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.

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Suggested citation for this volume: Diary 12, Jun 1922-Jul 1923; Eileen Younghusband archive, Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick (MSS.463/EY/J12)

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

Thursday June 29th 1922 (continued)

Shortie & I went to the Guild of Fellowship quarterly meeting on Saturday afternoon. It was splendid to be back in St Martin's & Mr SheppardLink opens in a new window preached very finely. They had sports in the Church-yard after tea but it started to rain so hard that they had to give them up. We came down here by the 7.20.

I went up to London again on Monday & went out with Esther & Betty in the morning & spent the afternoon with Anne & had tea with her.

Mummy and I went to the Geographical lecture in the evening (that was the reason of my coming to London because it was the last time Daddie would be presiding) it was on the Oxford University expedition to Spitzbergen & not very thrilling.

I came down here in the afternoon. Kathleen flew in like a whirlwind just before I left having come straight from the station on her way back from Oxford.

I am alone here to-day everyone else being in London but I go up to-morrow.

We have just heard the exciting news that Vallie is suddenly coming back from South Africa for three weeks & arrives on Saturday.

Thursday July 6th 1922.

I went to London on Friday for the night. I went shopping with Alice on Friday morning; she seems very happy but says she doesn't see much of Paul because he is working so hard for his medical exams.

After luncheon I went to see Kathleen, she had a very nice girl Heath Harrison staying with her & we all went shopping together & then I went back to tea there. I dined with Miss Heathcote & she took me to see "Eileen" it wasn't a good play but the acting was excellent, Irene Vanburgh [ Vanbrugh ],Link opens in a new window Dion BoucicaultLink opens in a new window & Rosina Fillipi [ Filippi ].Link opens in a new window

I went to see Miss Wolff on Saturday morning & then to Anne, we sat & talked for a bit & then I took her to have luncheon at the Cinderella, then we went back to York Terrace & met Christina & Barbara & they went to a cinema & I went back to the flat to help Shortie finish packing. We went down by the 4.55. Peggy met me at the station as she was coming down with me for the week-end. Mummy & Daddie were both away so we were quite alone. It was simply lovely having here; we talked a great deal & looked over all the old photographs of us at the seaside and laughed at them & said "don't you remember this?" & "do you remember that?" She had to go up by the 8.40 on Monday because of the hospital.

Shortie & I went up for the day yesterday. I shopped hard with Anne all the morning trying to find an evening dress for nothing at all in the sales.

We went to Edith Clarke, Redfern,Link opens in a new window Marshall, Maud Moore, Machinka, Viola, Elspeth Phelps & several others whose names I don't know. I met her again after luncheon & we continued the quest and finally I went back to Redfern & bought a beautiful red chiffon velvet dress with chrystal shoulder straps which I had seen there in the morning it is that wonderful red which is both scarlet & crimson & it was eight guineas having been thirty eight. Everyone seems to like it. I went to tea with Peggy & then dashed on to see Vallie & she came to the station with me. She looks extremely well and is most cheerful & talked without ceasing.

The weather is awful, torrents of rain & gales of wind.

I think Kathleen is coming to stay to-morrow.

Monday July 17th 1922.

Kathleen came down to stay Friday before last. She was dead tired when she arrived but having slept like a log at the slightest opportunity she recovered by Saturday. It was simply lovely having her here. We were prevented from doing anything much by the rain for the first few days but she was able to do some sketching. Monday was a lovely day and we started forth at 10.30 and by slow degrees, sketching on the way, arrived at Hosey Common where we lay in the heather and bracken and smoked and talked our heads off. We neither of us had watches on with the result that it was only by the merest chance that we returned home at 5.15!

We both went up to London the next morning because I was going to stay the night with her for the Bailey's dance. Kathleen discovered that I was going up again on Friday for the Speaker'sLink opens in a new window dance and Mrs Corry very kindly asked me to stay on for that which was splendid. I went to luncheon with Alice on Tuesday; she has a very pretty little house in Eaton Terrace. Our two partners came to dine. Kathleen's was Ernold Richardson who is, I think a vague cousin, & mine was the younger des Graz who is just back on leave from Ireland. It was a good dance though rather overcrowded & I enjoyed it. We had great fun pulling people to bits when we got home. We had breakfast in bed together next morning & I spent most of the rest of the morning helping Kathleen to do the Daub & Scrawl. Lady Jane GreyLink opens in a new window came to luncheon & she & Kathleen went off to play golf in the country.

I walked from Sloane Gardens to Day's Library doing one or two things on the way, then went to tea with Anne and we teased each other hard. On the way back I called in for a book which Barbara was going to lend me thus walking from York Terrace to Oxford Circus and so home. Kathleen got back absolutely dead at 8.30.

Next morning I went across to Culford Gardens to see Aunt Mabel & Vallie and to my amazement found Patsy there, I hadn't seen her for years & years. She came with me to the Haymarket where I was getting theatre tickets for Mrs Corry, then to St Martin's where I was going to meet Kathleen & there we parted. Kathleen & I walked up Shaftesbury AvenueLink opens in a new window looking at frocks and she found in magenta one she liked very much, then we went up Regents Street & she found & bought an extraordinarily pretty black lace toque Russian coronet shape. We meandered about for some time longer & then suddenly the thought of the time struck us to our horrified indignations it seemed it must be at least 2 o'c & we tore happily arriving at 1.20 to find that luncheon was at 1.30 with Mr White the parson of Holy Trinity Sloane St & his wife to luncheon.

Anne Talbot came after luncheon and we all including Mrs Corry sallied forth to see the magenta frock which was not altogether approved of by Mrs Corry but was finally purchased. I went to tea with Peggy but scarcely saw her at all because Shuttie who has just got back from California came to tea.

Mrs Corry, Kathleen & I went to see "The Dover Road"Link opens in a new window by Milne that evening it was excessively funny.

K & I talked for ages in my room when we got back and just when I was getting into bed she crept into my room again in her evening dress, the new hat & a big fur muffling her face & her eyes blacked and gave me such a fright!

We did nothing much on the first part of Friday morning till Kathleen went to Sandown with some friends and I went shopping & to see Miss Wolff. I went to see Anne directly after luncheon; she went to Scotland yesterday so that was the last time I saw her before she went. I went to tea with Peggy but saw even less of her than the day before because Julia Davis had just fallen through some glass & cut her leg which agitated everyone very much & there were people running in & out of the house all the time.

I took Harry & Gerald to the dance at the Speaker's House. It was an awfully nice dance & not a bit crowded but I felt tired & not very well so Mrs Corry made me promise to leave early.

Kathleen went to Lord's at luncheon time being the second day of the Eaton [ Eton ] & Harrow match.Link opens in a new window I came down here by the 3.50. I enjoyed my visit enormously.

Mummy has got back from Bath & I think she is better for the change.

Friday July 28th 1922.

I went to London on the Tuesday after I left the Corry's. I went first to the Club to see Margaret and had luncheon there then deposited my luggage at the flat and went to Kathleen we sat in the gardens and talked all the afternoon and I stayed to tea. After tea I went to see Peggy. We were going to an At Home of Mrs Eckstein's that evening and when I began to dress I suddenly made the awful discovery that we'd forgotten to bring up any evening shoes. I telephoned to Kathleen & then dashed round there and she lent me a pair. It was a very good At Home as At Homes go. Crowds of people and desperately tiring. Kathleen came round on Wednesday morning and we sat in the park and talked the whole morning.

Daddie was presented with a gold medalLink opens in a new window from the American Geographical Society that afternoon. The presentation was made by the American AmbassadorLink opens in a new window at the American Embassy. We went and there were a good many people there and people made speeches and proposed votes of thanks to one another. It is a very fine medal and weighs nearly a pound. I went on from there to Kathleen and had tea with her and she came back to the flat with me. We came down here that evening.

London again on Friday for the Royal Garden Party. We had luncheon with Aunt Mabel and met there Aunt Mabel's sister-in-law Mrs HargreavesLink opens in a new window who is the original Alice of "Alice in Wonderland"; she didn't look much like vanishing down a rabbit hole.

There were nearly 10,000 people at the garden party.Link opens in a new window We saw heaps of people we knew and enjoyed it very much.

I did a little shopping and went to see Miss Wolff on Saturday morning. In the afternoon Daddie and I went down to Lady Buxton (the one we met in Skye) for the week-end. They live at a place called Warlies near Waltham Cross and on the borders of Epping Forest. The people consisted of Sir Fowell Buxton her eldest son who lives with her; another son and his wife; the Rev: and Mrs Barnsley and a young Mr Harold Peak. It was very nice indeed though the weather was not all it might have been. We got back on Monday morning & I did nothing all the morning (Kathleen is away). Harry came in with Daddie after luncheon. Poor Harry has been sent away from Sandhurst owing to general unsuitability and is going out to South Africa with Vallie.

I went to tea with Peggy. Mrs Low gave a small dance for her that evening and I went taking Gerald Bond, it was huge fun and I had an awfully good time. The end was Rowland,Link opens in a new window a friend of his, Gerald and I dancing ring a ring o' roses in the middle of Grosvenor Street (I drew the line at "we all fall down!") and shouting to every taxi that came within sight!

I went to see Margaret Adams on Tuesday morning. Shortie & I shopped in the afternoon and came down here after tea.

I'm going to Wierton for the week-end to-morrow till Tuesday, Vallie comes here for two nights on Wednesday; we go to Lady Margaret Watney Saturday till Tuesday, then I go to Barbara for a week and then perhaps to Ashtead, so there may be a gap in my diary!

Annes having a lovely time in Scotland. I am so glad.

I read a wonderful book the other day called "The World's Illusion"Link opens in a new window by Wassermann.

Thursday August 3rd 1922

I went to Wierton on Saturday doing a highly complicated cross country journey to Maidstone. I was taken straight from the station to join Daisy at a tennis party and we drove back to Wierton together when she got away from there. There was no one at Wierton except Sophie who married General Renner and is shortly going to join him in Japan. She is very amusing and an angel of the first water.

Sunday was a more or less nasty day as far as the weather was concerned. We went over to Tenterden about 15 miles away in the afternoon to see Diana Robson who has the most delightful house there. We had tea with Lady Robson and Kathleen RobsonLink opens in a new window who is just engaged was there, also Captain & Mrs Perie.

On Monday Daisy and I went to luncheon with Marieke to see her new house which is close by and very pretty. They had a tennis party in the afternoon but mercifully as there were a good many too many girls I was not called upon to play.

We had great fun in the evenings before going to bed setting booby traps for Sophie, filling her bed with the contents of the wast paper basket and other oddments, hiding under her bed and pinching her legs when she came in and finally having a wild fight with wet sponges, the entire contents of one of which she squeezed down my neck!

I left on Tuesday morning. Mrs Ward-Cook came down for luncheon & tea that day.

I went to London for the day yesterday and did some shopping and had a fitting and went to see Kathleen before she went away; we shopped and had tea at Fuller and she came to Cannon Street with me. She went to Aix to-day for three weeks and was not looking forward to it at all but I expect she'll like it after a bit.

Vallie came yesterday for a couple of nights and being absolutely dead tired she stayed in bed till tea time to-day. Her tongue is, however, going at full speed now!

We go to London at 7.49 a.m to-morrow morning!

Sunday September 3rd 1922.

This is a terrible gap but I have been away paying visits for a month and it is useless to take a diary with one.

We went up to London at 7.49 on that Friday and we went straight across to King's Cross to get the train for Sharnbrook because we were going down to ColworthLink opens in a new window (Mummy's old home) for the day for Daddie and me to see it. Lady Bowen who is living there now was charming and let us go everywhere and see everything. It is a lovely house but is a good deal altered since Mummy lived there and the Bowens have not got very good furniture. The gardens are beautiful and they gave us masses of flowers when we came away.

We got back to London that evening and the next afternoon went down to Cornbury ParkLink opens in a new window near Oxford to stay the week-end with the Watneys. Cornbury is lovely, it belonged at one time to the Lord Chancellor Clarendon and is most Jacobean; it is full of beautiful pictures and furniture. The party consisted of Lady Margaret, Mrs Watney, Sylvia, Togo, Mr Freddy Wallop, Mr Amherst, Lady Mary Amherst,Link opens in a new window Miss Angela Baring (whose sister married Jamie Balfour), Miss and Mr Gibbs, Mr Nesbitt and Miss Eileen Nesbitt, Sir Thomas Stafford and Mr and Mrs Clarke. They were all young people with the exception of Mr Wallop and Sir Thomas Stafford & Mr Nesbitt. Mary and Humphrey Amherst are the son and daughter of Lord Amherst of Montreul [ Montreal ] near here and they were so nice. We played a good deal of tennis and various more noisy games and it was the greatest fun. We left on Tuesday and broke our journey at Oxford to go and see Vallie who was staying there with Cousin Florrie and Cousin Lionel and going straight from there to Southampton on the Friday to sail for South Africa. Barbara and I explored Oxford a bit (we had already been in the day before from Cornbury); some of the colleges are quite lovely especially Magdalene. We said good-bye to Vallie and came up by an afternoon train.

The next day I went down to Corfe Castle (by myself!) in Dorset to stay with the Bentincks. I like Barbara so much and Joan is like no one else and quite delightful, Mrs BentinckLink opens in a new window is a Communist and wonderfully handsome and I like her extremely, Mr Bentinck I do not like, "Bill"Link opens in a new window in spite of all Anne says against him I did rather like. There was an quite nice youth Archie Hunter there when I arrived, later on we had Willie King whom I knew before. "Bill" bought down a girl called Helen Suton who was a minx and gave Barbara and me fits of giggles when she said coy things. Later on we had a nice little Italian Miss Castardi, a Mrs Pheydell and a Mr and Mrs Wingfield.

Joan was terrified of ghosts and we used to pin warnings to her bed and pretend we saw ghosts and make weird hissings and groanings and jump out from behind doors till her nerves were utterly gone. One night we filled Willie King's bed with rice, and altogether we behaved abominably. The country was lovely, very wild and hilly and mostly downs and moorland and quite near the sea. We motored and halted and went out on the sea in rowing boats. We went to Studland and Swanage and Lulworth Cove and Weymouth and also to Rempstone which is where the Bevans always go,Link opens in a new window it belongs to a cousin of theirs though they had it for some years and it is charming. The Bentinck's houseLink opens in a new window is very pretty, it is an old grey stone manor house in the village and has a lovely garden. I was there a week and then went to Ashtead via London. Aunt Lil was staying there and they were all of course awfully kind. I was there for three nights and then on the Saturday went to the Waldegraves at Warren Lodge. They had a tennis party the afternoon I arrived and I played vilely. They were very sad because they had to turn out of Warren Lodge at the end of last month; they had bought a house at Sunninghill near Ascot the day before I arrived and we went over there on the Monday; it is a fairly big long low red gabelled house with nice grounds but not a patch on Warren Lodge being surrounded by other houses while Warren Lodge is by itself on lovely Witley Common. I left on Wednesday and went back to Uncle Claude and Aunt Di for a week. I was very worried on Friday because I got a telegram from Anne to say Mr Bevan had had a serious operation at Oxford; I telegraphed and wrote at once and got a letter from her the next day to say the operation was on Wednesday for appendicitis peritonitis; she had been telegraphed for from Scotland and Mrs Bevan and Christina from Dinard and his condition was very grave. I have heard from her almost every day since and he is slowly getting better and is able to take food. Poor things it must be terrible for them, I don't think he is definitely out of danger yet.

We had a very nice tennis party at Ashtead on Sunday. I loved staying there, I used to tease Aunt Di and Aunt Lil unmercifully and so they did me. I came home on Wednesday spending an hour or two in London on the way. Mummy and Daddie and Shortie and the animals seem very well. Mr Wallop was staying here when I came and remained till yesterday.

Arthur Griffiths [ Griffith ]Link opens in a new window has died and Michael CollinsLink opens in a new window been killed in an ambush. It is a terrible blow for Ireland.

Tuesday September 19th 1922.

I went over to Wierton for a couple of nights on the Wednesday before last. The two boy Kleinwort cousins were there with their motor and we tore about the country at 55 miles an hour. We went for a picnic on some lovely downs the other side of Maidstone the first day and some very nice Caldicott girls went with us. The next morning I woke covered with what looked like a rash and thought I had got measles or scarlet fever or some other awful infectious disease and wondered how I could get away without its being noticed. I went down to breakfast in fear and trembling and in the middle of breakfast Lil accouted brightly to everyone in general "I've been bitten by some horrible insect" whereon I fell on her neck with joy! They turned out to be harvest bugs, most obnoxious beasts. We went for a motor drive that morning and there was a tennis party in the afternoon. The Kleinwort boys & I left the next morning.

Mrs Warde of SquerryesLink opens in a new window and her daughter who were staying here for a few days came to tea the day I got back.

I had a letter from poor Anne at the beginning of last week saying the doctors had found she had appendicitis too. She was operated on on Thursday and it was quite successful.

Mummy went up to London on Tuesday and motored down for luncheon on Thursday with Mrs Forbes.Link opens in a new window Mrs Forbes is a dear old American lady the daughter of Emerson and we hadn't seen her since she was in England before the war.

Daddie and I went to Church at Limpsfield Chart about a couple of miles from here on Sunday evening. It is a modern church extraordinarily nice inside with plain stone walls and Medici prints on them. The service is beautifully done.

Major NortonLink opens in a new window of the Mount Everest expedition came down for luncheon and tea yesterday and Margaret Reginald Abel Smith whose mother had the Miss Liddell's house for the summer came to luncheon too.

Lil is coming to stay for a couple of nights to-day. I'm sorry to say it is pouring in torrents.

There is a Turco-Greek war going on. The Turks have taken SmyrnaLink opens in a new window and are massacreing the inhabitants and altogether the outlook is very black.

Tuesday Oct: 3rd 1922.

Lil duly came on the Tuesday before last. She seemed very happy here. I took her up for a walk that led through some woods and we got lost and soaking wet which she seemed to enjoy thoroughly. I had to go to London for the day on Wednesday because it was the first day of Trinity College which I have started again for music and singing. Mr Kleinwort came over and fetched Lil in the motor at tea-time on Thursday.

Betty and Mr Wilton both came to stay on Saturday and Mr Wilton left on Monday. Betty and I spent a good deal of our time copying each other's music; she sang for us a good deal, she really has got a lovely voice. I went to London on Wednesday and saw Peggy who had just got back from Italy where she seems to have had a most lovely time. Poor Mummy is laid up in London; she got up on some steps to regulate a clock hanging on the wall the other day, the steps over balanced and she fell and hurt her leg rather badly. She didn't take much care of it and went up to London and then it got worse and now shes in bed there and the doctor says she can't be moved. I think its getting a bit better now. Betty left on Thursday: it was great fun having her.

I went into Sevenoaks on Friday afternoon to a meeting of the Girl's Diosisan [ Diocesan ] Association for a reading of a mystery play which they have asked me to take part in.

