went up for Osbourne but there were only 40 vacancies and 400 boys went up and he didn't pass which was a great pity because he is a very clever little boy and mad on the Navy. Mrs Haddow, Cicely and Hal came to tea also Miss Buxton and Cousin V. I am afraid I flirted somewhat with Hal Haddow which shocked Shortie.

Mrs Idie arrived safely at Bath.

Germany is getting horribly uppish and a Germany paper says a suspension of the armistice is quite likely.

Sunday March 30th 1919.

We went to St. Martin-in-the-Fields this morning. Mr SheppardLink opens in a new window preached a splendid sermon.

We went to luncheon with Cousin V and afterwards Daddie went to call on Lady Lyttleton who they met at dinner the other night and who lives at Chelsea Hospital, and Mummy and I went to call on Lady Wylie who is very nice and from there to Lady Chesterfield who is 93 and has broken her leg. Mummy went upstairs to see her and I waited in the dining-room. From there we got into a 'bus and went to see Lady Treowen, I am very fond of her. After that we went to see Mrs Leigh who has got a bad cold and was all alone because Mr Leigh and Peggy are at Stoneleigh. We went to tea with Aunt Lil who was as nice as usual. Then we went back to Mrs Leigh because she had particularly asked us to go back. Finally, we got home at 8 o'clock having been out since 10.30!

Summer time begun last night and all the clocks had to be put forward an hour. We lost an hours sleep which was rather tragic.

I wrote to Peggy this evening.

There was a big labour demonstration in Hyde Park this afternoon.

Wednesday April 2nd 1919.

On Monday afternoon I went to the dancing as usual and on the way home bought a petticoat and tried to buy a blouse but they were all so appalingly deon that I didn't get one.

Uncle Vesey came to dinner.

I had a drawing - lesson yesterday morning and in the afternoon went to the debate at Miss Wolff's. We debated whether or not there should be National Theatres. I spoke in favour of them but the resolution was defeated by a majority of three.

Aunt Vallie came to luncheon very full of a sheme of hers for going out to South Africa and starting a sort of farm where girls emigrating to South Africa could live till they found situations.

I went to Trinity College this morning for the last lesson this term and also the last lesson before the exam which is tomorrow. I hope to goodness I shall pass. I think I know it fairly well but I shall probably be horribly nervous at the actual examination. The lady who has her lesson after me and who is herself a teacher gave me a sort of examination today, it went fairly all right except for the minor scales and arpeggios which were very groggy. I hope they will behave in a proper and decorus way tomorrow.

Lord Shuckborough [ Shuckburgh ] came to see Mummy this afternoon.

Daddie was at a lecture this afternoon and Mummy went out after tea and had only been gone a few minutes when Miss Ethel Fitzroy called and a little later Daddie appeared with Sir Evan JamesLink opens in a new window.

Oh! that exam! I feel so squirmy you have to get 60 marks out of 100 to pass.

Thursday April 3rd 1919.

This morning Shortie and I went to Harrods to see about somthing which they had done wrong then we went to Head's where I wanted to get some wool for a jumper, they hadn't got what I wanted so I went to Catt where they had almost the colour I wanted, it is crushed strawberry pink 3 ply and I had ¾ of a lb @ 14/6 a lb.

The exam was supposed to be at 4 o'c but it didn't begin till 4.15. The examiner sat at a table and didn't look at my peices or studies before I played them or ask what they were. He told me to begin with studies and I had to play the whole of both of them, I think they went fairly well, then he told me to play my peices, there were two of them each 4 pages long, he stopped me when I had still got about 1/2 a page of the first one left to play which was a comfort but he heard the whole of number 2. Then came scales and arpeggios, some of the scales I made a frightful muddle of some of the scales but the arpeggios were slightly better. Then came sight-reading, I don't know how that went but have an idea the time was odd. Then came en texto, in which I got exactly one note right! Then came questions all of which I got right and that was the end, it only lasted about 10 minutes but it looks most uncommonly as if I havn't passed!

Major Sears and a friend of his a Lieutenant Fowler came to tea also Sir George and Lady MaCarthy and Kathleen Curry.

I have written a long account of the exam to Miss Medd-Hall.

Bolsheivism is getting worse.

I go to Ashstead [ Ashtead ] tomorrow.

Daddie has been to the India Office today with several other men to get permission for an expedition to try and climb Mount Everest.

Wednesday April 9th 1919.

Mummy and Shortie brought me down here (Ashtead) on Friday. Poor Aunt Di was ill in bed but she is better now and up. I am having a lovely time and am learning to drive the motor.

Nina comes up from school tomorrow and I am going up with Uncle Claude in the morning and am going to be fetched by Shortie and then we go to meet Nina and we are going to take Nina to a play in which Renée is acting and Nina is going to stay the night with us and then I come down here again on Friday evening which ought to be jolly good fun.

I never seem to get any time to write my diary which is the reason I havn't written it for nearly a week.

We motor into Epsom every evening to fetch Uncle Claude home which is great fun. I adore motoring.

Miss Wolff is going to take me to "Everyman" done by Miss Fillippi's [ Filippi's ] pupils next Wednesday.

Wednesday April 16th 1919.

London again.

There is so much to put down in my diary that I am quite sure I shall never have the energy to write it all.

I had better begin at last Thursday as apparently I left off at Wednesday, I came up to London with Uncle Claude on Thursday morning and Daddie and Shortie met me at Waterloo and we came back here, when we had been here about 10 minutes we went off to meet Nina who arrived at Victoria at 11.20, then we came back here and telephoned all over the place to try and get seats for a theatre in the evening. Laurie came to luncheon and then Nina and he and I went to "Fair and Warmer"Link opens in a new window at the Prince of Wales. Renée was the leading lady and very good and it was an awfully funny play. Laurie couldn't come back to tea so Nina and came back and had tea then I telephoned to Aunt Di. We were sitting quite peacefully in the drawing-room when suddenly we discovered it was 7.30 and "The Bing Boys on Broadway"Link opens in a new window which we were going to began at 8 o'clock and we hadn't had any dinner so we bolted some dinner and then Daddie, Nina and I tore off and luckily got a taxi and so were there in very good time. It was a jolly good revue with Violet Loraine in it. We had to walk home but it was a beautiful night. I had never been to two plays in one day before but I hope I very often shall again!

Nina and I slept together in my room and we were so sleepy on Friday morning that we could scarcely get up. After breakfast Daddie took us to the Grafton Galleries where there was a most splendid exhibitionLink opens in a new window of coloured photographs taken from areoplanes and of areoplanes. Then Nina and I went into Oxford Street to try and get some wool for her to make a jumper but she couldn't get the wool she wanted so we came home just in time for luncheon. Major Sears came to luncheon; he went to Paris last Saturday. I rang up Peggy after luncheon and then Nina and I went to GorringeLink opens in a new window to get her wool; we got just what she wanted, she is going to make it cream colour and with a band of various colours round the bottom and the collar. Then we went to the Stores and then we came home and bolted some tea and went off to London Bridge Station where my train went at 5 o'clock. I was to meet Uncle Claude and go down with him but we couldn't find him anywhere and poor Shortie got dreadfully agitated and rushed up and down the platform, he hadn't appeared by the time the train started so I travelled down alone which was a great experience for me! Nina went from Liverpool Street with Uncle Dick, who she met there at 5.52. I met Uncle Claude all right at Epsom, I think he had quite forgotten to look for me! but it was very odd why we didn't find him. It was ripping to be back at Ashtead again and they are both so kind. On Saturday we went to luncheon with the Ralli'sLink opens in a new window at the big house and Mrs Ralli let me try on some beautiful jumpers which she had made. Afterwards we motored into Leatherhead to do various things. On Sunday Mr Meres who is an awfully nice Jew who lives near came to dinner. In the evening Uncle Oswald telephoned to say the babyLink opens in a new window had arrived and it is a boy so of course they are very much excited and pleased. It is a very good thing it is a boy because otherwise the Magniacs would have died out as there are no other boys in the family.

On Monday Aunt Di and I hung pictures and did various things like that. When Uncle Claude came home in the evening we all went into Leatherhead to fetch home the little car which had got a twisted steering column and had had to go to the motor man to be repaired.

Aunt Di and I came up yesterday morning arriving at Victoria at about 11 0'clock. Daddie and Shortie met me and we came back here. I had a lovely time at Ashtead and was very sorry to leave. Aunt Di is an angel.

I went to Head yesterday afternoon to get a card of instructions for knitting a jumper as I have got to the most vital part of my jumper and have lost the instructions. Imagine my horror when they said they hadn't got any more of those instructions left! a nice person explained to me what I have to do next but I am not sure that she explained quite right, isn't it a bore?? Coming out I met Bobs which nearly gave me a fit as I thought she was in Scotland.

Mummy, Daddie and I went to tea with Cousin Gerty who was most amusing and has asked me to go and stay at White Hill Farm to meet Victoria sometime soon which would be very nice. We hadn't been there very long before Uncle Claude came in, wasn't it odd? We all left together and he rushed off to get a train for Ashtead.

I rang up Aunt Di yesterday evening but their telephone is so bad that I only heard very little she said and she heard still less that I said!

The flat is full of men painting and you run into them wherever you go and you can't go into the bath-room at all and strong odours of paint assail your nose at unexpected moments.

I have failed in my music exam and feel very grumpy. I got the marks necessary to pass but got three marks too few on the peices so they won't pass me.

The weather is quite dreadful at present.

I had a letter from Victoria yesterday and I have written to ask her to come here for the night on Tuesday. I also wrote to Aunt Di; Mr Ness (to ask him to give me a drawing lesson tomorrow); Uncle Oswald and Miss Medd-Hall yesterday.

Thursday April 17th 1919.

Miss Wolff took me to "Everyman" performed by Miss Fillippi's [ Filippi's ] pupils at her studio yesterday. I met Miss Wolff at South Audley Street at 2.15 and the Russian Princesses and their governess and Violet Hudson also came there and then we all went on to the studio which is somewhere in Chelsea. Anne and Victoria Keppel and Clare Lawrence met us there so we were a good big party. First there were a few songs then "Everyman" splendidly acted by Miss Phillippi's [ Filippi's ] pupils, they are quite wonderfully good. We had great fun coming back, there were so many of us that we had to walk like a crocodile and when we got into Kings Road we hailed a 'bus and all scrambled into it and we all seemed to have a very hazy idea where we wanted to go to. Violet Hudson and Miss Wolff came back to tea here. Cousin Nell came to tea too.

I had a very nice letter from Aunt Di yesterday evening.

Daddie went to lecture to soldiers at Bermondsey yesterday evening.

Mr Ness came this morning and gave me a drawing - lesson.

We spent interminable ages in the Stores in the afternoon.

I have found the instructions for my jumper, they suddenly appeared in the most mysterious way lying on top of my stamp album, I can't think how they got there because I am sure I had them at Ashtead and I couldn't find them after the first day or two.

Professor and Mrs MacTaggert [ MacTaggart ] came to dinner and were most amusing. They have asked us to go and stay with them at Cambridge.

I wrote to Aunt Di today.

Good Friday April 18th 1919.

We went to Church at St. Martin at 10.30 this morning and then came back and had luncheon and went back there for the last part of the three hours service which was done by Canon Shepperd [ Sheppard ] and was most beautiful.

Daddie went to tea with a Professor Bailey this afternoon.

I have had a letter from Victoria and she can't come on Tuesday but she is coming on Thursday instead.

It has been a most lovely day and quite warm.

Saturday April 19th 1919.

I had two letters this morning – an awfully nice one from Miss Medd-Hall and reams from Peggy. I quite forgot to say that she had another proposal the other day.

"Aunt Cords" (Miss Cordelia Leigh)Link opens in a new window called about 12 o'clock and stayed to luncheon. She showed us a beautiful poem which she has written.

Daddie and I went out this afternoon. First we went to call on Mrs Nichol (Peggy's 'Cousin Maud') who is a most delightful American. She was fearfully pleased to see Daddie and asked him quantities of questions about Thibet [ Tibet ]. From there we went to Bruton Street; Uncle Oswald was away and Aunt Bobs was asleep but we saw the baby, it is a tiny little thing and the nurse says it only weighed 5 lbs 10 ounces when it was born. After this we came home and after tea Mummy and Daddie went to see Lady Chesterfield.

I have been reading two awfully good books called "The Holiday Adventures of P.J. Davenant" and "Further Holiday Adventures of P.J. Davenant"Link opens in a new window by Lord Frederic Hamilton. They are spy stories which I love.

Wolfie has sent Mummy a lovely pink heath in a pot for Easter and me an awfully pretty peice of pink crêpe-de-chine to make a blouse of. It is the same pink as strawberry ices.

The holiday makers are having beautiful weather which is a good thing.

The "Daily Mail" is offering a prize of £10,000 to the airman who flies the Atlantic in the shortest time. Several are ready to start but the weather has been bad so far so they havn't been able to start yet.

There are riotsLink opens in a new window going on in a good many places in India.

Easter Sunday April 20th 1919.

We went to St. Martin this morning, it was absolutely crowded and they had to put seats down the middle aisle. Mr Shepperd [ Sheppard ] preached.

This afternoon we went to St. Paul's, the singing was lovely and we sat in the choir. We went to tea with Canon NewboltLink opens in a new window and afterwards went to see Sophie Macpherson and Mr MacphersonLink opens in a new window who is the organist of St. Paul's.

I have written to Peggy today.

Tuesday April 22nd 1919.

I had a long letter from Aunt Di yesterday morning and an Easter card from Miss Hillier.

"Aunt Cords" came to luncheon. After she went we set out to try and go to the Victoria and Albert Museum but there were such crowds everywhere that we gave it up as a bad job and went to the National Gallery instead; it was fearfully crowded and we didn't stay very long.

We went to dinner with Mrs Nichol and had a most amusing time.

I wrote to Mary; Nina; Kathleen; Laurie; Miss Hillier and Lilac Porteous yesterday.

Mr Ness came and gave me a lesson this morning.

Daddie and I went to an exhibition of the Royal Institution of Painters in Water ColoursLink opens in a new window in the afternoon. They were mostly jolly good.

I must now write some more letters. I seemed to have suddenly developed a most gigantic correspondence.

Wednesday April 23rd 1919.

We went to a memorial serviceLink opens in a new window at St. Pauls this morning for officers and men of the Royal Artillary who have fallen in the war. We had seats in the choir and heard very well but couldn't see much. The King and Queen and several other members of the Royal Family were there. They had a splendid band and 100 trumpeters hidden away at the end of the Cathedral (I mean the trumpeters were hidden away not the band) and the singing was beautiful.

Kathleen and Laurie came to tea.

Victoria is coming for the night tomorrow.

The paper says that peace will probably be signed between May 15th and 20th.

Friday April 25th 1919.

Mr Ness came yesterday morning.

Victoria appeared in time for luncheon. After luncheon she and I went to Gamage to get some things she wanted coming back we had to get on top of the 'bus and it simply poured cats and dogs and we got soaked.

A nice lady called Miss Freer Smith who has known Daddie since he was a boy came to tea. Lilac Porteous Aunt Di's neice also came to tea; she is an awfully nice girl.

Saturday April 26th 1919.

5,000 Australians marched through LondonLink opens in a new window yesterday morning. We saw them beautifully from the Mall. General MonashLink opens in a new window was at the head of them. About half way through the procession the Prince of Wales came along in a huge grey motor; he was on his way to take the salute at Australia House. I took some photographs which I hope will come out. Victoria and I went and did some shopping afterwards and we shopped again after luncheon. She went about 6 o'clock. I am very glad to have had her.

