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Plas Penrhyn, Penrhyn Deudraeth, Merioneth. - Has been waiting for the BBC to send a list of dates when Bertie will be wanted for broadcasting to reply to Elizabeth, as they plan to call on her at the Shiffolds on the way back from London; they have heard nothing from the BBC but no plan to come towards the end of the month or the beginning of October, after the children have gone to their new school. Difficulties with selling their Richmond house. The children have being 'angels' this summer, unlike 'last summer's devilments'. Bertie is working on a new book, which she is glad of: philosophy serves as a 'counter-irritant to the perfect horrors in the political world': finds the 'war whoops' of the British government, supported by Gaitskell [over Suez] astounding; supposes the matter will go to the U.N.; she 'can hardly bear regarding Dulles as a dove of peace'. The Russells were very interested to hear about the Waleys. Likes to think of Mary and Julian enjoying the sunshine in Italy: there is so much rain in Wales they 'are rapidly developing fins and scales'.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Wishes they could come to the Shiffolds, but 'as usual' they are too busy for the next few weeks; they are selling the house and preparing to move to North Wales, and also to put the children into a new school nearer there. They do hope to come and visit before they leave, hiring a car and also calling on Flora Russell at Albury. Have received a card for Mary [Fedden's] show at the Redfern Gallery and hope to get to it: have not seen her or Julian since the boatrace, and have never seen many of their paintings. Have not seen the Woods [Alan and Mary] since returning from Wales; is afraid they have had a difficult time but hope things are going better for them now. Encloses a blurb of a book of Bertie's ["Portraits from Memory and Other Essays"?] which she thinks may interest Elizabeth.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Lovely to have news straight from Bessie, rather than through [Alan and Mary] Wood, 'dears though they are'; it is kind of her to invite them for the Christmas holiday, but they are going to Wales with the three grandchildren as soon as they return from school; they have just heard that their 'daily' there has to go into hospital, so their domestic troubles will continue. Looks forward 'to cooking a turkey for 10 or 12 people in an oven into which it will not fit. Is glad Miss Jones is still living with Bessie and hopes she will be able to find someone to read to her 'who loves the country. The people who interrupted at the Central Hall meeting were an organised band called the "Royal Imperialists" whose stated concern is "to uphold the Empire"; very silly, but no more so than the article in this week's "Time and Tide" on India; 'amazing how many people...feel they can achieve great things by not looking at facts and merely calling everybody they don't like nasty names'; this includes the Russians, who are 'lying in India now'. Is very glad Julian and Mary are so happy, and about Julian's successful show.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Is ashamed not to have written sooner: the summer "surpassed the most lurid imaginings of upsets and busy-ness' she could have had. Bertie has been incredibly busy with 'meetings and speeches, plans, discussions, articles and conferences both here and in Paris', while the difficulties with John led to 'a series of climaxes and horrors'. They took a house in North Wales in June, for the grandchildren and future holidays, having seen it once and fallen in love with it for its views; has had to work hard to furnish it and arrange for utilities. The children went in mid-July, and they joined them in mid-August 'for a glorious six weeks'. The 'nice Woods' [Alan and Mary], who are 'dears', brought news of Bessie. Is afraid they will not be able to get to the Shiffolds to see Bessie, but there are too many things Bertie must do; he is currently meeting the Austrian Socialist leader who is visiting the Austrian Embassy.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Very disappointed: Bertie has an engagement already for Friday 6th so they will not be there; they would have loved to see Bessie here, and Miss Jones; Edith would have been happy to help Bessie up their stairs if Miss Jones could not come. Got back on Monday from a fortnight in Rome and Paris where Bertie had to go for a conference and speeches, and immediately his time was filled with engagements 'trying to bring Gov'ts and peoples to their senses about war and thermo-nuclear weapons'. Einstein's death a tragedy; they heard about it on the plane from Rome to Paris, and arrived in Paris to find a letter from him saying he would support Bertie entirely, which must have been almost the last letter he wrote. Bertie is now working on the proposal he and Einstein intended to issue; he needs a holiday and they are planning to take a month's holiday 'out of communication' in Scotland.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Originally some more leaflets [about Bertrand Russell's anti-nuclear proposal]. Bertie thinks he must concentrate on the Indians; perhaps Bessie could write to Queen Juliana. Does not know whether the proposal has been published in the Netherlands; thinks it has in Sweden and Denmark. Must have written 'very misleadingly about John' to give the impression that his mother has helped him: she 'has behaved quite frightfully'. The doctors thought that John might get better if given proper care, which was arranged for him; she persuaded him against their 'very pressing advice' to leave the hospital and live with her; John seems to be afraid of her. He comes 'wandering out here twice or thrice a week' but there is nothing they can do but wait till he gets worse. Their London char has now fallen ill, and the children's governess is now their 'mainstay'.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Thanks Bessie for her letters and postcard, and answers her questions: her book is "Wilfrid Scawen Blunt", and was published in 1939 when she was still Edith Finch; is sorry she does not have a copy to lend her. Agrees that the weather is very cold, though the Russells have not had to retire to bed to keep warm like Bessie; hopes she is not ill. They have not yet seen V[eronica] Wedgwood's book ["The King's Peace, 1637–1641", vol. 1 of "The Great Rebellion"]; liked her "William the Silent" very much, but they have been so busy to read much besides what must be read. They both have been very busy since Bertie's Christmas broadcast ["Man’s Peril from the Hydrogen Bomb.”]; she hopes his energy will hold out and that 'passionate sincerity' will bring about the proposal's success. Domestically, they are in chaos: the cook-general's husband is ill so she has been away since before Christmas, they have a little help from a char and from the grandchildren's governess. Their grandchildren [Felicity, Anne, and Lucy] are now in their sole care, 'since their parents first left them and then left each other'. John has been ill; he spends some of his time with his mother, and some with them; it has been 'really fierce and harrowing' for Bertie. They 'love the little girls dearly' however. Sorry the roads are so treacherous; would be lovely to see her when she can get to London again.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Good news that Bessie may be able to stay with them on one of her trips to London; suggests the best days. She is 'acting as Bertie's secretary' now and so is also very busy and unable to come to Dorking either; they are both very sorry. They have not yet had the report of the speeches at Birkbeck College [for the donation of R. C. Trevelyan's books to the library].

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - Happy to hear about the party at Birkbeck College [for the donation of R. C. Trevelyan's books to the library] and wished they could have been there. Would like to read Bessie's and E. M. Forster's speeches if they have been printed; thinks with 'admiring wonder' of Bessie having enjoyed making the speech. Would love to visit the Shiffolds, but does not think they can get away; they had an 'absolutely heavenly' holiday in France, but now Bertie is very busy. She worries about him; wishes sometimes that he would refuse to take on what should, it seems to her, be other people's responsibilities. John's book is a short story he wrote a few years ago ["Abandon Spa Hot Springs"], published by the Gaberbocchus Press. She thinks it is good, but 'a slight production for a young man with three children to be supported'; still, Bertie would not be happy if John were not working. They take long walks now and again, this afternoon along the river to Ham House; Bessie's garden and the countryside around must be 'enchanting'. Would very much like it if Bessie could come for lunch one day.

41 Queen's Road, Richmond, Surrey. - She and Bertie would like to come to the Shiffolds for the day, and ask if 9 June would suit, or perhaps some time the following week.

K. Maxwell is in Bath, Jean [Maxwell?] and his friend Olding are living in Church St.