Olave's Diary for July-Dec 1934 Index
For January to June 1934 click here
July 1934
Memoranda
Elizabeth Luxton
7 Thorney Court
W
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Sunday 1 July 1934
Left Harrogate 10.10 & arrive London 3.45. Did all my 18 “thank letters” in the train.
To tea with old Aunt Gertrude Hill, and catch 6.0 train home.
Heather absent, gadding about wildly as usual! She is in a restless unhappy mood just now, unconsciously worried about Geordie.
Monday 2 July 1934
Heather to London again. She is most terribly restless these days & not a bit herself. I cannot talk to her about Geordie & she gets more & more secretive.
Eileen and Jimmy Wade to tea, & the latter's godmother – Miss Capadose from Albury.
Tuesday 3 July 1934
Heather off to London again.
Col. & Mrs Walton (Longworth, Berks) and H.Q. Com. for Rovers to lunch & the 2 Wades from Kenya too. The Waltons stayed on for tea too & talked over plans for going round the world with us in October - independently in a way & yet to [Scanned page cuts off lower half of next words which can just he made out] help where & when wanted.
Wednesday 4 July 1934
Jane Thornewill to stay again and also Elizabeth Luxton, Guider from Melbourne.
Robin went up to London for various interviews, did a Mercers Dinner again (for first time since last December) and then came home again by the 9.50 arriving back 11.18
Thursday 5 July 1934
Elizabeth Luxton left. Her father was so good & took R. fishing in Australia when we were there in 1931.
Jane Thornewill left.
The Clementi's (Sir Cecil & Lady) to lunch. He has just retired from being Governor of Malaya.
The dear Spillings to tea. Dick Mills to dine & Heather went with him to Robertsons dance.
Friday 6 July 1934
Robin to London for the Mercers etc. & back for tea.
Heather to Wimbledon & back for dinner.
I had a thorough home day finishing up letters & things.
Our caravan, “Eccles” all packed up to start tomorrow for Banff Scotland for R. & Heather to camp & fish on the Deveron.
Saturday 7 July 1934
Left home by 9.14 for London. Catch 11.50 at Liverpool Street & get to Cambridge very late. Lunch with the Adeane's (Lord Lieutenant) at Babraham. County Rally there in charming park of about 1500 Guides and Brownies. Gave their dear C.C. Kathleen De Beaumont the Silver Fish. Jolly nice Campy affair. Back [final line on this page half cut off on scan but appears to conclude with] to London and stayed at Rubens.
Sunday 8 July 1934
Home by the 10.4 to Aldershot, and Heather met me there in Jimmy . Shaughm 1 came too & I think felt the hot sun a bit.
Heather to tennis with Dick Mills down at Bishops Sutton and didn’t get back until 2.0 a.m. having gone off for a midnight bathe near Lymington with a party. These young things do have odd tiring forms of amusement!
[1a black Labrador, given by - and named with the initials of - Shropshire, Herefordshire, A & U to make it pronouncable - Gloucestershire and Monmouthshire.]
Monday 9 July 1934
Sir Philip & Lady Game (Governor of New South Wales) who we stayed with in Sydney in 1931, came to lunch, with their boy David & guide daughter Rosemary. Miss Norah Short – Com. for Lones in South Africa - also came for lunch and tea.
Darling Shaughm 1 had slight “stroke” – hind legs wouldn’t carry him. Vet came & later R. & I took him to Farnham & left him with Everett to get well. He is bad, [last sentence cut off by scan but possibly continues as ‘but will get over it’]
Tuesday 10 July 1934
To London
Attend meeting of Committee at Kensington Palace about Picture Show in October to help Scouts Unemployment Camps [a Scout Association initiative begun during the Great Depression to train unemployed Rovers in skills which would help them find employment: https://cambridgedistrictscoutarchive.com/scouts-and-camps-for-the-unemployed/ ]
Lunch party at Guide H.Q. – Lady Gouran (India Prov. Cm.) Mrs Tuta (Bahamas) Mrs Thomas (Sydney) Lady & Miss Wilson (wife of governor of Queensland) Louie Godley etc. Buy clothes with Heather at Celia's and to “Du Barry” film. Act as co-host with Lady Jardine & Lady Hastings at Charterhouse Ball at the Dorchester. Terrible crowd and noise. [continues at top of next page 11 July] Robin went too and stood it well, & Heather loved it.
Wednesday 11 July 1934
Mr & Mrs Glancy (our Chief Com. for India) to breakfast at Rubens. See Robin & Heather off in small steamer at Westminster Pier for their voyage by sea to Aberdeen. Catch 11.24 for home. Lunch quickly at Pax & rush off to Frensham
Open the local Flower Show at Pierrepont - in great heat, & then rush on by road to London for delightful guiders tea party at Dame Alice Godman's – over 100 overseas guiders.
Thursday 12 July 1934
Helen Gwynne Vaughan & Percy Everett dined with me last night to discuss H.Q.
Run up to Lancaster Gate & see Lady Hilton Young’s good bust of dear Alice Baird – to be put in the new hall at St James'. Mrs Pheysey (Com for Oporto) to lunch at H.Q. also Mrs [space left blank for name] from Kenya and Lady Young, newly appointed to go out to govern Malaya – her husband I mean!
Do some office work & then Jam-Roll off & collect old Aunt Ger at her flat & drive her & her maid to Pax. Alice Baird comes for the night.
Friday 13 July 1934
Drove Alice over to catch her train at Reading.
Vera Spelman (Dip. Guider from Lincs who is going out to Bengal) to lunch. Ran her over to Fleet to see Mrs Arthur (Com. in Calcutta) & back for tea.
Cyril & B. Maude to stay – dear things.
Yvonne came home last night from school – early to escape infection [last sentence cut off on scan so only top of the following two words is visible] by measles[?]
Saturday 14 July 1934
Cyril & B. Went off to a niece's wedding. Col. Wiley & three young 5th D.G. [Dragoon Guards – cavalry regiment once commanded by B-P] officers came to tea, having a cricket match against this village.
Sunday 15 July 1934
Cyril & B out to lunch with their cousins the Percevals in Farnham. Lettice came down for the day.
The whole Grotrian family to tea – our nice C.C. from Yorks who I was with for her Rally on June 30th. Also Mrs Arthur & Mrs Stewart Gray (D.C.’s from Calcutta) and Eric & [space left but nothing further written]
Monday 16 July 1934
Cyril & B. Left.
In to Farnham & had my hair washed, shopped and Yvonne had her comic wiry hair cut off short – “bingled” [Merriam Webster Dictionary explains this as ‘a woman’s short bob partly shingled at the back’] – which is most successful.
Aunt Ger likes being here, & though weak & old & frail is wonderfully bright & happy – now aged 82.
Mrs Adam Scott to tea who knew R. In Chili[sic] years ago – and Ruth Ainsworth came too.
Tuesday 17 July 1934
London
To London. Call and see Lord & Lady Willingdon (Viceroy)
Lunch at H.Q. with some of the H.Q. Committee members & Mrs Glancy (C.C. India) etc. H.Q. Committee all afternoon - long & trying difficult question of Monty had to be discussed. Louie Wilson (former Chief Com. for New Zealand) came to tea.
Home to Pax.
Wednesday 18 July 1934
To London again. Mrs Ford (wife of a Professor at Harvard U.S.A.) who I saw in Bermuda to lunch with me. And also Lady Miller from Melbourne.
To see “Thomas Cooks” about my journey to Adelboden.
To tea with Stella Tufton to meet some of the delegates to the World Conference.
Home to delicious cool peaceful Pax.
London was like an oven.
Thursday 19 July 1934
Aunt Ger enjoys being here. She has aged a lot lately. Took her shopping in Farnham.
Katharine Furse to stay the night to talk over World Guide Affairs.
Friday 20 July 1934
Col. (George) Booker and beautiful wife Edith to stay and Jerry Kennard too. Robin writes so happily from Banff & is so enjoying his fishing & camping there - on the Devoran[sic] - with Heather.
Saturday 21 July 1934
Jerry & George played golf and also they all went with Yvonne later to cinema in Aldershot.
Sunday 22 July 1934
Took the two nice Bookers to church and they left directly after lunch. Col. and Mrs Kennedy (Col. of the 13th-18th Hussars) to tea.
My old Uncle Arthur Soames died – my father's oldest & last surviving brother.
Monday 23 July 1934
Jerry Kennard left. Cousin Auriol Tanner – and her nice husband Charles – came over from Bramley Camp – where he commands the Ordnance Depot – for tea.
A useful more or less un hurried home day.
Tuesday 24 July 1934
Run over to Reading & collect Bet – home from school for good at last. She had lost her luggage – but no matter! We bought her grown up clothes in Reading & then rushed home. Took Aunt Ger in Jam-Roll the 50 miles over to Worthing and left her in a hotel there.