Shortie and I went to Harrods this morning.

Mummy, Daddie and I went to tea with Mrs Nichol as she sails for New York on Tuesday and she said she would be at home for tea any day, however she wasn't at home and they didn't think she would be in for some time but they gave us tea. Afterwards we went to enquire after poor Wolfie who is ill in bed. Then we went to call on Sir William BarringtonLink opens in a new window (Lady Barrington's brother-in-law) who was at home and seemed very pleased by our visit.

Two nice things have happened to Daddie today. He has been asked to be President of the Royal Geographical SocietyLink opens in a new window which is the highest geographical honour there is and he is very pleased about it and he had a letter this evening asking him to go and lecture to the Army of Occupation on the Rhine.

There has been a disagreement between President Wilson and Signor Orlando about FiumeLink opens in a new window and the Italians are saying what they think of old Wilson in no measured terms. Wilson has managed to get himself throughly disliked.

Sunday April 27th 1919.

We went to Church at St. Peters Eaton Square this morning because it was pouring with rain and St. Peters is near. Mr Austin ThompsonLink opens in a new window preached a very good sermon on how very bad the appalingly dull Sundays one used to spend in ones youth were and that one ought to be happy and enjoy oneself on Sunday.

Mummy and Daddie went to Wimbledon to see Lady Barrington this afternoon.

It was the most unmitigatedly beastly weather - snowing all it could, very cold and blowing a gale.

Daddie came back here between 5 and 6 to fetch me and we went off to see Mrs Nichol Mummy having gone there straight from Wimbledon.

She is having great difficulty about getting the passports for her maid and her English nurse viséed so she may not be able to sail for America on Tuesday. About 2 years ago she had a terrible motor accident and she has had endless operations and a great deal of pain ever since and she can only hobble about a little on crutches even now. I'm afraid that although she knows England well and has a great many friends here she has been rather lonely all this time; her husband is a big New York lawyer and terribly busy. I wish to goodness we had seen more of her, she is one of those perfectly delightful and very rare people that one falls in love with the first time one sees them.

Saturday May 3rd 1919.

Nearly a week since I have written my diary oh dear!

I suppose I had better begin with Monday. In the morning we did nothing much, in the afternoon I went to the dancing place and Peggy and Rowland appeared too but there was no sign of anybody for the dancing and no one seemed to know anything about them so finally we went away. Peggy and I went and shopped and Shortie went to see poor Wolfie who has been very ill and then met us at the Aeolian Hall at 3.30 and brought me home.

Meanwhile I was going down to Gyldernscroft, Marlow to stay with Margaret Mackenzie and Cousin Maud and Great Uncle George HigginsonLink opens in a new window and Co and Uncle Vesey was going down so it was arranged he should take me. Mummy took me to Paddington for the 5.40 train but we started late and had to wait a long time for an underground train and it was packed worse than I have ever seen them before so that altogether we managed to be on one side of the barrier while the train gently steamed out on the other. Poor Uncle Vesey very nobly waited behind and was awfully good about it and we had to wait till 6.50 before there was another train.

Margaret mercifully has no governess during the holidays which was a great relief.

Daddie came down for the night on Tuesday and had a most fearful rush to catch his train on Wednesday morning. Uncle Claude had him and a Commander BurneyLink opens in a new window who invented paravanesLink opens in a new window and is fearfully clever and invents all sorts of wonderful things to luncheon at the Savoy that day Margaret and I went to an amateur dramatic proformance for charity in Henley in the afternoon and afterwards walked from Henley to Fawley which is between 3 1/2 and 4 miles. At Fawley we met Cousin Maud who was there for a War Memorial meeting and the motor brought us home. I wrote to Aunt Di on Wednesday.

Alick Mackenzie is married and about a month ago he had a little boy and it was christened at Fawley Church on Thursday. We all went and afterwards there was a reception and tea at Fawley CourtLink opens in a new window to which we also went. Alick (who is Margaret's brother) has also got a most angelic little girl of two whose name is Betty; just as the baby was being christened she said in a peircing voice "Wheres Colin?" (thats its name)!

Cousin Maud was very pressing that I should stay on but I wanted to come up because there was a great march of the Dominion troopsLink opens in a new window today which I wanted to see. So as Cousin Maud and Cousin Roderick were coming up yesterday (Friday) I came up with them; we motored into Taplow and got the train there. I settled to go back today and left my luggage behind there Daddie wrote and asked if he might go down with me for the week-end but Cousin Maud telephoned this morning to say she was dreadfully sorry but she hadn't got a spare bed-room so I couldn't go down as I am not allowed to travel alone, but we are going down from Friday to Monday next week as far as I know.

More in our next installment!

Sunday May 4th 1919.

Yesterday morning nothing very much happened. Major Sears and Aunt Mabel and Harry came to luncheon.

Directly after luncheon Daddie, Major Sears and I went off to 100 Victoria Street where Colonel Kent has an office from which he had asked us to see the procession. There was a long balcony outside so we saw splendidly. All the houses were covered with flags and there were crowds of peopleLink opens in a new window and they cheered very well. Canadians; Newfoundlanders; Australians; New Zealanders and South Africans took part in the march and there were 12,000 of them and they marched 8 abreast which is much more effective than the 4 which we have had so far. It was a lovely day and I took six photographs which I sincerely trust will come out. They had a 10 minutes halt on the way and the Australians halted just by us and people threw cigarettes and sweets and oranges to them and people rushed out to get autographs. There were free fights for the oranges but a great many broke as they fell and must have made it very slippery for the poor horses.

Major Sears has gone off to do a three weeks tour of England.

This morning we went to St. Martin-in-the-Fields. We went to tea with Dean IngeLink opens in a new window of St. Paul's ("the gloomy Dean" who was quite cheerful) on the way our 'bus was held up by a huge police demonstrationLink opens in a new window which was on its way to Trafalgar Square where there were dense crowds. Mrs Inge is quite delightful and the Bishop of Warrington (or Wallington?)Link opens in a new window who was extremely nice was there and the Bishop of HerefordLink opens in a new window and Mrs Bishop came in later. There are three dear little children - Katherine; Paula; and Richard who is very fat and friendly with a very loud voice.

It is hoped (but not expected) that we shall hear the peace terms on Wednesday.

Monday May 5th 1919.

We got the surprise of our lives this morning. About 11.30 the door bell rang, Shortie went to answer it and there stood Nina Melville and her governess Miss Dymond. Nina was my greatest friend in Kashmir and we thought she was in India now so imagine our surprise at seeing her! They only arrived in England yesterday having come home on a ship with 13,000 troops. Of course we were overcome with joy at seeing them. They are staying in Hertford StreetLink opens in a new window so as I was going to luncheon with Peggy and Co we all went together as far as Hertford Street, they are too funny in London because having been out of England for 6 1/2 years they know nothing about 'buses and don't know their way and are terrified of crossing roads.

Rowland was in great form which means he never stopped teasing us the whole time. He and Peggy and I went and had a dancing lesson. Shortie fetched me from that and took me to the Academy where I met Daddie, Aunt Mable [ Mabel ] and Harry. The Academy is extremely good this year, there are much less weird pictures than usual and more portraits and landscapes and a few war pictures. There is one large picture called "Gassed",Link opens in a new window it is rather a terrible picture. There is a splendid portrait of a Wolfite - Betty Worsley by a man called CowperLink opens in a new window and there is also an extremely good picture by the same man of the Cathedral scene from "Faust".

We had tea at Jules and then came home. Harry goes back to Winchester this evening.

Aunt Violet is coming to dinner.

I had a letter from Aunt Di this morning, and also from Kathleen asking me to tea on Saturday week!

Tuesday May 6th 1919.

Mr Ness came this morning.

Mummy and Daddie went to Kew after luncheon. Shortie and I went to see Miss Wolff who is in bed still but better.

When we left there we went to Hertford Street to leave a message for Nina who was at Folkstone [ Folkestone ] for the day. Miss Dymond was at home so we saw her and she walked back with us.

Mummy and Daddie found Lady Prain at home and had a very nice time at Kew.

There was a rumour in one paper this morning that Princess Mary was engaged to the eldest son of the Duke of Bucceugh [ Buccleuch ] (spelling not guaranteed correct) but it is contradicted in the evening paper.

The Germans are to have the terms of peace tomorrow.

Thursday May 8th 1919.

I went to Trinity College yesterday morning and had a lesson from Miss Medd-Hall. She has given me an awfully pretty Folk-Song for this term. While I was there Shortie went to fetch Nina and Miss Dymond and brought them back to meet me, they came back here to luncheon and after luncheon we went to the Academy which Nina seemed to enjoy very much, then we went to the Oxford Street LyonsLink opens in a new window and had tea which mainly consisted of highly iced and very bilious looking cakes then we went upstairs and Nina and I had two large strawberry ice cream sodas. Then we got on a 'bus and went as far as the Bank to show Nina the City. At the Bank we got on another 'bus and came to Victoria via the Strand. From Victoria they went home and so did we.

Cousin Margaret Magniac came to dinner. She is running a girls' luncheon club which is connected with St. Martin-in-the-Fields.

We are taking Nina to Kew today and are going to the Russian Ballet this evening.

The terms of PeaceLink opens in a new window were handed to the Germans yesterday afternoon and are published this morning. There is no need for me to put them down because everyone will know them.

There is a report that the Emperor of Russia is alive.

Friday May 9th 1919.

Yesterday morning Daddie, Nina and I went down to Kew Gardens taking our luncheon. It was a glorious day and the gardens were looking lovely; the bluebells were out in the grass and the lilac and the rhodadandrums were beginning to come out; the double cherry trees were covered with blossom and there were a great many things out in the alpine garden.

We got home about 4.30 and Mr Tucker and Miss Waller came to tea. Nina left about 6.30.

We went to the Russian BalletLink opens in a new window at the AlhambraLink opens in a new window in the evening. The dancing was perfectly wonderful. They gave "Carnaval", "The Firebird" and "Scheherezade" with music between each one. The audience was fearfully enthusiastic over "The Firebird";Link opens in a new window it was a sort of fairy tale and the colouring was gorgeous. We didn't get home till just on midnight.

Mr Ness came this morning.

We were going to take Nina and Miss Dymond somewhere this afternoon but Nina telephoned to say she couldn't come because she was going to the country. It was rather a good thing in a way because Daddie and I are going to Gyldernscroft for the week-end by the 4.50 train and it would have been a great rush.

The Germans are complaining how hard the peace terms are and the Allies are complaining that they aren't hard enough.

The Afghans have attacked an outpost of ours in IndiaLink opens in a new window and reporters have been after Daddie all the morning to know about Afghanistan.

Thursday May 15th 1919.

It is too awful the way I neglect my diary but there has been so little time this week.

We duly went to Marlow by the 4.50. Margaret and I played tennis most of Saturday - it was very hot. Alec and Cousin Pat and Betty came over to tea and Margaret and I went back in the motor with them to their house to see Betty and Colin bathed; the baby howled the whole time, funny how babies object to being washed. On Sunday we went to Church and in the afternoon walked over to tea at a big house called DanesfieldLink opens in a new window about 2 1/2 miles away. It was built by the Hudsons and now belongs to some people called Hornby Lewis; it is built of white chalk bricks in the Tudor style with huge windows, it stands on a hill overlooking the River and has a lovely garden. Some people don't like it at all but I thought it was beautiful. Coming back we walked through some lovely woods covered with primroses and bluebells it was a longer way round but much prettier that the dusty high road, I finished my pink jumper on Sunday evening. It has got a very furry white rabbit- wool collar and is awfully pretty - rather like this

We were supposed to come up by the 9.45 on Monday morning but just as we got to the station I remembered that I had left my umbrella behind and then Daddie remembered that he had left his behind and he said we must get them because it would be such a bother having them sent up so he went back for them and I waited in the station, of course we lost the 9.45 and the next train - the 10.7- took two solid hours to get from Marlow to London - 31 miles! I was going to luncheon with Peggy but by the time we arrived it was too late to go so I had to put her off. I went and had a dancing - lesson in the afternoon and after it we went and fetched Nina and Miss Dymond and took them to a cinema; we didn't get out of it till 6.30 and then we came back and had tea here.

Mr Ness came on Tuesday morning and in the afternoon Mrs Melville and Nina called for me in a motor and we motored to Ruislip (beyond Harrow) where Nina's dog is in quarantine. We had tea in Ruislip and got back to Hertford Street where they are staying about 6.30. Mrs Duncan Mrs Melville's sister-in-law who they are staying with very kindly asked me to stay to dinner we had a most scrumptious dinner with strawberries and cream. Daddie fetched me about 9.30 and brought me home.

Yesterday morning we went to Miss Wolff's for me to be tried on for a blouse which a person of Miss Wolff's is making from the crêpe-de-chine which Miss Wolff gave me at Easter. Then I went to Trinity College and had my music lesson from 11 to 12; then we went to Selfridges and got various things then back to Miss Wolff's to be fitted again; then back here to have luncheon and at 2.15 Nina and Miss Dymond called for me and took me to "Chu Chin Chow"Link opens in a new window at His Majestys Theatre. It is a splendid Eastern play with gorgeous scenery and dresses. Pompey took me to it nearly two years ago but it has been a good deal altered since then. It lasted for over three hours! We came back here and had tea and then Shortie and I walked back with Nina and Miss Dymond.

Aunt Vallie came to dinner.

Daddie has gone off to Norwich this morning to stay with Aunt Ethel for a couple of days.

Aunt Lil telephoned yesterday and wanted to take me to a play that afternoon, wasn't it too maddening two plays coming at the same time on the same day.

Monday May 19th 1919.

On Thursday morning we met Nina and Miss Dymond at Gorringe's and Nina came back to luncheon here. Mr Ward-Cooke also came to luncheon.

Miss Dymond came after luncheon and after doing a little shopping we got onto the top of a 'bus and went to Richmond where we had tea and then went up the hill to look at the view from the terrace, then we came home feeling exceedingly hot.

On Friday morning Nina and Miss Dymond came and fetched me and we went on top of a 'bus to West Norwood (it happened to be the first 'bus we came to) it was mostly a very ugly drive and took a long time but it is quite nice on top of a bus. On our return we went and had ice cream sodas at Selfridges which Nina subsequently devulged made her feel violently ill.

Mummy and Shortie went out after luncheon. After tea I made an unsuccessful hunt for a hat at Harvey Nichols and then went to see Miss Wolff, she sent along the blouse that evening, it is perfectly ripping with a good deal of hem-stitching and a big sailor collar.

Miss Waller came to dinner and was most amusing and delightful. About 9.30 the door was flung open with a dramatic air by Shortie and in walked little Major Sears having returned from his trip of England. As far as we could make out from his somewhat excited account he has been all over England, Scotland and Wales in the day under a fortnight which he was away. He was only in London for the night and he expected to sail from Plymouth for America either tomorrow or Wednesday.

On Saturday morning we shopped with Nina and Miss Dymond and then we bade them a fond fairwell as Nina has gone off to school at Folkestone today. Poor little girl! I hope she will be happy; it was her own choice to go.

Tuesday May 20th 1919.