On Saturday I went to London for the day; I went first to the flat to see Mummy who was better; then to Day's where I met Peggy and Rowland and we went to Gunter's and had ices. Then I tore back to the flat and tidied and went to luncheon with Kathleen. Lovely to see her again and we had so much to say that we were both stricken dumb! I went back to the flat and then on to the Guild of Fellowship Quarterly Meeting; it was held in the Crypt because the Church is being re-decorated. Mr Sheppard was there and the Bishop of StepneyLink opens in a new window spoke but unfortunately he pitched his voice so low that one could scarcely hear a word he said. I had just time to go and get some tea and then had to rush off and catch my train.

Lady Emma CrichtonLink opens in a new window motored down for the week-end and left this morning. We started off to go for a drive in Knole ParkLink opens in a new window on Sunday afternoon but when we got to the gates they said no motors were allowed through so we had to turn round and depart and went to see Lord and Lady Amherst at Montreal instead; Mary Amherst was still away. Yesterday afternoon we went a most lovely drive to Penshurst,Link opens in a new window when we got there we discovered that Lady de L'Isle was abroad but they showed us the state apartments, which are wonderful. There is a drawing-room which is the same as it was when Queen Elizabeth was there.

Anne and Mr Bevan are going on well.

Thursday October 19th 1922.

I've just been doing accounts till my head whirled round - however, thats quite beside the point.

On Wednesday after the day Lady Emma left I went to London and remained there for a couple of nights. I went up by the 8.40 leaving the house two minutes before that time and falling into it almost as it was moving. I went first to the flat to see Mummy who was - and is - still laid up there. Then to T. C for my music and singing lessons, then back to the flat to tidy and Mr WiltonLink opens in a new window called for me there and took me to luncheon at the TrocaderoLink opens in a new window and then to see "Tons of Money"Link opens in a new window which is the funniest thing I have seen for ages.

Thursday morning I had a committee meeting of H.M.U.H and in the afternoon I went to see Kathleen, the strings of our tongues were entirely loosened by that time and the only difficulty was to get one to listen to the other. We did shopping and various other things of that sort and had tea at Stewarts in Picadilly [ Piccadilly ], then went and sat in the Park, then went to Westminster Cathedral to look at the side chapels there most of which are quite beautiful. Next morning I spent a hectic hour dashing into second hand book shops in Charing Cross Road trying to get Francis Thompson's Poems;Link opens in a new window none of them had them and several seemed as though they had never heard of him.

I came down here by the 12.15 and Kathleen came for the week-end arriving at 5. She is the most perfect visitor and I simply loved having her. We went out sketching on Saturday morning. Daddie went to Oxford on Sunday to take the chair at a meeting. We were excessively lazy all day but struggled as far as Church in the evening. Monday morning we went blackberrying and she left by the after tea train and I saw her no more till the next day! I went to London on Tuesday mainly to see Anne who was there for a few days on her way to the Waldegraves because her head had been very bad and they thought she ought to see the doctor who was looking after her before. I went to see her after luncheon; she was much worse than I expected being in bed and scarcely able to talk and only supposed to see people for 10 minutes at a time. I went from there to Kathleen and we went out then I went back to tea with her and again we went out & then I went home (to the flat).

Wednesday I had music and singing, then I shopped and went home for luncheon. After luncheon I went to see Kathleen and she asked me to go to a birthday party Mrs Corry was giving for her at the Savoy on Friday night. Wild excitment ! We shopped and she came back to tea with me and then I came back here. I did a great many things on Thursday and Daddie and I went to tea with an extremely nice Mrs Gurney Fox at the bottom of Crockham Hill.

I went into Sevenoaks on Friday afternoon for a rehearsal of the mystery play and from there up to London dashed to the flat and got ready for the SavoyLink opens in a new window (having polished my nails in the train coming up!) The party consisted of Mrs Corry, Kathleen, Betty, Heath Harrison, Evelyn Townshend, Mr Barrow, Mr Richardson, Mr Whatton, Mr Neville and Captain Whiteford. I sat at dinner between the two last mentioned. We danced till 2 when it closed: it is a very good room and band but being under ground was terrificly hot. Captain Whiteford and I hit it off very well and discussed and argued about politics and every sort of thing. We danced and sat out together nearly the whole evening. Mrs Corry left quite early in the evening. When the Savoy closed we all went to Captain Whiteford's rooms and played about and Mr Richardson did card tricks and they mostly came out all wrong. Then we decided we wanted somthing warming so we set off in search of a coffee stall; Kathleen and I with top hats on our heads and Captain W bearing aloft a scarlet parasol. On our way we passed the Hotel BelgraviaLink opens in a new window which has bay trees in tubs at at the doors, one of these we stuck in the middle of the road. At the coffee stallLink opens in a new window we drank hot oxo out of the saucers and presently several policemen arrived and enquired what we had put the bay tree in the middle of the road for; they were very nice and we laughed and joked then we all raced to the tree and as we got there Mr Richardson slipped and fell and as the roads had just been watered he was a little damp by the time he got up. Then everyone except Captain Whiteford and I crammed into one taxi and went off. He and I walked back the way we had come searching the gutters with the aid of matches for a paste comb of Kathleen's which she had missed; unfortunately we didn't find it and having given it up as a bad job he walked home with me. By that time it was 4! I woke at 10 to 9 next morning and was with Anne by 10. She seemed ever so much better and very cheerful. Betty took her down to the Knole (their new house) that morning. I went from there to Kathleen she and Heath were still in bed when I arrived! Apparently when they left us they went to the garage and got out Mr Richardson's two seater and all (seven of them) crammed into it and drove at terrific speed narrowly escaping islands and lamp posts, finally they asked where they were and found they were at Islington! They got back at 5.30 having, as they subsequently discovered, gone 20 miles. Kathleen got dressed by very slow degrees and then went out to luncheon dropping me near 3 B.G on the way. I came down here by the 3.45. Colonel Gabriel came down for the day on Sunday and stayed to dinner.

I went to London on Monday for the Everest meeting and went straight to Kathleen (Kathleen seems to loom very large on the horizon!) she had the most appaling cold as a result of the motor drive. We went out and shopped and by the end of the morning she couldn't speak at all.

Friday October 25th 1922.

I went to see Kathleen again in the afternoon to leave some books of hers that I had borrowed. I went to tea with Lilac and saw the little boy; I'm not sure whether I mentioned that she had a little boy just over a month ago. She was wonderfully nice and so was Simon. The baby takes a gloomy view of life but is a dear all the same with big deep blue eyes and a fine crop of golden-brown hair.

The Everest meeting was in the evening at the Central Hall. It was very full and a splendid meeting. It was the first appearance of Lord RonaldshayLink opens in a new window as the new President. The speakers were General Bruce,Link opens in a new window Colonel Strutt,Link opens in a new window & FinchLink opens in a new window and Mallory:Link opens in a new window they all spoke well but Daddie thought General Bruce the best. Some of the slidesLink opens in a new window were beautiful.

Betty came to see me at an early hour of Tuesday morning. I came down here by the 12.15 and Mrs Douglas (an old friend of Daddie's) and Miss Brown (the lady who lives with her) came down for luncheon by the same train.

I went up to London for the day again on Wednesday for my music and singing lessons, I saw Peggy in the afternoon and Kathleen came to tea still with a terrible cold. I came back here in the evening very glad to think I hadn't got to go up again till next Wednesday.

Poor Mummy is still laid up in London with her leg and the doctor won't let her be moved. As a matter of fact I think the rest will be very good for her but she feels very ill at times.

There have been great political excitments lately, first we very narrowly avoided a war with TurkeyLink opens in a new window and the Government came in for a good deal of criticism over the question. Yesterday the Conservative party held a meeting at the Carlton ClubLink opens in a new window they voted by a large majority for becoming an independent party again and being separate from the coalition. Lloyd George resigned yesterday afternoon and the King sent for Bonar Law and asked him to form a Government. There will probably be a General Election next month.

Daisy is coming to-morrow for the week-end.

Sunday October 29th 1922.

Daisy came last Saturday for the week-end and Sophie and Lil came over with her and stayed to luncheon.

She and I went to tea with Mrs Andrae and saw all the little girls (five of them under 7!). On Sunday afternoon we went for a walk in Squerryes and all the autumn colourings were too lovely for words. Miss Colville and Miss Deane came to tea. Lil came over in the car on Monday morning to take Daisy back.

I went to London for the day on Wednesday. The morning went in the usual way. I went to luncheon with Peggy and afterwards met Betty at the Wigmore Hall for a kind of musical At Home given by her new singing master Mr Mocklidge in his room there. An ex Wesh [ Welsh ] miner who has a wonderful bass voice was to have sung but he had a bad cold. Captain Whiteford came to tea and we had a long political talk.

Shortie came down here for the day on Friday, very glad to get a little change. Daddie & I dined with the Boyds that evening to meet the Foxes who seem nice people.

We had the first snow yesterday and its bitterly cold to-day.

Mummy seems much the same. I think it is likely to be a long business. Its very bad luck.

Political events are going fast and furious. Parliament was dissolved on Thursday and everybody is making speeches and running down everyone else.

Friday Nov: 24th 1922.

Heaven only knows how I'm going to remember all the things that have happened in this interval.

I went to London on the Wednesday after whenever I left off for my music and singing lessons. I spent the afternoon with Kathleen and came down here by an early train because Daddie was giving a lantern lecture on Mount Everest here that evening. It was very good and the hall was full.

I went into Sevenoaks on Friday for a rehearsal of the mystery play. I also went to tea with the Vivian Smiths at Squerryes that day. It was the first time we had really met properly; they were alone just Lady SibylLink opens in a new window and Mary and Joyce and they are frightfully nice; we all roared and screamed with laughter and all talked at once and it was great fun.

I went to London for the week-end on Saturday and spent most of that morning in having my hair cut and shopping. Kathleen came round after luncheon and stayed to tea and in the evening she and I dined at the Picadilly [ Piccadilly ] with Jock Whiteford and another man and went to see "Mary Stuart"Link opens in a new window by John Drinkwater at Everyman's Theatre; it was wonderfully acted and I thought extraordinarily good. We went back and danced afterwards at the Piccadilly. On Sunday morning we went to St Martin's and heard Mr Sheppard preach a splendid sermon on "Christianity and Politics"; it was lovely to go back there again and - comparisons are odious – but it was a great relief from the Church here. Kathleen came in the afternoon and stayed to tea and there was a prepetual swarm of people to see Mummy. On Monday I went to luncheon with Alice. She was awfully nice and very cheerful. Kathleen came to tea. I was going back by the 6.30 train but Mummy suddenly got the wind up and said I couldn't go down alone by that train and I must either stay the night or go down with Daddie by the midnight train; I said I would go do the latter and Kathleen and I thought it was a pity to waste a whole evening so we went and had sausages and chips at Slaters and then went to see "The Dippers"Link opens in a new window in the pit; it was one of the most feeble and worse acted plays I have ever seen.

I had a hectic day here on Tuesday and then went up to London on Wednesday and remained there till Saturday. Daddie and I went to Margaret Napier's wedding in the afternoon; Lil and Daisy and Kathleen and various other people were there but I was in a bad temper and didn't enjoy it much. I went to tea with the de Lyndens.

Thursday morning nothing happened. Betty and I went together to Joan Bentinck's weddingLink opens in a new window in the afternoon. Joan looked fearfully pretty and attractive with a wreath of orange blossom round her bobbed hair and a gold lace dress and long train. We went to the reception and Betty came back to tea with me. Kathleen came after tea.

On Friday morning I went to a committee meeting of H.M.U.H and Margaret (Adam) took me back to luncheon with her; after luncheon we went back again to H.M.U.H for a working party. The de Lyndens and Aunt Mabel came to tea. I went to see Cecil at her club in the evening.

Saturday was Armistice Day. Shortie and I went to St Martins; they had first the singing of "The Supreme Sacrifice" then the Silence at 11 and then choral communion with a beautiful address by Mr Sheppard. Kathleen and I went to see "The Immortal Hour" from the gallery in the afternoon; it is a Celtic legend; the libretto is from the poem by Fiona MacleodLink opens in a new window set to music by Russell Boughton and is really lovely and most wonderfully staged and produced.

We tore from the theatre to Waterloo and I caught the 5.48 down to Ascot to stay the week-end with the Waldegraves. Anne was there and we had terrific arguments and discussions all day long. I'm afraid I had a demoralizing effect on her, she said she had been very serious and well-behaved till I came but we used to go into fits of laughter over the most ordinary and harmless remarks. Esther was away in Scotland but Betty was there and I got to know her a good deal better.

I bought Anne up to London on Tuesday and put her in a taxi and sent her off to York Terrace. I met Cecil after luncheon and went with her to see the house she has taken in Chester Mews to set up an antique shop there. Then I went to Crewe House to meet Cousin Ruth for the annual meeting of the Lend-A-Hand Club. A man gave a very good address on "Toc H"Link opens in a new window and we were given a first rate tea. I dined with the de Lyndens and we went to Bertrand Russell'sLink opens in a new window eve of Election meeting (he was standing as Labour candidate for Chelsea but didn't get in), the hall was packed when we got there and an overflow meeting in another hall was equally full, we should have got in at all if the BaronessLink opens in a new window hadn't happened to know the woman at a side door and she let us through into the place where they were waiting to go onto the platform so we were able to stand right by the platform and I ended by sitting on it! Lord HaldaneLink opens in a new window was in the Chair and Bertrand Russell, Lord RussellLink opens in a new window and two Labour men spoke. Some of the speeches were excellent. Bertrand Russell spoke mainly on foreign relationships, the housing question and the Capital Levy.

Betty came to see me at the screech of dawn on Wednesday. I was so tired in the afternoon that I just gave up and went to sleep. We came down here in the evening.

Sunday Nov: 25th 1922.

I went into Sevenoaks for a rehearsal of the mystery play on Friday. Kathleen came in the evening for the week-end. She had come straight from another visit in Gloucestershire and she came into my room the first morning to say she'd just got forwarded from Sloane Gardens a letter from her to Mrs Corry telling her all her movements; she'd addressed the envelope to Miss Corry instead of Mrs Corry! The letter was rapidly followed by a reply paid telegram from poor Mrs Corry to know whether Kathleen was with us. We didn't do anything very thrilling but it was lovely having her and I missed her dreadfully when she left on Monday afternoon. Mr Wilton also came on Saturday for the week-end and told us all sorts of interesting things and amusing stories.

We went to London on Tuesday and I stayed the night. I went to see Lil and Daisy in the morning and in the afternoon Daddie and I went to the first exhibition of the Everest film.Link opens in a new window It is quite extraordinary good especially the first part in the tropical forests and later on where they are crossing the snows and going through the ice cliffs at the foot of Everest. It is marvellous what a difference movement makes and what a much clearer idea it gives one. I went to tea with Kathleen and remained to dinner and had a good talk.

I went to Trinity College on Wednesday morning. Kathleen and I lunched at a restaurant and shopped and then I went back to the flat to see Pompey who has suddenly re-appeared again; they have been in the Pyrenees for a long time and he looks very well and is shortly expecting a daughter - or son. Kathleen came and rejoined me at the flat and we went to the Medici Gallery and then she went out to tea and I went back to the flat for ½ a minute and then to St Martin's where Studdert-KennedyLink opens in a new window was preaching for the Westminster Mission which is taking place in every Church in Westminster from Nov: 18th - 28th. He was wonderful but I had to come away before the end of the service and barely caught my train then.

Mummy came down on Wednesday morning and seems to have stood the journey well. She is much better but only just able to walk.

The flat is let and we finally got out of it on Wednesday. It is a good thing it has gone but very sad to leave it and I can't think we shall never stay there again after having had it for twelve years.

I went to Sevenoaks for rehearsals on Friday and Saturday and on the latter day stayed to luncheon with the Burnetts; they are so nice.

The opening of ParliamentLink opens in a new window took place last Thursday. The Conservatives have a majority of 80 over all parties. Labour has won 140 seats and Ramsey [ Ramsay ] Macdonald is Leader of the Opposition.

I had a long letter from Jock the other day. He is doing a gunnery course on Salisbury Plain and doesn't seem to be exactly enjoying it.

It is bitterly cold here.

Sunday December 10th 1922.

Miss Burnett came to tea on the Monday before last and we swopped stamps.

I went to London that Tuesday and spent the morning with Anne and lunched with Mr Wilton at the "Troc" and he took me to see "Phi Phi",Link opens in a new window it is a revue and moderately good. We had tea at Stewarts and telephoned to Kathleen and she came along there and so I saw her for a bit before I had to go off and catch my train. I went up again the next day for Trinity College. I met Betty after the College and we went and had luncheon at a Lyons and then went to see "The Beggar's Opera"Link opens in a new window from the gallery. I simply loved it, the colouring and music and dancing were all charming. I went to tea with Peggy.

There were rehearsals at Sevenoaks on Friday and Saturday.

Baron and Baroness de Lynden motored down on Sunday afternoon and Aunt Mabel and Uncle Eric who were staying with Miss Liddell came over with her for tea.

I went to London on Wednesday and it was the last day of the term at Trinity College. Anne and I walked in the park in the morning. I went to luncheon with Anne Talbot and I like her most awfully. We went to meet Kathleen after luncheon and I shopped with her and had tea with her and then went to the Kleinwort's where I was staying the night for a dance. There was a dinner party of fourteen beforehand and then we went to the dance given by a cousin Mrs Andrae (not the one who lives here). I took Mr Blackburn and Tom Fitzgerald Cousin Ruth's nephew. It was a very good dance. Next day I went to a committee meeting of H.M.U.H and afterwards Margaret and I went to the Club and had luncheon and then I went to see Anne and then to Margaret's house where she had a drawing-room meeting and the clergyman of the new parish we have taken on (St Luke's Kilburn) spoke on "The Factory Girl"; he was very good and most interesting but some of the things he told us were very depressing. Kathleen was there and I left with her and went back to Belgrave Square and had tea there and saw Alice and Paul and then came down here.

Mummy seems better and is able to walk more easily.

Sunday Dec: 17th 1922.

I went up to London on Monday to stay with the de Lyndens for a few days. Betty, Grizel Hay and I lunched at the Cinderella and then went down to the H.M.U.H place in Fleet St to join some others including Margaret for a visit to Bryant and May's match factoryLink opens in a new window in Poplar. Kathleen met us there and we went went over the factory in two parties. It was most fearfully interesting; all the girls were extraordinarily nice but the noise and the heat and the smell were terrific. It is simply marvellous the rapidity with which they do things and the machinery was enthralling, seeing a peice of cardboard go in at one end and come out a match box at the other and a log of wood coming out in yards and yards of match boarding the thickness of paper.

I went to tea with Lil and Daisy. I dined with the Bevans for a charade party they were having in the evening. It was huge fun. Lil and Daisy, Barbara, Kathleen, Mr Blackburn, Kunz, Willie King, Charles des Graz and one or two other people were there.

I went to see Anne on Tuesday morning and stopped with her. Then went to luncheon with Mr Wilton at Jules, he had a small party including Pompey who seemed very cheerful. I went to see Kathleen after luncheon and we both felt very limp so we sat and talked. I went to tea with Peggy and she was awfully nice. Mrs Rupert Leigh has died of double pneumonia and pleurisy, I am so sorry for poor Robin because his fatherLink opens in a new window died too a few years ago. I dined with Aunt Mabel, Uncle Eric and Julian and we played games after dinner till past 11.