Wednesday 25 July 1934
Jam-Rolled (taking Annie with me) to Sheffield Park, for old Uncle Arthur’s funeral. Lots of his friends & relations there, and service in Fletching Church and he was buried there.
The lawyer told me I was mentioned in the will & implied it would be to the tune of £10000 – but I can’t believe it!?
Thursday 26 July 1934
Dear B. & Cyril Maude to stay again. To London and Mrs Lance Lewis (Australia) and Mrs Nelson (South Africa) Mrs Conran Smith (Madras) and Lady Keane (Assam) came to lunch at Guide H.Q.
Take Bet and[sic] to Buckingham Palace Garden party. Met lots of friends and we enjoyed it very much. Run home to Pax in Cyril's car all together.
Friday 27 July 1934
Cyril and B. left and took Bet away to stay with them at Redlap (Dartmouth)
Waded through arrears of work - the accumulation of these last few days of absence.
Saturday 28 July 1934
George and Edith Booker to stay again. They took Yvonne and me over to Aldershot for the 5th D.G's [British Army cavalry Regiment, Dragoon Guards] Sports. Quite fun.
Lettice Hill to stay night.
Sunday 29 July 1934
Took George & Edith to church.
Lettice left late.
Winifred Flower came over for tea, bringing Dorothy Robinson with her – who was on board our ship going to New Zealand in 1931. Miss Girling also came to talk over the children's journey to Oberammergau.
Monday 30 July 1934
[Page left blank]
Tuesday 31 July 1934
Aunt Helen Storrow [American philanthropist, Girl Scout leader and close personal friend of B-P’s who, in 1932, funded the construction of Our Chalet – the first of five international centres for the World Association of Guides and Girl Scouts - in Adelboden, Switzerland] to stay and also her “Anglo American guide friends all ones who have been to America as her guests ‐
Joyce Wolton
Vivien Rhys David
Clarice Warren
“Corkie” Moore. Also Miss Rossiter our good Eagle Owl from Canada & Mrs Ford from Boston; & Jumbo Bewley came over from Hindhead for tea & supper.
August 1934
Memoranda
[In pencil]
Mrs Lane[?] Lewis
12A Curzon Street
W
_____________________________
Wednesday 1 August 1934
Ran in to Farnham in the evening and watched & gave prizes at excellent Swimming Gymkhana.
It rained rather badly & spoiled it a bit, but it was a good show with jolly water polo match too.
Thursday 2 August 1934
Run in to Farnham to bank, shops and take Annie in too.
Finish up all paying of wages, books, make plans for household's holidays, pack, etc.
Shaugm's[sic] masseuse comes again & he is so much better.
Poor old Taffy - Court's dog aged 12 – son of our original first Welsh terrier Taffy that we had at Ewhurst in 1913 – was run over on the road & had to be put to sleep.
Friday 3 August 1934
To London with Yvonne after lunch. See Percy Everett about Monty. Lady Crewe (from East London – S. Africa) to tea with me at the Rubens. Run round & write my name in the book at Buckingham Palace. Betty joins us from Dartmouth & we join Nellie Craufurd & Elizabeth Luxton at Victoria Airways terminus & go down in their huge bus to Croydon Airport. [Britain’s first major international airport]
Stay at quite good aerodrome Hotel, jolly watching aeroplanes landing.
Saturday 4 August 1934
Get up at 6.45. Breakfast 7.15. Rosie Kerr and Aunt Helen Storrow & we four all fly off at 8.0 in lovely big plane. Quite splendid smooth flight. Land for half an hour (at 10.0) at Le Bourget. Get off again in same machine at 11.0 and fly on to Basle, landing there at 1.0. Lunch most comfily in the air!!
Aunt Helen hires a car & takes Nellie & me direct by road via Berne to Adelboden, getting there at 6.0.[continues at top of next page August 5th] Stay at very nice Hotel Regina.
Sunday 5 August 1934
Lovely waking up to sunshine blazing on the snow covered mountains opposite my window. Some Norwegian guides serenade me, & I loaf round with various members of the World Committee.
Walk up to “Our Chalet” in afternoon & have tea there. Meet a whole crowd of guides from Luxembourg – camping over[?].
Meeting of Finance Committee at Chalet [last line illegible as cut off by scan]
Monday 6 August 1934
Spent whole day popping up and down between Villa “Nirvana” just down the road and the Regina Hotel, for meals & sessions of the World Committee. All went very nicely. Aunt Helen Storrow took the Chair, the other members being –
Marie Dillner (Sweden)
Mrs Malkowska (Poland)
Miss Anni Collan (Finland)
Mdlle[sic] Beley (France)
Miss Lindenmeyer (Hungary)
Mme Morel (Belgium)
(Miss Piepers)[sic] Holland
Tuesday 7 August 1934
Adelboden
Rosie Kerr (Commissioner for Tenderfoot countries) & Katharine Furse very busy as “Director”.
World Committee sessions again most of the day. In between do walks & huge meals.
Poured with rain too, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I do love this country & the homey-ness[sic]of it
Wednesday 8 August 1934
World Committee
Walk up to “Our Chalet” in afternoon & have Chalet Committee meeting there and tea. A Company of Guides from Luxembourg came & sang & a group of Swiss Guides too. All so delightful.
Thursday 9 August 1934
World Conference
Stroll about Adelboden shopping etc. and meet the bus which brought about 20 of our delegates for the Conference. Took a car and drove over to Kandersteg; stopping at the Blausee en route. Tea at the Hotel Walderand where we all stayed in 1931.
Took Nellie Craufurd & the Carvers. Great fun.
Opened the Conference in the evening at the Regina Hotel – a good gathering. [final word deduced from visible top half due to scan cut-off]
Friday 10 August 1934
Conference started in earnest – reports given from all the countries represented here.
Saturday 11 August 1934
World Conference continued again for two hours in the morning and two more in the afternoon.
Nice good discussions on “Thinking Day” and finance and the Chalet. Mrs Brady – Chairman of U.S.A. Girl Scouts – took the Chair. Having to have translations makes it slow.
Aunt Helen Storrow opens an excellent Handcraft Exhibition of things from many countries.
Sunday 12 August 1934
Got up at 6.0 & went off in huge motor bus with 30 others to Lauterbrunnen via Interlaken. Glorious drive. Got into the little train & went up past Wengen to Scheidegg. Changed here into the marvellous mountain railway which climbs up inside the Jungfrau-joch mountain. Emerge at the top into deep snow and blinding dazzling whiteness. Clouds sweep over us, but they suddenly cleared & we saw peaks & ridges & the [continues onto next page, Mon 13 Aug] Aletch[sic] Glacier below us. Wonderful experience. Return down the other side to Grundelwald[sic], & motor bus awaits us there & home late. Wonderful day.
Monday 13 August 1934
Conference all morning & all afternoon.
Then all walked or drove up to the Chalet for huge tea party, given by the Swiss Guides for the Conference. Delightful singing by Swiss Guides, & dances in national dress, men yodelled & all very jolly.
Tuesday 14 August 1934
Conference session all morning and also all afternoon, dealing with dull things like the constitution of the World Assoc. – Bye-laws etc. But all worth while, & though it is a slow business having translation into French and German as well as English it does satisfy them & makes them feel they all have a voice.
Ran down to the school below the hotel for supper.
Wednesday 15 August 1934
Conference continues.
Part A now over for dealing with world questions in guiding & things like policy, voting, elections of World Committee etc.
Part B now takes place with lectures & discussions on them.
Miss Dingman of the Worlds Y.W.C.A. spoke; also “the Carpenter” and Miss Lindenmeyer. Do a nice walk up the hill alone.
Thursday 16 August 1934
Glorious sun shine at last & the lovely valley & mountains divinely beautiful.
Conference all day.
I escaped up to the Chalet in afternoon & had tea with a group of Swiss Patrol Leaders camping there. “Country Dance” & Soup evening by Guide people in their national dress. Very delightful.
Friday 17 August 1934
Conference went on more or less all day. Went for lovely walk all alone – I do love this dear country & never tire of looking and looking at the mountains. Some of the Guide folk melt away. Tea with some at the Nevada Palace. Nice Open Session after dinner & wind up.
Saturday 18 August 1934
Saw lots of our nice Guide friends off in the bus, talked, said good-byes and packed all morning.
After lunch Mary Carver & Penelope, Nellie Craufurd, Elizabeth Luxton, Yvonne & I went by car to Muhlen [now known as Mulenen?] & went up the “Niesen” in the jolly funicular railway, with Yvonne Achard (Swiss Chief Guide) & Mlle Koechlin (Basle). Absolutely heavenly up there. Glorious view of the Jungfrau and lovely snow peaks. Came down very reluctantly. Dined at Frutigen & caught 9.30 train for Calais.