The Waldegraves (EstherLink opens in a new window and Betty used to go to Wolfie's and we knew them in India) had asked us to go down and stay with them for the weekend. Daddie got back from Norwich a little after 1 o'clock, bolted some luncheon and then changed and packed all in about 10 minutes and we went off at 2.20 from Waterloo to Godalming where a taxi met us and took us to their house - "Warren Lodge"Link opens in a new window which is near Thursley. It is a most awfully pretty long low house designed by LutyensLink opens in a new window with a very attractive garden and a lake which is formed naturally by a stream and is surrounded by most lovely country of the pine tree and moorland type. The only drawback is that the huge Canadian Camp of WitleyLink opens in a new window is just opposite to them. Esther and Betty are two of the nicest girls I have ever met, they are really worth knowing. We went out on the lake in a boat on Saturday evening and for dinner Betty did my hair up (awfully well) and Esther lent me one of her long evening dresses, Daddie didn't recognize me!

We played racing demonLink opens in a new window after dinner and didn't go to bed till pretty late and when I was in bed they both came in in their dressing gowns and sat on my bed and we talked till nearly midnight.

On Sunday morning we all (Daddie excepted) walked over to Church at Witley about 2 miles away - such a pretty walk and a very nice old Church. We laid in the boat and read most of the afternoon and after tea all of us except Mrs Waldegrave went to see a Sir Jocelyn and Lady Woodhouse who lived between a 1 1/2 and 2 miles away. From their house you could see nothing but heather covered hills and one might have been in the wilds of Dartmoor instead of only about 40 miles from London.

We came away on Monday morning having had a most delightful visit and with many injunctions to go again soon. They gave us masses of lilac and broom and anchusa and last but not least lilies of the valley.

I went to a concert with Wolfie yesterday afternoon, she took two other old Wolfites who I knew - Nona Herman HodgeLink opens in a new window and Judith Waggit. The concert was given at the Aeolian Hall by Mr DresselLink opens in a new window a very good violinist who often plays at Miss Wolff's and assisted by a French pianist whose name I have forgotten. It was all modern French music. Nona had to leave before the end but Wolfie took Judith and I to tea at the Blenheim Café. Shortie fetched me from South Audley Street and while we were waiting for a 'bus in Mount Street Joyce AnstrutherLink opens in a new window suddenly cruised into us; she used to be my greatest friend years ago but I hadn't seen her for ages. She is out and very pretty; we walked across the Park to Hyde Park Corner with her and she has asked me to go to tea with her on Thursday.

This morning Lady Emma Crighton took Mummy, Daddie and I in her car to the Chelsea flower showLink opens in a new window which is being held again for the first time for three years as usual it was quite wonderful - lovely little minature rock gardens and gorgeous displays of roses; carnations; orchids; tulips; sweet peas and many other things. There is a lovely new pink rose with a great deal of yellow in it and with a very strong scent called "The Dowager Countess of Roden" and another very pale whitish pink with a very good scent indeed quite different to the first named "Mrs Elisha Hick"! As we got into the first tent two ladies in black came walking along and we suddenly realized that they were Queen Alexandria [ Alexandra ]Link opens in a new window and the Empress Marie of RussiaLink opens in a new window her sister, very few people seemed to recognize them and several people walked right into them. We met a great many people we knew there.

At 2.15 Cousin Margaret, Aunt Vallie and Aunt Mabel came here and they and Mummy and I went to a service at St. Paul's for the sons of the Clergy. The singing was most beautiful; they had amongst other things an anthem composed by Mr Macpherson and the Hallelujah Chorus. The service lasted for nearly 2 hours and the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London were there. Cousin Margaret came back to tea here.

Hawker started on Sunday to fly the Atlantic but he has got lost and nothing has been heard of him.

Thursday May 22nd 1919.

Yesterday morning I went to Evans to try and get a hat and at last having hunted for one for nearly a fortnight I found an awfully pretty one there; it is turned up at the back and is rather wide at the side and front and deep cream rather coarse straw on one side and black on the other (the underneath) and it has got a wreath of all sorts of different coloured flowers round it - jolly pretty. It cost just over two pounds. From Evans we went to Trinity College where I had my lesson. Aunt Vallie took us to a most ripping concert at Eresby House Rutland Gate in the afternoon; Aunt Mabel went too. Princess Mary and Princess Marie Louise were there. It really was splendid - everything was so good. Irene Scharrar [ Scharrer ]Link opens in a new window played the piano too wonderfully; Joseph Coleman (who was a student of Trinity College) played the Violin; Lady Maud WarrenderLink opens in a new window sang also Mr Hubert EisdellLink opens in a new window and a Mr Somthing else whose name I have forgotten also a Miss Louise Dale who has the most lovely soprano voice, she sang a French song called "Un Charmant Oiseau" with a piano and flute accopaniament and at the end she sang with the flute and imitated it exactly. Miss Rosina Fillippi [ Filippi ] recited and at the end all four singers sang "In a Persian Garden"Link opens in a new window by Liza Lehmann the words of which are taken from "Omar Khyaam [ Khayyám ]" – it was quite lovely. Afterwards Mummy and I went to tea with Mrs Porteous Aunt Di's sister.

Daddie went to Bristol for the day yesterday and stopped at Bath on his way back; he didn't get home till nearly 11.30.

Mr Ness came this morning and this afternoon I went to tea with Joyce; Doris Peel and Di Darling and two other girls whose names I didn't catch were there and it was great fun.

There is no news yet of Hawker.

The Germans have been given another week in which to consider the peace terms.

Saturday May 24th 1919.

Mr Ness came yesterday morning.

Daddie went with Lady Treowen to Haslemere for the day to see the Egerton CastlesLink opens in a new window (the ones who write books).

Shortie and I went out after tea and I bought some silk to make another jumper; I got sky blue and silver grey; the blue cost 8/9 a hank (1/4 lb) at Wakeford and the grey 9/6 at Heads (they hadn't got the right grey at Wakeford).

Aunt Vallie and Cousin Margaret came to dinner.

This morning I went to Wolfie's for the literature class. The Russians were there and were very nice.

There was a choir of 10,000 people singing in Hyde ParkLink opens in a new window this evening with the massed bands of the Guards. Daddie and I went to hear it, there were the most enormous crowds I have ever seen, Daddie says there must have been over 500,000 people. A large portion of the Royal Family was present. At first we could hear nothing practically of the singing because we were about 100 yards away but gradually we got quite fairly near to the conductors stand, it was fairly easy to move through the crowd because they didn't stand very close together in places. We heard very well but it is extraordinary how little effect 10,000 voices make in the open air. The choir sang "God Save the King"; "The Motherland" (or some name like that); "Jesu Lover of My Soul"; "Oh! God Our Help in Ages Past"; "All People that on Earth do Dwell"; Kipling's "Recessional" to the tune of ["]For Those in Peril on the Sea". "The Hallelujah Chorus"; "Men of Harlech"; "The Minstral Boy"; "The Hundred Pipers"; God Bless the Prince of Wales"; "The Soldiers Chorus" from "Faust" and "Rule Britannia". The band played "Pomp and Circumstance" March and somthing else which I have forgotten. The crowd was fearfully pleased with "The Soldiers Chorus" which they encored with great enthusiasm, they also encored the "Hallelujah Chorus" but they didn't get it again. The conductor made all the people sing "Rule Brittania" and he got fearfully excited and threw himself into the most wonderful positions. When the singing was over the King and Queen came up into the conductor's stand and the crowd went quite wild with excitement, as far as you could see in every direction was this great mass of people all waving hats and handkerchiefs and flags and cheering madly. They literally didn't know what they were doing they were so excited, men lifted up women so that they might see the King and Queen better and people grabbed each other's hats not knowing that they did it and the cheering was perfectly deafening. It is a great thing to have been at and we are very glad we went. It lasted for just on 1 1/2 hours and judging by the enthusiasm of the crowds was a huge success.

Mummy went to tea with Cousin Nell.

They have almost given up hope of finding poor Hawker.

Sunday May 25th 1919.

Mummy and Daddie went to luncheon with Lady Treowen to meet the Townshends.

I knitted and read most of the day till the evening when we went to St. Martin-in-the-Fields. There was a very good sermon and after the service the precentor gave the congregation a lesson in congregational singing which was very nice.

Tuesday May 27th 1919.

Mummy and I went to luncheon with the Leighs yesterday and Peggy and I went to the dancing and then Mummy and Mrs Leigh came on later.

Miss Wolff called after dinner.

Mr Ness came this morning.

I went to Miss Hammond's to have my hair washed this afternoon. Mummy was going to a bun fight in Hereford Gardens and she said I was to go so we met her at the door but there were so many carriages and motors waiting that I flatly refused to go in (I wasn't asked) so we went and had tea at a tea shop and then we went to the public lending library in Buckingham Palace Road where with great difficulty I managed to get out a book which I subsequently discovered I have read before so I am very cross!

Wednesday May 28th 1919.

Aunt Vallie came to dinner yesterday; she is going out to France tomorrow to reconstruct in a ruined French village. Miss Waller came in after dinner.

I went and had my music lesson from Miss Medd-Hall at 11 o'clock this morning.

Kathleen Corry came to tea; I havn't seen her for ages. She got a craze for doing my hair and nearly poked my eyes and ears out in the process!

I had a letter from Mary Meade today.

HawkerLink opens in a new window has been found (the news came out on Sunday but I forgot to put it in) he and the pilot were picked up in the Atlantic by a Danish steamer. They arrived in London last night and had a tremendous reception.Link opens in a new window Meanwhile the Americans have succeeded in flying the Atlantic but they stopped at the Azores.

Cousin Alys and Cousin Romer came to luncheon; they are only in London a few days.

Saturday May 31st 1919.

Victoria came up on Thursday morning to spend the night with me; we went and sat in the Park before luncheon and after luncheon we went to Peter JonesLink opens in a new window where I bought a pair of stockings then we went to the Public Library and I got out "Lalage's Lovers"Link opens in a new window by George Birmingham (very amusing). Then we went and bought some cakes because I was having a bun worry in the afternoon. The bun worry was great fun; it was really got up for Audrey Townshend (daughter of General TownshendLink opens in a new window of Kut) who has been living in France and wants to know girls in London. I had Mary Thynne; Diana Robson, Audrey Townshend and Kathleen Corry and of course Victoria. Mary ThynneLink opens in a new window had to go soon after 5.30 but Diane and Audrey stayed till nearly 6.30 so I think they enjoyed it. After tea they all told the most lurid ghost stories by way of being throughly lively. We kept Kathleen after the rest had gone to discuss the party with her.

Mr Ness came yesterday morning and in the afternoon Kathleen; Victoria and I went to the Academy and afterwards to Stewarts where we had ices, then Kathleen went home because her mother had a tea party and Victoria and I went to tea with Audrey Townshend in Queens Street. There was one other girl there and it was quite nice. Victoria left here about 8 o'clock. Daddie lectured at St. Albans yesterday and Mummy had the last of the Committees for Mr George Russell.

I went to Miss Wolff's for the literature class this morning.

It is Daddie's birthday today and we are going down to Kew taking our tea with us and are going to have dinner with the Prains.

Sunday June 1st 1919.

We started for Kew about 3.15; the train was most fearfully crowded and so were the Gardens but they were lovely (the Gardens), the azaleas were just going over but the rhododandrums were at their best. We went to the Prains about 7.30; there were two other people at dinner, Lady Edith Drummond and a gentleman who is private secretary to Sir Auckland GeddesLink opens in a new window but whose name remaines envelopped in mystery. We went out into the Gardens after dinner and didn't started to come back till past 10 and we had great difficulty with trains so we didn't get back till midnight.

We went to St. Martin's this morning. Mr Sheppard as usual preached a splendid sermon and there was 10 minutes congregational singing pactice after the service.

Miss Sirabji [ Sorabji ] called soon after luncheon; she sails for India on Thursday, Lady Townshend also called but I didn't see her because I had gone to tea with Kathleen, Daddie fetched me from there and we went on to see Lady Paston CooperLink opens in a new window in Eaton Square and met Mummy there and had another tea; then Mummy and I went to call on Lady Nina Balfour and Daddie went to see Sir Walter Lawrence;Link opens in a new window Lady Nina was out but we saw Mr BalfourLink opens in a new window and Sir William Barrington was there.

Tuesday June 3rd 1919.

I went to luncheon with Peggy yesterday and we went on to the dancing together. Shortie fetched me and we went and bought some pink ribbon and some rather pretty pink cotton crêpe to make me a dress. Then Shortie left me at 26 Eaton SquareLink opens in a new window where I was to meet Diana Robson to go and have tea at Gunters in Berkeley Square. There was another girl called - I think - Dorothy Tufnell there and she and Diane and I went off to Gunters and were joined there by Emma Seeley and another girl. We had awfully good ices and quantities of iced cakes and then went and sat in Hyde Park for a bit then we walked down Grosvenor Place and the rest went off to Eaton Square and I came home along Lower Grosvenor Place.

In the evening Daddie and I went to a truely lurid cinema called "Adventures Among Cannibals" at the West End Cinema in Coventry Street. It was a private view for which Daddie had had tickets sent him. The cinematograph was taken by a man and his wifeLink opens in a new window who went to the South Sea Islands for the purpose. Some of scenery was very pretty but I can't say the same for the cannibals! on the whole it was very good and must have been an enormous trouble to do. We didn't get home till nearly 11.30 but mercifully managed to get a 'bus; a very amusing incident happened in the 'bus. Daddie gave a lady his seat at Picadilly [ Piccadilly ] and at Hyde Park Corner she got up to get out so Daddie sat down again, however she didn't get out and came back to her place, never noticed that Daddie had sat down and sat down on his lap! his face was too funny and we both giggled violently all the rest of the way!

Mr Ness came this morning.

Mummy went to write her and Daddie's name on the King and Queen after tea and Shortie and I went with her and then the latter and I went to the Public Library and I got out "Carrying On After the First Hundred Thousand"Link opens in a new window (sequel to "The First Hundred Thousand"Link opens in a new window) by Ian Hay.

It is the annual dinner of the Royal Geographical Society tonight and Daddie has gone wearing his orders and taking Hari SinghLink opens in a new window (who is the heir to the throne of Kashmir and who is staying in London) with him.

Did I record the tragic fact that Pompey asked us to go and stay at the Glen any time till June 19^th and that we can't go?

The terms of peace have been given to Austria.

Wednesday June 4th 1919.

I had a lesson from Miss Medd-Hall this morning and this afternoon Mummy and I went to see Wolfie who has bought me two most lovely pairs of silk stockings one black and one brown, they are pure silk and are ribbed, isn't it awfully good of her? We all three went to tea with the Townshends. I had tea in the dining-room with Audrey's party while Mummy and Daddie went to the drawing-room; there were five other girls there including Kathleen.

Today is Derby DayLink opens in a new window and according to all accounts perfectly enormous crowds went to Epsom. General Townshend told Mummy that 15,000 people went in one train from Victoria. Grand Parade won while Buchan was second and Paper Money third and The Panther who was the favourite and who everyone expected to win was third from the last. There was a report that he had been scratched at the last moment owing to the death of Sir Alec BlackLink opens in a new window his owner but the evening paper doesn't say anything about either Sir Alec Black having died or The Panther having been scratched.

Thursday June 5th 1919.

I was going to the Chelsea swimming Baths with Diana Robson and one or two other girls this morning and they said they would be there at 10.30 so we duly arrived there at 10.30 but when they didn't appear at past 10.45 I went and had my bathe; they are very nice baths. I got a letter from Diana this evening saying she was out late at a dance last night and her Mother didn't want her to go out this morning so she told a maid to ring me up before 10 o'clock and the maid never told her till 11.30 that she hadn't been able to get on to us.

After the bathe we went to Peter Jones and I got a very nice white serge skirt there price 2 1/2 guineas.