The Baron started doing a pencil drawing of me on Wednesday morning; then I went out with Aunt Mabel to try and find an evening dress for Barbara. Then to meet Betty at Anne's, then back for a hurried luncheon (they were out for luncheon) then to see Kathleen for about ½ an hour, then to meet Lil at Brook Street and walk across the park with her and then back to Brechin Place (the de Lyndens) and thank goodness I went out no more that day! They had an Oxford undergraduate Francis PetreLink opens in a new window staying with them part of the time; he is supposed to be one of the leaders of the aesthetics. The de Lyndens are charming and so interesting and clever.

I went to help sell at an H.M.U.H sale of work on Thursday morning and then tore back for an half hour sitting for my picture, then went to the Stores to have my hair cut, then went to see Kathleen and we tore about shopping. I went back for tea and to collect my luggage and met Daddie at Charing X [ Cross ] and came down by the 6.34 feeling like a small and limp grease spot.

There was a dress rehearsal of the mystery play on Friday.

Anne Talbot came down for the day yesterday. She is so nice and we talked a great deal.

Sunday Christmas Eve 1922

I went into Sevenoaks on Monday for a rehearsal and straight up to London from there to stay a couple of nights with Kathleen for two dances. We shopped in the afternoon and had tea with Anne Talbot. The dance that evening was at the Stiles' over the road. Julian came with me (Kathleen was asked without a partner) and Lil and Cyril Kleinwort were there and it was really fun. Kathleen and I talked till nearly 4.30 after we got back. Next morning I went to see Anne and we shopped and talked. Kathleen and I tore wildly about shopping in the afternoon. A very funny thing happened after tea, we both went to rest and at dressing time Kathleen came to wake me and she says I was lying on the bed with my eyes wide open but no expression in them she called to me but I took no notice so she went on calling and finally I turned slowly over then I remember waking and not knowing where I was and not recognizing Kathleen in the least and wondering what she was doing there and I said "who are you?" and it was quite a long time before she became real and solid.

We had two men to dine that evening Joe Napier and Alan Dent and a third a Captain Crewtson [ Crewdson ] came after dinner, they were all nice but the last was particularly so, very interesting and easy to talk to; he had stood against Noel BuxtonLink opens in a new window for Norfolk in the General Election. The dance was given by some people called Hodgson in Draycott Place. Julian was there and I enjoyed it most terrifically - even more than the night before.

In the morning I went to the de Lynden's and had a sitting for the pencil drawing the Baron is doing. Then I rushed back to see Kathleen and we shopped and I came down to Sevenoaks for a rehearsal by a 2.8 train and then out here by the 'bus afterwards. Lil came down on Thursday morning to be the angel in the Mystery Play and we went into Sevenoaks for the performance at the Women's Institute in the afternoon. It all went off very well & no one forgot their parts and I didn't get stage fright for which I was thankful never having acted before. Lil looked lovely as the angel and did it awfully well; she was dressed in a long straight white dress with deep gold trimming round the hem, neck and sleeves and a golden girdle and her hair tucked under and bound with a golden filet.

On Friday afternoon we went to see Mrs Andrae and then went to tea at Squerryes and helped to decorate the Christmas tree and stayed ages. I do like the Smiths; they are so cheerful and amusing. Lil went back yesterday afternoon. I went to tea at Squerryes for the Christmas party, they had a big Christmas tree in the middle of the hall and the tables all round the hall covered with presents for everyone all the servants had their presents and the Brownies came and had theirs and all the family gave each other presents and there were presents for everyone; I got a book and a basket of sweets.

Aunt Mabel and Uncle Eric have taken the Currie's house for three weeks and they and Julian and Maurice and Bridget came down on Friday and we have been to tea there this afternoon. It is so nice having them here.

Poor Mummy's leg started to swell again and got worse and shes had to go back to bed.

I have got a big pile of parcels to open to-morrow.

Friday December 29th 1922

We went to Church of course on Christmas morning and opened our presents in the afternoon. My presents were, Mummy enamelled sleeve links, Daddie fur gloves (Mummy and Daddie are also giving me a fur between them), Shortie lace handkerchief, Mrs Idie leather slippers, Uncle Vesey leather blotter, Lil and Daisy lovely pink crêpe de chine nightdress with lace insertion; Cousin Nell pink woolie and brooch; Uncle Jack and Aunt Madeleine brooch; Aunt Alys and Uncle Romer chocolates; Mr Wilton piece of beaver fur; Anne lip salve and anthology of Christmas poems; Miss Wolff three pairs of milanese silk stockings, one pair of heather mixture country ones, Blake's poems and Alice Maynell'sLink opens in a new window poems; Sir David Prain "The Apothecaries' Garden at Chelsea";Link opens in a new window Lil painted wooden figure of Polly PeachumLink opens in a new window (from "The Beggar's Opera"); Aunt Mabel pair of white doeskin gloves; Peggy "Poems of Today and To-morrow"; Kathleen plaster figure of a dog; Mary cut glass jar with silver top and "E" engraved on it; Nina vanity case; Lady Sibyl Smith (at the Squerryes Christmas party) "An Essence of the Dusk"Link opens in a new window by F.W. Bain; Alice flat pin cushion; Lady Barrington "A Hind in Richmond Park"Link opens in a new window by W. H. Hudson; Phyllis leather hand bag and Betty several of the "Songs of the Hebrides".Link opens in a new window My presents to other people this year were - Mummy black satin bag embroidered in blue; Daddie walking-stick; Shortie stamped leather needle case; Mrs Idie two papier maché trays; Peggy Eversharp pencil; Anne evening bag; Lil yellow linen handkerchieves; Daisy two small passe partout pictures; Kathleen "The Spirit of Man" Anthology; Alice yellow feather pen; Phyllis small painted bird; Betty evening handkerchieves; Mary yellow linen handkerchief; Mrs Simpson calender; Daisy and Dora pincushions and Miss Wolff small box.

Anne Talbot came over from Edenbridge for the day on Tuesday and we had a great talk; she really is awfully nice.

Shortie and I went to London on Wednesday and shopped most of the morning. I lunched with the de Lyndens and the Baron finished the pencil sketch of me, it is very good and terribly like me. I went to tea with Peggy and Mary Egerton and Roddy Boyd, to whom she is engaged, came in after tea which was faintly tiresome of them. We came down by the 7.18.

I am very excited because Uncle Oswald has sent me a cheque for £21 for Christmas and my 21^st birthday. It is awfully good of him and I shall have great fun spending it because I want to spend it all on one thing.

Daddie went down to Clifton the other day for a meeting of the College Council and travelled there and back with Sir Henry Newbolt,Link opens in a new window the SpeakerLink opens in a new window and HaigLink opens in a new window and Haig told them all about the war and how Foch was put in command and what a nuisance Lloyd George was; he says the French were quite done for.

Friday January 5th 1923.

I went to luncheon with the Liddells on Sunday to meet Joan Currie.

Monday was New Year's Day and my 21st birthday. Daddie took us all out in a motor in the afternoon. We went over Hosey Chart to ChiddingstoneLink opens in a new window and Penshurst and back over Ide Hill;Link opens in a new window it was a lovely drive. Aunt Mabel, Bridget, Julian and Maurice came to tea. I had a birthday cake with 21 candles on it and all the grease ran down onto the iceing. After tea we played "Pit"Link opens in a new window and all shouted and screamed ourselves hoarse. My presents were - Mummy cheque for £21; Daddie piece of Chinese silk; Shortie and Mrs Idie an Aladdin lamp (incandescent parrafin and gives a splendid light); Kathleen black silk hand bag and cigarette case; Daisy paste shoe buckles; the Liddells long cornelian necklace; my factory girl white crêpe de chine camisole; "Mitchie" tin of Edinburgh rock; Mrs Simpson evening bag, Uncle Holly lovely long blue Chinese necklace with jade and things at the end and Aunt Bobs blue necklace with chrystals in between.

I lunched with the Liddells on Tuesday and Julian's leave was up that day.

On Wednesday Shortie and I went to London and did a terrific shopping in the sales. I got a brown "Burberry" for £5.5; an excessively nice brown herring bone tweed country coat and skirt at Nicholls for £6.6 and a beautiful big wolf fur at Lucas in the city (that was Mummy & Daddie's Christmas present. We also got various odds and ends besides those things. I spent the night with Margaret Adam; we went to the cinema in the evening and saw "Oliver Twist",Link opens in a new window very good. There was a H.M.U.H committee meeting yesterday morning; it was long & rather dull. I had luncheon with the Adams and then went to Anne and was with her all the afternoon and had tea with her and we were able to have a really good talk. I wish we could see each other more often.

I'm going to the Sevenoaks Hunt Ball tonight with the Andreaes and Jock is coming down for the night for it.

Sunday January 14th 1923.

Jock and I dined with the Andreaes for the Sevenoaks hunt ball. The party consisted of Mr and Mrs Andreae, Ernest Kleinwort & Jock and me. Lil had been coming but she fell through and two other people who were got to take her place developed chicken pox a day or two before. The dance was held at the Constitutional Club in Sevenoaks and it was very well done except that the sitting out accomodation was quite inadequate. Jock and I danced together practically the whole evening and had several fierce arguments. There weren't many people I knew there and only one Londoner. Mrs Andreae was remarkably nice and I enjoyed my first hunt ball tremendously. Jock had to go off by the 8.40 next morning to get to the War Office.

Monday January 15th 1923

Next morning Ernest K'wort came for me in his motor and we went to the Meet at Nutfield about 12 miles from here. It was a big meet and looked extraordinarily pretty in brilliant sunshine. We tried to follow in the car but took a wrong turning and got mixed up with ducks and turkeys in a very muddy farmyard and by the time we extracted ourselves there was nothing but a few stragglers on the horizon. We went over to their place at Cuckfield for luncheon and came back in the afternoon bringing Cyril Kleinwort too. It was a glorious drive, bitterly cold but bright sunshine. Miss Medd-Hall came down for the day and was so nice. Maurice and Bridget dined here and we went to a small and very amusing dance given by the Andreaes.

The Dalglishes came to tea on Sunday and I went to see the Liddells afterwards taking presents for Bridget who was rejoicing in her 15th birthday.

Ernest AustinLink opens in a new window the composer came over on Monday and played for us nearly all the afternoon which was delightful. Hes going to teach me harmony by correspondance with the aid of Stainer's "Harmony".Link opens in a new window Bridget, Maurice & I went to the cinema in the evening.

There was a Meet on the village green on Tuesday but it was pouring with rain so it wasn't very thrilling. Bridget and Maurice came to luncheon and we went for a terrific walk in the afternoon.

I went to London for the day on Wednesday and re-started piano and singing lessons. I went to see Anne in the afternoon but had to come down by an early train because I was going to the Gurney Fox's dance which began at the inhuman hour of 8. I dined with the Liddells and Bridget Maurice, a Mr Farnworth, and I went to it. There were practically no Westerham people there and it was pretty solemn at first but we livened it up by playing hide & seek in the curtains and changing the labels on the supper. The Liddells left on Thursday. I missed them very much. Bridget and Maurice are awfully nice children.

I went to tea with the Middletons on Friday - very dull!

On Saturday Daddie and I lunched at Squerryes and went with them to a musical At Home given by old Mrs Talbot at FalconhurstLink opens in a new window near Edenbridge. Some of the music was very good and Anne T was there so we saw a bit of each other.

Yesterday at tea-time Cecil Fitzgerald suddenly appeared with Captain & Mrs Levenson Gower [ Leveson-Gower ] with whom she was staying. Joan Corrie and Miss Stretfield also came to tea.

Cousin Nell & Uncle Oswald are coming down this afternoon.

Saturday January 27th 1923.

Cousin Nell and Uncle Oswald came down for tea on the Monday before last. Uncle Oswald was awfully nice but didn't seem at all well.

I went up to London on Tuesday to spend the night with Peggy. I went to luncheon with Uncle Oswald and Aunt Bobs and saw the children who had all grown enormously. They were all going off to MentoneLink opens in a new window for about three months the next day. I spent the afternoon with Anne and got to Peggy at tea-time. Jock came to see me after tea. Mrs Leigh, Lord Leigh, Peggy and I went to see "Lilac-Time"Link opens in a new window that evening; the music was Shubert's [ Schubert's ] and quite charming. We went on to the Berkeley afterwards and Jock and a friend of Peggy's joined us there and we had supper and danced. We got back about 1.30 and Peggy and I talked till nearly 3.30!

Next morning I had my music and singing lessons and shopped and then went to luncheon with the Liddells; Bridget and Maurice were in hilarious spirits and they came shopping with me in the afternoon. I had tea with Peggy and then started back here and had an awful time getting down because all the trains were disconnected owing to fog and I had to wait 1½ hours at London Bridge and didn't get down here till 8.45.

I dined with the Boyds on Thursday and went to a rehearsal of Maline's Crucifixion" which they are going to do at Easter and I'm singing in the choir.

Lady Sybil and Mr Smith came to tea on Sunday.

I went to London for the day on Wednesday. Anne and I met in the morning and I lunched with Kathleen with great joy and we talked and shopped all afternoon. I went to tea with Lil and Daisy and then came down here.

Kathleen came down for the day yesterday arriving at 9.21! We went for long walks in the morning and afternoon and had terrific talks and laughs; Miss Deane and Miss Hanmer came to tea. K went back by the 8.45. The Dalglishes took me to dine with General Chandos Poole [ Pole ] Gell, it was great fun and we played NewmarketLink opens in a new window after dinner and I won 3/4.

Tuesday February 6th 1923.

I went to London last Wednesday, Anne met me at Trinity College and we did some shopping. I lunched with Kathleen and shopped after with her. I went to tea with Peggy.

On Thursday morning Mrs Dalglish and I hired some horses and went out riding! I practically hadn't ridden for 13 years but I'm glad to say I felt no inclination to fall off. We went through Valence ParkLink opens in a new window onto Hosey Chart, across the Chart and down a lane to the left and round back by ChartwellLink opens in a new window (the place that Winston Churchill has bought) and across the Chart into Valence again. After tea I went and helped Miss Deane with the Brownies. I suffered agonies of stiffness on Friday but went into Sevenoaks in the afternoon for a G.D.A meeting!

Mrs Dalglish and I rode again yesterday. Captain Dalglish motored us over to Limpsfield where the stables are and we went onto Limpsfield Chart and then through the woods by the Chart where one can get glorious gallops.

Friday February 17th 1923.

On Tuesday before last Miss Buxton came down for the day. It was a very nasty day cold and raining but she seemed to enjoy it (not the day coming down here I mean!) Daddie gave a lecture at a boy's preparatory school near here that evening and told the boys about climbing Everest with oxygen. Afterwards they had to write essays on the lecture and one boy said Everest could only be climbed if they had plenty of condensed Oxo to help them!

I went to London for the day on Wednesday. Had music and singing lessons, shopped, had a substantial luncheon at Lyons for 4d and spent the afternoon with Anne and we talked about a sense of humour and whether it was a good thing to be sorry purely from a selfish point of view if someone one was very fond of died i.e. supposing great friend having no relations or having them and not liking them to be run over by a tram car ought one to be sorry? Also is it a good thing that a sense of humour ceases to work under any form of strong feeling? Went to tea with Kathleen she was very worried about somthing - I can't say what - and I'm afraid I was very useless.

I went to London again on Thursday and remained there till Sunday morning. Shortie and I went up by the 12.20 and deposited my luggage at Miss Wolff's who was putting me up. I went with Kathleen to the Arts and Crafts ExhibitionLink opens in a new window at Burlington House. A good deal more Arts than Crafts, some very modern pictures, a few good designs for War Memorials, delightful little sculptured groups and some beautifully illuminated books. I had tea with Peggy. Lillah Bagwell was there and told us thrilling stories of her father Senator Bagwell'sLink opens in a new window escape, he was kidnapped by the Irregulars in Ireland but managed to escape and is now in England surrounded by detectives. We went shopping after tea looking for crettonnes and wall papers for Peggy. The Bevans had a small fancy dress dance in the evening. I went as a peasant nationality unknown; full red skirt with lines of gold braid, white muslin bodice and apron with coloured embroidery, very large different coloured-check sash and red cap with jangling gold coins. Betty was there and Barbara and Blackburn. Someone asked me if I was staying in England for long!

Next morning I went to the Stores to have my hair cut and met Shortie there and mislaid her and couldn't find her again. I shopped with Lil and Daisy and went to luncheon with Aunt Lil and Aunt Di and teased them tremendously. In the afternoon I went to meet Betty at her singing place and heard a girl with a glorious contralto voice who is just starting professionally - Cecil LucasLink opens in a new window - sing parts of the "Messiah". Betty and I bought a butter dish and walked in the Park and thought of a glorious plan of getting up a party to go to the Austrian Tyrol this summer. I went to tea with Peggy again and we sang "Songs of the Hebrides" and Songs of the North". I went to the Schröders small dance that evening taking Cyril Kleinwort. Lil and Daisy and Alice and Paul were there and Kathleen and Anne T and Betty and Kunz and Blackburn. It was rather a nice dance. I danced with Count Bernsdorff's [ Bernstorff's ]Link opens in a new window son who has just been appointed to the German Embassy here and asked him whether he was going to be in England long! Baroness Schröder was very nice to me.

I went with Miss Wolff to see a wonderful furniture shop on Saturday morning. Then I went to see Anne, Barbara was there too and told vulgar stories each one worse than the last. I went to the Corrys in time for luncheon as I was staying that night with them. Jock was in London for the week-end and I went with him to see the Sargent picturesLink opens in a new window at the National Gallery in the afternoon and he came back to tea at Sloane Gardens. Kathleen and I dined with him and a nice Captain Barrow a friend of K's at the Piccadilly that evening and danced afterwards. We stayed on some time after the dancing ceased because of an altercation with the waiter over sandwiches. Then we went back to Sloane Gardens and Kathleen fished in the kitchen and produced whisky and soda and water and ginger in a jar and cake and we made a terrible mess and laughed a great deal.

Next morning was a glorious sunny day and Kathleen and I came down here by the 11.5 train in hilarious spirits. The perfecting touch was the sight of Kathleen in brown tweeds streaking across Sloane Gardens in search of a taxi past the Donaldson's in navy blue and royal blue and white gloves walking slowly to church. We talked hard in the train and felt as though we were both going on a visit. This was a perfect thing to do to go and stay with her to go and dance and then for her to come back to the country with me on a sunny Sunday morning with both of us purring like two fat cats and it not only ought to have been perfect but was which doesn't happen very often.

We went for a walk in the afternoon and sat by the side of a lane and took our hair down and nearly went to sleep. After tea we made up riddles.