Sunday 19 August 1934
Nellie Craufurd took Yvonne etc via Paris, to spend a day & night there. Mary Carver and I shared a sleeper & had delightful journey. Breakfast on the train, excellent smooth crossing taking only an hour. Lunched on the train to London, getting there at 3.20.
Went to see old Aunt Ger as I had time to spare, & caught 6.0 train home to find darling Robin alone [final line barely visible as scan cut off page bottom but possibly reads as follows] awaiting me at Pax.
Monday 20 August 1934
Just heavenly being back & finding my Beloved so WELL. He is a new man & so vigourous[sic] and jolly & “funk”[?] & his time in camp in Scotland has made all the difference. Of course I had not seen him for five weeks – the longest time we have ever been seperated[sic] for in all our 22 years together!!
Yvonne returned.
Tuesday 21 August
Brother in law Baden to stay.
Sir Edward and Lady Denham (Governor designate for Jamaica) to lunch.
Ran into Farnham to shop.
Lady Stubbs (wife of Governor of Ceylon) to stay. She is such a nice good guide & has always helped. They were governing Jamaica when [final line cut off by scan but has been deduced from reverse image at foot of following page Weds 22 Aug as follows:] we called on them in 1930.
Wednesday 22 August 1934
Mr H.F. Clarke also came for the night – a nice Scouter now working as Travelling Com. for Scout H.Q.
They left, & Yvonne went up to stay in Yorks, with the nice Grotrians.
Col. and Mrs Ewen Lang to tea (Scout C.C. for Worcs). They now live near Basingstoke.
Thursday 23 Aug 1934
A lovely home day, messing with, clothes, scrap books, garden, and letters - as usual.
Elizabeth Luxton to stay.
Heather & Betty arrived home from Oberammergau, having had a wonderful six days journey there for the Passion Play & a visit to Nuremburg and [last sentence cut off by scan but can be deduced from mirror image on following page for 24 August as] Rothenburg with a party.
Friday 24 August 1934
Robin to London for the day.
Baden left.
Children shopped in Farnham & I joined them there for tea, and wild shoppings of clothes at their precious “Dora Gray ” who really supplies excellent dresses for them. Collected Robin at Farnham station.
Saturday 25 August 1934
Percy to breakfast on his way to Foxlease. He took Elizabeth on there with him & then they both called in just for tea also again on their way back to Elstree.
Will Flower called for tea too – still in the Police in Fiji.
Sunday 26 August 1934
Lady Cubitt (wife of present Governor of Bermuda)
Aunt Helen Storrow and Julia Williamson (Great Brown Owl) for the U.S.A. came for lunch. Talked all the afternoon, and they left after tea.
Monday 27 August 1934
R. to London early & I followed later for an “outing” planned & given for a treat for us by Aunt Helen. We stay with her at the Carlton and go to delightful play of Priestley's called “Laburnam Grove”. Edmund Gwenn so good in it. I had seen it last Feb & liked it just as much this time.
Tuesday 28 August 1934
Breakfasted regally in Aunt Helen's private sitting room & then bundled off home.
She goes back to America this week. Dorothy Markham (O.P. in Wiltshire) Jane Warner & Countess Haugwitz (Chief Com. in Denmark) to lunch. Maj. and Mrs Obans[?] to tea with a view to having Gypsy Moth on loan whilst we are away. But Mrs O. Is too heavy for her!
Wednesday 29 August 1934
Col. Kennedy left.
Rosie Kerr came to tea unexpectedly with the Admiral & D agmar[sic] Sawyer & Constance Marx.
Paul Kenworthy from S. Rhodesia staying. Such a good Scout & splendid fellow. He was in the Police there, & as Commissioner for Lone Scouts there has been very kind to our Peter.
Thursday 30 August 1934
The Farrer-Manby's brought Betty home & had lunch with us. Paul Kenworthy left, on his bike. He is just biking along the south of England peacefully on leave.
Friday 31 August 1934
Robin to London for the day. He is so well now the darling.
Heather returned from her Guide Camp in the Isle of Wight.
Bruce Thompson to stay, & went with H to the Lee Steere’s dance at Ockley. They got back very late.
Elizabeth Luxton & a “boy friend” of hers – Keith Allen – also came from the dance to stay here.
September 1934
Saturday 1 September 1934
All the young people got up late and loafed about.
Percy & Winn Everett to stay. We all went off to see a rather stupid film in Aldershot called the “Moulin Rouge”.
Sunday 2 September 1934
All our house party left in detachments.
I do like Bruce – such a clean, nice fellow - Assist Secretary to the National Trust
Monday 3 September 1934
Yvonne returns home.
All of us to a rotten bad film in Aldershot called “The Scarlet Empress” – much advertised & too stupid for words.
Tuesday 4 September 1934
Dear Florence Newcomb (County Sec. for Guides of Worcs) & her daughter, Violet, to stay. They have both always been so kind & sweet in taking Heather & Bet out to their home at Spetchley from St James' on holiday days all these last four years.
Wednesday 5 September 1934
Robin went to fish with Col. Lang near Itchen Abbas. Christian came to stay.
Tea party of people living near here who were on the Cruise with us. The Bahams from Woking; Rosalind de Neuzy Martin, Rosie Kerr & Cookie Moore, Anne Charteris, Mrs Shane Chichester & her two sons.
The others all went off to Aldershot cinema after dinner & I worked at some Guide stuff.
Thursday 6 September 1934
Children very busy hopping in & out of Farnham shopping and packing the caravan.
Dad & Heather to fish with Col. Lang near Itchen Abbas late.
Took Bet & Yvonne to see charming film called “Evergreen” in Farnham – from the play & a good English made film.
Friday 7 September 1934
Gilwell
Christian went away.
Caravan went direct to Gilwell with Court & we all Jam-Rolled to London – Heather driving. R. did his dentist. We did clothes at “Celia” & Harrods. All foregathered for lunch at Gorringe’s. Ran on down to Gilwell & settled ourselves in camp in lovely sunshine on our usual site on the lawn.
I do enjoy camping like this. It is delicious.
Saturday 8 September 1934
Went over to the Zoo at Whipsnade & walked about & lunched there – like we did last year. Very enjoyable. Gilwell “Re-Union” of about 700 Scouters. All had tea & talk at 4.0 – loafed about meeting old friends.
Camp Fire in evening.
Sunday 9 September 1934
Gilwell
“Scouts Own” in morning. Also Robin gave good talk in the Shelter.
We had a tea party of about 30 special friends of the children’s in our camp on the lawn – also like we did last year. Small Camp Fire in evening for the few Scouters left, most of them having gone away again.
Monday 10 September 1934
Went off to Kings Langley (lunching at “The Spiders Web” near Elstree en route) and had wonderful afternoon going all over the Ovaltine Farm and factory. Most interesting. Thousands of hens producing 15000 eggs a day - also splendid herd of Jersey cows. The factory itself so clean & awfully well done. Sir Henry Hague (Director) showed us over it all.
Tuesday 11 September 1934
Heavenly sunny day. Robin went off for lunch at Police College at Hendon. We all loafed in Camp all day, the hours flying by. Made a stew for lunch – how largely food looms in one’s life in camp!
All went off after tea to Walthamstow cinema to see “Evergreen” again, as I wanted Robin to see it. Back to Camp by 10.0.
Wednesday 12 September 1934
Ran over to Harrow & saw over the marvellous Kodak factory & lunched there with the Manager (W. Webb) etc. All most interesting & wonderful. Rushed on to London and saw the Guide H.Q. film of the Adriatic Cruise, done [by] Gillian Crowdy. Tea there at H.Q. with several friends & then went back to our camp at Gilwell.
Thursday 13 September 1934
Packed up at leisure and left Gilwell at 11.0. Lunched at the Pantiles eating place at Bagshot and got home at 2.30.
Delicious getting back. Joyce Wolton came over from Foxlease bringing Doris Rawes & Molly Stillwell (from Lisbon) & Ruth Turnbull and Miss Hamm (from S. Africa) & Margery Bray for tea. Gladys Niven (Red Dip from S. Africa) & Mdlle[sic] Camarasescu (Chief Guide for Roumania) to stay.
Friday 14 September 1934
Robin went to London for the day.
The dear cousin – David came to stay.
Mdllle[sic] Camarasescu & Gladys Niven left.
Saturday 15 September 1934
General & Mrs Broune & their daughter of 16 came over to see Gypsy Moth, with a view to having her on loan.
Robin and Heather went fishing for Grayling near Itchen Abbas.
Lady Stanley and son Harry to stay. Also Marie Denaro (Malta Comm.)
Being driven here by a Mrs Hervey they had an accident. Her Scout son Peter cut on the head & was rushed to Alton hospital & I fetched her along & kept her to stay at Pax too.