This afternoon Daddie and I went to tea with Lady SyngeLink opens in a new window (Mr Synge has been made a K.C.M.G.). Mummy was asked but she was going to tea with Mary Duchess of Abercorn. Mrs Greville was at Lady Synge's too and after tea she took Lady Synge and I for a drive in the Park in her Victoria which was very nice. (Daddie had gone to a lecture by Lord Montague on "Flying in India"Link opens in a new window). When we got back to Lady Synge's house we found Mummy just arriving so she went in with Lady Synge and Mrs Greville brought me - and Mrs Short who had come to fetch me - home.

Friday June 6th 1919.

I had a long letter from Pompey this morning, he is very sorry indeed that we can't go and stay at the Glen - and so are we!

Mr Ness came as usual and I have practically finished the caste of a most extremely ugly gentleman with horns known as a satyr which Wolfie lent me.

Mummy went to Bath by the 4 o'clock train. Daddie and Shortie went to Paddington with her and say there was absolute pandemonium at the station (it is Whitsuntide).

We are going down to a place called Northiam to stay with the Tuckers tomorrow - if we ever arrive there!

I have finished "Carrying on After the First Hundred Thousand"; it is an awfully good book about some of the doings about a Scotch Regiment at the front during 1916.

Tuesday June 10th 1919.

Our train was supposed to got at 9.10 from Charing Cross on Saturday so we started at 8 o'c expect there to be a fearful crush but there was quite heaps of room and we sat for hours in an empty carriage! Some parts of the train got very full but our carriage which was going to Hastings had very few people in it. We had to change at a place called Robertsbridge and go on on a funny little single line on a railway called the East Kent and Sussex Railway to Northiam. The engine bears a remarkable resemblence to the original engines of George Stevenson and the guard walks along the outside step of the carriages taking the tickets. Daddie declares he (the man) drove the engine; gave people their tickets; did guard and porter and station muster and put the signals down! The Tuckers live at a place called Hayes House part of which is old and very pretty and part 19th century and ugly, they have a very nice garden and ripe strawberries and they keep chickens and ducks and were awfully kind. A sister of Mrs Tucker's called Miss Tatton was there too and was also very nice, she and Mrs Tucker and I motored 17 miles on Sunday to see a friend of theirs at a place called Wadhurst.

Yesterday we all of us (except Mrs Tucker because there wasn't room for her in the motor) motored 8 miles to a tennis party.

We left at 10.45 this morning and had to wait over an hour at Robertsbridge so we went up into the village and had ginger pop at a most amusing shop which sold liver pills in 1d packets and every sort of thing. The train from Robertsbridge was perfectly unspeakably slow and we didn't get to London till 3.20. By great good fortune a porter managed to get us a taxi at Charing Cross.

Daddie has gone to lecture at Sheperds [ Shepherds ] Bush this evening.

I have had a letter from Nina, poor child! she doesn't seem to like school much yet. I also had a tin of Devonshire Cream from Pompey.

Mummy is still at Bath.

Friday June 13th 1919.

On Wednesday morning I went to Trinity College. In the afternoon Daddie and I went to the wedding of a Miss De Courcey Daniell (a very vague cousin) to a Major Frank Mitchell, the service was at St. John's Great Marlborough Street, it was such a fearfully high Church that we thought it was Roman Catholic, they had incense and choir boys in red and with very ornate surplices and with red caps on their heads and carrying lighted candles and clergy men in very funny dresses and one had a cope on and statues all over the place with lights burning in front of them. There was a reception at the Langham HotelLink opens in a new window afterwards, Cousin Tottie and Cousin Florrie were there and there were jolly good refreshments but we didn't know anyone there. Mummy came on straight from Paddington and we left soon after.

Daddie went on to Liverpool Street to meet Aunt Ethel who was coming to stay with us for a couple of nights. Cousin Ruth came to dinner and was most charming.

Yesterday morning Diana Robson and I went to the Chelsea Baths together. She asked me to go and play tennis with them this evening but I had a letter from her this morning saying she was very sorry she would have to put me off as she found Lady Robson had accepted another invitation for her.

Daddie, Aunt Ethel and I went to tea with Uncle Jack and Aunt Madeleine at the Tower yesterday; George was there and has improved enormously, he is going to Egypt with his regiment, the somthing or other Hussars, soon.

Mr Ness came this morning.

Daddie and Aunt Ethel went to a Memorial Service for the Navy at St. Paul's this morning. One of her boysLink opens in a new window was on a ship which was blown up at Scarpa [ Scapa ].

Lady Nina Balfour called this afternoon, she has lost four stones but she is just as much like a whirlwind and just as amusing as ever.

Aunt Ethel went off to stay with some people at Haslemere. She is a dear little thing. Daddie and I were going down to Haslemere today to stay with Cousin Con Parker for the weekend but she telegraphed to say that one of them had got 'flue so we are going next week-end - unless somthing else happens-instead.

I have been reading "The Dolly Dialogues"Link opens in a new window by Anthony Hope, I didn't like them very much. We went to the Public Library this evening and I got out "My Reminscences"Link opens in a new window by Rabindranath Tagore.

My latest activity has been making a hat, it is made of black net and trimmed with rose pink ribbon and it is a very pretty hat but unfortunately it doesn't suit me!

I had a long letter from Nina yesterday, she seems to like school a bit better, I also had a letter from Aunt Di who says that Uncle Claude is going to Norway on Tuesday, he is a Director of some company which does somthing there and he has been out for them several times.

There is still a good deal of fighting going on over the peace.

Saturday June 14th 1919.

Daddie has gone off to stay with Colonel Gurdon at Crowborough for the week-end.

I went to Wolfie's for the literature lesson this morning.

Miss Fillippi [ Filippi ] had lent the whole of her theatre for the Wolfites to go and see "The Taming of the Shrew" given by her pupils this afternoon to which performance I went. There were just over 50 Wolfites there including large numbers of small juniors who were brought in untold numbers in three large motors and who became very animated especially at the end when to their wild delight they were allowed to see behind the scenes. The Russian Princesses came back to tea with me, we were taken back in a huge Rolls Royce over which a small junior presided. The Russians are such nice unaffected girls and I like having them so much; they are going to stay with Lady Treowen in Wales in September and are fearfully anxious that I should get asked too at the same time as them.

I wrote a long letter to Nina yesterday.

Sunday June 15th 1919.

Shortie and I went to St. Martin-in-the-Fields this morning. A missionary clergyman preached.

Mummy went to luncheon with the Duchess of Bedford and paid various calls afterwards.

Monday June 16th 1919.

Daddie came back from the Gurdons this morning having had a very nice time.

A terrible agitation arrived by the post in the shape of invitations for the Royal Garden Party for Friday the 27th and we had scarcely begun to think about our dresses much less having them made and that is the first day of the Eton v Winchester cricket match to which I was going with Aunt Mabel and Harry; we are taking Aunt Mabel with us to the garden party, she has been round this evening and we have to go to the second day of the match which in a way will be better because we shall see which side wins.

I went to luncheon with Peggy who was very nice. She wasn't going to the dancing as Mrs Leigh thinks she had better give it up at present because of the heat, so Shortie came and fetched me and took me there in spite of the fact that my shoes would fall off all the time and that both I and my damsal nearly died of the heat I really enjoyed it, I am beginning to like dancing at last. I had arranged with Kathleen to meet me there at 3 o'clock and then we were going on to tea with Violet Hudson together but we waited for Kathleen for 3/4 of an hour and she never turned up so having telephoned to her house and found she was out we went on to Violet's. Violet was very nice and took me in a taxi to fetch some flowers which Uncle Holly had very kindly left for me at his office and then brought me home in the taxi.

Kathleen telephoned this afternoon and says she had forgotten all about coming! She has asked me to luncheon on Thursday.

Two airmen - Captain Alcock and Lieutenant BrownLink opens in a new window have flown the Atlantic in a Vickers-Vimy machineLink opens in a new window in 15 hours 58 minutes so we are the first to make the non-stop flight.

June 17th 1919.

Mr Ness came this morning.

Captain Childers who is in London for a few days came to luncheon.

I went to tea with Lilas Porteous [ Lilac Porteous ] who is a very nice girl; afterwards I went to see Wolfie afterwards, she seemed very tired.

It is most meltingly hot.

I had a most amusing letter from Harry this morning a propos of nothing, it is the primest thing you ever saw.

Germany has been given 48 hours more to think about the peace terms.

June 18th 1919.

I went to Trinity College and had a lesson from Miss Medd-Hall this morning.

This afternoon we went to a reception at the India Office, there were a great many people we knew there and there was a jolly good tea. I ate huge quantities of strawberries and cream. There was a very nice Sir Frederick CampbellLink opens in a new window there who was in Tibet with Daddie and has just come from Peshawar.

June 19th 1919.

Daddie has gone to Cambridge for the day today to give a lecture.

I went to luncheon with Kathleen and stayed there most of the afternoon. Shortie fetched me and took me to Gloucester Terrace where I was to meet Mummy and have tea with the Moro's who are very nice kind little people.

Raemakers [ Raemaekers ]Link opens in a new window the Dutch Cartoonist and his wife were there among other people. I found Kathleen here when I got home, I had asked her to come to see a hat I have been making. We met Miss Waller in the morning and she said she would come and see us some time this evening but she hasn't appeared yet.

Daddie and I go down to Cousin Con's tomorrow - I hope!

Tuesday June 24th 1919.

Mr Ness came on Friday morning and Miss Edwards came to begin my frock for the Garden Party. Aunt Venetia arrived in the afternoon, she has come to stay with us for nearly a fortnight which is awfully nice.

Daddie and I went down to Haselmere [ Haslemere ] by a 4.20 train; Aldworth where Cousin Con lives is 800 feet up about 3 miles out of Haselmere [Haslemere]. It was a perfectly unspeakably bad day when we arrived and it was so high up that we drove through the clouds. The members of the family who were there when we arrived comprised Cousin Con, Gwen her daughter married and with two little boys, one at school and one an angel named Dick, awfully clever and bright and very amusing who was there; Cousin Jack Cousin Con's second boy who is just demobilised from the R.A.F. Hubert who is the youngest and is at Cambridge came down late on Saturday.

Cousin Jack has just bought an "Overland" two seater and he took me for a glorious drive on Saturday afternoon, we went down into Haselmere [ Haslemere ], then along by the outskirts of Godalming and Witley along one side of Witley Camp to Midhurst then through the middle of the Camp where we saw the damage done by the rioters, they had burnt one of two huts absolutely to the groundLink opens in a new window and several others have only got bits of the outside wall left standing. We went straight along that road past Warren Lodge (where the Waldegraves live) to Hindhead, round the Devil's Punch Bowl which is lovely, then we turned up a very rough road and got onto a hill known as The Gibbet from which there was a view of close on 40 miles on all four sides. Cousin Jack says that only on about 3 days in the year it is clear as that day was. We went back through Hindhead and Haselmere. We simply fizzled along the whole time and it was quite ripping. That evening we saw the sea by Littlehampton quite distinctly from the house.

Two gentlemen came down for the week-end - a Mr King and a Sir Willmott [ Wilmott ] HerringhamLink opens in a new window who has had charge of a great many hospitals in France. They had some tennis on Saturday; on Friday evening Cousin Gwen and Cousin Jack and I danced which was fun. Cousin Jack had to go and see a Doctor in Hindhead on Sunday morning so he took Hubert and I over in the motor.

Wednesday June 25th 1919.

Several people came over for tennis in the afternoon and after dinner Cousin Gwen, Mr King, Cousin Jack, Hubert and I played "Up Jenkins"Link opens in a new window and laughed so much that we could scarcely play. I got so excited that quite unconsciously I slapped poor Mr King violently on the back because he was going to obey a person who wasn't Captain.

On Monday morning Cousin Jack took me down into Haselmere [ Haslemere ] where he got various things connected with the motor. We left by a 3.18 train that afternoon. Mrs Lucas and her sister and Lady Dartrey came to tea that day.

Mummy and Daddie went to dinner with the Dean of St. Paul's and Mrs Inge and Miss Waller came to dinner with Aunt Venetia and me. She became very excited when I said I would like to learn to drive a motor so early the next morning she took me round to the School of Motoring where she learns and I have arranged to have a lesson today week.

Mr Ness came at 10.30 and we went to luncheon with Violet Hudson and her brother who is in the diplomatic and is just home from Washington, we were to have met his wife but she was ill in bed. Shortie fetched me and we went and did some shopping then I went to meet Mummy and Daddie at an At Home of Cousin Florence's. Aunt Ethel, Aunt Madeleine, Aunt Violet and Aunt Kathleen were there. Shortie fetched me and I went and had a dancing lesson.

Thursday June 26th 1919.

Daddie went to a big Government dinner at the Carlton that evening.

I had a lesson from Miss Medd-Hall yesterday morning. Colonel and Mrs Gurdon and their little girl came to luncheon. I went to Douglas the hairdresser in Bond Street to have a hairdressing lesson in the afternoon. On the way we saw Queen Alexandria [ Alexandra ] who was driving through London it being Rose Day.Link opens in a new window They did my hair up too beautifully at Douglas and then I did it up too atrociously.

We were expecting Mr Sheppard to tea but he telegraphed to say he couldn't come as he had been sent for to a man who was seriously ill. Sir Bernard Mallet called after tea. Daddie and Aunt Venetia went to a conversatzione (can't spell it - try entertainment) at the Royal Society after dinner. Lady Emma Crighton came up to see us about 9 o'clock.

Daddie and I took Lilas Porteous to a Floral FêteLink opens in a new window got up by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of Chelsea Hospital this morning; it was beautiful - almost as good as the Chelsea Show, on the way we went to see the King holding an investiture at Buckingham Palace. I went to luncheon with Peggy who was much excited by the fact that I had my hair up. Mummy, Aunt Venetia and I went to a concert by Mr Dressel and a Frenchman at the Aeolian Hall; we went with Miss Wolff who showed no enthusiasm about my hair being up but much deplored the fact. Aunt Venetia and I had tea at Harvey Nichols and then she came on with me and watched me have my dancing lesson; the assistant I usually have had gone off for her holiday so I had a new one which was rather tiresome but I suppose good for me.

Miss Edwards was here all today and yesterday doing my dress for the Garden Party which is tomorrow.

The Germans have managed to sink practically all their ships at ScapaLink opens in a new window and Keil [ Kiel ] which has caused much agitation but everyone agrees it is a very good think for us.

Peace isn't signed yet.

Friday June 27th 1919.

The great event is over and I am presented!

This morning Daddie took Aunt Venetia and I to an exhibition of War postersLink opens in a new window at the Grafton Galleries, they were posters used by all the allies also the Germans and Austrians and were deeply interesting. Daddie left me there and we went and shopped hard, I got a very pretty pink cotton dress with a big white collar it cost a little over £2 and I got it at Walpole in Bond Street. We did a good deal of other shopping and didn't get back till 1 o'clock. There was terrible consternation about my hat for the garden party because Mrs Idie sent up one yesterday and we none of us liked it and we tried to alter it unsuccessfully. Most luckily Mummy went out this morning to see what she could find and discovered a most angelic little hat at Liberty's it is made of gold lace and is in the shape of a Dutch cap like this only not so big.

My dress was most awfully pretty it was made of cream chiffon over glacé silk and had a broad cream sash tied very loosely and a fringe round the edge at the bottom and round the edges of the sleeves. I had no room to put the top of the head in. The wiggly thing on the top part is embroidery worked with white tranparent beads and veiled with chiffon.

Saturday June 28th 1919.