On Monday morning we had a most heavenly ride. We went alone and it was a perfect day and we bought buns and ate them as we went along; we went over Hosey and down a lane on the left and got into several fields and cantered there and my horse stopped rather suddenly once and I threw my arms round his neck shrieking with laughter and gracefully slid off and found it very difficult to get on again my breeches being too tight. We out for nearly two hours and were most loathe to return. We dressed up as boys in our riding things when we got back. Kathleen spent most of the afternoon making a sketch of my bed-room and after tea we went for a walk and came back in the dark along a very muddy field track. Tuesday morning we went up to Dunsdale to leave a note for Mrs Dalglish and in the afternoon practised driving with a golf ball on the lawn and I lost a brand new ball of Kathleen's in the bushes, then we cleaned Anne's bicycle which was here covered with rust and Kathleen took it with her when she went back by the 5.27. I went to London on Wednesday and stayed the night with Peggy. From Trinity College I went to Upper Berkeley Street to leave my luggage, then went to see Anne for a few minutes and then to luncheon with Anne T. Joan was there for luncheon but otherwise she was alone. She is thrilled by the Austrian scheme and we talked of it nearly the whole time. We went to leave a parcel for Kathleen after luncheon and found her in so we remained there most of the afternoon and I went on from there to Peggy. Lillah Bagwell was staying there and Rosemary Cohen came in to tea. Lillah, Peggy and I went to see "Polly"Link opens in a new window the sequel to "The Beggar's Opera". It was delightful though personally I thought it just fell short of "The Beggar's Opera" in everything. There was a very nice lieutenant of the Pirates Lieutenant Van der Bluff [ Vanderbluff ] who was very tall and unshaven with a mop of black hair and a large toothy smile and who said "blast my tarry top-lights". It was crowded and is a most enormous success. Peggy went on to join a party at the Grafton Galleries and Lillah and I went back to bed.

Yesterday morning I had a committee meeting of H.M.U.H, I arrived late but it was dull and nothing in particular happened. I went to luncheon with Kathleen, she came back from drawing half-way through luncheon. After luncheon she went with me to BassanoLink opens in a new window where I had my photograph taken, I hate being done but they are doing it for nothing. From there we went to Day's and then to Cork's to get particulars of trains and fares for the Tyrol. Owing to this wretched French occupation of the RuhrLink opens in a new window the Ostend - Vienna train isn't running which would mean going by Paris and Baul to Innsbruck instead of Saltzburg and makes a difference of £1.11.6 on the single 2nd class fare but we can hope that by the middle of July the trains will be running again. We went to tea with the Waldegraves who have taken a little house in Halsey StreetLink opens in a new window for two months. Betty sang, Mrs Waldegrave was quite charming and Esther went with me to the bus when I had to leave to catch my train and wants me to go with them to the Schröders on Tuesday.

I went to help at the village library this evening.

Sunday February 18th 1923.

Yesterday was lovely, big drifting clouds, sunshine, wonderful shadows, clean outlines and wind in the trees. I went up into Squerryes by the foot path to Crockham Hill and got quite a big bunch of primroses. I heard the hounds and would like to have stayed and seen them but I had Joffie with me and felt he would not distinguish himself if a pack of hounds came along so I departed.

Mrs Fox came for tea. She is cheerful and nice.

I have done practically nothing to-day except to go to Church and read most of the afternoon.

Tuesday February 27th 1923.

Monday before last I did practically nothing all day except to go and help at the library after tea. Monday is children's day and there were struggling hoards of children all trying to get at one bookcase and very few of them having any idea what they wanted. "Please miss will you choose a book for mother? and she didn't like the last one you sent her"!

Tuesday I should have gone to the Schröders dance and didn't.

Wednesday I went to London for the day as usual. First Trinity College music and singing. Then tore off to see poor Anne who has got to have another operation to her nose; such bad luck and she was coming down here last week-end but of course it was off; they now think it was the inoculations that brought on all the trouble again. I went to luncheon with the Kleinworts. Alice was there looking very blooming. We talked of nothing in particular at luncheon except the Schröders dance and various people who were there. Lil took me up to her studio after luncheon and showed me some oils she has done lately; she is extraordinarily good at doing country fields, and bare trees and big clouds. I telephoned to Anne Talbot to tell her I couldn't meet her that afternoon and went straight back to Anne. We talked about primroses — that is to say Nature and the beauty of Nature and whether one can find it completely satisfying and do without people, also whether one ought to be able to do without people and whether it isn't a weakness in oneself when one sees a thing subjectively and becomes blind to all the beauty in the world. We also talked about disillusionment and other things. At 5 o'c I began to think it was time to start to go to tea with Peggy but Anne wanted me to stay so I telephoned to Peggy, found she wasn't in and left a message to say I couldn't come.

Christina had a bad cold and felt extremely sorry for herself but was very amusing all the same. I caught the 6.34 train by the skin of my teeth.

Thursday morning was miraculously sunny after several days of pelting rain, however it was short lived and by the time I had got up into the Squerryes to pick primroses it was cloudy and dull. I went to the Brownies after tea and endevoured to teach a couple of small children to tie knots I was none too sure of myself while a small guide looked on and piped every now and then "oh we do it quite differently to that"! We also sang the Brownie song and had an enrolment and danced Sir Roger de Coverley.

Friday afternoon was heavenly. I went up to Farley Common and then across a footpath labelled "To Clackmanns"; the fields were literally under water and the mud was inches deep but it was marvellous, brilliant green fields, clear sunshine, shadows racing over the downs and woods with pussy willows and catkins and brown trees with little buds just beginning to bust. I got a bunch of primroses and came home caked in mud and thoroughly dishevelled and happy. Mrs Wishaw and Mrs Drayton and Mrs Lea (her two married daughters) came to tea. The latter has just come back from India and is delightful and most amusing. I went to help at the library after tea and did card indexing. Most of the books are left by the Carnegie TrustLink opens in a new window and they want a record of how much they are read so each book has its card with title, name of author etc: and whenever it is taken out the name of the reader has to be entered (in the case of children age too) date taken out and date returned.

Saturday. I went to London to stay the night with Kathleen. First I went and left my box at Sloane Gardens and on leaving there as I was crossing Sloane Square met Aunt Mabel who was very surprised to see me because she was staying the week-end with the Miss Liddells and lunching here that day. I went to leave a photograph at Anne Talbot's which I had passe-partouted for her. Then I went to see if any of the Waldegraves were at home and found Betty and we walked up Sloane Street and I got some wool at Heads then she left me and I went to the Pavilion to get some tickets for Mrs Corry, then to the library, then Trinity College for a singing lesson and then a frenzied tear back to Sloane Gardens for luncheon.

Kathleen, Mrs Corry and I went to see the film "Robin Hood"Link opens in a new window in the afternoon. A good deal of the story was an effort of the imagination but the staging was extremely well done; the Castle, town of Nottingham, Sherwood Forest and the Crusader's Camp were splendid and so were the banquets and tournaments. The great blot were the awful podgy faced, crimpy haired American women who were instantly recognizable as such even through the beautiful midaeval dress. It seemed most odd and strange to come out into a world of 'buses and taxis and newspaper boys after it. Kathleen and I went to bed early but with the invitation "come and do your hair in my room" which resulted in our trying different ways of doing up each other's hair and my trying on Kathleen's hats till nearly 11 o'c.

Wednesday February 28th 1923.

Sunday morning Kathleen and I went to St Martin's. It was very full but Mr Weavers put us into the reserved pews at the back. Mr Ritchie one of the new curates preached very well (Mr Sheppard is in America) and it was such a joy to go there and hear their music and escape from all the drawling responses we have here. We walked up the Haymarket to Piccadilly Circus after the service and got a 'bus to Hyde Park Corner and went into the ParkLink opens in a new window and Church Paraded and saw Lil and Daisy and the Waldegraves and various other people. I dislike Church Parade intensely.

Marieke's baby has arrived, it is another boy. She wanted a girl because shes got two boys already. Kathleen and I lazed all the afternoon. I went to tea with the Waldegraves and from there came down here narrowly missing my train. I discovered it was 5.45 when the bus reached Victoria and the train went at 6 so I scrambled off the bus and leapt into a taxi. When I got down here I discovered that Mummy has gone to Church; that is the longest distance shes walked since her illness.

Monday. I walked up onto Crockham Hill in the morning there was a terrific gale blowing and it was lovely to stand up there and be nearly blown away. Miss Beresford came to tea and I went to the library after tea, Miss Hanmer was at the table next to me. She is really nice and I like her enormously. A good many Brownies came for books and at the end I was surrounded by several Brownies and their friends all talking at once and a small boy with a beaming smile telling me a lurid story of how he'd given another small boy a "bloody nose" and how "it didn't 'alf bleed".

Tuesday. I practised and wrote an enormous quantity of letters and read and knitted. Captain and Mrs Dalglish came to tea yesterday. I'm sorry to say they're leaving here for two years. Hes got a job at Shotley and went yesterday and she'll be going quite soon.

Wednesday. I didn't go to London to-day because I had my singing lesson on Saturday and I'm having an hour piano lesson next Wednesday. I went up to Hosey to leave a note for Miss Hanmer in the afternoon. The Tenisons came to tea; they are Irish and very amusing. Mrs Tenison says "when I see good concerts advertised I think 'here I am stuck down here and I can't go to anything - and I know if I was in London I shouldn't want to go" which is exactly what I feel.

My photographs have just come from Bassano. The two full face ones are very smirky but the side face is good because he didn't try to make me smile. Photographers will always say "not quite so serious please" and then an awful grin is the result.

Tuesday March 6th 1923.

Thursday morning we were in a great state of muddle not knowing whether I was going to London or not. I was supposed to be going to Eileen Nesbit's dance that night (people we met at Cornbury in the summer) and Aunt Mabel was putting me up but through having left it till too late I hadn't got a partner and we didn't know what to do; finally we decided that I should go up and see what could be done when I got to London so I went up by the 12.20 half wanting to go and half not wanting to because it was a lovely day here. I went straight to Culford Gardens, Aunt Mabel was out so I unpacked and telephoned to Lil and she said she'd ring up the Kleinwort cousins and see if one of them could go. Then I went round to Anne T and found her at home and dragged her out. We went to Belgrave Square where I got a message to say neither of the Kleinworts could go; then we went and did odds and ends of shopping in Sloane Street and from there to the Park where we sat and called out the different makes of motors as they went by. Then we started off to walk to tea with Kathleen and on our way through B'grave S saw the motor at the door of 45 so I asked Humphreys (the chauffeur) whether he was waiting for Lil and Daisy and he said yes, so knowing they were also going to Kathleen we waited too and got a lift there. On the way I said "What's the betting Kathleen won't be in when we get there?" they all said they thought she would be and I said she wouldn't and sure enough she wasn't, however she came flying in when we'd been there about ½ an hour. Esther and Betty came on from another tea party. Lil and Daisy left early to go to a lecture and when they'd gone we had a great Council of War about Austria, there seem to be a good many difficulties in the way but we all want to do somthing this summer and someone suddenly had a marvellous brain wave (how they ever made it heard above the terrible din that was going on I don't know) which was that we should, if the continent proves impossible, go for a caravan tour in England or Wales, if fine this would be perfect but if wet I don't suppose any of the six people who are to compose the party will ever speak to any of the others again. The one drawback is that we shouldn't get the long train journey abroad which is the chief attraction to Anne and me.

Anne was also hunting for a partner for that evening and when the Waldegraves had left Kathleen got onto the war path and rang up the whole of London. She said to me "You've rung up Blackburn of course?" I said "no, don't know his telephone number" she said "here it is go and ring him up" so I obediently went, got onto him straight off, he said he could come and I nearly fell through the telephone mouthpiece with amazement. I went back to Culford Gardens after that and found Aunt Mabel sewing on stars for Uncle Eric who was going to a big dinner that night. Blackburn came for me about 10.30. The dance was in Rutland Gate; Lady Mabelle EgertonLink opens in a new window was there helping to do hostess, Joan was also there and very nice, also Barbara Campion. Blackburn and I talked about all sorts of things. Caravans and places abroad and people looking like the part of London they live in and Socialism and what sort of people different Christian names are like and books and Roman Catholicism.

Friday. In the morning Aunt Mabel and I shopped together. We went to a shop in Portland Street where she thought I could get Shetland wool but they haven't got any, then we walked via Day's Library and the Park where we met Lil and Daisy to another Highland Industries shop in Beauchamp Place where I found real Shetland wool and got enough for a jumper.

Lady Leas and Betty Leas came to luncheon and after luncheon I tore off to meet Kathleen at a sports shop in Piccadilly and found her hitting golf balls with terrific swipes in a net a couple of feet away. We made a triumphal progress up Bond Street, Kathleen hugging several golf club and a box of old laces, the latter she made unsuccessful efforts to pop at every lace shop we came to. We went into Grizel Hay's house to telephone and she came in just as we'd finished which was tactless of her and made us later than we were already so that I didn't have time to go to tea with the Waldegraves but went straight back to Culford Gardens because Aunt Mabel wanted me to see some people she had got there for tea. Ruth Farmer came to call; she is a friend of Kathleen's and turns out to be a niece of Cousin Nell's and I thought she was extraordinarily attractive. I came down here by the 6.34.

Saturday. Was a divine day and I woke feeling very bucked up and cheerful thinking I was going to ride but I got an express letter from Mrs Dalglish to say she had thought I was still away and hadn't ordered the horses and couldn't ride.

Uncle Vesey came down for the week-end arriving at luncheon time. Sir Henry and Lady Slater came to tea and she talked a great deal of rot about politics but they are nice all the same.

Friday March 9th 1923.

Sunday morning I went to Church at 10 and in the afternoon had a first class walk above the Pilgrims Way and found a good many dog violets.

Monday. I went over to Tonbridge for luncheon to see Anne who was staying with the Deacons there. It was very nice to see her although the strain was almost unbearable because the Miss Deacons are charming but prim to a degree and the combination of their primness and our efforts to play up to it nearly proved too much for us. I got back here at tea-time and went to help at the library after tea; I have, through no fault of my own, attained to a terrifying popularity with about four children which is not altogether an unmixed blessing because they stand round all talking and asking questions at once when one is trying to enter books for about a dozen other children.

Tuesday. Riding again fell through on Tuesday morning because we couldn't get the horses. Daddie and I went for a long walk in the afternoon along the Pilgrim's Way and then up right over the Downs. We got quite a lot of white violets. Mrs Bush came to tea.

Wednesday. I went to London as usual Trinity College first where I found a post-card from Kathleen saying she couldn't meet me that morning. Shortie met me there and we went and had luncheon at D.H. Evans, Lyons having refused to have us. I was going to luncheon with Aunt Lil but she wrote the day before to say her maid was ill and so she couldn't have me.

I went with Cousin Ruth to a Lend-A-Hand Club lecture by Alec PattersonLink opens in a new window on "The Borstal System". It was most interesting; he said that last year 500 boys and 50 girls were sent to Borstal Institutions and that in most cases of crime the percentage is the same as that, 10 boys to 1 girl but the girls are much more difficult to deal with than the boys. They are not first offenders as a rule but boys and girls between the ages of 16 and 21 who have been convincted two, three, four, five or more times before. About 70% make good when they come out. I had tea with Peggy and a long telephone conversation with Kathleen in the middle of tea. Peggy seems very cheerful. I asked her if she would join the party to go to Austria and she is tremendously keen about and will love to go.

Thursday. Yesterday morning Mrs Dalglish and I rode again at last. We were going along happily over Hosey Chart when we heard a rushing noise behind us and soon the heavens opened and a violent hailstorm descended upon us; it was quite blinding and we could scarcely see where we were going, however we managed to get under some trees and had to stand up for ¼ of an hour. My hat wouldn't stick on so I had to take it off, with the result that my hair got so wet that I could wring the water out of it. We rode for about ¾ of an hour when the storm was over. It was glorious; how I wish I had my own horse and could ride every day!

The de Lyndens came down for luncheon and tea and talked very interestingly about politics. I went to the Brownies as soon as they'd gone and taught them knots and gave them pig-a-back-rides - very warm work – and played games with them. Then returned and had a hurried meal and went off to a rehearsal of Stainer's "Crucifixion" and returned and went to bed feeling like a grease spot.

Sunday March 18th 1923.

Friday before last Amy Grove one of Shortie's "old babies" came here for the day. She is a lady gardener and, so horrified rumour says, a Socialist. I went to help at the library in the evening.

Saturday. I went to London to spend the week-end with Kathleen. Lady de L'Isle and Mrs Sawyer came here to luncheon which meant I didn't get up till the 3.50 train which put me in a furious and quite unnecessary temper. I got to Sloane Gardens soon after 5 and had a second tea with Mrs Corry; Kathleen blew in like a whirlwind about 6; she'd been to see Anne (I had been going to see her that afternoon) and said the operation had gone off well and she seemed very cheerful.

Sunday. Captain Barrow was motoring K and me down to Camberley where we were to meet Jock and play golf there (I never having played in my life before). We were supposed to start at 9.30. at 9.26 Kathleen appeared for breakfast and at 9.45 Barrow rang up to say the car was backfiring badly but he hoped to get her going. He came round-about 10 o'c and we packed in and started off at between 1 and 2 miles an hour, stopping at intervals and backfiring at every yard. We made a triumphal progress across Sloane Square and along a bit of King's Road, then we decided it was hopeless so we turned and went to a garage by Peter Jones and Kathleen and I went to Anne's and picked up her clubs which she was lending me, then we returned to the garage again and packed in and this time the car went like a bird and we got to Camberley Heath Golf Club in just over 45 minutes and its 30 miles. We were about an hour late and Jock tried to look as though he'd enjoyed waiting for us. We played a round before luncheon and were all square and then had an enormous luncheon steak and kidney pie and apple tart and cider and were squarer still! We started again at 3.30 but at about the 12th hole discovered it was nearly 5 so we had to stop, Barrow and I being one up. We had a large tea and then went to the Staff College to pick up Jock who'd gone there to change as he was going back to London with us. We got into the car by a miracle: in the front seat were Barrow - feebly attempting to drive - Kathleen and me, she and I each had on a jumper, a woolie, the coat of our coat and skirt and a Burberry and she had a mackintosh too, we also had two rugs on top of us. In the dickey seat fitted neatly in like sardines were Jock and three bags of golf clubs. Barrow stayed to supper. Mrs Corry came in just as Jock was going and asked him to stay and Kathleen said "its quite safe you can go on pressing him as much as you like because he can't stay". We went to bed early but Kathleen came creeping down to my room when she was undressed and we talked till about 11.

Tuesday March 20th 1923.