Sunday 16 September 1934
A full house and a busy day full of people coming & going all the time, & cars running in all directions taking Marie Denaro to the Farnham R.C. church & Mr Hervey to Alton Hospital & back etc. Also fetched Claude Worrall & Arthur Denaro over from Sandhurst for lunch and tea & sent them back again. The dear Theorgirs[?] called. Also the D’Engelbronners & the Kettles (5th D.G's) and Lord Selborne & Lord Wolmer came to tea bringing Alice Duncan from S. Africa to discuss Wayfarers.
Monday 17 September 1934
House party all left in bits. Our extra stranger guest Mrs Hervey went into Alton Hospital, & her boy is going on well.
A hectic afternoon with “Movie Tone”[moving images with sound newsreel that typically ran in UK cinemas as British Movietone News from 1929 to 1986] & other press photographers here to take pictures of R. both moving & talking & still ones too.
Mary Birley & Rosa Ward to stay to talk Guides. Also Dr Walker [?Asst. County Commissioner for Rovers East Sussex, awarded Silver Fish by B-P in 1930] to talk Scouts with R.
Tuesday 18 September 1934
We all went up to London. Lettice Hill lunched with me.
H.Q. Committee all afternoon. Awkward things going on there about the Secretary “Monty” who is making herself rather all powerful and is also a tired sick egotist now.
Lady Read appointed as Overseas Commr.
Wednesday 19 September 1934
Heather & Betty started their term of shorthand at the School at Farnham.
H. is now quite good at it & does work for R. a bit. Mr Lindsey (portrait painter) to stay to do a picture of R. for the 13th-18th. [13th/18th Royal Hussars – a cavalry Regiment of the British Army- B-P was their Colonel 1922-38]
Ran over to Sheffield Park to tea with Lady Domville (step daughter of my late Uncle Arthur) & then took Yvonne on & dropped her at her school at Lewes.
Thursday 20 September 1934
Interesting & enlightening talk with Lady Domville yesterday, about my legacy from Uncle A.G. Soames & also about my brother Arthur's shocking behaviour over the will etc. I trust my legacy will
be £10,000; but anyhow I shall get £5000 - Lovely!
A good peaceful but very busy house day. Children did their short hand[sic]. Mr Lindsey left.
Friday 21 September 1934
Robin to London for the day.
Children to their shorthand as usual, & it is excellent for them being occupied & kept busy like this with something really useful. Auriol and Charles Tanner came over from Bramley Camp with their two Mary and Anne.
Saturday 22 September 1934
A Mr Drost (scarlet lips!) called to see the house. Capt. & Mrs Burrodale Bell came to stay. They were very kind to Peter on his [rest of page left blank]
Sunday 23 September 1934
[Whole page left blank]
Monday 24 September 1934
The Bell's left in their car. Robin to London for the day.
Wrote, tidied up, sent things to the jumble, cleaned up Camp kit to put away in Eccles who goes into his winter quarters now at “Inwoods” barn near Bentley Church.
Tuesday 25 September 1934
Yorkshire
Mr Lindsey, the painter to stay again.
By the 11.13 to London and on up to Leeds. Stay with H.R.H. Princess Royal [Princess Mary, honorary President of Guide Association, who in 1922, funded the purchase of Foxlease] at Harewood House.
Get there at 5.30 and she took me for walk through the gardens & round the lovely lake. Huge ugly house, full of treasures. Dined just with her & husband & after dinner sat & talked & she embroidered & I knitted – most homely.
Wednesday 26 September 1934
Leeds
Breakfast a troi [sic]
Poured with rain so stayed in, typed letters a bit & then H.R.H. took me round the house to see pictures and furniture & her rooms. “Listened in” to the Queen launching the big new ship “Queen Mary”, just H.R.H & me together.
Ran into Leeds. Had tea with Tetley's and then on to Rally of about 1000 Guides & Brownies. I talked & they sang. Then gave lecture at the “Institute of Science and Art” in Cookridge Street on “Scouting and [continues on next page September 27th] Guiding and the Man who made them”.
It went well & was an easy topic for me!
Nice warm and interested audience and Lord Harewood took the Chair. Returned with him to Harewood - supper and bed.
Thursday 27 September 1934
Left to catch early train to London & got home at 3.30.
Walk with R. and in evening we four went to excellent film at Aldershot - “The Great Defender”.
Friday 28 September 1934
Robin and I to London. Press lunch at the Savoy Hotel & Robin gave splendid speech.
To the office and did some work.
Mrs Glancy, our Chief Com. for India came to tea & talk at H.Q.
Home by 5.42 to Farnham. Heather meets us.
Aunt Julie Soames (from N. Wales) to stay night – a dear person.
Saturday 29 September 1934
All went into Farnham to shop and Robin had his X.Ray treatment for sciatica. Rita and Winn Everett to lunch.
Pip Power to tea. Ida Copeland (M.P.) [Social and welfare activist; member of International Council of Girl Guides; Division Commissioner for NW Staffordshire from 1918.] and her keen Scout husband to stay. Also May Mackie from Malvern, & Katharine Furse. Col. Worrall & his sons Claude and Billy came to dinner & the young things went to a cinema.
Sunday 30 September 1934
The Copelands left.
Children went down to the Hamble River to sail with the Blakerley’s[?].
Robin & I went with Katharine to lunch with Sir Laurence & Lady Guillemard at Rodsall Manor near Godalming. He was formerly Governor of Malaya.
Vera Daly to tea, with her fiance, Major Cleeve.
Memoranda
[Written in pencil]
Paul Kenworthy
Adelphi Hotel
St Leonards
October 1934
Monday 1 October 1934
Katharine Furse & May Mackie left.
Children lunched with Perceval’s at Farnham and tea'd with Portels[sic]at Overton.
Wrote stuff for “The Guider” and heard definitely that I am to receive £10000 from Uncle Arthur’s will – heavenly!
Tuesday 2 October 1934
Jane Thornewill left. Sie Wand (my old friend & Peter’s Godmother) & her husband to lunch and also Flo Barstow (nee Brooke) my old pre marriage friend & her husband - niece of Sie.
Tea party for members of Bentley Women’s Institute (about 35) of these nice village folk. Showed films.
Wednesday 3 October 1934
A whole complete “un-people-y” day to ourselves.
Young Hale, the photographer, comes out from Farnham & he & the children sort & edit & splice our movie films.
Thursday 4 October 1934
To London.
Mrs Best (going to Bermuda)
Mrs Pryor (Cm. for Burma)
Mary Stephen (Cm. for Cape Town)
Mr Mundy (Cm. for S. Rhodesia)
to lunch with me at H.Q.
Shop and do work in the office.
Tea party there also for
Mrs Gent-Wood (Scouts)
Miss Williams (Barbados)
Miss Ham (Bloemfontein)
& Angela Shuttleworth.
Call & see my Godmother cousin “Phoenie” Gilstrap at her Club.
Lecture at the Union Chapel at Islington.
Stay at Rubens Hotel.
Friday 5 October 1934 Bournemouth
Left Waterloo 9.30 & arrived Southampton 11.30. Found Court there with Jam-Roll.
He went home & I drove on to Bournemouth.
Lunched with Miss Jones, the Div. Com. who went to Estonia for us lately.
Gave lecture at the Pavillion – small but nice audience but badly run show with no chairman.
Stay with Georgie Sykes. In evening to Rally of Guides & Brownies & “Camp Fire” in the Winter Gardens.
Saturday 6 October 1934
Left “Estrel” the Sykes’ house after breakfast. They are a dear couple & it was nice talking over old times of 1908 onwards.
Pick up nice Swiss Guider in Boscombe & take her to Foxlease. See about 40 Berkshire Guiders there & then rush home in time for lunch. Children away in London. Mr Lindsey to stay. Cousins Constance Powell (widow of R’s . . . . .[continues on next page 7 October]
Sunday 7 October 1934
. . . . ne’er do-well cousin “Charles Edward” who died lately, & her elderly daughter Irene to tea, brought by Miss Wade. Also Winefrid[sic] Flower from Guildford & her huge son, Dick.
Robin had tiny chill.
Children returned from London.
Marion Soames, (widow of my first cousin, Julian) and her child Bunty, came from Westonbirt to lunch.
Monday 8 October 1934 Bromley
To London after lunch.
Gave party at the Rubens for 82 Overseas Guiders – Chief Guide of Brazil etc. etc.
Ran down to Bromley & dined with Miss Vincent (Guide Com.) & afterwards gave my lecture again on “Scouting & Guiding & the Man who made them” for the Bromley Literary Society. Packed hall, very nice audience & saw about 40 Guiders for chat afterwards.
Tuesday 9 October 1934
[No entry; pencil notes only]
9.30 Dentist Harley Street
Home 10.15 à
Call on Mrs Du Bois
1 Montague House
34 Paddington Street
Baker Street
Mr [illegible name] 3.10[?]
Wednesday 10 October 1934
Admiral Collins (who goes soon to Australia in charge of the British Scout Contingent to the Melbourne Jamboree) came for the night. Also the Camp Chief Wilson from Gilwell. They went to East Grinstead to see a special Scout Troop doing P. T.
