Letters tipped into a paper-bound notebook labelled ‘Letters Book I’ on front:
Undated, ‘My dear Peter. What a pleasant surprise!’ 4 sheets. A lengthy narrative describes how Peter's gift reminds him of climbing Moricelli in Italy and finding shells there in a pool, similar to those Peter has sent; writes at length about his own story about an anchorite.
[1 Aug. 1944?], ‘Well Peter; here in London and finding it most exciting too’ 2 sheets. Life in London during bombing [Doodlebug Summer], and the attitude to death and reaction to bombing raids, lunchtime bombing of Kensington High St. Disagrees that modern war is not romantic.
Undated, ‘Saturday 1944’ 4 sheets. He meant Peter to understand that he was parodying Peter's style in his last letter, and is disappointed that Peter did not see this; has seen Ernest Milton in Macbeth, and discusses Wolfit in 3 Shakespeare plays; finds it is easy to be Shylockian; is disappointed in his (Denis') story, thinks he is too young yet, will put it away until he is older.
Envelope dated 23 Mar. 1945
Undated, Friday: 11th: 1944 1 sheet. Sends a volume of Italian short stories.
Undated, ‘Thursday. I feel very vicious this morning’ 1 sheet, with two pen-and-ink drawing of himself looking irate on verso. Asks him to write.
Undated, ‘Yes you are right!’ 5 sheets. Reflections on a quarrel they've had; has also been called up, asks for information on his medical, and hopes they can get assigned to the same camp.
11 Nov. 1944 79 Brook Green, London, W.6. 2 sheets, with pen-and-ink drawing at top and tail of letter. Has nothing to write, encloses a book by Forester which will teach Peter to write economically; praises Richard Goolden and Helen Pollack [Ellen Pollock?] in "To True To Be Good".
Rest blank
Diary from Galleries Lafayette, a gift from Jean and Harry. Descriptive entries for most days.
Eight photographs and one photocopy, most of them lacking captions and identifications. Includes a portrait photograph of twins [Peter and Anthony] at about one year of age, photograph by Messrs. Burrell & Hardman, Liverpool, a photograph labelled 'Daddy' which may include Peter and Brian Shaffer, and a photograph of Peter's mother Reka Shaffer at the Venice Lido in July 1962.
Includes profiles about both Peter and Anthony Shaffer, and Shaffer's article, "My three years in this grim and disgusting family business..." in the Evening Standard dated 14 Jan. 1972. There is also an entire issue of The Daily Mail for 9 June 1981, the Times 2 section of The Times for 18 May 2001, an entire issue of Theatregoer Magazine from 2001, and a letter from Derrick F. Mead of Peat Marwick dated 27 Feb. 1985 forwarding an article from The Sunday Telegraph magazine.
A typed transcript of 27 audiotapes of an oral history interview, with gaps indicating where the recording was inaudible, and a few emendations in an unidentified hand. The interviews are wide-ranging and cover his personal and professional life in a non-linear way, touching on the same topics several different times. Transcript from p. 197 to the end was previously stored in a folder labelled 'PLS. (Peter's copy) (of Philippa's transcript).'
(Four messages, including two from Lady Palgrave.)
Marked with the number ‘2’ and labelled by R. H. Inglis Palgrave as follows: ‘Letters, perhaps not so important as those in the other parcel, but also very useful in explaining the early history of the writer.’
(Includes a transcript of a letter from Read to the editor of the Ipswich Journal containing an account of the life of the Rev. George Turner.)
Log Cottage, Hindhead.—Acknowledges the receipt of ‘Bully’s’ letter. Discusses arrangements for meeting next Saturday, and refers to the visit of some factory girls.
(The letter includes sketches by someone identified as ‘Multy’.)
—————
Transcript
Log Cottage | Hindhead
8. Aug. 87.
Dear Bully,
Was it not an odd co-incidence? I had just finished that nice little letter to you when yours came yesterday. After deliberation, I decided that it should go, so that you might be the better able to gauge the revolution of feeling that took place in our ’earts on reading your scrummy (that’s Multy’s) invitation for next Saturday. I have not time to-day to enlarge upon the subject, but Multy has some good sketches which she is doing to enclose in this with a few joint appropriate remarks.
Likewise also is it an odd co-incidence that the day on which we are to have the honour of being presented to les nôtres, our two Mums & the Dad (that sounds rather naughty, & you so young too!) will be staying here & are hoping to see the author of the blouse. Don’t be alarmed they are good sort of folk and ripe for fun at any time.
Our factory girls were a great joke, they stayed from Saturday till Tuesday & thought iverry-think real ’ansim, strite they did. Was the blot that you made in describing your night in the boys’ camp done intentionally and were we to imagine it walking off the paper? Three more of Multys sketches represent what we imagine your feelings to have been on that occasion.
[There follow three pencil sketches of facial expressions, the first apparently asleep, captioned ‘In for the 9 hours’; the second apparently waking and yawning, captioned merely with a blot; and the third screwed up, captioned ‘—!’]
You will come then won’t you (to lunch if possible) next Saturday? though it be through hail, snow, ice thunder, lightning fire, water or sunshine & we will follow thee withersoever thou goest and eat and drink with thee.
Don’t get too legal or too mathematical or too economical, mais restez toujours l’incomparable Bully de nos amies
E. B.
[On a separate sheet are eight more sketches of facial expressions, captioned as follows:]
I July 26th No letter from Bully for a week!
II Aug: 2nd Still silence
III Aug: 7th A.M. Bully chucked!
IV Aug: 7th p.m. Letter!
V E. “My Mother will be here on the 14th!”
VI B. “My Mother will be here on the 14th too!”
VII Both. Phewwww! . . . .
VIII Never mind—BULLY’S COMING –!–