Monday before last in the morning I went to the Waldegraves and left my box there because I was staying the night with them, then I went to Belgrave Square to meet Lil and Daisy and saw Sophie for a few minutes. She looks extraordinarily well and blooming. Lil, Daisy and I went to the Park to meet Kathleen and give her a message and found her and Anne T sketching hard and very unsociable but trying faintly not to show it. We walked across the park and shopped in Knightsbridge and then parted. I went to luncheon with Lois. She was as pretty as ever and very full of her time in Canada and had masses of photographs, the ones of the Rockies were lovely, they rode all day and camped at night and never saw a soul - perfectly blissful. I went from her to Anne who got back from the nursing home that day, it was her 24^th birthday though at the time I didn't quite grasp the fact. She was very cheerful and looked well. We talked about evening dress, Esther and other things and people. I got to the Waldegraves for tea. We dined at the SavoyLink opens in a new window that evening; a Dutch feast consisting of Mrs Waldegrave, Mrs Corry, Esther, Betty, Kathleen, Eileen Torr, me, Cyril Kleinwort, Barrow, Barres, Dent and Evans. All the men except C.K were got by that wonderful general provider Kathleen. We danced afterwards till 2 o'c when we were chucked out and then we went 7 in a taxi to Sloane Gardens and fished for drinks and cake. It was all very amusing. Esther and I had breakfast together in bed next morning Tuesday and struggled up and round to Kathleen by 10.30 to find her tearing about the house in a dressing gown and nothing else, by the exertion of a good deal of will power we got her fed and dressed and out of the house in about 20 minutes and went in search of a present for Anne. We had had the bright idea of all (Esther, Betty, Kathleen & I) combining and we got her a really nice powder bowl at Harrods, it was red sort of alabaster with a carved black wood knot on top. Esther and I scuttled back to Halsey Street and collected my box and I came down here by the 12.15 train and spent most of the rest of the day practising and writing letters.

Wednesday. I returned to London for the day, had music & singing lessons, tried unsuccessfully to match some wool for Mrs Idie, then went to luncheon with the de Lyndens, he went on with the sketch of me afterwards, its very like but "Freddy - smith" says my hairs looks as though it had been bitten, he wants to do another, I hate sitting! I went from there to see Cecil who has started a furniture shop at Chester Lodge, Chester Mews, she does decorating and has cretonnes, silk etc: besides furniture. She had a stream of customers so that I scarcely saw her at all and she seems to be doing very well. I came down by the 6.34 and went to a lecture at the Women's Institute here on "Comfortable Furniture", the name was rather misleading but the lecture was excellent, there were slides showing bad designs and good in furniture, well and badly done rooms, good shapes in pottery and china and all sorts of good hints as that plates should have the pattern round the edge not in the middle because in time it gets worn away by the continual scraping of the knife and fork.

Thursday morning I went up to Miss Hanmer and we struggled with SemaphoreLink opens in a new window signalling. After tea I had the Brownies, Lady Colville came to help, she is quite charming. After that I went to a practise of the "Crucifixion".

Friday was devoid of incident except for library after tea.

Monday March 26th 1923.

Saturday 17th Miss Wolff came down for luncheon and seemed much better than usual.

Daddie and I went to a very interesting lecture got up by the Arts and Crafts society on "Old Farmhouses"; there were excellent slides and it was altogether very good although I am bound to say Daddie and I both fell asleep lulled by a gently monotonous voice and mercifully shielded by the darkness.

Sunday 18th We went to Church in the morning and in the afternoon I set forth to gather primroses and got a big bunch also quite a quantity of wood anemones. I went to tea with the Miss Liddells to meet Miss Rennie Tayelona who has created great excitment by coming to live in two NissenLink opens in a new window huts on Hosey Chart. The story went about Westerham that she had been a land girl all through the war and had got to used to fresh air that she couldn't bear to live indoors but it turns out that she was working at the War Office all the time and got no fresh air at all!

Monday 19th. I went into Squerryes in the morning looking for primroses but they weren't out in the woods there so I went through Chart Woods and found none at all there. Shortie and I went along the footpath to Clacketts in the afternoon and got a basketful in the woods there.

The Miss Liddells and Mrs Boyd came to tea and after tea I went to the library.

Tuesday March 20th. I spent the morning primrosing in the woods off French Street and got masses. It was so hot that I had to take my coat off. Miss Fitzroy came down for luncheon and tea; she has a very hearty laugh which echoed through the house.

Wednesday March 21st. I went up to London by the 8.40 because I was staying the night with Aunt Mabel to go to a musical party of the Bentincks. I first left my luggage at Culford Gardens and then went to Trinity College for my lessons. Then I went to Hanan Gingell and bought a pair of brown strap shoes of unparellelled beauty for 45/-; then I went to the library and then walked across the park and down Sloane Street back to Culford Gardens for luncheon. After luncheon I went round to Sloane Gardens to see Kathleen, we streaked up and down King's Road and at 4.20 arrived back at Sloane Square; Kathleen was due at a bridge party at 3.30 and I was due at Peggy's at 4.30 but Kathleen wanted me to go with her to Mappin and WebbLink opens in a new window to choose a brooch to re-place an insured one she'd lost. We got a bus to Hyde Park Corner, hurled ourselves from it onto a 30 just behind, got off at Orchard Street and rushed after a 13Link opens in a new window disappearing in the opposite direction and landed in a panting heap at Mappin and Webb where we spent some time choosing a brooch then gave one bound from M & W across the road and onto a 6. As we approached Marble Arch Kathleen made a dramatic gesture and said "my umbrella!" I looked down and said "good heavens mine too!" and we were just going to jump off the bus and return to Mappin and Webb when we remembered we'd neither of us bought umbrellas with us! I arrived at Peggy's at a little before 5.30 but luckily she'd been kept at the hospital and didn't get back till past 5.30, then she had to go straight off to the doctor to have her nose syringed. I stayed to dinner there and we had a good talk. I got back to Culford Gardens a little before 9 and changed and went to Belgrave Square and Lil and Daisy took me in the motor with them to the Bentinck's party. There were of course heaps of people I knew there, Anne and Christina and Mrs Bevan, Kathleen Carnegie, Blackburn, Kings, Lady Hylham, Mr Ward-Cook, Sheylah Reid, Mrs Guest, Von Broynul, des Graz, and Archie Hunter. David Ponsonby played the piano. Mrs Wingate sister-in-law of Victoria sang as also did the prima donna of the Prague opera who had a beautiful voice and a man called Ralph Anderson recited "The Aged Man", "The Walrus and the Carpenter" and some of Hilaire Belloc's "Cautionary Tales for Children"Link opens in a new window too beautifully for anything, they were quite perfect and nearly gave everyone hysterics of laughter. We got back soon after 1 o'c.

Tuesday March 27th 1923.

Thursday March 22nd. In the morning I went up to the Bramah key people with a box of Aunt Mabel's which she had shut with both the keys inside. I came down here by the 12.15 train and spent the afternoon practising and doing odds and ends. I went to the Brownies after tea and Kathleen came down by the 6.8 train and joined me there and was splendid with them and taught them a new game. We started to go to bed fairly early but sat on my bed talking till 12.15!

Friday March 23rd. I woke with a raging headache and feeling very sick, having feebly struggled up I had to go back to bed again. It was rotten luck especially on Kathleen because we had been going to ride that morning. I recovered considerably by tea-time and got up after tea. After dinner Kathleen started turning out my rag bag and odds and ends draw and to my acute distress insisted on throwing away masses of my cherished and quite useless scraps and bits of stuff. We went on at this till nearly 11.

Saturday March 24th. Kathleen left by the 10.38 train. It was a hot and glorious day and I was thoroughly lazy and spent most of it sewing in the garden.

Sunday March 25th. We went to Church, Lilac, Simon and Phyllis motored down for luncheon and tea. It was so nice to see them again and they were fearfully well and pleased with life. L & S have got a jolly little two seater Morris CowleyLink opens in a new window which they bought about Christmas time thereby causing much horror to Simon's family at the reckless extravagance but after all a car does make a huge difference if one lives in the country. We went for a walk in the afternoon up the road to Kent Hatch and then back through Squerryes. Lilac says David is very well and just beginning to take an intelligent interest in life.

Monday March 26th. Yesterday morning I rode with Mrs Dalglish, we couldn't go very far because she had to get back to change and go to London however we got a good canter in the park. Miss Violet Liddell came to tea and after tea I did library and then the last practise of the "Crucifixion".

I'm going to London to-morrow and on Thursday we go to Lady Portsmouth for Easter so there is likely to be a gap before I write again.

Sunday April 8th 1923.

Tuesday March 28th Mrs Dalglish came to luncheon and I walked back with her to Dunsdale afterwards to see the children and went on from there to have tea with Mrs Fox, Joyce Smith was there and we walked back together after tea.

Wednesday March 29th. I went to London for the day, had my last music and singing lesson of that term and afterwards went to meet Kathleen at the R.D.S in Queen Anne's Gate, we went and had luncheon at a restaurant in Victoria Street and had a sickly though very good mixture of jam and Devonshire Cream on scones for pudding. From there we went to Eastman's in Sloane Street to fetch a felt hat of mine that was being cleaned and then Kathleen tore back to the R.D.S and I went to Culford Gardens to see Maurice who got back from Marlborough the day before. He was dancing about on the door step with a friend and wanted to go to a theatre but I couldn't do that because I had a fitting at 4 and had to catch the 5.46 train down here so finally after a great deal of consultation and waste of time we decided to go to a cinema in Oxford Street. Soon after we started Maurice plunged his hands in his pockets and with a dramatic gesture produced four ha'-pennies which was all he had. We saw a film called "The Storm"Link opens in a new window the scene was laid in Canada and some of the scenes of snow falling in the woods, and rivers and forest fires were lovely but the story was completely uninteresting. I left them in there because they wanted to see the Grand NationalLink opens in a new window and went to Miss Wolff's to have my fitting telling them to join me there; when the fitting was over I went to Days to change some books and on my way back to Miss Wolff's I saw Maurice and the other boy disappearing in the distance so I tore after them and caught them (I hadn't told them the number or they'd forgotten it) and we all went to Cannon Street; on the way Maurice borrowed 6d off me to get him home "a nice way to take a lady out" as the other boy remarked! We went to get the other boy some tea at Cannon Street because he also had to catch a train when the waiter came we were all laughing so much we could scarcely speak but at last managed to gasp "ham sandwich".

The performance of the "Crucifixion" took place that evening and, I think, went off very well.

Thursday March 29th. We all (Mummy, Daddie, Shortie and I) went to London by the 10.38 train getting out at Waterloo Junction and going through to Waterloo Station where we had some time to wait before our train for Whitchurch went at 1.30 I wrote to Kathleen in the waiting room to while away the time. Our train was crowded being a Bournmouth [ Bournemouth ] and Southampton train but I tore up to the front and got four corner seats. We changed at Basingstoke and arrived at Whitchurch a little after 3 and were driven out to HurstbourneLink opens in a new window which is on the other side of the town. Lady Portsmouth was quite alone there, she is a perfectly excellent hostess. We went round the gardens before tea and after tea several of the neighbours came to hear a wireless demonstration but when we were all assembled and waiting the wireless people came to say that the deer had broken the wires and so there would be no performance!

Good Friday. We went to Church in the morning and for a walk in the park in the afternoon. There was a beautiful library where we all spent a large part of the time looking at the books. The house is quite modern built of red brick and very big and rambling, the old house was burnt down about 30 years ago and there are notices in all the rooms asking you to put out all candles and to see that the guard is on the fire before leaving the room.

Saturday March 31st. A Mr & Mrs Struker came to luncheon and as soon as they had gone we motored into Winchester which was about 12 miles away and went first to see the Cathedral, it is quite lovely with a wonderful Gothic nave. We stayed for part of the service and then went to tea with the Barings; Mrs Baring is Mr Vivian Smith's sister and her husband who was killed in the war was the brother of Aurea Baring who married Jamie Balfour;Link opens in a new window there were a nice girl and boy there Olivia who is 14 and Simon who is at Eton. Lady Cynthia ColvilleLink opens in a new window Timmy O'Neill's Aunt & Mrs Henniker's neice was there too and also the Bishop of WinchesterLink opens in a new window and Mrs Talbot. When we left there we went to see an old hall where a great many parliaments sat and where they have got what is supposed to be the original Round TableLink opens in a new window of King Arthur and his knights; it is hung on the wall and has the names of all the knights painted round it; it can be definitely tracked back to the time of Henry II.

A nice Captain and Mrs Wingfield and Mr and Mrs Nichol came to dinner that evening.

Monday April 9th 1923.

Sunday April 1st. Mummy, Lady Portsmouth and I went to Church early on Easter Sunday and Daddie and Lady Portsmouth went again at 11. It was a lovely day and I sat in the garden and read and then went for a walk in the park and Lady Portsmouth took us for another walk after tea.

Monday April 2nd. Lady Portsmouth's nephew Gerald WallopLink opens in a new window and his wife are just starting farming at Ellisfield between 15 and 20 miles away and we went over to see them on Monday morning. He had chicken pox so we could only see him out of doors and even so I think he must have been highly infectious. "Toby" Hoare lives at Ellisfield Manor and we went to see him but found every one except Lady Geraldine out, however we saw her and left a message to say would Mr Hoare came over for tea that afternoon. Admiral and Mrs Hyde Parker and a charming General and Mrs Waters and Mrs Tennant a friend of their's came to luncheon and the three latter stayed for tea. Mr Hoare and Rennie Hoare also came for tea: I had never seen Rennie before, he is the eldest boy and a bit of a lug being in the Cambridge XV and having run for Cambridge in the 'Varsity Sports. Mr Hoare telephoned that evening after dinner to say would I go over there the next day (when we were leaving Hurstbourne) and stay till the end of the week for several dances.

Tuesday April 3rd. We left Hurstbourne directly after breakfast on Tuesday and I went with the family as far as Basingstoke which is the station for Ellisfield and was there met by Rennie in the motor; when we got there (to Ellisfield) we found Angela (the girl) in full Girl Guide outfit just going to take the Guides for a picnic so we motored her to Hackwood where she was picking them up and then went on into Basingstoke and bought three hockey sticks because we were going to play hockey that afternoon. Soon after luncheon we set forth again going through Basingstoke to Sherfield Place belonging to some Liddells (no relation to our ones) where the match was to be. I had never played before but I was made back which was not a very prominent position and enjoyed the game very much and our side won mainly thanks to Rennie who can run like a hare. We didn't do much else for the rest of the day. The Hoare children consist of Rennie who is 21 and has already been briefly described, Angela and Rollo who are twins and 19 or 20 Angela is an excessively nice girl although she has, at first, the "'ere's a stranger lets 'eve 'arf a brick at 'er" attitude but she unbent considerably later on, I should very much like to know her well. Rollo is also at Cambridge much more silent and less easy to get on with than the other two but awfully nice when you know him better. I should say quite guileless and completely trustworthy. Rennie is very talkative, extremely attractive and all over you at once but probably much less depenable than Rollo. They are all very dark and Rennie is ridiculously like his father in voice and looks. It was very amusing to see them because I had heard a good deal about them from Aunt Di but never set eyes on them before. The change of atmosphere from Hurstbourne to Ellisfield was enormous. Hurstbourne quiet and well-ordered and enormous, shut cars and everything very punctual. Ellisfield delicious old manor house with big comfortable arm chairs and chòtize very untidy (the bath-room mantlepiece contained a broken suspender, a paint brush; a dis-used scent spray, an empty Chinese box and an old tube of stuff to get petrol and grease off your hands) Angela & the boys playing the latest dance music all day long dashing about in an open car with all the paint kicked off inside and everyone appearing for meals whenever they felt like it.

Wednesday April 4th. We spent most of the morning weeding in the garden and in the afternoon went into Winchester (Angela, Rennie, Rollo & I) to stay the night with some people called Seymour who were giving a dance and putting us all up for it. There were two girls, Mrs Seymour and a step-daughter who appeared to be considerably older than her step-mother. The dance was small and quite fun but my feet were aching like fun by the end of it.

Thursday April 5th. We got back to Ellisfield about 12 next day. Rennie went off to London in the afternoon as he was going to France the next day in the Cambridge Rugger XV to play in two matches at Lyons. A youth called Dereck Tyndall arrived to stay he was quite intelligent but had a very affected voice however I'm not sure that he was really affected. We went to a subscription dance at a place called Odian that evening; it was very jolly and I enjoyed it. We went into the dining room when we got back to get something to eat and having once sat down we were so tired we couldn't move so we sat and talked for an hour and didn't go up to bed till somewhere in the region of 4.

Friday April 6th. We spent most of the morning trying to think of somthing to do and ended by all going down to the post office to send off a telegram! After luncheon we ragged and pillow fought and then made toffee in the kitchen. Several people came to tea and we played table tennis after tea, it consisted in four people sitting a little distance from a table in the middle of which was a half crown and throwin tennis balls across to their opposite and trying to hit the half crown off the table. We went to the H.H hunt ball that evening at Herriard ParkLink opens in a new window which was only about a couple of miles away. We had to sit in a queue for nearly ½ an hour to get up to the front door and there was an enormous squash there – about 350 people in two not over large rows. Out of the crowd suddenly emerged Ian who had got back on leave from Gib that day and was staying with some friends close by. There was a first-class champagne supper and it was a jolly good dance but country dances are not nearly so amusing when all the people are strangers. We didn't get to bed till after 5 and it was getting light and all the birds were singing when we went up to bed.

Saturday April 7th. I had four hours sleep and then got up feeling like a lump of cotton wool, had breakfast said good bye to such members of the family as were awake and left at 10.30 and caught a train at Basingstoke just before 11 which got me up to Waterloo in under an hour. Shortie met me at the station and we went to Charing X [ Cross ] and put my luggage in the cloak room then she went to Streatham and I went to the library and then on to luncheon with Peggy who had a horrid cough but was in good form otherwise. Rowland was there too, very funny as usual, proposing to me in front of the new parlour maid. It was very nice to be with people one knew really well again.

I met Shortie at St Martin's at 3.45 for the G of F Quarterly Meeting. Mr Sheppard, who was just back from his American trip, preached a splendid sermon and there was tea in the Fellowship rooms afterwards and speeches and questions. We intended coming down by the 6.34 but when we got to Charing X we discovered it didn't run on Saturdays and there was nothing till 7.18 (we have been caught like that before so should have known better). By an extraordinary coincidence we met Aunt Kathleen at Charing X she was awfully nice and very surprised to hear I'd met Ian and we stayed with her till her train went at 7.

Sunday April 8th. I went to Church yesterday morning but otherwise slept practically the whole day.

Monday April 9th. Daddie went up to London for the day this morning. He looks very well and is full of gad.

I dyed my yellow jumper orange this morning, it has turned out the most brilliant colour imaginable and I don't know if I shall ever dare wear it!

It snowed hard this morning but was lovely in the afternoon. I went primrosing in Squerryes after luncheon, it is yellow with them on the fringe of the wood and there are thousands of dog violets, and bluebells just beginning.

Mummy is staying with Miss Fitzroy in Suffolk and seems to be enjoying it. She was ever so much better for her stay at Hurstbourne.

I'm going to stay with Uncle Claude and Aunt [ Di ] to-morrow for about a week.

Tuesday April 10th 1923.

I didn't go to Ashstead to-day after all because Aunt Di wrote to say Uncle Claude wanted to stay in London to-night so I'm going down with them to-morrow.

I gardened and Mrs Fox came to call and stayed for tea. Daddie went to London by the 12.20 for the first showing of some nature films he is interested in.

Thursday April 26th 1923.

Wednesday April 11th I went to London by the 12.20, took my luggage across from Charing X to Victoria and put it in the cloak room and then went to see the Liddells, they were still having luncheon when I got there and I didn't stay very long. From there I went to Beauchamp Place to get some more Shetland wool and then to the library and from there to Peggy: there was someone else there so I wasn't able to see much of her. I went to tea with Aunt Lil and Aunt Di and I went down to Ashstead by a 6 o'c train.