Thursday 11 October 1934
Admiral Collins and Wilson left.
Children to work as usual.
They are getting on well with their shorthand and it is a grand experience for them – and a big help to us – to have them as our secretaries on this coming World Tour. Their “service” to us will justify the big cost of taking them with us!
Friday 12 October 1934
Robin to London for the day. He is really so fit & splendid again these days.
Valerie Hulton-Sams (friend of Heather’s at St James’) came for lunch & she and the two girls went off to St James' in Jaus for the weekend. Mrs Rennie came to see the house for some U.S.A. friends to rent.
Took Annie to buy beds in Aldershot. Mr Hadyn[sic] Dimmock, Editor of “The Scout” came for lunch to . . .
Saturday 13 October 1934
. . . .get photos & plan with me for the producing of a small book of my “talks” that have been printed all these last few months in “The Guide” – our weekly paper.
Mr Ingpen, from Newfoundland, to lunch to talk over our stay there, next June.
Ran down to Foxlease in Jam-Roll, & stayed the night there with a nice lot of the H.Q. Committee members.
Sunday 14 October 1934
Nice quiet talks with these splendid people who are such dear good things and allies!
Dame Helen Suzanne Vaughan
Rosie Kerr, Rosa Ward
Gladys Hanbury-Williams
Gwendoline Jellicoe
Ann Butler, Mrs Bowlby
Miss Allen (Extensions1)
Miss D'Avigdor[?] (Sea Guides)
Stella Tufton, etc etc all these having a friendly chatting party together.
Ran home in time for lunch. Work and walk. Children returned home.
[1Guide Units attached to hospitals or schools for the disabled]
Monday 15 October 1934 Harrogate
Left Pax early for London & on up to Harrogate. Join all the nice keen Commissioners of this North West Riding for a talk & tea at a hotel. Then onto Dr Laura Veale's 2 House & shake hands & have tea & give another talk to all her Guiders of the Harrogate Division.
Drive there, and then give my lecture again to the Literary Society in big nice Royal Hall.
Big nice warm audience of about 800 and then went to stay at Ripley Castle [continues on next page 16 Oct] with dear fat Alba Ingilby
[2first female Doctor in Yorkshire, passionate about improving medical care for women and children]
Tuesday 16 October 1934
[Page left blank]
Wednesday 17 October 1934
[Feint pencil entries as follows]
Mr Lindsey arr 11.24
and goes back again 5.30
Stores[?] Jack [?] [Illegible]
H. to London for night & takes Yvonne luggage to 18 Hans Crescent.
Thursday 18 October 1934
Robin to Farnham for his last massage.
It has done him good.
Sent off my two doves to Edith Booker & she will look after them at their new home in Somerset whilst we are away.
“Gang Show” at the Scala Theatre. Better than ever, & quite delightful. Children went on for a “blow out” at the Berkeley afterwards.
Friday 19 October 1934 [Pax Hill]
All of us to London in different trains!
Saw dear old Alice Gaddum at H.Q. Also Alice Baird, then had lunch at Guide H.Q. for St James' Council members and 2.0 meeting of that small Council at Scout H.Q. Rushed into the Surrey Commrs’ Conference & gave Clarice Warren the Silver Fish.
Lady Bessborough (Canada) to tea; also Lady Haig (U.P. India)
Lady Read & Eve F-R
Took party of 8 to the Scouts wonderful [rest left blank]
Saturday 20 October 1934 [London]
Christian & Lettice to breakfast at Rubens with us. Shopped at Gorringe with H. and B. and went to see Aunt Ger.
Old sister Agnes [B-P. sister] to lunch with us, and Lady Read & Mrs Whiteley (from Johannesburg) also.
We four to see play “Clive of India”. Not terribly good.
Mrs Hayter (Charterhouse) and Robin's sister Agnes to tea at Rubens with us & then all went home, Robin following us late after a 13th Dinner.
Sunday 21 October 1934 [Pax Hill]
Heather rode Gypsy Moth over to Odiham & handed her over to her temporary owners – the Browne's from Basingstoke who will have her and use her & enjoy her & enjoy her in our absence.
Col. Lang called to say good-bye - with a Col. Beech, who was on the Narkunda with us in 1921.
The two kind little Ainsworths to tea. Dear Sir Alexander Hore-Ruthven popped in for dinner. He goes to Sydney next Feb.
Monday 22 October 1934 [Pax Hill]
Robin to London to lunch with the Duke of Connaught & also his S.A.C. Dinner getting back at 11.18 late. He is wonderful & doesn’t seem to tire with all which is so splendid.
Tuesday 23 October 1934 [Pax Hill]
A lovely but busy home day. Arranged about all maids departures, characters, new situations & wages. The precious Annie is a tower of strength & remains here in charge.
We four went into Farnham & saw a rather noisy film of Chu Chin Chow.
Wednesday 24 October 1934 [Pax Hill]
Eileen Wade takes some of our luggage for despatch from London to our ship – the “Orama” lying at Tilbury awaiting us. Robin to London for various things and a dinner getting back 11.18 late. He took Twm with him to lend to the Copelands during our absence.
Mrs Joy & the Thompsons to tea. He has now got a living in Suffolk, so will leave being curate here soon.
Thursday 25 October 1934 [Pax Hill]
Constance Spilling calls in morning to say good-bye – rather pulled down by a fall she had on her own front door steps; & the old Colonel in bed with a chill.
Pack, tidy up house, go for a dog walk.
Old Eggar & Jack to tea.
Friday 26 October 1934 [Pax Hill]
Robin went off early to London, for Mercers etc. Finished up packing and household and all. Even had time to go out for jolly last walk with Shawgm & took Eileen & Jimmy Wade to pick mushrooms in the field behind Couldrey. Had tea comfily in this dear home & then off we went “to Australia” so to speak!
Stayed at Rubens Hotel in London & dined at Lyons Corner House & to play called “Family Affairs”. Very nice. Lillian Braithwaite so clever & good.
Saturday 27 October 1934 [At Sea]
Left Rubens at 8.45. Seen off at St Pancras by Percy & Rita Everett, the Greens, the Press and the “Movie Tone” machines!
Arrived Tilbury 10.30 & a crowd of about 100 Scouts and one Company of Guides there unexpectedly to see us off, on our nice big Orient liner “Orama”.
Lots of letters and bon voyage wires to answer & Heather & Bet became busy secretaries & did it all with a convenient “thanks card” we had had printed. Nice voyage down the river & to bed early.
Sunday 28 October 1934 [At Sea]
Off Brixham early, letters went ashore.
Stayed in bed all day and slept intermittently the whole clock round. Lovely rest, & so comfy. Did just get up for an hour to meet Lady Bernard Gordon-Lennox & Dr & Mrs Wilson who I had been asked to look out for on board by mutual friends. Slipped on the stairs & fell on my face!
Monday 29 October 1934 At Sea
Though I didn’t cut my face open it feels a bit battered!
Didn’t get up at all, but read & slept all day again. Lovely rest!
Robin up and about busily, loving the usual board ship life, and writing articles hard too.
Tuesday 30 October 1934
Got up and sat in the sun on deck all afternoon. Lovely smooth sea, & beautiful views of the Mouth of the Tagus & Portugal Coast. Passed Cape Finisterre quite close at 6.0.
Wednesday 31 October 1934 Gibraltar
Arrived in sight of Gib. early. His Ex. the nice Sir Charles (Tim) Harington came on board & we all went off with him and saw gathering of Scouts and Guides at the landing stage.
Small speeches, but not any function really as we did that so thoroughly last April. Rushed up to Government House & saw Gordon Highlanders mounting guard & met various Guide & Scout & other people quickly & then rushed off again & and the ship sailed again at 11.0. Lovely calm sea & sunshine.
November 1934
Memoranda
List of some fellow passengers
Mr Adair – going to Egypt - friend of
Lady Bernard Gordon-Lennox
nice ex-District Com
near Goodwood, Sussex
Major & Mrs Brocas Barrois
son of our dean ditto [under Barrois]
at Oxford & in 5th D.G's
Jonathan Cape – the publisher & very nice
Major Crozier, who was on board Duchess of Richmond with us in 1929
Mr & Mrs E.G. Eastman, going back to Ceylon – nice
Lord Egerton of Tatton – a queer travelled fish
Heather's friend Dorothy D’Engelbronner & her mother
Miss Fell who lives at Goring
Mrs Gillingham - wife of famous cricketer lives at Blackheath[?]
Thursday 1 November 1934
Stayed in bed lazily all morning but got up in time to see Palma where we called in to drop some passengers.
Cold & grey day.
Typed stuff for “The Guide” all afternoon.