We got to the Garden Party about 4 o'c Aunt Mabel came with us as Mummy was presenting her. Soon after we got there the Queen came along followed by Princess Mary and various other royalties, people all stood in lines on each side of her and then we all bobbed as she walked by. We saw piles of people we knew and altogether enjoyed it very much. About a little after 6 o'clock the King began to come along talking to people who were pointed out to him, Uncle DouglasLink opens in a new window was going round with him and he made us stand right in front and then sent the King to shake hands with us I never felt so terrified in my life before he came but when he was actually there I didn't mind; he went to to Mummy first and then he came to me and I curtseyed and he said "how do you do?" to me and I said "how do you do?" to him and then he went to Daddie and said "how do you do?" and that it was lucky the rain had held off (it was a very cloudy day) and Daddie agreed that it was very lucky the rain had held off and then the King passed on. Then we went and watched the Queen walking about. JoffreLink opens in a new window was there and caused great excitment and Cousin Nell told us that some poor ladies got so excited and nervous that they curtseyed to him! Sir Douglas HaigLink opens in a new window was also there and Daddie knows him so he introduced me to him which was fearfully thrilling. We got back just after 7 o'clock.

I went to the Eaton [ Eton ] and Winchester cricket match with Aunt Mabel and Harry today. Daddie took me to Paddington to meet them as he was going down to Clifton for their Commem! Our train left at 10 o'clock and we got to the cricket ground at Eaton about 10.45. Almost the first thing that greeted me on my arrival was Rowland who had come down for the morning. This was the second day of the match and Eaton had had one innings and made 109 runs, Winchester had also had its first innings and made 135 runs. Things looked very bad for the first 1/2 hour because two men were caught out but soon two other men settled down and made 98 runs between them and then the rest went out one after the other mostly with no runs, this made Winchester's total 295. Eaton came on for 3/4 of an hour before luncheon. We had a most scrumscious luncheon with "Strawberry mess" at a place in the town.

There was a long spell of rather dull cricket after luncheon; we had tea with some friends of Aunt Mabel's and then went back to watch the cricket by the time we left at 5.45 things were getting luridly thrilling because Eaton [ Eton ] had made 210 runs for 6 wickets and had 1 3/4 hours more to play. Our train was supposed to leave at 6.10 but it didn't leave till turned 6.20 and Harry had to catch a train from Waterloo for Winchester at 7.30. We tore absolutely madly in the Underground from Paddington to Waterloo, we tore all along those endless corridors and platforms at Waterloo and got to the train 5 minutes before it was due to go and the beastly thing didn't go for a 1/4 of an hour!

Peace is signed!!Link opens in a new window more tomorrow.

Sunday June 29th 1919.

Uncle Eric met us at Waterloo and Aunt Mabel very sportingly suggested that we should walk back through Trafalgar SquareLink opens in a new window because we could see fireworks going off and we knew there were huge crowds there, so we came across the bridge and up that road which leads from the Embankment into Trafalgar Square. There were crowds of people all along the road and when we got to Trafalgar Square there were dense crowds everywhere. A Joy Loan CampaignLink opens in a new window is in progress in Trafalgar Square and they had a ladder covered with electric lights and with a travelling star on it on Nelson's Column and poor Nelson had a huge light on the top of his head and there were festoons of flags all over the place. People were blowing whistles and waving flags and letting off fire-works onto each other's heads. The crowds stretched a good way down Whitehall and the Strand and right down the Mall to the Palace. We walked home down the Mall. It must have been rather thrilling when at about 6 o'clock the King and Queen, Princess Mary, the Prince of Wales and Prince Albert came out on the balcony and there was great cheering.

Monday June 30th 1919.

We could hear people shouting and fireworks going off till very late at night.

Yesterday morning Shortie and I went to St. Martin's but unfortunately Mr Sheppard wasn't preaching.

Aunt Violet came to luncheon.

We went to the 3.15 service at St. Paul's and sat under the dome, the singing was beautiful and the Church was pretty full but everything seemed miles away, I don't like big Churches. We came out before the sermon. Mummy and Aunt Venetia went to tea with the Macphersons and I went to tea with Mrs Inge and the children at the Deanery. Mrs Inge is perfectly charming and the little girl Kathleen who is about 7 is very nice and there is a dear, fat little boy called Richard who is about 4, the other little girl Paula was away. Mummy and Aunt Venetia came to fetch me and stayed some time and then we came home to find Daddie who had arrived back about 4 o'clock and been to tea with Lady Seafield.

Lloyd George arrived back from Paris yesterday afternoon, the King and the Prince of Wales went to meet him at Victoria and took him back to the Palace amidst much enthusiasm by crowds of people amongst whom were Shortie and Daddie who went out and saw them very well.

Aunt Ethel, Aunt Madeleine, Uncle Jack, Daddie and I are all going down to Hailebury [ Haileybury ] in Uncle Jack's motor today because Aunt Ethel's boy Robin is head boy and it is speech day. It ought to be great fun.

I have really truely got my hair up at last! it has been up since Thursday and hasn't tumbled down once but I havn't yet learnt how to do it well.

I am glad to say Winchester won the cricket match by 69 runs.

later.

We met Uncle Jack and Aunt Madeleine (Aunt Ethel was down at Hailebury [ Haileybury ]) at the Tower at 12.45 and we started off in the motor soon after, it wasn't a very thrilling drive because it was through the ugly part of North London and tram lines for best part of the way, Hailebury is a fine school of 500 boys right in the country 2 miles from Hertford. RobinLink opens in a new window is an awfully nice boy and not the least bit stuck up or apparently learned, though he is very clever and has won a scholarship at Oxford. there was a speehafying in the big hall at 3 o'clock, the head master spoke for a long time and distributed prizes, then Sir Auckland GeddesLink opens in a new window made a long and rather dull speech about what a good thing it would be if English boys went to Canadian Universities; then Mr Hayes FisherLink opens in a new window (who is President of the L.C.C. and has been made Lord - I think Downham) made a very good speech and then we went and had a most sumptious tea in Robin's study. After tea he took us over the chapel and then we went and watched some gymnastics and then everyone made a rush for the swimming bathes (open air ones). Robin and I were among the first to get in so we sat on the edge of the bath and dangled our legs over. First they had swimming races, then they had diving and then alas! Just as they were going to have the best thing we had to go away because Uncle Jack had to leave at six, the boys had made boats out of anything they could get hold of - mostly old bits of wood and petrol tins but one very superior lot had an old bath! And they were going to have a race all dressed up in the most weird and wonderful clothes - one boy had a pair of brilliant pink pyjamas on and his face all blacked and another had a firey red beard it must have been most amusing because of course a good many of them must have got upset.

We came back through Epping Forest which was lovely. There were a great many flags on the houses we passed and the children were lighting bonfires in the streets. It was most awfully nice going down there and I enjoyed it enormously.

Cousin Aimeé Brazier-Creagh has been to tea and left me a large box of chocolates which was very nice of her.

Lloyd George had a tremendous receptionLink opens in a new window in the House of Commons today. The members cheered violently for a long time and then sang "God Save the King".

Thursday July 3rd 1919.

Mr Ness came on Tuesday morning.

Sir Talbot and Lady Hobbes came to luncheon also Colonel Kent. Sir TalbotLink opens in a new window is an Australian General who Daddie got to know in France.

I had a dancing lesson at 3 o'clock and then we did some shopping and went to meet Mummy and Daddie at an "At Home" of Mrs Corry's. The Gwynne Jameses were there and very pleased to see us; he is Mrs Corry's brother and they live at Bath.

Mummy, Daddie and Aunt Venetia went to a conversatzione given by the Royal Colonial Institute in the Natural History Museum in the evening.

I had a lesson from Miss Medd-Hall yesterday morning and went to luncheon with Peggy afterwards. Shortie fetched me and we went to Charing Cross Road to get my motor driving license. Uncle Dick (Aunt Venetia's husband) came to tea bringing a friend.

I went and had an hours motoring lesson in the evening. Aunt Venetia came with me and I drove an Austin. The instructor was very nice and I found it much easier than I had expected and it was too gorgeously ripping for words. We went along Chelsea Embankment, up Oakley Street, along the Kings Road to Walham Green, down Fulham Road, along Sloane Street into Sloane Square through Ebury Street, along Buckingham Gate back to the Garage.

Friday July 4th 1919.

Mr Ward-Cook came to dinner on Wednesday evening and Mummy and Daddie went to a dancing and bridge party given by Miss Castle in Tilney Street.Link opens in a new window

Daddie took Aunt Venetia and I to the Leicester Galleries yesterday morning. There was an exibition of Walter Bayes'Link opens in a new window work on – some of them most weird, there were also some very interesting ones of London in '20. We also went to Christies and saw Sir Joshu [ Joshua ] Reynold's picture of Mrs Siddons as the tragic museLink opens in a new window which was sold today for £54,600. I had a dancing lesson in the afternoon. Kathleen came to tea and I had a motoring lesson after tea. Poor Shortie came with me and I think felt rather nervous at times. It is a most wonderfully thrilling amusement and I didn't stop the engine at all (yesterday I stopped it in the middle of a rather crowded cross-road!). We went across Ebury Bridge, past Chelsea Hospital, up Oakley Street, along the King's Road. through several indifinate streets into High Street Kensington, along High Street and Kensington Gore into Brompton Road, along to Hyde Park Corner, up Park Lane through Grosvenor Square and Berkeley Square into Picadilly [ Piccadilly ] down St. Jameses Street and the Mall, up Birdcage Walk and along Broadway back to the garage which is just by Queen Anne's Mansions.Link opens in a new window

Mummy and Daddie went to a musical evening party given by Mrs Eckstein last night.

Mr Ness came this morning.

Patsy (Aunt Venetia's eldest girl) is staying in London with a friend and she and I went and had a dancing lesson this evening Mummy and Aunt Venetia went and had tea with Aunt Violet.

The R34Link opens in a new window which is our biggest air-ship has flown across the Atlantic!

Great excitement has been caused by the news that the ex-KaiserLink opens in a new window is to be tried in London.

Sunday July 6th 1919.

There was a big march of London troopsLink opens in a new window through London yesterday. We saw it from the Mall, there were enormous crowds of people and a great deal of cheering. At the head of the procession were 100 nurses who had all had service abroad; there were between 15000 and 20,000 men in the procession and guns and things.

We went to tea with Mrs Rook who is a great dear. Her daughter Disney who I have always heard a great deal about but never seen came in late, she is excessively pretty and very nice.

Monday July 7th 1919.

Miss Waller came to dinner on Saturday evening and Miss Wolff came in after dinner.

Yesterday was Peace Sunday and was a wonderful day in many ways. Aunt Venetia and Daddie went to the big service at St. Paul'sLink opens in a new window in the morning. The King and Queen and large quantities of Royal Family were there and the Church was packed. They had the new verses to "God Save the King" and the new setting to the Te Deum which Mr Macpherson has composed. Mummy, Shortie and I went to St. Martin for the 10.15 Holy Communion Service and even then had difficulty in getting a seat; we stayed on for the 11.30 service. The Church was absolutely packed, people were sitting on the pulpit steps and in the choir stalls and standing all along the aisles and sitting on the floor wherever they could. Mr Sheppard gave up his seat and did the whole service from the pulpit. It was a most beautiful service with a good deal of singing; they had "All People that on Earth do Dwell", "God is Working His Purpose Out" and a most beautiful new hymn about the fallen, called "The Supreme Sacrifice"Link opens in a new window and written by John Arkwright. Several people cryed and it was by no means a cheerful service but very splendid. Mr Sheppard preached wonderfully. In the afternoon Shortie and I went to fetch Patsy and then met Mummy and we went to an open-air service in Trafalgar Square. I see in this morning's paper it is calculated that there were 10,000 people there.

Tuesday July 8th 1919.

The Bishop of London and a Salvation Army lady General and several other people spoke and the people sang hymns.

A gentleman who Mummy met at Mrs Eckstein's came to tea, also Aunt Kathleen and Ian; the latter has left Cambridge and has got a month leave.

Aunt Ventia [ Venetia ], Shortie and I went to a 9 o'clock service at St. Martin in the evening. It was a beautiful service and Mr Sheppard preached wonderfully.

Yesterday morning Aunt Venetia, Patsy, the girl she is staying with who is very nice and I went shopping. I went to Miss Hammond's to have my hair washed in the afternoon. I was expecting Audrey Townshend to tea but she telephoned to say she couldn't come, however to my extreme joy Aunt Di telephoned to know if we were at home and she and Aunt Lil came to tea. I hadn't seen my beloved Aunt Di for months! Uncle Claude is expected to return from Norway on Thursday.

I had a driving lesson in the evening which I enjoyed thoroughly.

Mr and Mrs Macpherson came to dinner. He is mad on a perfectly delightful book called "The Young Visiters"Link opens in a new window written by a child of nine. It is too pricelessly funny for words; we first read it at the Tuckers.

Mr Ness came this morning.

Cousin Nell came to luncheon.

I had a dancing lesson this afternoon and we all went to tea with Cousin Aimeé Brazier-Creagh.

Aunt Venetia came out with me for my motoring lesson this evening and we had a ripping drive.

I had a nastly disappointment today because Cousin Jack Parker telegraphed on Saturday to ask me to go out with them this afternoon, Mummy opened the telegram as I was out and I have never seen it, she wrote to say I should be delighted to come and we have heard nothing more and they never appeared!!

Thursday July 10th 1919.

Yesterday morning I went to Trinity College and had my last lesson from Miss Medd-Hall this term. I went to luncheon with Peggy, when I got there I found that Peggy was out but Kathleen Wendell was there, she is a nice girl. Peggy came in after a bit, Lily ElsieLink opens in a new window (the actress) and her husband were there to luncheon, also Uncle Duddy. Peggy imagines she is mildly in love!

I went to tea with Nina and Xenia who were very nice. I saw the Grand Duchess.Link opens in a new window Afterwards I had a motoring lesson and was very late for it which was sad, Disney Rooke came to dinner, she is such a nice girl.

This morning Shortie and I went to Scotland Yard to retrieve my umbrella which I very cleverly left in the 'bus yesterday, Mercifully we found it there. Uncle Oswald's little boy was supposed to have been Christened this morning at St George's Hanover Square but when we got there we found Blandford who said it had been posponed, so we went to the Bank and then home. Shortie and I went to Gorringe in the afternoon to get various things.

Nina Senfield came to tea with me; she is a Wolfite and Mummy knew her mother.

I went for my last motoring lesson this evening which was truely tragic. We mostly did traffic and corners today, I am awfully sorry this is the last lesson.

Friday July 11th 1919.

Cousin Margaret Magniac came round early this morning to see Aunt Venetia. She is running the St. Martin's Girls Luncheon Club.

Mr Ness came and gave me my last lesson for the present.

Daddie and I went to the Eton and Harrow Cricket MatchLink opens in a new window at Lords today. When we first got there at a little before 1 o'c the Etonians were looking rather dismal because seven wickets had fallen for 97 runs. There were thousands of people there and a great many very pretty dresses and it was blazing hot! There was some very exciting play after luncheon and the score went up very rapidly before Eton went out for 176 runs. The two highest scores were Hill-WoodLink opens in a new window 43 and BrandLink opens in a new window 50 not out. Harrow's score went up very slowly though there were a few good boundries; GibsonLink opens in a new window (The Captain) and Hill-Wood bowled extremely well, the latter caught two men out, one he caught the ball in the middle of the pitch and fell full length as he caught it. There was some very dull play for a long time and then five wickets in succession fell for nought in a very short time and Harrow's innings were over for 76 runs, having begun at 3 o'c and ended at 5 o'c which was very convenient for us because we had to leave at 5 o'c.