Thursday April 12th. Aunt Di had to go to London for the day. Uncle Claude and I went up to see the Rallis.Link opens in a new window The gardens were looking lovely with masses of daffodils and polyanthus and grape hyacinths in the grass. The Rallis themselves seemed rather gloomy and Mrs Ralli is much deafer. They asked us to stay to luncheon which we did and had the first strawberries I have tasted this year.

Friday April 13th. Aunt Lil came down for the week-end and we teased each other most mercilessly all the time she was there.

Saturday April 14th. We didn't do anything in particular all day. Mr Mears came to tea and they played Bridge till nearly dinner-time. I read a good many books while I was at Ashtead and indulged a good deal in the luxury of reading in bed, there is a light just above one's head and a switch attached to a cord under one's pillow so there is no effort of sitting up to turn out the light when you are practically asleep.

Sunday April 15th. Aunt Di and I went to Church and Mrs Ralli walked back from Church with us. Nothing much but sewing, reading and talking happened for the rest of the day. Uncle Claude seems very much more well than usual due possibly to the central heating which they have just had put in.

Monday April 16th. Aunt Lil went back to London early on Monday morning. Aunt Di and I went into Epsom in the afternoon to leave some plants for someone and then came back and fetched Timmy and went to tea with Miss Denshire and Mrs Wingfield who are, I think, almost the nicest people at Ashtead. Miss DenshireLink opens in a new window taught me to whistle through my fingers and I taught her to bark.

Tuesday April 17th. Aunt Di and I both came up to London by a 9 o'c train and I came down here by the 9.58. Anne was to have arrived to stay that morning but when I got here I found a telegram and letter saying she couldn't get here till Wednesday; she was in a great state of fume because the Deacons with whom she was staying couldn't send her over in the motor that day and said she wasn't well enough to go by train and must wait till the next day. I lunched with Mrs Fox at 12.30 and we motored over to Maidstone for the West Kent Women's Institute exhibition. It was very good indeed, there were stalls of glove making, knitting embroidery, weaving, spinning, fur curing dress-making and leather work and demonstrations in toy-making and pottery. There were also folk song and part song and Shakespeare competitions going on and we heard several of these. The drive there and back was lovely, it is about 22 miles and all the part beyond Sevenoaks was quite new to me.

Wednesday April 18th. A lovely day. Anne arrived about 12.30 full of much too long surpressed animal spirits. We went to the woods beyond Farley Common after luncheon and sat in primroses and violets and she told me about the Deacons and Lady Helena Acland-Hood with whom she'd been staying before she went to Tonbridge. We also talked for hours after we'd gone up to bed.

Thursday April 19th. Anne is writing a novel and it is practically finished in the rough that is to say without padding. She started reading it to me on Wednesday evening and finished on Thursday morning. It is frightfully good and all the characters ring true.

We went up on Hosey Chart in the afternoon and Anne hunted for bird's nests and climbed trees and hung feet downwards from a branch which I am sure must have been very bad for her nose.

Cousin Oswald Younghusband came to luncheon and wasn't quite so bombastic as usual, he and Daddie both went to London by the 1.52 train.

Anne and Daddie had a great arguement on Socialism after dinner. I remained mum. She drew awfully clever caracatures of various people herself and me included for a long time after we'd gone to bed.

Friday April 20th. We went up into Squerryes in the morning and discussed going abroad this summer - that plan bye the bye seems to be getting vaguer and vaguer. I don't think we went out in the afternoon because Anne mustn't walk too much. She seems a great deal better but has to be careful in many things or her nose begins to get tiresome again.

Mummy and Mrs Idie arrived back at 6.8, they were both very cheerful and seemed to have enjoyed being with Miss Fitzroy. Mummy is able to walk a good deal better.

Saturday April 21st. We (Anne and I) went to luncheon with Mrs Andreae and nearly died of heat walking there. We found her alone with an old aunt and innumerable little girls. She took us to see all the arrivals after luncheon, horses and calves and pigs and cows and ducks and chickens and a dear friendly chestnut pony that I coveted terribly. We went into Limpsfield Woods when we left Moorhouse and with the aid of our fingers and bits of stick grubbed up plants of loosestrife for Anne to take to her London garden. The woods were beautiful, sun shine and bluebells and little green leaves just sprouting on the trees. We got back very late for tea and very tired.

Sunday April 22nd. We were both so dead tired on Sunday morning that we could scarcely get up because we had talked late the evening before and summer time began that night so we lost an hours sleep. We went to Church in the morning and in the afternoon went to look for bird's nets in a stone quarry on Westerham Hill and found none. Anne climbed up a tree and a bough broke and she got hung up by her hair and when she finally got to the nest she was trying to get at it was empty. We got huge bunches of cowslips and violets and it was a most attractive place we went to. We had a very long talk about Christina after we'd come up to bed.

Monday April 23rd. Was a day of endless and shattering agitations. First of all when Anne arrived here on Wednesday she said that Mr Weld-BlundellLink opens in a new window had said he would come down and motor her back to London so I said cheerfully "ask him to luncheon on Monday" which she did, then there came an invitation to lunch at Squerryes on Monday and as nothing had been heard of Mr W-B and as Anne said she must leave by the 12.20 unless he came we accepted.

On Monday morning came a letter from Mr W-B saying his motor had broken down and he might not be able to get down in time for luncheon but hoped to come in the afternoon and in any case would wire. The I remembered I hadn't told Mummy the possibility of his coming so I broke it and there were wild agitations and we all - except the happily unconscious Anne - lived in a state of tension till a telegram came from Mr W-B saying he couldn't get down for luncheon but hoped to come in the afternoon so then after much consultation we telephoned to Squerryes to ask if Anne could go instead of Mummy then it was broken to Anne and she said she didn't feel at all well (she had broken her nose syringe and so couldn't do it) and would rather not go so again we telephoned to Squerryes and said Mummy would go after all. Then 1.30 came and there was no sign of the motor to take us there so we walked to meet it and arrived at Squerryes in a limp and exhausted state at 1.40.

There were only Lady Sibyl and Mary & Joyce there for luncheon; I think Mary is most attractive. We got back at 3.15 to find Anne sitting here in solitary glory and no sign of Mr W-B so after a bit we went to the post office to telephone to him but his number wasn't in the book and the London enquiry couldn't give it us so that was no good and we returned here Anne having missed the 3.50 train and at 4.30 I went and telephoned to her family and told them what had happened and that she would go up by the 5.27. It was very tiresome for her because shes not supposed to be out after teatime. Miss Hanmer came to tea and was so nice; I went and saw Anne off at 5.27 and then returned here and walked home with Miss Hanmer and sat up for a long time talking with her in their garden.

Tuesday April 24th. I went up to London by the 12.20 to stay the night with the Leighs for a dance. Having left my luggage at Upper Berkeley Street I went to Culford Gardens to see Julian who had a motor bike accident while going back to London from here after seeing the Miss Liddells on Sunday evening before last, the motor bike skidded on the train lines and he fell underneath and broke his leg. He seemed very well and cheerful when I saw him; it is a perfectly simple break (not a compound fracture) but will be a long business. Bridget was there rather rowdy and fidgety and Maurice was there for a bit but went off to a thé dansant. Aunt Mabel didn't look at all well. I got back to U.B Street soon after 6 and we dined at 8.30. I had Blackburn for my partner and Violet Guthrie and a man called Gault came too and of course Rowland who was in great form. The dance was given by Mrs Phillips in Cadogan Square; it was a bad squash at the beginning and there were a great many people I knew. I twice had champagne upset over my frock firstly by a waiter and secondly by des Graz. Anne came on from another dance about 1 o'c looking very pretty and very full of beans. We left early. Anne & I invented a splendid game while she was here, it consisted of making philosophical maxims which sounded as if they made sense but were really pure nonsense - for example - true love can only be based "on mutual misunderstanding" "'as you call into the wood so will the echo come back to you' - but beware lest the echo be your own voice". Rowly was very excited by this and we made them up all the way home in the taxi and after we got in and again the next morning and when I left Rowland had started to write a play entirely composed of them. Peggy and I talked till 4.30 and I nearly fell asleep on her bed.

Wednesday April 25th. We had breakfast together in bed at 9.30 next morning, I got up at 10.30 and was dressed and started for Trinity College at 10.45. It was the first day of the new term which I am sorry to say didn't fill me with unmitigated joy. I shopped afterwards and lunched with the Leighs and came down here by the 3.50, grey sky, wind and pouring rain and my temper to match it.

Thursday April 26th. The Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon were marriedLink opens in a new window yesterday and the ceremony appears to have gone off well in spite of down pours of rain. I went to see if there were to be any Brownies yesterday evening (they'd been stopped owing to scarlet fever) and found several Brownies wandering about but no sign of Miss Deane so I went and telephoned and found there weren't supposed to be any and they had made a mistake so that was that!

Friday April 27th. I went for a walk on the downs this morning, it was lovely up there in the sunshine and with the smell of the thyme. Mrs Andreae came and fetched Mummy and me in her car and we went to tea there and saw all the little girls and she sent us back in the car.

Kathleen is in Brittany with the Talbots having a very good time.

Monday April 30th 1923.

Saturday April 28th. I went to London for the day for Laurie's 20th birthday party. I went to London by the 9.32 & spent the morning with Anne; she was in bed having been dancing till late the night before and we decided that life was a wash out and we were two completely useless specimens of the human race. I met Laurie, Aunt Kathleen, Uncle Leslie and two friends of Laurie's at the United Service Club and we had luncheon there and then went to see "The Cabaret Girl"Link opens in a new window which was very much like all revues but Leslie HensonLink opens in a new window was excruciatingly funny and Edith DayLink opens in a new window is most attractive with an odd husky speaking voice. We went back to the club for tea and Uncle Leslie and Aunt Kathleen went back to Folkestone by a 7 train and I came down here by the 7.18. I hadn't seen Laurie since he went to Sandhurst but he hasn't altered in the least.

Tuesday May 1st 1923

Sunday April 29th. We went to Church in the morning and afterwards went over to the Rectory with Mrs Boyd to see their geraniums and the Canon in the excitment of the moment on seeing Mummy said "hello Younghusband" to her!

Daddie and I went untold miles in motor buses in the afternoon to see an Admiral and Lady Goodenough who live at Coulsdon near Caterham. We went from here through Limpsfield and Oxted to Godstone and then got another bus from there up Caterham hill and onto Coulsdon Common where they are. Caterham is a horrid red brick suburban outskirts-of-London sort of place but their house was very pretty though it did command a fine view of a gigantic lunatic asylum and they themselves consisting of AdmiralLink opens in a new window and Lady Goodenough and a girl where quite charming, the latter was one of the nicest and most attractive girls I have met for a long time and has what practically no girls have and what can only be described by that much abused word "charm". I wish she lived here. We came home on top of the bus in a temporary cessation of downpours of rain.

Monday April 30th. Yesterday Mummy went to London for the day for the funeral service of Lady Chesterfield who died at the age of 96.

I went into Squerryes woods and picked bluebells and primroses and violets and bunches of young green.

Mrs Fox came to tea and after tea I went to the library where we had a comparatively peaceful time.

Tuesday May 1st. I went to Church at 10.30 this morning and finding Mrs Fox in her motor got her to give me a lift up Hosey hill and went to see Miss Hanmer and spent the rest of the morning helping her to prick out anterhinnam [ antirrhinum ] seedlings. The rest of this day is veiled in mystery as its only a little after 3 o'c but I don't think anything shattering is likely to happen. I'm going to London for the day to-morrow and again on Thursday and then on in the afternoon to stay with the Waldegraves.

Friday May 11th 1923.

Tuesday May 1st continued. Miss Hanmer said when I left her in the morning if it cleared up after tea to come up and she would take me to see the bluebells on the Trust Ground. There were grey and leaden skies at the time but after tea it actually did clear up and became lovely so I went up about 6 and we went for a long walk over Hosey Chart by Puddleduck woods, past Chartwell through the Trust Ground woods which are one solid sheet of bluebells with the young green of the trees above and finally arrived on the main road to Crockham Hill where there was a view for miles and miles over the Weald of Kent. It was quite lovely coming back with the evening light over everything. I didn't get in till past 8.30.

Wednesday May 2nd. I went up to London. Anne met me at Trinity College at 12 we walked to Day's and changed books and then walked through the Park to Sloane Street where we parted, Anne went home and I went to luncheon with Aunt Violet at her new house in Margaretta TerraceLink opens in a new window Chelsea. She was looking very pretty and the house is delicious. I went on from there to see Kathleen who returned from Brittany on Sunday, she wasn't at home when I got there but I waited concluding she expected me and she appeared finally bursting with spirits and conversation and Brittany and ideas for summer frocks. With some difficulty I got her changed and out and we went to the amateur arts society's annual exhibition in Port Street for which Mr Ward-Cook had sent Mummy tickets. The pictures were poor on the whole but some of the leather work, book binding, metal work and lacquering was very good. We dashed round as quickly as possible but were waylaid by several people we knew. At the front door we met Mr Ward-Cook and I in the excitment of the moment said "it was so kind of us to send you tickets for this exhibition" he looked blank and I realized somthing was wrong but couldn't remember what I'd said so I made another shot at it and then we fled to the Walker Gallery where Baron de Lynden was having an exhibition of his pencil portraits; there were two very good ones of the Baroness and the one of me looking like a disillusioned Jewess. We got back for tea at 5.30 and then I paid a flying visit to Julian who seemed to be in very good spirits, then went back to S.G for Kathleen and she came and saw me off by the 7.18.

Saturday May 12th 1923.

Thursday May 3rd. I went up to London by the 10.38 and having left my luggage in the cloak-room at Waterloo went to the A & N to order an address stamping machine and then went to luncheon with Aunt Lil; we started off out together she to go to Wigmore Street and I to Waterloo where I caught the 3.48 train to Ascot and was met by Betty in the Ford. The whole family including John was at home and Mrs Bevan was staying there also a nice girl Anne Kindersley by name who is very keen on guides but not tiresomely so from what I saw of her but she left the next morning. We listened in on John's wireless set that evening and heard Jean Stirling Macinlay [ MacKinlay ]Link opens in a new window sing but they said you lose the whole point by not seeing her. A terrible man with a sob in his voice recited a thing called "By a Brother's Grave". We thought it was meant to be funny at first but came to the conclusion it wasn't which made us laugh worse than ever.

Friday May 4th. Betty, John and I played tennis in the morning and B and I were simply excruciatingly bad. We all went for a luncheon picnic in Windsor Park which was looking beautiful. Some people came for tennis in the afternoon and we played slightly better than we had done in the morning - thank goodness!

That evening Esther, Betty and I were suddenly fired with enthusiasm to arise the next morning and walk to a golf course two miles away to see the sunrise. We discovered it rose at 5.30 so decided we must get up at 4.30 and it was arranged that whoever woke first should go and wake the rest. I woke at 5.30, Betty at 7 and Esther at 8!

Saturday May 5th. We went into Ascot to shop in the morning but I don't think we bought much more than a 1d stamp.

We decided to have a picnic luncheon in the garden so we lit a fire and fried potatoes, onions and sausages over it and I discovered in myself a hitherto unsuspected genius for frying potatoes. I must say the heat was like a foretaste of the infernal regions, the temperature had been 81% in the shade in London the day before and I don't think it was very much less that day. We laid in the sun reading most of the afternoon and read and talked in the field after tea.

Betty and I wanted to sleep out that evening but Mrs Waldegrave said it would be too cold in the night and she'd rather we didn't. I have a strong suspicion she was right.

Sunday May 6th. Anne came down for the night arriving at 10.19, we all went to the station to meet her. The Waldegraves all went to Church and Mrs Bevan, Anne and I sat in the garden and talked and Mrs Bevan nearly gave me hysterics copying Betty singing "The Lover's Cur-r-r-rse"Link opens in a new window and "Jamie will ne'er come home again"; she is most fearfully amusing. She said "thank heavens no one has got a kodak and wants to photograph one scowling in the face of the sun" and that day at luncheon Betty said "oh bye the bye I've still got a film in my camera. I must bring it down after luncheon and photograph you all" whereupon Mrs Bevan, Anne and I for no apparent reason went into helpless shrieks of laughter.

We laid in the sun and talked most of the afternoon and Anne and I fired off some of our maxims that don't make sense at Esther and Betty saying they were quotations from Browning and they swallowed them whole and found deep truth in the statement that "true love can only be based on mutual misunderstanding". Esther told Anne's hand and said she will marry in two years a man she will meet at a dance in Grosvenor Square early in June. Anne playfully threw a pat of butter at my head during tea and portions of it melted in my hair, I tried to wash it off but nothing much happened and by the next morning it had gone bad and smelt quite awful.

Betty sang after dinner and we made Esther sing too, she had one of the prettiest voices I have ever heard. Mrs Bevan said she ought to sing Italian songs to a guitar it wouldn't matter about not knowing Italian she could sing "macaroni, sphagetti" over and over again to an air with a great many runs and thrills. We also heard a concert in Paris on the wireless and Anne played quite beautifully.

Monday May 7th. Anne came to my room and talked the next morning with the result that we missed prayers altogether and were very late for breakfast. We went up to London together by an 11.20 train. Kathleen arrived to stay at 11.1 so Betty and I went on ahead of the others to meet her but the train came in while we were yet 100 yards off so I ran to the station (uphill, boiling day) while Betty came on with a large basket. I caught Kathleen in the subway and she tore back, flung her arms round my neck and then said "oh its you is it?" so it might have been a perfect stranger telling her she'd dropped somthing! We had a carriage to ourselves nearly the whole way up because every time we got to a station Anne pretended to be sick and I thumped her hard on the back and people fled as chaff before the wind. She did it so thoroughly that in the end she nearly was sick.

We left my luggage at Charing X [ Cross ] and then went to York Terrace. Only Christina was in for luncheon and we were all frightfully silly. Anne played the piano after luncheon and I wished I could have listened to it the whole afternoon but we were going to Marshall and Snelgrove where Anne was going to help me choose an evening dress. After a great deal of trying on we found a lovely one, peach coloured georgette very long and quite plain but embroidered all over in chrystal and iron grey beads; it was only six guineas. From there we went to Scotland Yard and Selfridges and didn't get back for tea till 5.45. I had to leave at 6.30 to catch the 7.18.

That was an enchanted day, the nicest I've had for a long time.

Tuesday May 15th 1923.

Tuesday May 8th. I did all sorts of things in the house and practised and Daddie broke the cheerful news that we are broke.

Wednesday May 9th. We went to London for the day. Anne met me at Trinity College and we went back to York Terrace where she changed to go out to luncheon with Lady Swaything [ Swaythling ]Link opens in a new window in the purlieus of Kensington. I went with her to the door and there went to Barker and bought some stuff for a summer frock and from there to a Lyons in Oxford Street where I had an ice and a bun for luncheon, then to [ illegible ] to buy some silk for an evening slip, then to the Library and from there to see Julian who is on a sofa and very much better, they are coming down here for Whitsuntide. From there I went to the R.S.L in Bloomsbury Square to meet Daddie and hear John DrinkwaterLink opens in a new window lecture on Alice Meynell's poetry;Link opens in a new window I had a nightmare time getting there by Underground, changed onto the tube at Charing X [ Cross ], got carried on to Warren Street and had to come back and arrived in Bloomsbury Square panting and breathless to see 19 bus which comes from Sloane Square just by the Liddells passing the door! The lecture was only fairly good not enthralling, Drinkwater reads very well but is conceited. We had an even more nightmare time going away from there, we left at 5.15 and our train was at 6.34 and of course there were huge crowds of people everywhere but we just caught the train and arrived home more dead than alive.