Friday 2 November 1934 Toulon
Arrived in Toulon harbour early – jolly sunshine & so pretty with hills all rising behind the town. The French Deputy Chief Guide Mme Kerraoull and the National Com. for the Eclaireuses de France, Mme Walther came on board. Landed at 10.30 & went to nice - if somewhat uneventful - Rally of about 750 Scouts & Guides of Toulon, Marseille,[sic] Nice etc. All so friendly & nice, [continues on next page Sat 3 Nov]
but I felt very stupid & inadequate over not being able to talk the language properly!
Went back to the “Orama” for lunch & then afterwards we all landed again & took a car for nice drive round the surrounding country, ending up with tea at Villa Enchantes [sic] with Capt Belt (of Mill Court near Pax) & his French wife & all her big family called Lucas Shadwell.
Sailed again in the night.
Saturday 3 November 1934
[No entry – page filled with continuation from Friday 2 November]
Sunday 4 November 1934
Horrid grey day & rough all yesterday and now arrived at Naples in pouring rain.
Italian Armistice Day & everything shut, but we took a car & went all six of us to see Solfatara & its miniature volcanoes – delightful returning via Potzuoli[sic]
Later landed again & went for walk up to the Royal Palace & caught in heavy rain. Popped into a taxi & bundled back on board. Clouds cleared away for a little, about [continues on next page Mon 5 Nov] 4.0 just enough for Betty to see Vesuvius for first time – but all grey & no charm. Sailed again at 6.0
Monday 5 November 1934 Naples
Talked with stray odd fellow passengers - the kind McCathie's from Sydney; and Sir Alex & Lady MacCormick the retired big surgeon from there. Mrs Percy Landale & daughter from Riverina and Mrs Rose-Watt & her daughter from Gisborne (Vic) Lady Snowden and her daughter from Tasmania & Woodsides from Melbourne.
Tuesday 6 November 1934
Lovely blank day, of doing nothing!
Wrote some stuff for “The Guide” and talked with various stray women & the time slips by so quickly.
Wednesday [7 November 1934]
Arrived Port Said 9.30 and warped up alongside pontoon so we stepped ashore easily & were officially received by a representative of Prince Farouk (son of King Fuad) who though only ...
[continues on next page Weds 7 Nov]
Wednesday 7 November 1934
... 15 is called Chief Scout, and Abdalla Salama, Major Johnston Hogg (Scout Com. For Bristol Scouts) Munira Saby (Chief Guide of Egyptian Guides) & Mary Carver, Com for International Companies etc. Rushed off to football ground & had really fine Rally of nearly 1000 Scouts & Guides of all sorts. Egyptians gave good displays & we all made speeches, & had marvellous welcome.
Robin went on to open Scout hut etc. & I stayed ...
[continues on next page Thurs 8 Nov]
... on and inspected and talked to all the Guides from Cairo, from Alexandria etc. They had had special train supplied by the government free to bring them along.
All rather thrilling.
Ship sailed away from Port Said at 2.0 and away through the wonderful canal. Lovely stealing along between the banks. Scouts waved to us & yelled bon voyage in the dark at Ismailia.
Heather & Bet & I did 38 letters of thanks etc in ...
[continues on next page Fri 9 Nov]
Red Sea
...the afternoon & sent them off to be posted by Johnston Hogg, who just came on board as far as Ismailia
Thursday [8 November 1934] Red Sea.
Lovely & hot and quite beautiful watching the pink mountains of Egypt on one side & Sinai on the other.
Friday 9 November 1934 Red Sea.
Very hot. Talked with people, and read & wrote stuff for “The Guide”
Saturday 10 November 1934
Very hot indeed, but got cooler towards evening. Passed some lovely dry uninhabited islands.
Most interesting talk with Miss Merle Robertson, marvellous pianiste - born in Adelaide, but has travelled everywhere & knows all the big people like Paderewski, Kubelik, etc. Plays quite beautifully. Mr Prior, also plays awfully well – en route to New Zealand.
Sunday 11 November 1934 Aden
Arrived Aden 7.0. Lovely outline of jagged volcanic mountain.
Landed & went to nice breakfast at the Residency with Sir Bernard Riley - sitting under the flag with the Star of India in the middle of it as this is – for administration purposes – still in the Bombay Presidency, though it may not be for much longer. Went for lovely hurried drive over to the native town of Aden ...
[continues over whole of next page Mon 12 Nov]
...proper with 40000 natives of all sorts & camels & delicious dirty people! Saw the age old tanks & rushed back for
11.0 Armistice Service of soldiers in boiling sun. Very impressive.
Then Scout & Guide Rally small but wonderful – Arabs, Jews, Indians & British. Got on board “Orama” again & sailed at 1.0. Delightful if hurried visit. Mrs Way the Guide Comr. & Mr Lumgair good Scouter.
Monday 12 November 1934
[Page completely filled with above continuation of entry for Sunday 11th – as above. Entry for Monday 12th November entry is written on top half of next page, Tuesday 13th November, where the printed date is heavily overwritten with the word MONDAY]
Tuesday 13 November 1934
MONDAY [12 November 1934]
Lovely day sliding along in sight of most beautiful coast line if Italian Somaliland.
Wrote & read & loafed & talked.
Jymhane 1[sic] in evening
1 [possibly a British Raj term which originally referred to a place of assembly which then altered to denote a place where skill-based contests were held.]
_________________________________
Tuesday [13 November 1934]
Glorious hot sunshine but cooling breeze. Talked with Miss McLeod (Brisbane) and the Rev. Dorothy Wilson – a nice interesting ordained minister in the Nonconformist Church, going to preach and teach in Australia.
Wednesday 14 November 1934
[Page mostly blank except for an entry on the last three lines]
Fancy dress dinner & dance. Heather & Bet dressed as hikers.
Thursday 15 November 1934
[Blank page]
Friday 16 November 1934
A restless day of packing & people asking for autographs.
Give prizes away to childrens' fancy dress show and after dinner present prizes to all the grown up winners of the various competitions.
----------------------------------------------------------
Sat. Morning
Arrive Colombo.
Land at 10.0 & great reception by Scouts and Guides at the jetty and . . .
[continues on next page]
Saturday 17 November 1934 Colombo
. . . Lady Stubbs runs us quickly to Government Lodge. To Guide H.Q. in Edinburgh Crescent – quite charming little house. Meet lots of Guiders & Local Assoc. members there, plant a tree and give short address.
To see prison where there are Rovers. Lunch at Government Lodge & write letters all afternoon.
Wonderful Rally of about 4000 Scouts and nearly 1000 Guides.
Splendid pageant done by Scouts, March Past and country dancing by Guides.
Sunday 18 November 1934
It was a magnificent show, with Scouts & Guides from different parts of Ceylon.
Rain came just after it was over.
Small dinner party & slept comfily under a mosquito net again!
Started at 8.0 in car for Kandy – quite a glorious drive. Such lovely scenery, nice fields tea, rubber, coca[sic], etc
Saw ten elephants, all working at different places en route and one having his bath in the river.
Monday 19 November 1934 Kandy
Drove round the lovely Peradenya[sic] Gardens & lunched at Hotel Suisse with Mr Grant Duff.
Called on Mr Kindersley, who we stayed with in 1921 here. 72 miles drive back to Colombo, tea with Stubbs, and then climbed on board the P. and O. “Corfu” and sailed at 6.0.
------------------------------------------------------------------
It was heavenly seeing Ceylon again! Wrote letters practically all day.
Very hot & clammy.
Tuesday 20 November 1934
Wrote again most of the day and talked with Mr Cheeseman (Asst Scout Com) for Malaya, and Mr & Mrs Mortlock Lias – a Headmaster of a school near Penang. Also Mr Alabaster (Chief Justice in Hong Kong) and his ex-Guider daughter. Very hot and sticky and clammy.
Wednesday 21 November 1934
[Page left blank]
Thursday 22 November 1934
Arrive in Penang Straits
8.0 Land – Guard of Honour of Rovers. Stay with Mr A. M. Woodman (Resident) at charming Residency in lovely garden.
Scout & Guide Rally of about 1000 Scouts and 2 companies of Guides and 2 Packs of Brownies.
Good displays by Scouts, & well run by Fletcher & Stowell. Small dinner party & the children went to a dance. Mrs Linslow, good Guide Com. acting as our hostess.
Friday 23 November 1934 Penang
Children went flying.
Visited R.C. Convent to try to convert the heads to Guiding. Also visited Anglo Chinese school & gave short talk to the staff & then on to the other big Government School to talk to Head.
Small lunch party with Prince Dammrong2 [sic] and his daughter, Princess Poon of Siam.
[2 Prince Tisavarakumarn, the Prince Damrong Rajanubhab, founder of the modern Thai educational system]
To tea with Mr Allen. Mr Black (the “Mayor” of Penang) drove us round the town. Native Chinese quite thrilling.
Visit Hospital. Dinner party. Very hot indeed.
Saturday 24 November 1934 Kuala Kangsar
Leave Penang in Harbour officials launch & cross to Prai.
