The Shiffolds. - Bessie and Julian arrived on Saturday, 'both in very good health', and 'seemed to have enjoyed their stay at Welcombe very much'. Hopes his parents are both by now fully recovered. The weather here has been 'perfect' since he returned. Had a 'very interesting week at Snowdon, getting to know a quite new country, and a number of new friends, also the rudiments of a new art, that of rock-climbing'. Too late, when over forty, to take to it seriously, but 'under the leadership of [Herbert?] Reade and Geoffrey Young', he managed so 'safe but fairly serious climbs, on Lliwedd, the Parson's Nose, Tryfan, and elsewhere'. Does not remember whether his father knows Snowdon well; thinks the views from the top are 'finer on the whole than from any of the Cumberland hills'.
Julian is now very pleased with the little garden which the gardener has made for him; he has planted fox-gloves, and 'wants to put up a notice up that the foxes must not come into the garden to get new gloves, unless they pay sixpence each for them'. Robert is reading Aristophanes' Peace, which is 'rather a favourite' of his, though it is not usually though of as one of the 'great ones'. Saw Shaw's play [Pygmalion?] in London, and 'laughed a good deal'; does not think it is 'a very satisfactory play perhaps, but few of his are'.