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7A Stanley Gardens, Ladbroke Grove W.11. - Arrangements for booking tickets together. Is glad the opera ["The Bride of Dionysus"] looks set to do well. Bertrie [Russell] writes that he has whooping cough. Saw Kenneth Cross yesterday, who said he was visiting the Trevelyans. Is going to the Herberts [?] today.

The Shiffolds, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking. - It is a 'great pleasure' to be home from Spain, and to find Bessie and Julian well; Julian has 'improved in many ways since the summer, and is much stronger, and also more vigorous mentally'. His current 'chief interests' are astronomy and 'making architectural plans'; therefore, he is much looking forward to the visit next week Bessie's cousin Jan Hubrecht, who 'will tell him all about sun-spots'; also to the visit of Robert's friend [Kenneth] Croos tomorrow, who 'was one of the architect of the Mission des Amis' in France. Bessie reads Wells' new Outline of History to Julian in the evenings, which 'seems quite well done'; so far however, they have 'only reached the beginning of the Pleistocene or thereabouts'.

It has been a 'great pleasure' for them to read [Theodore Roosevelt's] correspondence in Scribner's [Magazine]; thinks the 'strongest feeling' he got from Roosevelt's letters is what 'for what of a better word [Robert] would call his charm'; that indeed is his 'chief memory' of Roosevelt from when he met him at Welcombe. Roosevelt's 'wide reading and interest in everything would have made him interesting in any case', but it is 'something more personal than that, something which made any difference of opinion or point of view seem of little importance.

Had a good time in Madrid: got to know 'some quite interesting young men, and laid the foundation of at least a literary knowledge of Spanish'. Is preparing a 'book of translations from Lucretius', which will in total come to 'rather more than a third of the De Rerum Natura. Sends ;ove to his mother.

1917 Club, 4 Gerrard Street, W.1. - Has just arrived from Welcombe, and is waiting for Bob. They will have two 'most momentous meetings' this afternoon at [Sir John] Withers': first, with Kenneth Cross present, deciding on the 'future of the Shiffolds'; then with Mr Whitlock, Mr Place, and Mr Watson to sign the sale contract of Welcombe, and also if possible to settle details of 'preferential treatment to tenants etc etc'. Hopes all goes well; had quite a time in Welcombe on Wednesday going through the inventory with Whitlock, and deciding what to keep; whenever she goes there she finds something new, this time some 'really fine old pewter plates' which she did not however reserve. As soon as Whitlock left Engelbert and Helen [Röntgen] arrived, and 'had to be shown round & everything explained. Engelbert had 'the greatest difficulty in grasping the situation' and thought the Trevelyans were 'mad to sell such beauty!'. She then had to go and 'sooth anxious minds' of Tinson, Hall [?], Florence and everyone else [staff at Welcombe?] who are of course all worrying about what will happen; it is 'very sad for the Tinsons', and she almost feels most for them. Expects Julian had a good time at Oare yesterday [visiting Mary Fletcher], since the weather 'suddenly cleared'; hopes he got onto the Downs. Asks him to let her know how he is getting on, and his address at Bath; tells him to 'look out for [Jane Austen's] Anne Elliot & her relations'.

Furzen Wood, Abinger, Dorking. - Sends a bill for Julian to pay, and asks him to return the small one she sent him so that she can deal with it as she proposed. Glad to get Julian's letter, as she wondered how he was getting on since her departure. Hopes the furniture he is bought from the 'marché de Puce [flea market]' really is 'puceless'. Uncle Charles has resigned office [as Labour minister for education]; though his reasons 'must have seemed imperative to him'; she and Bob think it 'very unwise', and his political career is now at an end. His criticism of the Government was also 'rather unfortunate' when they were 'doing so well over Indian settlement & Naval agreements'. Charles may well lose his seat; it would be 'disastrous if he did not have Wallington estate as his absorbing interest'; she thinks he and Molly are 'doing splendid work there'. Has been reading Will Rothenstein's memoirs ["Men and Memories"]; Julian should look at it if he can, as it is about artistic life in Paris in the 1880s and 1890s, which would amuse him. Still struggling with her 'cold and lumbago' and will not go to London until she has got rid of it. She and Bob had to meet [Kenneth?] Cross at the Shiffolds, and Bob 'made great strides in settling abt his shelves and cupboards'. The attic, with 'its big dormer to the front' is now a 'splendid' room with a fine view; it will be 'the nicest room in the house'. She then had tea with Mrs [Margaret] Vaughan Williams, who 'kept saying jokingly' that she was not allowed to do or have certain things, 'as if Constance [her daughter in law] was hectoring her'. Constance and Hervey came in later; they are 'kind, but C is bossy of course, but then Mrs V W is very independent'. She wanted to know all about Paris and Julian's flat. Bessie is very glad Julian is eating more, so 'will avoid the transparency of the Eiffel tower'. Asks who cooks 'that beautiful breakfast'; longs for 'those epinards [spinach] aux croutons', as 'England is entirely devoid of decent vegetables' at the moment. Asks to be remembered to [George] Reavey.