Climb on board lovely Government coach supplied for us free & do most lovely journey through beautiful jungle and rubber plantations to Kuala Kangsar.
Stay in charming comfy Kings Pavillion with the Resident – Mr & Mrs Cator.
Glorious view over river and wooded hills. Splendid Rally of about 500 Scouts & few Guides of Perak. Good displays. Dinner party - Dane's, Williams' Mr Preedy etc.
Sunday 25 November 1934 Kuala Lumpur
Driven up to see the Palace of the Sultan of Perak - huge marble place like vast hotel[?] - costing £80000 & hardly lived in! Heard all about queer customs of these Malay people. Left Kuala Kangsar 12.16 on board the comfortable Resident's coach & had lovely journey through this beautiful garden like country. Lovely blue wooded hills & quite muddy rivers & rubber plantations all the way, and arrive Kuala Lumpur 6.15. Guard of Honour Scouters & Guiders. Stay at the charming Residency with . . .
Monday 26 November 1934
. . . Mr T.R. Adams the nice interesting resident here in Selangor State.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Wrote all morning, and saw a few people off and on.
Rested all afternoon. Ran out to Castle Camp, the charming Scouts camping place – swimming baths & Cub Den – all delightful. Rain came down in sheets suddenly so hurried home & everybody scattered.
Dinner party at [space left for place name] with Mr Shelley, the Chief Secretary of the Federated Malay States.
Tuesday 27 November 1934
Went to call on adamant anti-guide Mother Superior at the local R.C. Convent to try to convert her! Also on Mrs Symington (Guider) in hospital.
Big Rally of Scouts of Selangor and Pahang and a few Guides & Brownies in a violent downpour of rain.
All was planned for a good show out of doors & had instead to be to be in a vast shelter fortunately there on the spot. Grand lot of Scouts & they did good displays.
Wednesday 28 November 1934
Went to 11.0 tea at Mrs Q. A. Thomas' house (she is now Com. for all Malaya) & met & talked about Guides to a nice lot of non-guide leading women to rouse their interest.
To tea at the H.Q. for Guides of Malaya – their local quite charming “Guide House” and met all the Guiders & few L.A. members. All sat on the floor for picnic tea & I talked to them outside later. Children to a dance again. Mr Adams so kind.
Thursday 29 November 1934
Left Kuala Lumpur at 9.0 – regretfully. I liked the place. It is such a queer mixture of grandeur – big handsome buildings in the midst of jungle & primitive living Chinese & Malay people. Lovely journey, though very hot. Scouts turned out here & there at stations.
Arrived Singapore 6.0 & stay with Sir Shenton & Lady Thomas at grand Government House. Guides . . .
Friday 30 November 1934
. . . formed Guard of Honour unexpectedly on the drive.
-----------------------------------------------------
To meeting of ladies who ought to help Guides at Mrs King Harman's House. I talked & Lady Thomas came there too.
To lunch with the Lewins – the General O. C. Troops in Malaya.
The Nettlefolds there – he used to be in the 5th D.G.’s. Wrote all afternoon & then went with R. to see the delightful Scout Camp for Scouts & Scouters training . . . ...
[continues on next page headed Memoranda]
MEMORANDA
... ground, a sort of Gilwell called “Camp Purdy” about 12 miles out of Singapore. A few Cubs & Rovers there doing games. A ripping place.
Dine quietly with our charming hostess & the others all go out to dinner & dance. Our children are being very gay.
This Government House is a magnificent huge Palace of a house - & very red carpety[sic] and royal!
December 1934
DEC 1934 Diary
[transcribed by Patricia Forbes, Toronto, Canada]
Saturday 1 Dec 1934 Singapore
Meeting of Guiders at the [F] . E. Z. School close to Government House - about 20 of ‘em. Scout & Guide Rally. awfully good show, really well run. We urged our host and hostess to come to it & it was well worth it. About 150 Guides there & some Brownies. Excellent displays. Small dinner party. [Caldecotts], etc.
Sunday Dec. 2
Thought we were to leave at 10.0 but news came that our ship “Marella” wouldn’t sail til 2.0. Some had whole morning free & just got through lots of follow up notes & thanks [comfily] in Government House. Had nice lunch quietly with those nice thomas’ & then shipped off to our ship. A few Scout & Guide people just in mufti to see us off & away we go
Australia-wards.
Monday Dec. 3 At Sea
At sea - but in sight of land most of the time.
Captain Blair is a nice, little man from Edinburgh & gives us the use as an “office” of his nice extra cabin up under the bridge, so we sit & write up there in nice cool privacy. Very few passengers on board. Quite nice ship.
Tuesday Dec. 4
Arrive Java. Land at Tandjong Prioh at 8.0 & met by Guard of Honour of Scouts and Guides - very smart - & [Ranulft] (Scout Com.) & Miss Siedenburg (Guide Com.) Then up the eight miles to Batavia and onto the Race Courses where there were about 1500 Scouts & Cubs & Guides & Brownies to greet us. An immense welcome. Speeches and presentations - very impressive & enthusiastic march past and national anthems played - Rush
Wednesday Dec. 5 Java
off after it is over & change clothes at hotel & drive 40 miles up to [Buitenzong] for lunch at magnificent Palace with the Dutch Governor General (De Jorge) & wife & family etc.- all very royal and interesting.
Later drive on a bit to rest & tea at nice homely “country seat” of a Scouter, Rarmis, & then rush back in two hours through lovey country to our ship. A long day but lovely and enjoyable.
sail in the night again.
At sea.
Thursday Dec. 6
Arrive Semarang at 8.0. Land in launch and met by Scout & Guide people who drive us direct to a splendid little Rally on a bicycle race ground. About 500 Scouts and 100 Guides. They hoisted 4 flags & played God save the King. Inspection and speeches & presentations. The Governor of Mid Java there & all well run. Big public in the stands looking on. Great welcome and then we rush off the . . .
Friday Dec. 7
. . . miles through quite glorious country & villages to [Boro Budur] - the most exquisite Buddist temple. It is really astonishing & lovely & huge & most romantic, filed up on a hill, with perfect beautifully carved walls & Buddha statues in dozens. I would not have missed it for words. Really quite a wonder of the world. Hurried back to the ship by 3.0. Journey along the coast in sight of land. Very hot.
Saturday Dec. 8 [Sourabaya]
Arrive Sourabay and [ ] up alongside by busy wharf.
Do some shopping in the excellent big tour in the morning & back to rest & lunch on board. To Scout & Guide Rally on the aviation ground. The Burgomaster takes us there in his car. about 900 Scouts & Guides - a nice lot, but badly run show, all messed up , & the crowd squashed
Sunday Dec. 9
in on the top of them. Tried to inspect and talk to them & all rather [hugger mugger]! But they are (underlined) kind & friendly. Rushed back & sailed at 4.0. Passing all morning along exquisite coast of Bali. Mountains hidden unfortunately in clouds, but very lovely island. Absolutely boiling day. Write a bit, but mainly sit & swelter. Pass Sandalwood Island & small ones to.
Monday Dec. 10
Absolutely boiling day. Had horrid blistered lip from the sun & a bit heady with the heat, so stayed on my bed under a cool draught all day and slept & read, and felt boiled. Thermometer at 89 (degrees) and a rather damp head at that - so that it seems hotter even than it is. Robin is well & likes this heat.
Tuesday Dec. 11 Darwen
Arrive in sight of Darwen - Australia - low wooded shores. Steam into open harbour & [warp] up alongside pier at 5.0 Scouts there of course! The Administrator (Col. Waddell) & wife meet us & take us to see lovely corrobaree by two tribes of “abos”. Quite delightful & unique in its own way. Go to the Residency for cool drinks & meet some local people & then return to the ship.
Wednesday Dec. 12
The small town is a typical unkempt overseas township of corrugated iron & bungalow houses - rather like [Mafeheng]. there are 3000 white people here now & it will be important for its aerodrome. The whole population of Darwen seemed to come on board for dinner and drinks most the of the night!
Took about 70 on as passengers & sailed at 3.0 a.m. Hot steaming all day along the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Thursday Dec. 13 At sea S.S.Marella .
Thermometer down to 87 (degrees). Read & wrote up for “The Guide”. i have sent home full sort of diary account of this tour from each port & stopping place. Robin writes yards of stuff too about our doings for “The Scout” & the Daily Mail.
Friday Dec. 14
Get in sight of islands & at 4.0 reach Thursday Island. Wonderful Guard of honour of Scouts & Guides - white ones belonging here and also black “Torres Straits Islanders” from other islands of Badu, Moa, Yorha island & Darnley Island - so welcoming & nice & quite a different type to the Australian “abo” that we saw at Darwen who are still almost like animals! (aside from me….we really have to remember the times - 1934! but still hard to understand in this day and age.) The Mayor (Mr Corran) received up & gave us a “Civic welcome”
Saturday Dec. 15
in the Town Hall! (a sort of large tin hut!). Tea party with the friendly guide Committee at the Residency, where Maclean, the administrator, lives.