Thursday May 10th. Anne Goodenough came over for luncheon. It was rather a nasty day but the sun shone in the afternoon and we went for a walk in Squerryes. I went to the Brownies but they had so many people to help that I left.

Friday May 11th. Aunt Alys and Uncle Romer came down for luncheon. I went to the library after tea.

Saturday May 12th. The de Lyndens were supposed to come to tea but they didn't arrive till 5.30. They were so nice and have asked me to go and stay there for a dance on the 5th. Kathleen arrived for the week-end at 6.43 and the de Lydens stayed for dinner.

K and I had a great diary reading after we went up to bed.

Sunday May 13th. Directly after breakfast we went to the post office to telephone to Mrs Corry to send down another volume of Kathleen's diary by Miss Wolff who was coming for the day. We went to Church and the Canon was at his most hair raising on prayer. We went out before the service was over to go and meet Miss Wolff but she never appeared and we heard next day that she was in bed with a bad chill poor dear. K and I sewed and talked all the afternoon and after tea went and sat on a tree stump in the field by the three pine trees above Westerham and decided we would write a novel and planned the plot. It was a day of most marvellous clouds and the evening sunlight combined with great fat clouds of every shade of white and cream and grey was unbearably lovely.

Monday May 14th. We started off before 11 taking our luncheon and went up across Hosey, through the bluebell woods on the Trust ground and into a butter cup field near Crockham Hill where we laid on our backs and looked over the Weald of Kent and talked about work and Janet Vesey and drifting and the Waldegraves and the Kleinworts and the selfishness of riches. We got back just in time for Kathleen to pack and have tea and catch the 5.27. She seemed to have been here no time at all, scarcely to have arrived. Lady Portsmouth motored down for tea and took Daddie back to stay the night and go to some meeting. I went on to the library as soon as I'd seen Kathleen off.

Tuesday May 15th. I've been very busy all day sewing and practising and doing a great many odds and ends.

Thursday May 24th 1923.

Wednesday May 16th I went up to London and remained the night staying with Cousin Nell for the Kleinwort's dance. After Trinity College I went to the Ladie's Army and Navy Club and had luncheon with Uncle Claude and Aunt Di and after luncheon we went to the Academy,Link opens in a new window there were a few good portraits and one or two landscapes that I longed to have. I went from there to Madame Sardoy to see about my court dress as we are going to the Court next Wednesday. Shortie and I did a bit of shopping afterwards and then I went to Cousin Nell who was most kind and very nice. Gerald Bond came to dine and went with me to the dance. It was immense fun and I enjoyed it. There were of course masses of people I knew, Kathleen and Anne and Christina, Esther and Betty, Anne Talbot, the Kleinwort boys, Adelaide Yate, Boosey, John, Paul, Mary D.D, Marieke, Trevor, Gwen, Kathleen Carnegie, Blackburn and others.

Mr and Mrs Kleinwort were both ill of small ailments and in the country so Lil and Daisy were doing hostess. Alice wasn't able to be there because of the coming baby. I got home about 3 o'c.

Thursday May 17th. I had breakfast in bed and got up directly afterwards feeling dreadfully sleepy and went to Green Street to see Phyllis and Charlie who were up for Ruth Harbury's dance the night before. It was delightful to see them again Phyllis was just as amusing and delightful as ever and Charlie doesn't seem to have changed much outwardly but has turned from Labour to Conservatism. We walked to the Academy and I piloted them through it and began to know it quite well by the end. I walked nearly back to Green Street with them and then went to Chelsea Town Hall where I meet Kathleen and Anne T and we went to rather a nice little pot house miles down the King's Road called the "Good Intent" and had a very good luncheon but we were all three in rather a sour mood - Anne was the least sour. We all went back to Sloane Square and there parted. I went back to Lowondes [ Lowndes ] Street and found Cousin Nell in and we started talking about Margaret Mackenzie and just when we had nearly exhausted the subject in she walked! I went on from there to see Anne and caught the 5.4 train down here and found Lady Edith Drummond who had arrived to stay for Whitsuntide.

Friday May 25th 1923.

Friday May 18th. I murmured sweet nothings to Lady Edith all the morning and after luncheon went up to Hosey Rigge the Miss Liddell's house to see Julian and Aunt Mabel and Uncle Eric who had come there for 10 days. Julian was dressed and able to hop about on a stick. Anne arrived for the week-end at 5 o'c and I took her off to tea with Mrs Bask the rest of the family were there and we remained for hours – in I rather think the family forgot to go. Mrs B is an interesting person.

Anne and I went to bed early because Anne had been up till 4 dancing at the Beits the night before as well as the Kleinworts the night before that and could scarcely keep her eyes open. She had my bed-room and I had a little bed put up in my sitting-room.

Monday May 28th 1923.

Saturday May 19th. Anne and I got up sufficient energy to go for a walk in the morning and went to leave a note for Miss Hanmer. She played the piano in the afternoon and we talked. Mr and Mrs Thomas came over from Sevenoaks for tea, he is the librarian of the India Office.Link opens in a new window We rested together after they had gone and actually managed to go to sleep and in the evening we went to a small dance given by the Giffards at Chart's Edge; Julian was there but of course took no active part in the proceedings. A Miss James who was staying with the Giffards ballet danced extremely well. Anne got off most terrifyingly completely with three youths and in particular with one Gillette whom we called "the Safety Razor". It was quite an amusing little dance. We talked for a long time after we got home.

Sunday May 20th. We went to Church at 10. Calm and beautiful having service and no sermon, or "greetings in the market place" afterwards. We fugged and played the piano and then, I think, went for a walk. We smoked and talked in my sitting-room during most of the afternoon and Anne read the additions to her novel. After tea we both rested on my bed but it wasn't very successful from a resting point of view because we talked about religion nearly the whole time. Anne suffered from sleeping-sickness nearly all the while she was here. We continued to talk afterward we'd gone up to bed.

Monday May 21st. I got down my diaries after breakfast and we looked up the time when I first met Anne which was very funny. We went for a lovely walk in fields and woods in beautiful sunshine.

Captain NoelLink opens in a new window the photographer of the Mount Everest expedition came down for luncheon and tea. Anne and I started off soon after luncheon with a basket of tea and went into a delightful haystack just off the foot path to Brasted where we made ourselves nests in the hay and sketched and talked and discussed great plans for going out to Australia and farming when we are two disillusioned hags of 30 and of taking up journalism in the mean time. The farmer came along and shouted at us while we were having tea and wanted to turn us off but his wife said "leave them alone, they're only two bank holiday trippers enjoying themselves"! I forgot to say it was Whitsuntide. We had long talks about what we were like and what we did as children after we'd gone to bed.

Thursday May 31st 1923.

Tuesday May 22nd. Anne and I went for a walk in the morning and after luncheon laid on the lawn and talked about Truth and kindred subjects and were just getting well plunged in when she had to leave by the 3.50 train much to my sorrow. Mummy Daddie, Lady Edith and I went to tea with Miss Deane and Miss Hanmer and we all sat in their garden after tea. I went to see Julian on the way home.

Wednesday May 23rd. I went to London I can't say it was an enlivening day as it poured buckets most of the time and I saw scarcely anyone. Shortie met me after T.C, we had luncheon at a little shop and then she went to leave some notes and I went shopping and we re-met at Miss Wolff's and saw Wolfie for a few minutes. Then went to Madame Sandoz for another fitting, then did more shopping and I went to tea with Peggy who looked tired and overdone. I came down by the 6.34.

Thursday May 24th. Lady Edith and I spent most of the morning sitting on a gate in a field "watching the beautiful clouds sail by"; it was a divine day. Aunt Mabel came to luncheon.

I went over to the Pyms at Brasted to hear someone speak on a Conference which is to be held next year to discuss politics and economics from a Christian point of view. It was a long walk much further than I had expected and I arrived very late but the speech was interesting and Mrs Fox gave me a lift home. Lady Edith left in the afternoon.

Friday May 25th. I practised hard most of the day and went to see Julian after tea but they were all out.

Saturday May 26th. Mummy had a letter from Uncle Douglas to say she couldn't go to the Court on sticks and Dr Cotton said it wouldn't be safe for her to go without so we got them to change the date from May 30th to June 14th.

Daddie went to Newstead on Friday for the week-end.

Miss Buxton arrived to stay for the week-end by the 5 o'c train.

Sunday May 27th. We went to Church in the morning and had a terrific blast, the Litany, a terrible dose of Canon and five hymns. Miss Buxton and I went to tea with the Miss Liddells. Julian was on crutches and very cheerful. We came home a lovely way through the Tower Woods.

Monday May 28th. I went up to London by Oxted which is very artful and intelligent because one gets there and back for 2/6 instead of the 6/- from here and the bus connects with the trains. I went to Madame Sandoz and had a fitting of my Court dress and then went to luncheon with Kathleen; we spent the afternoon talking and diary reading. Anne came to see us about 3. I had tea with K and then came back here.

Tuesday May 29th It poured incessantly all day. I finished a short story I had been writing to see if I had got sufficient imagination to string together anything at all. Daddie got back from Newstead in the evening having enjoyed his time there very much indeed.

Wednesday May 30th. I had a perfectly hectic day. First a wild rush to T.C then another ditto to York Terrace to see Anne. Esther is staying with her for a fortnight or so. Anne got dressed to go out to luncheon with a great deal of fluster and tearing about and we started off together and went to Stanhope Gate talking hard and trying to think of all the things we'd meant to remember to tell each other. At Stanhope Gate we parted and I went to luncheon with Miss Buxton who was most nice and kind. Esther met me at 2.45 and we went in search of a fur for her and ran to earth a very nice one at a shop in High Street; then we went to Barker's where I bought some stuff and we had ice cream sodas and both felt very ill after them. I went to Culford Gardens to see if Aunt Mabel would lend me an R.H.S. ticket to take Esther to the Chelsea Flower Show which she did; Maurice, Julian, Cousin Lionel & Miss Liddell were there but I couldn't stop to see them. I went to tea with Miss Buxton and she lent me a ticket for myself so I went to the show after tea. Esther met me there and also two nice Miss Bevans. Inside I suddenly ran into Aunt Bobs and Joan & Anthony all looking very blooming and just back from Mertone; Uncle Oswald is much better. There were thousands of people at the show and seas of mud. The flowers of course were quite lovely. I came back by the 7.18 feeling more dead than alive.

Thursday May 31st. To-day was Daddie's birthday and he had a big cake. I went to the Brownies this evening, there are a good many new ones and they are busy learning an action song and dance to do at a Guide sale of work.

Sunday June 3rd 1923.

Friday June 1st. I spent the entire day in practising, sewing, reading and writing.

Saturday June 2nd. Daddie went to London for Phyllis Broadbent's wedding. Mrs Farnworth came to call and stayed for tea; she is nice. Mummy, Daddie and I dined with the Giffards. Sir ReginaldLink opens in a new window and Lady Hall were there and Major Pym. We had an excellent dinner and after dinner Mr Gifford, Major Pym, Daddie and I played snooker while the rest played Bridge, they all tried to teach me at the same time how to hold the cue and how to aim.

Sunday June 3rd. I went to Church at 10 this morning and spent most of the rest of the day sitting on a rug on the lawn reading and sewing. It was so cold yesterday that we shivered over fires and to-day it suddenly became very hot and has now got quite cold again.

I am going to London to-morrow to stay with the de Lyndens till Friday and then I got to Cambridge for part of May week to stay with Sir JosephLink opens in a new window and Lady Thompson (he is the Master of Trinity) whom I have never seen. I hope it will be nice.

There has been a change of government Mr Bonar Law had to retire through ill health and Mr BaldwinLink opens in a new window has become Prime Minister and formed a ministry.

Tuesday June 19th 1923.

Monday June 4th. I went to London by the 12.20 and went straight to the de Lynden's where I left my luggage and saw them and then went to see a lawyer (Mr du Cane) about our affairs which seem to be in an awful muddle. I went to dinner with Kathleen and she and I went to "The Dancers"Link opens in a new window in the gallery. Gerald du MaurierLink opens in a new window was the hero and it was a good play but intensely depressing and altogether what with the lawyer and the play I was sunk in depths of gloom by the end of the evening.

Tuesday June 5th. I went to a committee meeting of H.M.U.H in the morning, then to Day's Library and then to the City to see Uncle Claude with whom I had a long talk about our affairs. I went to tea with Peggy but there were three other girls there so I saw nothing of her. The Baroness had several people to dine that evening to go to the Verney Cave's dance which was the real raison d'etre of my going to stay with them. Blackburn had been coming as my partner but fell through a day or two before owing to having to leave London on business and I could get no one else, however at the last moment I got Jock to come up from Camberley and Ernest Kleinwort also came which was amusing as Jock can't bear Ernest. There was another girl staying at Brechin Place Mary Gibb and the rest of the dinner party consisted of Mrs Verney Cave's sister and brother-in-law, a Mr Pontifex and Count de Belandt who has just come over to the Dutch Embassy here and is a friend of the Waldegraves and the Bevans. The dance was fearfully crowded with strange, dull people. Helen St Maur was there and Herminie EcksteinLink opens in a new window but otherwise there was no one I knew and it would have been rather dull if it hadn't been for Jock; he and I had a good jaw and stayed on right to the end at 3 o'c but the rest of the party left about 2.

Wednesday June 6th. I went to Trinity College in the morning and to luncheon with Uncle Oswald and Aunt Bobs; they were both so nice but Uncle Oswald looks very ill. I met Anne at the Army and Navy:Link opens in a new window the silly ass had dressed herself up in blue spectacles and an enormous veil, I didn't recognize her when I went to the waiting room and she had to tear after me. She said she'd been waiting a little time and they had put two plain clothes detectives by the door to watch her! We went to an exhibition of portraits at a gallery in Bond Street and walked about and talked and finally landed at Chester Terrace where she was having tea. I went to tea with Kathleen and found Katta Donaldson there and Betty came in after tea. Kathleen and I had - or rather started - a terrific jaw after they'd gone but I had to dash off to change for dinner. I dined with Aunt Mabel and Uncle Eric and went back with them to an evening party the de Lyndens were giving. There were about 40 people, including de Belandt who talked to me most of the time, he has a great sense of humour (I don't mean to talk to me!). There was playing and singing, the Baron played the violin very well. We talked for a long time after everyone had gone and all got sleepier and sleepier.

Friday June 22nd 1923.

Thursday June 7th. I met Anne T in the morning and she went with me to a fitting of my Court dress. Madame Sandoz wasn't ready and kept us waiting some time which was tiresome. We tore up into Victoria Street afterwards and I tried to get some white shoes but unsuccessfully. I went back to luncheon at Brechin Place and then dashed off to Queen's Theatre where Anne and Esther met me and we went to see "Bluebeard's 8th Wife" in the gallery. It is a translation from the French and really clever, and desperately funny in parts. Madge TitheradgeLink opens in a new window was the heroine. Anne and Esther went with me to Oxford Street afterwards and I got the pair of white shoes. Anne and I went to tea with Uncle Oswald and Aunt Bobs as they wanted to see her. The Baroness also joined us there. Aunt Bobs gave me a beautiful grey overcoat twinned with embroidery and fur. I dined in that night and went to bed comparatively early for which I was thankful!

Friday June 8th. I left for Cambridge by an 11.50 from Liverpool Street. The train was packed but as I got there an hour before it started I got a good seat and made myself comfortable with a book. There was a sething mass of people on the platform at Cambridge undergraduates and girls and mothers; I must say I felt rather alarmed at going to stay with total strangers however all alarm was unnecessary. I arrived at Trinity Lodge in time for luncheon and there was only Lady Thomson and Joan Thomson there. Directly after luncheon I got hold of my box, wildly pulled out a dress, shoes, stockings, hat etc: and changed and Joan and I went off to a launch party for the bumping racesLink opens in a new window given by a Mr Holland and Mr Goodman (or Greatheart I forget which) who were both fellows of, I think, Corpus. We got into the motor launch at the Victoria Bridge at about 3 o'c. There were 40 of us altogether and we went up the river to Ditton Corner where we moored by the side of a bank for the races.Link opens in a new window There was a fair going on on the opposite shore so we went across and had rides on the merry-go-rounds and swing boats and then went back and had tea on the launch and saw the races. There were three divisions the first at 5 and the last at 7. We had several bumps by us and I spent a hectic time trying to learn all the colours and to remember who had bumped who and which was the 'sandwich boat' and who hoped to bump who and who ought to bump who. When the last race was over we went on up the river about three or four miles to an inn called Clayhithe where we all had a gigantic and very jolly supper and beforehand terrible jokes about the waiter who said we couldn't expect all the comforts of the Hotel CecilLink opens in a new window when we were wandering aimlessly in the pantry looking for somewhere to tidy. I talked about Skye and yachting (about which I know nothing) to a nice Mr Taylor all throught dinner. We went back down the river in semi-darkness; some optimist started a gramophone playing but the motor of the launch made such a noise that no one discovered it was playing till they were told so. I had a long talk to a nice person who understood all sorts of things that men don't usually appear to understand such as the river in the half darkness belonging to a totally different world to the river of sunshine and crowds and races of a few hours before. We got back to Trinity about midnight having had a most ripping picnic.

Saturday June 9th. I wrote letters in the morning and Joan took me out to see one or two of the Colleges before luncheon. They are perfectly lovely especially the "backs" with green lawns and the river and those beautiful old buildings. Trinity LodgeLink opens in a new window itself is a beautiful old house but unfortunately full of terrible Victorian furniture; it is in a corner of the Great Court of Trinity. My bedroom was in the new wing and I looked across the garden to St John's. Lady Thomson is extremely nice and I believe very clever but she is not at all well and is very vague and hopeless about social arrangements. Joan is a funny child nice in some ways but not at all interesting. Lady Thomson, the MasterLink opens in a new window (a very nice old bird) Joan and I went to see the races from the Pitt Lawn in the afternoon; we started off in a taxi at 3.45 and had got very nearly to the Pitt Lawn when we discovered we'd forgotten the tickets so we had to go all the way back, 3 or 4 miles, and get them which was really a very good thing because we'd got there much too early.

We had tea first and then went and got chairs by the edge of the river and saw the first race. In the intervals of the races we walked about and I saw Peggy, the Hoares, Mary and Joycey Smith and various other people. There were several bumps opposite us and Pembroke remained head of the river.

We got back at 8 to find the Bishop of KingstonLink opens in a new window and Mary Donaldson who had both arrived to stay. The Bishop of Kingston is the one who married Alice and Paul and is extraordinarily nice. Mary Donaldson is the sister of Katta Donaldson; I have often seen her but never actually met her. I liked her enormously and we made friends.