Aunt Venetia has gone away which is sad.

Mummy went to an "At Home" given by "Uncle Duddy" and Miss Leigh this afternoon.

The mystery of why Cousin Jack never turned up is explained, he was away in the Isle of Wight for a few days and not hearing anything from us did not come up to London till Tuesday evening when he found Mummy's letter saying I could go (with a chaperone) waiting for him. Apparently he had expected us to wire and Cousin Con was to have sent on the wire.

As far as we know we go to Scotland on Tuesday, we are going up by day because we want to see the country and intend to spend the night at Perth and go on next day.

I can't think of any very exciting war or Peace news. There is a Joy Loan on which they are advertising a good deal and which closes tomorrow.

Sunday July 13th 1919.

Yesterday morning I went to Miss Wolff's expecting there to be a literature lesson but there wasn't one.

In the afternoon I went to "Chu Chin Chow" with Nina SeafieldLink opens in a new window and several other children and then went back to tea with her.

Patsy came to dinner. She had been at the finish of the Eton and Harrow which she said was fearfully exciting.

It was so wet that they couldn't begin play till 2.45. When 9 of Eton's wickets had fallen and Harrow had got 244 runs to make to win they declared and Harrow then came in and in an hour was out for 42 runs! After it was over there was much shouting for Gibson the Captain of the Eton eleven and after a time he was dragged out by main force. Then a free fight began between the boys and "toppers" were smashed and umbrellas broken and Patsy says it was quite alarming.

I had a letter from Jack Parker yesterday wanting to take me out to luncheon on Wednesday which of course I shan't be able to do as we go to Scotland on Tuesday.

Daddie and I went to St. Martin's for the last time for a good many Sundays alas!

Cousin Margaret came to tea.

I have been reading a book called "A Thief in the Night"Link opens in a new window by Hornung - it is about a gentleman burglar.

The flat is in a state of chaos because we are busy packing.

I may not be able to write in this diary again before we arrive because it will have to be packed tomorrow.

The R34 has flown back safely from America.

Friday July 18th 1919.

Scotland at last!

Our train left Euston at 9.15 on Tuesday morning. We came up by Rugby and Crewe and Preston and Carlisle and then by Carstairs and Stirling to Perth. Westmorland and Cumberland were very pretty but, except for one or two places, not quite so pretty as I had expected. There is no wildly thrilling scenery in Scotland before Perth but there was one pretty hilly bit - I think before Carstairs. We arrived at Perth at 8.40 and stayed at the Station HotelLink opens in a new window that night. There was a bad fire in the town that evening and a whiskey distillery and several dwelling houses were burned down.

Saturday July 19th 1919.

We went and explored the town that morning, there is very little to see but the view from Perth Bridge is very pretty. We left for Inverness at 12 o'clock.

I have never been such a lovely railway journey before, the whole journey was beautiful and as for the Pass of KilliekrankieLink opens in a new window it was too lovely for words and then all the ripping bare moorlands and hills and all the little burns. We arrived at Inverness at about 4.45, the town itself doesn't look at all thrilling but it is very pretty looking down the Moray Firth towards the sea.

We had to wait rather a long time in Inverness because the motor which had been ordered wouldn't take all our luggage so we had to get another motor to come after us with the rest of the luggage. There are a good many American sailors in Inverness and we saw about a dozen of their minesweepers as we came along. This place is called Moniack HouseLink opens in a new window and is 8 miles from Inverness. Mrs FraserLink opens in a new window is awfully nice and there is a very pretty daughter who is also very nice; the two little boys of the married daughter who is in East Africa are living here and there's a Mr Erskine staying here. There are several quite decent hills in front of us and lovely woods and a burn in which I fish, on Wednesday I caught a trout and yesterday I have desended to fishing with worms but the ground is so dried up with the drought that it is almost impossible to find any.

Monday July 21st 1919.

On Saturday afternoon we went to a village called Lentran 2 miles away where they had an open-air thanksgiving service and then sports afterwards. We hoped they would have had reels and things like that but they didn't thought they managed to collect four pipers. We came home at 6 o'clock and they were less than half way through the sports having started at 3 o'clock!

Daddie and Mr Erskine went to Kirk yesterday morning and then to luncheon with some neighbours. I created fearful consternation by going fishing - I had been sitting fishing quite peacefully for about an hour (and catching nothing) when Phyllis came tearing down to say would I mind coming back and then it was explained to me that there might have been a fearful fuss if any of the Church goers had seen me and I could have been had up and fined £5. Several people did see me so I heartily hope nothing will happen.

Phyllis and I went into the garden and ate fruit in the afternoon.

I rode the pony this morning which was extremely nice. It's name is Gipsy and it is very pretty and is partly Shetland and partly Welsh.

Wednesday July 23rd 1919.

On Monday afternoon Phyllis and I took our tea in a basket and went up to Rebeg [ Reelig ]Link opens in a new window which is their other house and stands on top of a hill and has a most lovely view over Beauley [ Beauly ] Firth and to Ben Wyvis. It is a long low white house built on the edge of a precipice on one side with a beautiful view of the Glen, and the burn at the bottom. Mr Erskine was up there busy packing books which have got to come down here.

Yesterday morning I fished and caught one small trout and then Phyllis and I rode. I fished again in the afternoon and caught nothing. Phyllis, Mr Erskine and I went up to Rebeg [ Reelig ] again taking our tea and sorted (or started to sort) huge piles of papers in the stables among which were some very interesting old books and a manuscript book written by SkinnerLink opens in a new window of Skinner's Horse. Rebeg is the house which Mrs Fraser wanted to lend to us but we couldn't have it because of not having enough servants.

I fished for some time this morning and caught nothing.

Just off to a tea fight - !?*

Sunday July 27th 1919.

The tea fight was at the house of some people called Oldfield and was a children's party for their little girl. Phyllis and David and I went.

Thursday morning I fished and caught nothing. Several people came to tea in the afternoon.

On Friday we sorted and arranged books which had come down from Rebeg [ Reelig ] most of the morning and in the afternoon we all went up to Rebeg and had our tea up there!

Mummy and Mrs Fraser came home in a carriage and the rest of us came home by a most lovely way through the Glen. We saw a most enormous trout in a pool in the burn. Daddie says he must have weighed at least a lb which of course is a record for this burn. Yesterday afternoon Daddie and I went back there taking our tea and I fished for him with a worm. Eight times I caught him but the hook never seemed to get into him and every time after munching the worm for a bit he let it go out of his mouth which was excessively annoying. It is a very nice pool and he is the only trout in it. I leave the reader to guess the reason why!

We are being very lucky about weather the last two days have been quite lovely.

All of us are going to Kirk this morning.

Wednesday July 30th 1919.

We all went to the Free Church on Sunday. It was an awfully funny Church with no altar and the pews were so narrow that it was very difficult to kneel (you weren't meant to be able to) and there was no music but it was a very nice service.

Phyllis and I consumed large quantities of fruit on Sunday afternoon and after tea she took Mr Erskine and me for a most fearful scramble through the glen, along precipices and up and down precipices and steeplechasing over fallen trees and altogether Mr Erskine and I felt rather faint when we got home.

On Monday Daddie went to Carr-bridge to spend the night with Cousin Con who has got a cottage there. Mr Erskine went into Inverness for the day and Phyllis and I went into Beauley [ Beauly ] in the pony cart, the pony had got loose in consequence of which we were an hour late starting and didn't get back for luncheon till 2.30!

Yesterday Charlie who is the boy at Wellington came home for his holidays and Phyllis, Mrs Short and I went into Inverness in the car which brought him out. We had luncheon at the Royal Hotel and then Shortie went off to Dunphail as she was going to stay the night with the Murrays at RelugasLink opens in a new window which caused her great excitement, the Murrays were the people she was with before she came to us.

Phyllis and I shopped frenziedly, then she went to have her hair washed and I looked at papers peacefully in the Royal Hotel which appears to be the pivot of which the whole of Inverness turns; then we had tea and shopped still more frenziedly and then tore off to catch the 5.10 train for Lentran, Daddie's train connected with that train and I saw him and got him into our carriage and at 5.55 our train slowly ambled out of the station but apparently that is so common that no one takes any notice of it on the Highland Railway. This house is two miles from the station so the motor from the inn met us and brought us out here.

I fished this morning with no luck. Plenty of fishes take the worm but they never seem to get the hook.

Lady Portsmouth came to luncheon.

Charlie is an awfully nice boy and most amusing; he is 16.

I had letters from Mary, Pompey and Kathleen yesterday.

Saturday August 2nd 1919.

Daddie, Charlie, Phyllis and I went onto the moors on Wednesday afternoon, taking the donkey with two large panniers which we filled with heather. It was too lovely on the moors and there were wonderful views of the mountains all round and right out to sea over as far as St. Andrews. It rained hard most of Thursday. I went to the station in the pony cart in the evening to meet Shortie; she had a splendid time at Relugas and the Murrays have asked us to go and stay at Polmaise their place near Stirling.

Yesterday afternoon I had a great excitement. Daddie and I went off taking our tea, to fish for the big fish. I had only been fishing for about 5 minutes when I caught him! I had got a good big hook on and he swallowed it well but we had a fearful job to land him, luckily Charlie had lent me a landing net and after a time Daddie, balancing wildly on nothing, managed to get the fish into the net and we got him out and came home in triumph, everyone was fearfully excited and pleased as he is by far the largest fish that has ever been caught in the burn. I was photographed holding him and I have cut out his shape in brown paper. He weighs 1 lb 10 oz, is 19 inches long and 7 1/2 inches round the fattest part. It was all most fearfully thrilling, he is the first big fish I have ever caught.

Charlie and Mr Erskine went into Inverness by the early train this morning and they are coming out with Mrs Fraser's sister-in-law - Mrs Webb - who is coming to stay here.

I went fishing this morning and caught one small trout and one quite nice plumb fellow who was one of the biggest fish in the pool.

Tuesday August 5th 1919.

We all (except Mrs Fraser) went to Kirk on Sunday morning; Mr Macleod the minister, preached a splendid sermon.

We lazed about most of the afternoon and after tea Daddie, Phyllis, Mr Erskine, Charlie, Mrs Webb and I went for a walk to a field about a mile and a half from here where that pretty blue chicory grows, apparently it is very rare up here. Yesterday morning Daddie, Charlie and I went up to Kirkhill to see the grave of James Baillie FraserLink opens in a new window a great great Uncle who seems to have been rather a wonderful person.

Charlie, Mrs Webb and I had a putting match after luncheon and then nearly all of us went up to Rebeg [ Reelig ] and came down with large quantities of books. After tea Charlie and I played tennis (?), he had found some very ancient and weirdly shaped raquets at Rebeg and the net consisted of two garden seats and we only had one ball and the court was an effort of the imagination; we laughed so much we could scarcely play.

I had a long letter from Aunt Venetia yesterday. They seem to have been having a perfect orgy of peace celebrations at Croxton.

We did nothing much this morning, Charlie and I putted for a bit and then I lost one of his golf balls in the border; I have been hunting for it this afternoon and actually managed to find it.

I read "Stalky & Co"Link opens in a new window by Rudyard Kipling the other day, it is a ripping story of school boys.

We leave here on Thursday I am sorry to say.

Friday August 8th 1919.

KyleakinLink opens in a new window Isle of Skye.

Major Munro Ferguson who is a very old friend of Mummy's and a brother-in-law of Mr LuttrellLink opens in a new window came over on Tuesday and the minister Mr MacLeod and his wife came to tea. After tea Charlie and I went off and played tennis in a field with a high fence for a net, then we went back to our court in the garden and Mrs Webb and Major Munro Ferguson came and played too, after a bit Daddie took Major Munro Ferguson's place but he was too good so we made him give up and then Charlie and I played singles till long after it was time to dress for dinner and I must confess that he beat me well. After dinner Phyllis, Charlie and I went and sat under the gooseberry nets and ate hard and Charlie being in kilts and having on in consequence a coat much bedowed with buttons kept getting caught up in the nets to his extreme annoyance and our extreme merriment.

On Wednesday morning Phyllis, Mrs Webb and Daddie went up to Kirkhill. Charlie cleaned his rifle at great length and with much trouble and then we went and played tennis till luncheon time. After luncheon Charlie went off shooting, Mr Erskine and Phyllis went in the pony cart to fetch somthing from the station I went fishing and caught nothing and Daddie and Mrs Webb went up on the moors to get heather. Charlie returned just as we had finished our tea so I was told off to preside over the tea pot while he ate and drank a huge tea and discoursed on the tragedy of the lack of grouse for the 12th; then I went and persuaded Phyllis to come and play tennis, we had a few games and then she had to go and do somthing or other so Charlie and I played till dinner time and once more he beat me, after dinner we played again till we could scarcely see the ball then we went and ate raspberries and strawberries and he tried to teach me to grunt like a pig and I tried to teach him to bark like a dog. I couldn't stay in bed yesterday morning so I got up at about 7.15 which is most unusual for me; first I put my fishing rod up then I groomed Gipsy then I started to read a book but Phyllis soon appeared so I put up the book, at about 8.30 to the surprise of everyone Charlie appeared; he had said the night before that he was going to get up at 4 o'c to go and shoot rabbits but of course we never expected him to. He explained carefully that he had woke before it was time to get up and had just gone to sleep for 5 minutes but had apparently slept for getting on 4 hours! I took Gipsy's photograph with Phyllis and Charlie on each side of her.

After breakfast we got David down from the nursery and played with him for a bit and then I'm afraid we left him to Mrs Webb and Mr Erskine and went off to play tennis but it was our last chance of playing. Charlie was beating me well when he suddenly said "lets have a grand International Match" I said "Righto-O" so we started off and I beat him every game but alas! after three games Daddie said the motor was there so we played frenziedly till the score got to deuce and then we had to call it a draw and leave it, as it happened we could have finished because we didn't leave for a good quarter of an hour after that. We went in a motor to Beauly and got the train there to the Kyle of Lochalshe [ Lochalsh ].Link opens in a new window

Sunday August 10th 1919.

It was a beautiful day and after Dingwall the journey was quite lovely especially at Loch Garve and along Strath Bran. There were heather covered mountains most of the way and a good many lochs. We passed a splendid rock called the Raven's Rock a little way after Strathpeffer.

The train goes for about 10 miles along the shore of Loch Carron which is very pretty indeed. We arrived at the Kyle of Lochalshe [ Lochalsh ] at 4.15 and after interminable ages spent in collecting the luggage crossed over to Kyleakin in the ferry boat. We stopped at the King's Arms HotelLink opens in a new window which wasn't at all a bad place. A most odd thing happened, staying the same hotel there are some people who we knew in Kashmir and havn't seen since then, their name is Mitchell and they consist of Mr and Mrs, two married daughters one with a little girl and boy and the other with a husband and another lady who is staying with them. They are awfully nice people, we went into their sitting-room in the evening and they played and sang and altogether it was very nice. Friday morning was awful, it was what is known as "soft" in these parts that is to say there was a wet mist over everything, it was pouring hard and blowing a gale. Daddie and I floundered in and out of bogs for a couple of hours and saw rather a pretty sea loch.