Rally then with quite splendid displays of these native Scouts & Guides - dear (underlined) things!!
i have a meeting after that again with Guide Committee for a talk. Mrs. F. Hocking (Captain) & Mrs.Harrison (Brown owl) come to dine on board. Really i would not have missed seeing this place for worlds! . . . .
. . . . Sailed from Thursday Island at 7.0 - waving good bye to some Scouts on the wharf.
Go along amongst bare uninhabited islands in dozens all day and pass Cape York - the “top and “ of the main land of Queensland.
Sunday Dec. 16
Again, lovely day passing yet more lovely islands of all shapes and sizes, some of them covered with scrub & some have a few trees. Very beautiful outline of the coast too.
Monday Dec. 17
Quite beautiful views of islands and coast line with biggish mountains. Arrive Townsville at 3.0-beautiful [rose-stead] with wooded Magnetic Island facing as we entered the bay. Launch brings off about 5 Guiders 7 Guiders & 30 Scouts and Scouters of Townsville to greet us. No time to land as the ship stays outside harbour.. Scouts and Guides all have drinks and great chat with us for an hour and then go off again & we sail away. *****i tried using the voice dictation but stopped when i got “then off again we sail away covered with scrub”!!****
Tuesday Dec. 18
Went up on deck at 6.0 to see ourselves going through quite lovely WhitSunday. Passage - between jolly little rocky wooded islets, the blue [nether] mountains coast line beyond - most (underlined) lovely.
Wednesday Dec. 19
Rather cooller, and a lovely day of blue sea & going along in sight of the Queensland Coast. What an immense (underlined) tract of country it is! - all this part fertile and good, but not any people to use it.
Thursday Dec. 20 Brisbane
Arrive Brisbane 8.0. Met on board by Scouters,Mai Macartney (Guide Com), Sir Leslie Wilson (Governor & wife & daughter. Run up to [Amgae] Square & find parade of about 500 Scouts and Guides & Brownies. All make speeches, give the Silver Fish to Lady Macartney, inspect Guides & and then go to Government House & meet Guide committee and a few guiders.
Drive out to “Lone Pines” about 8 miles to see delicious sweet Koalas (native bears) tame.
We hold & hug them in our arms. They are adorable little beasties - so woolly and have no (underlined) vermin on them.
Friday 21 Dec 1934
Back to “Marella” & sail again at 2.0, seen off by various Guides & Scout people. Most interesting voyage down Brisbane River & along Morton Bay & intricate channels facing all other and first all afternoon & evening & then at last out in open sea & turn South Grey & rather rough & colder - unattractive day. Write practically all day.
Saturday 22 Dec 1934
Arrive Sydney -
going in through the Heads at 7.30. Lovely seeing it all again. A few Scout & Guide people come on board to welcome us unofficially as we are not here “publicly” this time. To stay with the dear nice kind Game’s at Government House. So nice seeing them here as they leave for good next week.
Go shopping in morning. Mrs. Dixson (our hostess here when we return in Jan.)
Sunday 23 Dec 1934 Sydney
[****this is a difficult page to read as the ink shows through from the next page…here goes a try….]
to tea to meet and talk [ ] Stephen Davies (wife of Bishop of Carpentain) who started guiding [ ] at Thursday Island. Mrs. [Baenman] came too who was my “A.O.C.” here last time. Lord and Lady Milne & daughter staying also & left late last night.
Visit to zoo on the North Shore & splendid aquarium. Lovely hot morning - & in evening immense thunder storm & gale & hail stones rattling down. Col. Maughan to tea.
Monday 24 Dec 1934
Drive out to see Muriel Robertson (2nd cousin) at Vaucluse. Look in at interesting old Wentworth House, filled with relics about the early history of N.S. Wales. Shop in Sydney & back to lunch at Government House. The Games go off for Xmas to their country seat at Moss Vale. We all go to see “Boys will be boys”, a film done by Cyril Maude. Tea at Government House alone, pack up & . . .
Tuesday 25 Dec 1934 [At Sea.]
. . . all go to dinner with the dear nice Kelso Kings at Edgecliff. Go on board our nice “Marella” again at 10.0 - & sail at midnight for Melbourne.
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At Sea. Colder & grey. Sleep all the morning.
Festive dinner with speeches and “healths” at night.
Wednesday 26 Dec 1934
Grey sea and cold. Pass Cape Wilson the most southerly Cape of Australia and we saw Cape York, the most northerly Cape too, on the 15th. It is nice having seen all this vast coast line round the continent. Saw some seals on rocks near the “Skull Rock” at midday. Pack. Slip into Melbourne Bay at 7.30.
Thursday 27 Dec 1934 Melbourne
Warp up at dock at 8.30. Met by Chief Scout & Guide people & the Press. Then up to call at Government House & then out to Frankston & settle into the dear little house right on the hill, at the corner of the marvellous huge Scout Jamboree camp. Tents in hundreds all springing up for 10,000 Scouts. All lovely. The Tom Luxtons lend us two nice maids (Lily - aged 72) cook, and house parlourmaid (Minnie). Deal with over 40 letters and see people.
[that’s the type of camping I’d like to do now….servants!!!!]
Friday 28 Dec 1934
Walk into camp early - glorious seeing all these happy people.
Aunt Helen Storrow takes us in to Melbourne for jolly Guide Commissioner’s party at Government House given by Lady Huntingfield. R. joins us at Rodeh shop & we see films. Dine with Aunt Helen at [Mengies] Hotel & go to see film. R. dines at Government House & we all go back together to our [siffing] little house.
Saturday 29 Dec 1934
The great opening day of this marvellous Jamboree. Rained a little early but cleared when the Governor General (Sir Isaac [Isaacs] arrived at 11:0 to go round this vast town of tents. The official opening parade, big march past & all the 10,000 with flags and cheers. Awfully fine.
The whole mass stood for the King’s message & then all moved out of the arena in a massed body. Quite splendid show, and all so well run.
Robin stood the effort well and we all loved it.
Sunday 30 Dec. 1934
Wrote masses of letters. The two children got through 48! Afternoon we all paraded for Scout’s own Service in the arena. Processed on to ground with Scout and Guide Commissioners & Lord & Lady Huntingfield (Governor of Victoria). Enormous crowd of public looking on and all pay at the gate to come in.
Lord & Lady Huntingfield to tea with us in our wee house. Children go to supper at Mount Martha & after supper we listen from our garden to good Camp Fire.
Monday 31 Dec 1934
Frenzied battling with enormous post, and get through it as best we all can. Robin standing up to all the strain of this quite wonderfully. Rally in afternoon of thousands of Brownies and Cubs on the arena. Lord Huntingfield took the salute. The Brownies looked & were quite sweet “dancing past” all so gay and so happy. They did displays too well. Children went with Elizabeth [Juxton] to a New Year Dance. Robin . . .
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Memoranda
. . . went to bed and slept peacefully through some wild yelling whistling ushering in of the New Year by this wonderful mass of enthusiastic young.
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Mrs. Stansfeld Prior
Overdale
Bletchingley
Redhill
Good pianiste, on board Orama, gives lectures on music
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Memoranda
Australia, camping out behind this little house that we have settled in so comfily.
I work till late, and then look out over the lovely bay at the twinkling lights of Melbourne & say good-bye to this year of 1934 - all so horrible at first and now so happy and gay to end with.
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Memoranda
[Page left blank]
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Memoranda
It certainly has been a year of stress and strain, with illnesses to begin with, Peter going off to start a new adult life on his own, from Heather’s broken engagement, and even Betty-Loo’s appendix! - all now safely over and lots of work has been done and - Praise Be - My Darling is now well and happy - What a miracle man he is!
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Memoranda
Extract from letter from Cousin Evelyn Soames - Aug 1934
“I fear you will be a little worried about your legacy from Uncle A, when you hear that Boogie entered a caveat the day after the funeral. There is no doubt at all the your £10,000 will be quite alright whichever & whatever the decision the judge comes to, though there may be very considerable delay in winding up the estate . . . ”
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Memoranda
Margaret Rogers
(nee Prior)
Bospolvans
St. Columb, Cornwall
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Heard later that this legacy really was safe and I can count on its coming.
Heavenly!!
Oh what luck
and how joyous.
How glorious it will be to have this windfall.
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Memoranda
Mrs Du Bois
1 Montagu House
34 Paddington Street
Baker Street
W.
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Lady Read
11 Stafford Mansions
Buckingham Gate
S.W.
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Christian (rooms in 1934)
18 Hans Crescent
S.W.
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Miss Banks
The Rock
Headley, Bordon
(Dog masseur & boarder)
for darling Shawgm
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A page torn out.
For January to June 1934 click here