After dinner we watched from the drawing-room windows to see if there was any excitement after the bump suppers but nothing much happened except that one party climbed the fountain and several of them fell in.

Sunday June 10th. We went to the service in Trinity Chapel in the morning and the Bishop of Kingston preached very well. I went to see Mrs Mactaggert in the afternoon; she is the wife of Professor MactaggertLink opens in a new window who is a friend of Daddie's and it was she who got me asked to the Thomsons. She is a New Zealander and very amusing and very efficient. A large crowd of people appeared for tea at the Lodge. In the evening we went to a perfectly lovely concert at Corpus; the first half was in hall and consisted mainly of part songs by Elizabethan composers and two pieces by Brhams [ Brahms ] and Bach for violin and piano and two piano and delightful singing by Miss Joan ElwesLink opens in a new window who has a beautiful voice. The second half of the programme was in old Court and we went up to the rooms of a Dr McCardie for it; it consisted of things like "High Germany" and "Green Grow the Rushes" sung in the open Court and the effect was charming. Mary and I became very lively on the way home.

Monday June 11th. We spent the morning having terrible agitations over tickets and partners for the Trinity Ball that evening. I was going to it separately with someone provided by Mrs Mactaggert but one of the Thomson's partners had fallen through and they couldn't get anyone else so I suggested Henry Hardinge who is at King's and they asked him and he turned up on Monday morning very pleased and saying he'd be delighted to go but in the mean time they had asked someone else who had accepted and so they told poor Henry he couldn't go after all (it subsequently turned out they'd taken a dislike to him because he came in a blazer!). He was obviously disappointed so I said if he liked to go on his own and pay for himself I'd routle round with him and try and get him a ticket so we went off to Mrs Mactaggert who said she didn't know if there were any to be had but she'd see what could be done that afternoon so thinking it might be better to see if the secretary had any and get it settled we went back to the secretary's office at Trinity and got the last man's ticket there was left for which Henry had to pay £4.4.0. I then tore out to luncheon with a nice Mrs Birket whom I met on the Pitt Lawn and who had Herminie Eckstein staying with her. They gave me a lift to Fenner's after luncheon where I was meeting Mary and Joan to watch the lawn tennis tournament the Varsity V All England. It was very exciting tennis to watch and the Varsity was winning when we left after tea.

Mrs Mactaggert called for me at 7.30 and took me to dine with a Mr Manning at his rooms in Trinity; we had a very good dinner and then went on to the A.D.C and saw "The Lucky One"Link opens in a new window by A.A. Milne; it wasn't particularly good but of course the woman's parts were done by undergraduates which made it amusing, the heroine was well over six feet, had a deep bass voice and found extreme difficulty in managing her hands.

Manning and I went on to the Trinity Ball which was a really lovely sight, there was a huge marquee put up just out of Neville's Court which held the 1400 people who were there without the least crowding or squashing, the banks of the river and the avenue were lined with fairy lights and there were Japanese lanterns in the trees. Manning, Henry and I had supper together in the Combination Room and then went on the river in a punt and saw a girl fall in. I had a good lot of Manning; he has been studying philosophy under Professor Mactaggert and has just taken a first, he is interesting in a way but has no sense of humour and took an undue fancy to me (yes, I think the two did go together!) which was worrying. The dawn came at about 3 and the sun was shining long before the dance ended at 6. We were all photographed at the end looking very much like "the morning after the night before".

Mary and I felt we couldn't go to bed when we got back and looked out of the windows at the sunshine but our feet were falling off and when it came to a definite question of what we should do we decided for bed. I was in bed at 7.

Saturday June 23rd 1923.

Tuesday June 12th. I woke at 8 and was down for breakfast at 10.30. I helped Mary pack and saw her off and was very sorry she left.

I went to see Mrs Mactaggert in the afternoon and had tea with her. We had a whole fresh series of worries over tickets and partners for the Masonic Ball that evening. The partner they had got for me fell through and when I got down for breakfast I found poor Mrs Mactaggert sitting struggling to find out from Lady Thomson whether she had asked anyone else and if not whether Manning should be asked he having signalized his willingness to come if wanted, finally she went off with a note for Manning. Then it transpired that they'd got two ladies' tickets and only one man's so the unfortunate Manning had to pay for himself when he got there which he hadn't understood he had got to do.

A Professor and Madame LorentzLink opens in a new window arrived to stay that day; he was a great Dutch scientist and was to receive an honourary degree. Mrs Roy Batty Lady Thomson's twin sister also arrived to stay, she was nice and kind but talked a great deal of nonsense with a small quantity of sense scattered through it.

Manning and a Mr Foot came to dine for the dance. Lady GreyLink opens in a new window and her sister appeared after dinner and we went into the Combination Room and looked down into Hall through a hole in the wall and saw them all at dinner in their scarlet robes and heard the Master make a speech about the honourary degree people. Joan and I and the two men went to the Masonic Ball which was in the Guildhall. The masons were all in their insignia of offices and changed to higher and higher orders as the evening went on. Supper was in the Corn Exchange and a long covered way had been erected along the street to it. I was so tired that I left about half way through and Manning saw me home. He took a much worse fancy to me and would pay me compliments which I hate and asked for my photograph and wanted me to write to him all of which was most worrying and made me feel a pig because though he was excessively "nice" I didn't click with him in the least and don't feel I could be friends with him. He is Ulster Irish.

Wednesday June 13th. I left Cambridge at 11.14 and got to London at 12.37 nearly going to sleep in the train. I was very sorry to leave, I had a lovely time there and it is a perfectly charming place. Daddie and Shortie met me at Liverpool Street and said they didn't think Cousin Nell could have me to stay that night and I should have to come back here for the night (I had to go up again next day for the Court). I was so dead tired I felt I couldn't stand another railway journey, we rang up Cousin Nell and she said she was very sorry she was full up, so then we tried to ring up Miss Buxton but could get no answer to the telephone. We went to Cannon Street and put my luggage in the Cloak Room and had some luncheon, then Shortie and I went to Madame Sandoz and I had the final fitting of my Court dress; then we went to Miss Wolff and she said she could put me up for the night which was an immense relief. I went from there to have a singing lesson but I could scarcely keep my eyes open so Miss Hall let me off before the end of the lesson. I went to tea with Anne and told her all about Cambridge and then I went back to Miss Wolff's, had dinner in bed, went to sleep at 8.15 and slept solidly for 12 hours.

Sunday June 24th 1923.

Thursday June 14th. I went round to Tilney Street about 10 and sat with Uncle Oswald and Aunt Bobs while they had breakfast. Aunt Bobs had sent me a message to go and see her about a pearl necklace which I wanted to buy with the £21 Uncle Oswald gave me for my birthday: she had been to their jeweller and seen one there second hand for £25 and wanted me to go and see it. Miss Collins went with me in the motor and we went first to Frazer and Haws where I saw the head of it who knows Mummy and he showed me several necklaces and a very nice one which was £27.10.0 but he said he would reduce it to £25 as it was for Mummy. Then we went on to Aunt Bobs' man and saw the one there, and they gave it to me to take back to Tilney Street it was a long necklace but made of small uneven pearls not graduated. I took it back not knowing which to decide on so Aunt Bobs went with me to Frazer and Haws and decided their one was the best one so I decided to have it and arranged that it should be sent to Cousin Nell's that afternoon. It is graduated and has 147 pearls of quite good shape and colour. Aunt Bobs went back to Tilney Street and sent me in the car to the Hotel Rubens where I was lunching with Herminie Eckstein. I had had no time to go and change and so was in very old garments but thought it wouldn't matter as I expected Herminie to be alone instead of which I found a luncheon party of 12 extremely smart females! After luncheon I went to see Lil and Daisy and went with Daisy in their new little Standard car to a bazaar at Hanover LodgeLink opens in a new window Regents Park and then to Lowndes Street where we were staying with Cousin Nell for the Court. Aunt Clare was there for tea looking just the same as ever with her snow white hair. A French hairdresser came at 5 and did my hair; it was slightly waved and done straight back with the veil and feathers stuck in behind. Anne and Kathleen and Miss Wolff and little Anne and Julian came to see me dressed. My dress was very successful; it was cream-coloured satin charmeuse, very long and draped and the train was old Brussells [ Brussels ] lace lined with pale green Georgette. Mummy wore a beach dress and lace train. We had dinner at 6.30.

Uncle Oswald had very kindly lent us his car and as Cousin Florrie and Barbara were going with us it called for them first and then came for us (Daddie couldn't go because he was dining with Lord CurzonLink opens in a new window) Barbara looked extraordinarily pretty in a white and silver dress. We had a fearful excitement just as we were starting because we discovered we must have someone on the box to find the car afterwards and we didn't know where to get a boy, finally we went to Miss Wolff's and she lent us her boy. We got into the Mall at a little after 7.15 and found 48 cars in front of us, it was a long tiresome wait till the Palace opened at 8.30 but we were inside at 8.40; we were the last people to get into the throne room but we got very good seats at a corner. The King and Queen and portions of the Royal Family appeared at 9.30, the court was in mourning for Princess ChristianLink opens in a new window who died the Saturday before. We saw all the diplomatic people go past and then the ordinary people as ours was the last block in the throne room to go up. I must say I was dithering with fright all the time before and on the way up so much so that I forgot to look at the King and Queen at all! I think my curtsey went off alright but I felt my legs giving way when I got down fairly low so I got up and went on to the Queen where they started to give way again! Barbara was terrified before-hand but seems to have been very collected at the actual performance, she says the King went on looking at Cousin Florrie and wouldn't look at her so she just stood in front of him and refused to curtsey till he did look at her! Mummy got on very well and was allowed to take her stick. We met the de Lyndens in the passage and all went down to the small supper room on the ground floor together where we had an excellent supper and then went upstairs, and saw the King and Queen got in to supper; the Queen looked very well in black and so did Princess Mary. After this we went and sat in the picture gallery and watched all the people struggling to get into the big supper room, then we went and had some more supper downstairs and left getting back about 12.15. It was all most amusing. Barbara was very excited and thrilled by it all.

Friday June 15th. I went to see Anne in the morning going to Belgrave Square to leave a message for Lil on the way; in the hall I found Sophie who was just back from abroad and dragged her with me hatless up to Hyde Park Corner. Anne and I talked and then went out with Mrs Bevan and I left then and got to Belgrave Square at 12.30 and saw Lil and Daisy for a little while. I had luncheon with Cousin Nell and went to Tilney Street in the afternoon to show Uncle Oswald the necklace. I went to tea with Kathleen and we had a long talk about our minor woes and worries with special reference to ones that were functioning at the moment. Cousin Nell was out for dinner so Mummy and I dined alone together and went to bed early.

Saturday June 16th. I went out shopping with Betty in the morning, then went to Lowndes Street where I found Uncle Oswald seeing Mummy, then went to see Aunt Clare who was most amusing, said she hated quiet and wanted all the noise she could get when she came to London. Then I went back again to Lowndes Street then to luncheon at Culford Gardens with Uncle Eric, Aunt Mabel, Julian and a nice girl whose name was "Marjorie" beyond which I didn't penetrate. We all went down to Hurlingham after luncheon with the exception of Uncle Eric and watched polo there and had tea at the same table with Mrs Farmer and Ruth Farmer. I caught the 7.18 train down here.

Sunday June 17th. I went to Church at 10 and then played the piano and did oddments for the rest of the day.

Daddie was in the Isle of Man on some company promoting scheme of Lady Hardinge's.

Monday June 25th 1923.

Monday June 18th. Barland came to luncheon and stayed for some time in the afternoon. Mummy and I went to tea with the Abel Smiths who have taken Dunsdale; they are a young married couple, he being the son of Mummy's friend Mrs Reginald Abel Smith who was there.

Tuesday June 19th. I went to tea at Hoseyrigge (the Miss Liddells) in the afternoon to see Barland but there was a tennis party on and I didn't stay long.

Wednesday June 20th. I went up to London after Trinity College I walked to the bank in St Jameses' Street to change the cheque Uncle Oswald had given me to make up the difference in my pearl necklace. Then I walked through St Jamese's Park to Great College Street to have luncheon with Cousin Gerty and her neice Cois Davidson: Cousin Gerty was in bed so Cois and Cynthia who was also there, and I had luncheon together. Cois is frightfully nice – I saw Cousin Gerty after luncheon, I'm afraid she is very ill indeed.

I met Anne T at the Chelsea art school at 4 and we walked down the King's Road and I, without the least meaning to do so, bought a knitted wool coat and skirt. We went to tea with the Kleinworts, a small bun worry, Angela Beit, Kathleen and a brace of Carnegies. Kathleen and I left together and I went back to Sloane Gardens with her where we had a clothes and woes talk. I came down by the 7.18.

A long letter from Manning in the morning.

Thursday 21st. I had tea with Miss Deane and we had the Brownies in the garden after tea.

Mrs Boyd and her very nice son Major Levin who was here for a few days came to dinner and the Canon came after dinner most cheerful and full of spirits.

Friday 22nd. A sudden heat wave appeared and we had three glorious days. I don't think I did anything beyond practising and lying reading in the garden.

Saturday 23rd. Very hot. Daddie and I went for a walk in Squerryes, bracken and rhodos and shadows, lovely.

Young Mrs Abel Smith came to tea, she is pretty and attractive but very worried poor thing over her husband who has suddenly practically lost the sight of both eyes: the oculists say his eyes are strained but perfectly alright but in the meantime he can't see to read or write and is naturally miserable.

Sunday Midsummer Day. We went to Church. Lady Hardinge and Henry motored down after luncheon. I took Henry for a walk; he is an amusing boy but rubbed it in about the fancy Manning had taken to me. The Speaker also appeared for tea.

Aunt Violet had been coming down for the week-end but fell throught at the last moment owing to the death of a friend.

Monday June 25th. Mummy and Daddie went to London for the day to have Aunt Clare and Uncle Barney and Uncle Claude and Aunt Di to luncheon at the Rubens and apparently it was very successful.

I spent the larger part of the day altering the evening dress and went to help at the library after tea.

Etna is in eruptionLink opens in a new window rather badly and 30,000 people are homeless.

Alice had a little girl on Tuesday the 5th.

Tuesday July 3rd 1923.

Tuesday June 26th. I continued to alter evening dress and Mummy and I went to tea with Miss Swan and Miss Gosling who so appropriately live together.

Wednesday June 27th. I went to London for the day. After Trinity College I went to Day's and ended our subscription there, then having time to kill I went and looked at papers in the public library. I lunched with the Goldman's who have just got a most attractive house in Park Street. Hazel is an unusual girl and interesting. Doris Peel was there for luncheon and two other girls. I went and met Anne at the Empress Club in the afternoon and we walked back to York Terrace doing some shopping on the way. We were both of us in a rather ruffled frame of mind. I stayed to tea and then went on to see Kathleen whom I found very happily selling other people's old clothes to an extremely nice girl Jaycinth Ellerton a great friend of Anne T's, we sped her as soon as possible and then had a talk and Kathleen went to Charing Cross with me.

Thursday June 28th. I spent almost the entire day doing that horrible evening dress.

Friday June 29th. I struggled with and finally finished evening dress which was very successful when done.

I went to London by the 3.50 to stay with Miss Buxton for a couple of nights.

We sat in the garden after tea and I went across to see Kathleen and we had fearful jokes and merriment and trying on of jumpers.

Saturday June 30th. I went round to Culford Gardens after breakfast to leave a message for Julian, then walked up Sloane Street and took a bus to Orchard Street and went to the Times Book Club where I joined the library for one book at a time for a year, then I walked down Bond Street and got a bus to Sloane Square, went back to Lower Sloane Street, changed and said "good bye" to Miss Buxton who was going down to Twickenham for the week-end and very kindly letting me stay another night in the house.

I lunched with Kathleen. A cousin just up from Sandhurst was there for the week end: a nice youth. Mrs Corry, Kathleen, the cousin and I went to the Horse Show at OlympiaLink opens in a new window which was most thrilling; the horses were quite lovely and the jumping competition which lasted for well over two hours was fearfully exciting; a Frenchman went round without making any faults at all and won the cup. A lady who rode astride came in equal seconds with an English man and a Frenchman. We had tea there. I rested a bit and then dressed for dinner and went to dine with the de Lyndens for a small dance they were having that evening which was the raison d'etre of my being in London. The dance was given for two nice Dutch youths who are staying with them; there were about 10 couples and a man did Morris dancing at intervals To be quite honest I didn't enjoy it very much (which doesn't mean that it wasn't intrincically nice) but got home at 12.30 and read in bed and felt happy.

Sunday July 1st. Anne rang me up while I was having breakfast in bed and I had to patter down miles of stairs to speak to her! I left the house at 9.45, went to Charing Cross and put my box in the cloak room, then went to York Terrace and picked up Anne and she and I went to a high Church St Mark's Marylebone Road.

I went to luncheon with the Leighs; Rowland was there just back from Oxford. Peggy and I had a long talk in the afternoon. I went to the G of F Quarterly Meeting at St Martin's; the Church was very full and Mr Sheppard spoke. There was tea in the Fellowship Rooms afterwards, I sat with the Shilbecks and on the way out met Miss Baker and went back with her while she had her tea.

I came down here by the 6 o'c train to find Aunt Violet who had come down for the day and stayed till the 8.30 train.

Monday July 2nd. Glorious day, Kathleen was coming down for the day but telegraphed in the morning to say she couldn't come. Awful tragedy. I went for a walk in Limpsfield woods and got masses of loosestrife. I went to the library after tea.

Tuesday July 3rd. Shortie and I took our tea in Limsfield [ Limpsfield ] woods that afternoon they were glorious with sheets of loosestrife and bracken. We brought home armfuls of loosestrife and foxgloves and bracken.

An invitation from Mrs Buxton to go to Tockenham for the week-end which I can't accept.

Tuesday July 10th 1923.

Wednesday July 4th. I went up to London and after Trinity College went and changed a book at the Times Library, then went and killed time at the Public Library in South Audley Street and from there went to luncheon with Mrs Portcow and Phyllis both of whom were very nice; then I went to the United Societies Club in Harrington Gardens to see two G.D.A [ Girls' Diocesan Association ] girls who tried to persuade me to be G.D.A representative here if a branch is formed which I don't want to do. I went on from there to Anne, she was out when I got there but came in later and I had tea with her and then just caught the 6.34 by the skin of my teeth.

Thursday July 5th. Terrificly hot. I did nothing energetic till the Brownies after tea and felt dead after then.

Friday July 6th. I went to London by the 12.20 to stay the night with the Tighes for the Cayzer's dance. As soon as I got to London I went to Prince's Gate and left my luggage there then went to Anne, we sat in Regents Park in sweltering heat and discussed life then walked to the Times Book Club and changed books and parted at our respective 'buses.

I went to tea with Kathleen who was immensely cheerful and refreshing just returned from a picnic on Wimbledon Common and very bucked with a fur coat she'd just bought and was longing to wear although the temperature was 84% in the shade. I had to leave her about 6 to go to the Tighes. I found Oonah & Sheylah & a cousin there, and we talked aimlessly till it was time to dress for dinner.