"By you boggy banks and you boggy braes

Where the rain pours down on Kyleakin"

After luncheon I wrote a letter to Phyllis and also the last effort in my diary and then we sat on the front and I wrote to Charlie. I had tea with the Mitchells and afterwards they took me in a motor to a river where they have got some fishing. We caught two small fish but I regret to say they were neither of them caught by me. We went into their room again that evening and had some very nice singing. Yesterday morning Mr Mitchell invited me to go fishing with them in a loch which they have got the fishing of. We started about 11 o'clock and motored eight miles and then walked across the moors to the loch which was about a mile from the road. The little boy and I went out in a boat with the keeper before luncheon; I caught two fish which were too small to keep, had about 6 rises which didn't get on, lost two big fish in the landing and caught two nice one, one weighing just on a lb and the other a bit over Mr Mitchell caught four fish and Mr Eliot two but my big one was the biggest of the lot. We had luncheon in a little hut and after luncheon Mrs Ling came out in the boat but the fish weren't rising at all. At about 4 o'clock she and I and Christopher (her little boy) walked down to the road where the motor was waiting and it took us down to the bridge over the river where Mrs Mitchell, Mrs Fellowes, Mrs Eliot and Mary were getting tea ready, we had a very good picnic tea and then Mrs Ling and I fished the river for a bit but the fish weren't rising. Mummy and Daddie and Shortie and the luggage had come over by motor boat to this place (Broadford) which is about 9 miles from Kyleakin, Mrs Ling and the children brought me over here in the motor in the evening.

Yesterday was an absolutely lovely day.

Monday August 11th 1919.

It was very clear indeed and the view of all the mountains was quite lovely, they say that one fine day in Skye makes up for all the wet ones and I think it is true. There is a mountainLink opens in a new window behind here over 2,400 feet high with a cairn on the top which is the grave of a Norwegian Princess; Daddie climbed to the top of the mountain and had a most wonderful view all round right out across the Atlantic to the outer Hebrides and as far as Ben Mor [ More ] in Mull and Ben Nevis.

Yesterday morning Mummy, Shortie and I went to Church at the United Free Church, I must say I like our own services best.

We read and wrote letters most of the afternoon. The Mitchell party came over to tea which was nice.

A most amusing thing happened yesterday evening. We went out on the road by the sea after dinner and swimming on the sea we saw a large white bird with a black neck, I was sent in after the glasses and we all peered at it from every possible view point through them and then Daddie scrambled through some wire railings into a very boggy field which goes down to the sea and with great care stalked the bird which by this time was busy grubbing for grubs on the land, the bird seemed remarkably tame when he got up to it and ambled away at rather a leisurely pace and this morning we discovered that it is a tame goose belonging to the hotel!!

I wrote to Peggy and Kathleen yesterday.

We went to look at some patterns of tweeds this morning, they had some very nice ones smelling strongly of peat but a fearful price - 23 and 25 shillings a yard.

Yesterday was quite a good day and today was lovely though a little hazy. We took our tea and had it by a most awfully pretty burn a little over two miles from here along the Portree road which runs along by the sea for a good long way about there.

After tea Daddie and I walked up the burn for about a mile across the moors, it was really ripping, it had cut a very deep gorge through the rocks and there were lovely pools and waterfalls and in two places the rocks very nearly met overhead, a little way higher up there was quite a big waterfall which was very pretty indeed, I wanted to photograph it but unfortunately the sun had gone in.

We are staying at MacInnes Hotel at present but we move to Campbell's Hotel tomorrow partly because they can't keep us here any longer and partly because this hotel is pretty fairly bad except for the food which is quite good and plenty of it.

I was very sorry to leave Moniack, Mrs Fraser is an Angel and Phyllis and Charlie are so very nice and it was great fun playing with the latter. The evening when we played tennis after dinner we had to stand and laugh at each other's get-ups for nearly 10 minutes before we could begin to play, Charlie had on one of those floppy gray felt hats, an ancient and short karki-coloured overall which had one sleeve longer than the other and which I think belonged to Phyllis, below this showed his kilt and then came his tartan stockings and leather slippers to complete the array; I had on a long green overall of Phyllises, a green hat of my own which by no means matched the overall and a borrowed pair of shoes.

Thursday August 14th 1919.

We moved up to this hotel (Campbell's) on Tuesday morning it is very much more comfortable than the other - in fact there is no comparison. Daddie and I went for a walk along the moors by the sea after luncheon and I found a small peice of white bell-heather. It started to pour as we were coming back and we got extremely wet. We sat in one of the sitting rooms and read books for the rest of the day; they have got some very good books on Skye and several useful guide-books. I wrote to Aunt Di and Mary after dinner.

Yesterday morning we (except Daddie) went out in a rowing boatLink opens in a new window to fish under the able guidance of one Ross. It was raining hard when we went out but the mists cleared with wonderful rapidity and it became lovely. We only caught about 1/2 a dozen fish in the morning (most haddock) but we went out again in the evening and caught about 15 fish. It is great fun, you let down a line about a mile long and with two hooks baited with some form of shell fish, the pull of the fish is so light that you scarcely feel it and it is very difficult to tell if you have got a fish on or not unless it is a fairly big one.

There were large quantities of porpoises playing about in the water yesterday morning they looked so funny leaping in to the air and rolling about and snorting and then dashing through the water. A most beautiful steam yacht came in yesterday evening, it belongs to Lady Corry who has a house on Scalpay an island just by here. It is the biggest yacht in these waters being 999 tons.

Daddie walked to Loch Slapin about 5 1/2 miles from here yesterday but he says it wasn't a very exciting walk.

The post only goes out on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and comes in on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays but we were told with bated breathe yesterday that we may have a daily post soon as they are going to start running the steamers every day.

Mrs Idie is down in Devonshire staying with the Cleeves who have a farmhouse near the Glen.

Sunday August 17th 1919.

We went out in the fishing boat on Thursday afternoon and took our tea with us. It was lovely on the water and we caught between 30 and 40 fish.

Mummy got a letter from Cousin Nell that evening, saying if we had found the ideal hotel she might join us for a few days so I wrote off at once giving her particulars of trains etc! and we very much hope she will come.

The Mitchells came over on Friday morning to see about rooms in this hotel. They arranged to come here on the 20th, we hoped they would have come earlier because we may leave on the 26th. My recollection as to the rest of the day is rather vague but I believe we went for a walk on the moors by the sea after tea.

Yesterday morning we went fishing, yesterday afternoon we went fishing and yesterday evening we went fishing; the result was about the same as last time. The evening was glorious and the view wonderfully clear after the rain and mist of the afternoon.

Mummy and Daddie went to the United Free Church this morning and Shortie and I went to the Established which is practically the same as the other.

Daddie went for a walk with another gentleman this afternoon. Shortie and I sat on some rocks on the seashore and read.

It is a very wild night, the sea is rough and roaring and the wind is howling and the rain is pouring down. It must be terribly rough on the open sea.

Wednesday August 20th 1919.

Shortie and I went for a walk on Monday morning and got caught in perfect deluges of rain. The Mitchells came over in the evening to see if they could have their rooms here any quicker but they can't which is a pity. I had quite a big post that evening; a post card from Mary, a long letter from Aunt Di, she really is a marvel, she answered my letter one hour after she got it! and reams and reams from Peggy. I don't think I have ever had such a long letter from her before, it was also extremely amusing she has scraped a large peice of her heel off on a gate post and Rowland has driven a rusty nail into his toe!

Yesterday was rather a nice day. The Mitchells said they would come and fetch me to go fishing if the river was a bit fuller but they didn't come so I suppose the river was no fuller.

I had a very nice letter from Cousin Nell yesterday but she doesn't leave the house they have taken in the country till the 28th and we probably leave here on the 26th so I'm afraid her visit here won't be able to come off.

We are thinking of going to Almadale [ Armadale ] (Lady Macdonald's place) by steamer on Friday. Everyone says the view is so lovely and Miss Macdonald asked us to go over there when she wrote to Phyllis about hotels etc: for us to stay at.

I read "The Master of Ballantrae"Link opens in a new window by Robert Louis Stevenson the other day; it is most lurid. Yesterday I read "Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character"Link opens in a new window which is most amusing.

Havn't the very vaguest idea what the news is although I must say we get the "Glasgow Herald" every day. Haig was made an earl before we left Moniack.

Sunday August 24th 1919.

It rained most of Thursday morning.

We went out in the boat in the afternoon and got quite a good haul of fish and I caught a lemon sole to my great joy. We went out again after tea but it wasn't so good.

On Friday we arose in the small hours of the morning, had breakfast and then caught the steamerLink opens in a new window for Armadale at 7.45. Armadale is 17 miles by land. I suppose it is farther by water but anyway the good old boat took 3 hours to get there! On the whole we were very lucky in the weather because although we had several "Scotch mists" it was fine most of the way. It was a lovely journey, the sea, which is so shut in that it more like a big loch, winds in and out among the hills whose steep heather-covered sides go down to the sea ending in grey rocks and cliffs and caves. There are a great many burns rushing down the hill-sides and often with water-falls quite 50 feet high.

We reached Armadale at about 11.30 having stopped ages at Kyle and picked up some people from a boat at Glenelg. We were met at Armadale pierLink opens in a new window by a Mr and Mrs Fraser who were staying there and had been asked by the Macdonalds to show us the way to the house. She turned out to be a sister of Mr Montague WaldegraveLink opens in a new window and therefore Aunt to Esther and Betty, wasn't it extraordinary? Miss Macdonald met us on the way, there was a Mr and Mrs St. John and a Dundas boy staying there, they were all very nice.

The house is in a most lovely situation on the side of a hill a little way above the sea; it is surrounded by trees on three sides and the fourth is open to the sea and has a lovely view of the mountains on the mainland and the mouths of the Loch of Heaven and the Loch of Hell (Loch Nevis and Loch Hourn). We went up a little hill to get a better look at the view and came back through a ripping wall garden; it was so nice to see a real garden and trees again, there are practically no trees on any other part of the island and the gardens are very neglected; Armadale is called "the garden of Skye". We had time to see a little of the houseLink opens in a new window before luncheon; it is a fine grey granite house built in the castle style but quite modern. Lady Macdonald was very nice, poor thing! she has lost two sons in the war. The steamer left about 1.30 so we had to leave directly after luncheon. Miss Macdonald is extremely nice, she has got such a pretty name - Iona. We had a good deal of sunshine coming back but we didn't get here till nearly six having had plenty of time to go ashore and get tea at Kyle.

Shortie and I were out in the boat fishing nearly all day yesterday. Shortie caught a most enormous fish, I don't know which was the most terrified the fish or Shortie! it was a Cole Fish and weighed between 6 and 7 lbs.

This morning we went to the United Free Church.

Soon after luncheon a gentleman appeared in a car from Sligachan to see Daddie. He was a Professor CollieLink opens in a new window who is a great climber and sportsman and very great on colour-photography. We were going to go to the river about 2 miles from here which we went to the other day taking our tea so when Mr Collie heard about it he said he would take us in the motor which was very nice. It was awfully pretty and we had a fine scramble over the moors before tea and I took several photographs. Professor Collie motored us back here about 6 o'clock and now he has gone off back to Sligachan.

I had a much belated letter from Wolfie the other day and a very nice one from Phyllis and a most amusing one from Kathleen.

Tuesday August 26th 1919.

Daddie went up and down the mountain behind here (Ben-na-Caillich [ Beinn na Caillich ] - the Mountain of the Old Woman) which is 2400 feet high in 3 1/2 hours yesterday.

The Mitchells arrived in detatchments throughout the day and spent their time unpacking unbelievable quantities of luggage.

There is a very nice Lady BuxtonLink opens in a new window staying here with a daughter and two sons. There was a great deal in the papers a little time ago about one of her boysLink opens in a new window who disappeared from Harrow in a very extraordinary way and finally re-appeared again, I don't think it was either of the ones here. Sir Victor BuxtonLink opens in a new window their father was killed in a motor accident not long ago.

We were going away this morning but decided to stay on another day which as it turned out was a very good thing as the sea was very rough and it was (and still is) pouring with rain.

The Mitchells were going to take me fishing but it was so very wet that we decided not to go.

When we leave here we intend to stay two nights, at Fort William and then we are going to stay with the Murrays at Polmaise Castle near Stirling.

Saturday August 30th 1919.

We have had much journeying since I last wrote my diary and we are at PolmaiseLink opens in a new window at last. We left Broadford by the steamer at 7.45 on Wednesday morning, the sea was very rough, the wind was very high and it rained hard at intervals and altogether it was pretty fairly rough going across Broadford Bay; the ship was at an angle of 45 degrees and rolled in the most delightful manner, it went up a big wave then slide down the other side in a way which made you feel all tickley inside like when a lift starts too suddenly.

We shipped several seas two of which I caught full in the back as I happened to be standing at the side of the ship at the time, altogether it was most amusing, I didn't feel the least sea-sick and enjoyed it throughly. When we got to Kyle the Captain said it was so rough that he didn't know whether he would be able to go across to Mallaig (where the railway to Fort William begins) because the crossing is open sea, several people got off and went by the Highland Railway to Inverness; we were just getting off when he said he would take us across if he possibly could so we got on again deciding to try and find a place to sleep at at Armadale if he couldn't get across. It was quite calm going down the Sound of Sleat and at Armadale and we got across to Mallaig without the least difficulty, it was a little rough at the end but nothing like Broadford Bay. We got there at 12 o'clock and the train left at 1.25 so Daddie and I went for a walk; Mallaig is a small and uninteresting town but I should think there are fine views from the hills above it.

The journey to Fort William is too lovely for words - almost the best journey we have had in Scotland which is saying a good deal. We passed a very pretty place called Morar and some way after came to Glenfinnan which is quite lovely and then Loch Shiel where Prince Charlie raised his standard in the '45. We arrived at Fort William about 3.30 and went to the Station Hotel because it was the closest; the manageress was very nice and it is quite a good hotel but rather dear. Fort William is in a very pretty situation on the shores of Loch Linnhe and with Glen Nevis on one side and another glen on the other and Ben Nevis and other mountains behind; it is quite a nice little town and seemed to us quite enormous and terrifyingly civilized after Skye! We went for a walk in Glen Nevis after tea, the River Ness runs through it and is very pretty. Daddie started off directly after breakfast on Thursday morning to go up Ben Nevis. We went and bought some post-cards etc, then Shortie and I went up along a road which I imagine eventually gets to Glencoe and we climbed a hill with much panting and puffing and got a very fine view it being a lovely day and I found some white heather which pleased me very much as I have been looking for a long time.

Sunday August 31st 1919.

Daddie got back from Ben Nevis about 4 o'clock. He says it was a very good view from the top but not as good as from Ben-na-Caillich [ Beinn na Caillich ] at Broadford.

There is a regular foot path up Ben Nevis, it is 14 miles from Fort William to the top of Ben Nevis and back, one man (a crofter) once did it in two hours 20 minutes which is the record.Link opens in a new window

We left Fort William for Stirling at 9.18 on Friday morning, nearly all the journey was over moorlands, pretty but not wildly thrilling. A good deal of the first part of the journey the railway went along the banks of a most ripping river called the Spean.

Monday September 1st 1919.