Greville House, Little Baddow, Chelmsford. - Very kind of Bob to send his poems "From the Shiffolds". Heard from Kim that Philip Erasmus [Bob's grandson] has 'joined us all in this sorry place'; sends best wishes to Bessie and the whole family. Enjoyed "Windfalls" so much that he bought two copies, one to give away; thinks Bob may have found it hard to show himself 'so frankly to the world', but it is 'beautifully done' and Cross is glad he wrote it. Apologises for not writing before, but 'what is there to say? When will this horror end?' Hopes Bob has not got 'too depressed'; thinks work is 'the best sedative'. Has been quite busy himself with 'nebulous schemes which are unlikely to mature', and 'repair of damaged buildings', which are 'depressing'. Hopes the Trevelyans have had nothing to disturb the Shiffolds; he had a 'near miss' once, and the house is 'frequently shaken', with tiles lost and doors and windows broken, but nothing serious has happened so far. Has just finished '"Social England" by the Master of Trinity' [George Macaulay Trevelyan's "English Social History"]: it 'just suited [his] mood' and he 'had difficulty putting it down'; has also read the 'small book on Trinity' ["Trinity College: An Historical Sketch"]: 'Tradition still has humble admirers'. Comments on 'How miserable Goldie [Dickinson] would have been and Francis [Birrell] too'. Can still see Bob 'charging the barrier at a French railway station - successfully of course'.

Greville House, Little Baddow, Chelmsford. - Thanks Bob for his Christmas cards this year and last ["From the Shiffolds"]: has felt guilty for twelve months for not thanking him for the 1945 one. Hopes that Bob and Bessie are keeping well, and 'do not find the world too unpleasant to live in'; it seems 'a poor place now with little prospect of improvement' to him: keeping alive through the last war is 'about all'. However, there is still sometimes sunshine, the 'birds chatter', and poets like Bob 'manage to become sufficiently detached to sing to us about things removed from our present discontent'; wishes him good luck and tells him to 'keep it up'.

Was sorry to miss seeing Julian at the concert; hopes he will be out of quarantine next Saturday when he comes with Bessie. They are going to hear [Pablo] Casals conduct in London if Bessie is well enough (she has a cold). Inviting Michael MacCarthy to visit some time in January; also, [Kenneth? or his father Alfred?] Cross says he will visit on the weekend of 7-9 January. Has bought a first edition of Dickens' "Bleak House" 'with the old pictures', which Elizabeth wants to read in the summer holidays. Went to visit the Headmaster of Eton [Cyril Alington] for a night recently, which was 'quite amusing'; corrected the sixth form boys' Latin verses, 'which were pretty bad', and Elizabeth 'played music with the Head's daughters, which was fairly good'. The Cloisters at Eton is 'quite a fine old mediaeval place', but Windsor Castle 'looks brand new'.

Julian 'must not be too much distressed at the dilapidations of the Exhibition', which are not getting worse; the Theatre and most of the buildings are all right; it is mainly the 'staircases, where the paper has curled up' due to time (he quotes Shakespeare) except 'one little building... next Low-Brow Hall, which once by night in the dark was destroyed by a certain giant's foot'. May be at the station to meet Julian next Saturday; if not, tells him to come quickly to get a seat near them as 'the Hall will be chock full'. Hears Julian will have another part, in the "Winter's Tale".

West Hackhurst, Abinger Hammer, Dorking. - Trevelyan's present is very generous: would not have been able to afford a seat at that price [to see Mussorgsky's "Boris Gudunov" at the Lyceum, see 3/52]; is pleased he will be sitting next to K.C. [Kenneth Cross] Has been to see [Verdi's] "La Forza del Destino", which he does not think Trevelyan could have stood, and is going to meet the prima donna [Rosa Ponselle] at Bumpus [Bookshop]. Wishes Trevelyan were coming to the [Apostles'] Dinner. Trevelyan's title still not vulgar enough' for Forster's taste: he offers some suggestions. His mother much enjoyed "A High Wind" [Richard Hughes, "A High Wind in Jamaica"].