We had to change at Crianlarich onto the Caledonian railway and wait two hours for a train and when it did come it was very full; there was nothing very exciting in the journey except Loch Tay and several other lochs which were pretty. Shortie went on straight to Stirling with the luggage and Mummy, Daddie and I got out at Doune which is 8 miles from Stirling to go and see Lanrick CastleLink opens in a new window where Mummy used to stay as a child when it belonged to Sir Robert JardineLink opens in a new window who was her father's partner. We hired a Victoria at a little hotel and drove out to Lanrick which is 2 1/2 miles from Doune. The grounds are lovely and very well kept and a very pretty river (I think the Teign [ Teith ]) flows through them quite close to the house which like so many Scotch houses is fairly modern built in the "Scotch Castle" style. We had tea at the hotel and then wandered through the village to Doune CastleLink opens in a new window which is a very fine old Norman Castle very well restored and standing in a lovely situation. Our train was suppose to leave at 6.8 but it didn't arrive till 8 minutes after it was due in Stirling and then it was so full that we had to stand in the corridor. We had rather a difficulty in getting a car at Stirling and altogether we didn't arrive here till turned 7.30. Major and Mrs Murray are very nice; the latter sings and sketches very well.

This is a big house in the aforesaid Scotch Castle style on the side of a hill about 2 miles from Stirling and with very pretty gardens and surrounded by the most gorgeous woods in which you can walk for miles. There are very fine cliffs at some places on the edge of the woods and most lovely views when you come to a clearing, one especially is known as "the ladies look-out" and is quite well known, there is also a very old tree there on which Robert the Bruce is supposed to have hung his bonnet. You can see Stirling and the Castle which looks splendid perched on its cliff and Wallace's monument and Ben Ledi and Ben Lomond and away to Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth and on a fine day they say you can see the Forth Bridge and King Arthur's Seat.

Tuesday September 2nd 1919.

On Saturday we went to see a bit of the local peace celebrations which took place that day. Slightly belated but pretty through when they did come. They had 11 pipers of the Cameron Highlanders who marched round playing and did most wonderful figures; they also had a most amusing cycle parade in fancy dress which Mrs Murray had to judge and Major and Mrs Murray both made speeches.

On Sunday morning we went to Church at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Stirling; it was heavenly to get back to music and everything else again.

Wednesday September 3rd 1919.

Sunday was a most lovely clear day and we went for a walk in the woods after tea and got a splendid view. It rained hard on Monday which was very unlucky as it was the day of the Stirling peace celebrations, they lasted from 10.30 a.m till 11.30 p.m! We motored over to a place called Loch End a little over 20 miles away in the afternoon to see Lady HoratiaLink opens in a new window and Sir Robert Erskine. Mr Erskine (who was at Moniack) was there, he was out when we got there but came in just before we left, it was very nice to see him again, he says Phyllis has got a collie puppy to add to her collection of pets! Yesterday was fairly fine; Mummy, Daddie, Shortie and I went into Stirling after luncheon to see the sights. We saw the Castle which is very fine and with splendid views but you can't see much of the inside because there are soldiersLink opens in a new window quartered there. There is a lovely old house near the hospital which belonged to the Earls of Mar and is now a military hospital. Broad StreetLink opens in a new window and Baker Street which lead up to the Castle are funny steep cobbled streets with little old houses and women with shawls over their heads standing in groups talking some odd lingo or else leaning out of the window, everyone is either talking or leaning out of a window. The trams are most extraordinary, they are long open things with seats facing the same way as seats on top of a 'bus and are drawn along the tram lines by horses! We bought various post-cards and things and had tea and then waited in the public library till the motor came for us at 7 o'clock.

This morning has been mostly spent in picking lavender and eating gooseberries in the kitchen garden. There is a very nice walled-in kitchen garden with a good deal of glass and a gorgeous herbaceous border with every colour of the rainbow in it and rose arches and a sundial.

I have heard from Mary, Peggy, Kathleen and Pompey in the last few days; poor Pompey's knee has gone groggy again. I wrote to Kathleen a day or two ago and to Peggy this morning.

We leave here tomorrow morning. Mummy goes to London and Daddie, Shortie and I go to stay with Lady KintoreLink opens in a new window at Keith Hall,Link opens in a new window Inverurie, Aberdeenshire which ought to be very nice.

Mrs Short is having a very happy time with her great friend Mrs Maclennan who is the cook-housekeeper. She is very nice and gives me peaches.

Mrs Murray sings to us in the evenings; she has got a lovely voice.

Mr Wilton may be coming home soon which will be very nice.

Shortie is peacefully snoring on the sofa, I had better take her for a walk.

Friday September 5th 1919.

Keith Hall, Inverurie

We left Polmaise just after 9 o'clock yesterday morning. I was very sorry to leave because we had a very nice time there and it is a lovely place. Mummy left for London at 9.40, the train wasn't very full so she got a good seat. Our train didn't leave till 10.32; it was an express train and very long and though it stopped at a good many places it went very fast in between; the country was mostly very dull and it was misty. We arrived at Aberdeen at 2.15 and our train for Inverurie didn't leave till 3.45 (I don't know if I ever mentioned that we were going to stay with Lady Kintore) so we had time to explore Aberdeen, it is a big town and very good shops and public buildings but all grey granite which is rather depressing, we wandered up and down Union StreetLink opens in a new window and then returned to our train which after a time landed us at Inverurie where we were met by a motor which conveyed us up here. This is a big square house very high and dating back to the 14th Century in one part. There is a nice old wall garden and pretty trees and grass.

Sunday September 7th 1919.

There is a nice lady named Mrs Fellowes staying here, she is very keen on fishing and she and I fished in the Don on Friday morning but there was a strong wind blowing down stream with the result that we caught nothing except one very small one which was caught by Mrs Fellowes. In the afternoon we went in the motor to see a wonderful stone circle not far from here, it is the same sort of idea as Stonehenge only smaller and is the most perfect one in Scotland, there is not a single stone missing. Lord LudlowLink opens in a new window came to tea. After dinner we played patience and laughed till we cried over it.

Yesterday we motored over to luncheon at Fyvie CastleLink opens in a new window a lovely old place about 15 mile from here belonging to Lord Leith.Link opens in a new window There was a large family party there consisting of Lord and Lady Leith; their daughter and son-in-law Colonel and Mrs Charlie Burn,Link opens in a new window their daughter and son-in-law Captain and Mrs Lang, their little boy aged 1 year and another boy who we think must have been Colonel Burn's son and a lady whose name we didn't make out. Lord Leith showed us part of the house after luncheon, it is a wonderful house consisting mainly of big square towers built on by different owners and parts of which are as old as the 12th century or earlier but they are all alike outside so it doesn't look at all patchy. He collects pictures and has got some very fine ones including one which Raeburn considered his finest picture it is of Mrs GregoryLink opens in a new window who was great great grand mother or somthing of Lord Leith's. There was a very pretty park with a big loch in it and a very nice garden which we went over. We had some very good views on the drive back here but the country all round here consists mainly of corn fields which makes the country look rather as if it was marked out in neat squares.

We went to Kirk this morning, it was a nice service and they had an organ which was nice. I have been lying on the grass reading most of the afternoon.

Lord KintoreLink opens in a new window is here too and is very amusing; the son, Lord Falconer came back on Friday.

Wednesday September 10th 1919.

I read "Good Old Anna"Link opens in a new window by Mrs Belloc Lowndes on Sunday. It is about an old German maid in England when war breaks out.

On Monday morning we started off a little after 10.30 to motor to a place about 30 miles from here called Glen Dye to have luncheon with Sir John Gladstone and Miss Gladstone. We punctured a tyre on the way which delayed us a bit and then we stopped at the hotel at Banchory because there is a Professor Baillie there who Daddie wanted to see on our way back but he had gone into Aberdeen so that was no go. The country wasn't very exciting before Banchory but after it was lovely - pine woods and moorlands and hills and streams. We arrived at Glen Dye at 1.30. Sir John and Miss Gladstone have known Mummy for years so they were enquiring a great after her. Lady Southesh whose brother married Phyllises sister and who is consequently the Aunt of David and Goliath was staying there. The house itself isn't pretty but the surroundings are too lovely; the Dye runs in a little valley at one side of the house and behind there are moorlands and mountains and the woods along the sides of the river. Mrs Fellowes and I walked for quite a long way along by the river after luncheon; she knows it very well having stayed there with scarcely a break for 37 years! We started back at 4 o'c and got here a little after 5.30.

Captain Childers has been staying at a place not so very far from here; he was going south yesterday and had to pass through Inverurie so he broke his journey here which was very nice, he arrived here about 9.45 and had breakfast and then we wandered about the garden, he and Mrs Childers are going out to India at the end of this month but we may see them in London before they go. He and Mrs Fellowes both left by the same train - 12.3 and I went down to the station to see them off. Mrs Fellowes is a very good sort. We went to luncheon with some people called Udny who live at Udny CastleLink opens in a new window which is between 8 and 9 miles from here in the direction of the sea. The Castle is modern except for one tower; the grounds are lovely and very well kept. On the way back we went to see a ruined castleLink opens in a new window which was built likewise all but one tower in 1584-7 by a William Forbes, it passed to the Aberdeens and one of them for some unknown reason took off the roof and it is now a ruin and is tumbling down hard now. Parts of the staircases are still left and most of the front and the ground floor rooms are quite intact it is (or has been) a beautiful old house and is well worth restoring.

Shortie went to Montrose for the night yesterday to see a friend of hers. Daddie has gone off to Banchory by train to have luncheon with Proffessor Baillie. I have been lying in a deck chair in the sun most of the morning reading "The Virginian"Link opens in a new window a jolly good book about Wyoming in the cattle days by Owen Wister.

Lady Kintore and I are going to an "At Home" given by Lady CowdrayLink opens in a new window at Dun Eacht [ Dunecht ] CastleLink opens in a new window this afternoon. They are rolling in gold and everything is reported to be done with great magnifescence and I'm afraid it will be very alarming.

I had a letter from Mummy a day or two ago also a post-card from Aunt Vallie who is in Strasbourg but expects to be home on the 12th, also from Peggy who had a terrible crossing from Ireland it being the time of the Dublin Horse Show.

We leave here tomorrow morning and go to Glasgow for a night or two and then alas! I am afraid we go back to London.

Sunday September 14th 1919.

There were some beautiful things at Dun Eacht [ Dunecht ] and it wasn't nearly so alarming as I had expected.

We left Inverurie by a 9.24 train for Aberdeen which we reached at 10 o'c and caught a train at 10.30 for Glasgow where we arrived at 2.42. We got a cabby to take us to the St. Enoch Hotel where we proposed to stay as we were going home by the Midland but when we got there we found there wasn't a room to be had so then we spend a most lurid time clattering round (Glasgow is all cobblestones) to endless hotels which were all full, it was partly the result of the Labour ConferenceLink opens in a new window which is sitting there, finally we went back to St. Enoch Station and enquired when the first train for Carlisle went, it went at 4.30 so we had some tea and then went off to Carlisle which place we reached at 7.30, we only stopped at Kilmarnock, Dumfries and Annan. I felt very sad at crossing the border.

We managed to get rooms at the Station Hotel at Carlisle, it is a fairly good hotel and of course very dear. We stayed in Carlisle two nights; it is a nice old town but the weather was bad and we amused ourselves for a large part of the day by watching the express trains come and go in the station. I bought myself a book with the most ripping reproductions of water-colour sketches of Scotland, it belongs to Blacks Colour Book series and it is called "Bonnie Scotland"Link opens in a new window and the sketches are by Sutton Parmer [ Palmer ] and the descriptions by A. Hope Moncrieff. We left Carlisle for London by the 12.20 yesterday morning there was a big crowd for the train and it was very full when it came in but we managed to get seats. Parts of the journey between Carlisle and Hellifield were very pretty especially the river Eden. We stopped at Hellifield, Leeds, (where there was a worse crush than ever) Sheffield, Trent and Leicester; we had the carriage to ourselves from Leicester to London. The train was due at 8.5 but it was about 20 minutes late; we had great difficulty in getting a porter because the train came into a departure platform at St. Pancras, however we finally got one but when he had got our luggage out he was taken off by an inspector before he had got us a taxi and then we had to wait a long time because portors wouldn't get us a taxi who hadn't brought our luggage and it is quite impossible to get a taxi without a porter because they go out and jump on the step as they come in, in the end we found a porter who would get us one so we got off all right.

We went to St. Martin's this morning.

Captain Childers appeared in the afternoon he had had to come up from Devonshire suddenly owing to the death of a cousin and was on his way to Bexhill where she lived.

Mummy, Mrs Idie (who is up here) and I went to St. Martin's this evening. Mr Sheppard preached a splendid sermon about loving our neighbours and there was a very nice congregational singing practise after the service.

It is very sad being away from lovely Scotland. We had such a happy time there.

Tuesday September 16th 1919.

Mummy and Daddie went down to Kew yesterday and had tea with the Prains.

Lady Chesterfield's Swiss maid who has been with her over 50 years came to tea with Mrs Idie.

Mr Wilton came after tea and it was very nice to see him back again. He was very sorry not to see Daddie but he stayed as long as he could and they didn't come back so he had to go and as soon as he had gone they came in!

I had a long letter from Kathleen this morning, apparently she got back to London yesterday.

General Allenby arrived homeLink opens in a new window today, at 1.30. We saw him splendidly by St. Peters Church. He just drove by in an open car with Lady Allenby and a little way behind in a shut car was Haig.

Thursday September 18th 1919.

Shortie and I went to Oxford Street yesterday morning because I wanted to get some lace for somthing I am making.

The road is up from Oxford Circus to Marshall's and all the traffic has to go round by other ways and there is only one place where one can cross the road and they are digging right deep down in the road and the kerbs on both sides are lined with wood blocks in rows 10 feet high.

Mrs Evelyn (I think it is Evelyn) Stanhope came to luncheon; she is Lady Chesterfield's daughter-in-law and a great friend of Mummy's.

Mr Tyndale BiscoeLink opens in a new window who is the Missionary Clergyman in Kashmir and has a school for native boys in Srinagar came to see us about 7 o'clock and stayed to dinner.

Mr Wilton also came to dinner, he is thinking of going to Scotland, right up to Sutherland, tomorrow.

It was a lovely day today and very hot.

Daddie took Mrs Idie and I to a splendid filmLink opens in a new window of Allenby's campaign in the Holy Land and Arabia. It was at the Opera House Covent Garden and was shown by an AmericanLink opens in a new window who had been one of the party who went out to take it; he did it very well and was very interesting not at all worrying as people who show those kind of films usually are, but I think he was a gentleman. Some of the pictures weren't moving ones but they were most wonderfully coloured; a good many were taken from areoplanes and there were some splendid ones of JerusalemLink opens in a new window and Alleppo [ Aleppo ] and Bethlehem and of a wonderful ancient and uninhabited city carved out of pink stone in the Arabian desert whose name I have forgotten but it begun with P; and of Bedouins in the desert, apparently all the Bedouins were under the command of an extraordinary Englishman named Colonel Lawerence [ Lawrence ]Link opens in a new window who is supposed to know more about Arabia than any other European and who dresses like an Arab and is looked on by the Arabs as a messenger from Allah and is called "the Uncrowned King of Arabia". There were also pictures of our men in Palestine and of the first Christian sentry on the Mount of Olives looking over Jerusalem and of nearly all the Generals who were fighting in Palestine and the Bishop of Jerusalem standing on a hill outside Jerusalem being shown by General Chetwode how he took the City; and of the Pyramids from the sky and the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with the English and French sentries outside and General Allenby walking into the Holy City on foot with the Londoners who took it.

It is a week since we left Scotland and it seems ages. I have gone mad about Scotland, I love the moorlands and the wildness and the lochs and the burns. Everything is so different to England, it is really quite extraordinary but the people and their ways are quite different, in some ways they are better and in some ways they are worse but they seem to be much more friendly than the average English person. And with this dissertation on Scotland and Scotch people I will close this volume for the very simple reason that there are no more pages to continue on.