The Close, Salisbury

March 5^th 1893

My darling Pretty,

I hope you got the bangle safely, & that you are having a good time & are happy. I am so sorry you have gone, in fact I am quite miserable. I have come back as you see to this rather dismal place, & I keep on thinking of the time when you were here; I can’t bear you to be so far away. I couldn’t manage

possibly to get down to Plymouth it was too far to go & I had to get back here, besides I had no money, I have just heard from my bank that I am overdrawn. I went to the Savoy with Oscar for two nights; and I was sentimental enough to go down to the old room 123 next to the restaurant where we used to sleep together, the valet enquired after you as ‘votre cousin’. My darling pretty boy, I do love you so much & miss you every minute; as long as you were in England I didn’t mind so much

not being with you, but now that you have gone right away, I miss you all day & all night. I really love you far more than any other boy in the world, & shall always be your loving boy-wife, or your ‘little bitch’ if you prefer it. Do write to me as soon as you can (I know you can write at Naples) (added later: I know now that you can’t) and tell me if you still love me at all. Please darling never take off the bangle I sent you, & write to me as often as you can. If I possible can I’ll come out & join you in Egypt when you are on your way

back. Everybody is so sorry you have gone in London, but no one is so sorry as me. Have you found everyone nice on board. I am longing to hear. I hope it is not rough. I don’t know where I am going to send this letter to, I must find out tomorrow. I shall telegraph & ask the company where the boat stops etcet: and will write to every place I can. My blasted B.M. brother is here, which makes me more depressed. Fleming is my only sustainer. I ought now to go and dress for dinner.

I feel that I want to cry. Goodbye now my dear darling beautiful Maurice; I send you all my love and millions of kisses all over your beautiful body.

I am your loving boy-wife.

Bosie

March 6^th

PS. Darling I have wired to the company & they say no letter will reach you, so I am going to telegraph to Teneriffe & send this to New Zealand. Goodnight my dearest Pretty.

Thank god. S.B.M. brother has gone.

I am just going to send this off the mail doesn’t go till Saturday. I had of course lost your address & wired to Arthur Metford for it. I heard from him this morning. It is very disgusting to think that you won’t get this for six weeks. But it will reach you just about the time you arrive. Alfred Wood has begun renting Oscar [Wilde] by a letter from a private detective agency, but George Lewis [Sir George Lewis, solicitor) has been called in & he says he will settle A. W. at once. That boy is the worst blackguard of all the renters in London. He is trying to rent

Oscar with two letters which Oscar had written to me, & which AW stole from my pocket when I took him to Oxford. Oscar is at present at the Savoy in bed with a sore throat. I have seen nobody new lately. My boy here seems to have quite disappeared. I wish I was with you on the ship, we would have a splendid time, & have the same cabin. What is your cabin fellow like? I always think of you every night when I go to bed, please do the same for me. That is if you still

love me any more, as I do you. I love you ust as much as I did at Bournemouth & Oxford, more.

Once more goodbye darling Pretty with heaps of kisses, & love, from your ever loving boy-wife.

Bosie

Friday March 17^th 1893

Darling Pretty Boy,

I have just got your letter. I hope you got my wire at Teneriffe. I am so sorry about the bangle I will get another & send it out to you.

I am sorry to hear the people on the boat are so BM, but perhaps they will

develop as they go on.

I hope this letter will catch the mail I ought to have written yesterday. I go to Oxford today for the last 3 days of term, & on Monday or Tuesday I go abroad to Germany for about 3 weeks or a month, to read! By the time you get this I shall be back at Oxford.

You had better write there. I have got into communication with the boy here (Sidney Boule) again, his father has consented to our writing to one another. I have not — . Oscar has been in great trouble over that beast Albert Woods, but with the assistance of George Lewis he has got through all

right. I have not yet heard particulars.

Goodbye now my darling boy, I will write again next week. With heaps of love & kisses.

Ever your most loving boy-wife

Bosie

[Page] V

18^th June (1.00 A.M.)

I landed at 10.00 A.M. & had 2 terribly pompous & trying hours official decorating & receiving 70 addresses & shaking hands at this bloody house; I could have killed Davidson the Gov^r  [Sir Walter Davidson, Governor of New South Wales] & so could the Admiral [Sir Lionel Halsey, chief of staff to the Prince of Wales for the Royal Tour]& the staff as he was too impossible & irritating for words!! Then I had to dash off to the Agricultural ground to see & shake hands with several hundred returned men of the Light Horse after which I nominally had the afternoon free!! But I thought it was a good propaganda stunt to go voluntarily or unofficially to the races at Randwick the course of Sydney & I got there in time for lunch with the A.J.C. between 2^nd & 3^rd races & who shld. I sit next to but Mr Harry Chisholm, Sheilie’s [Australian born Sheila ‘Sheilie’ Chisholm] father & I spent the whole afternoon with him tho all his tips were useless & I lost every quid I put on as well as a side bet of £4 to him on the last race!! He’s such a sweet old man as you would say angel & I know you would like him as much as I do & he’s just crazy about little Sheilie & was so grateful for all the news of her that I could give him & no one has given him as much as I have since Mrs C. returned!! Of course he’s heard of you sweetie tho I did’nt like to say much about Loughie [Lord Loughborough, Sheilie’s husband] particularly as Sheilie seems to write home & say she is happy with him!! But then we know she is’nt always quite quite truthful even to YOU is she darling so how can one exactly expect her to e to her family tho I hope she’s more sincere with her’s than I am with mine, what!! What I think of families tho I’ve made qt. friends with old Chisholm and have promised to show him snaps of S at Randwick on Sat.

[Page V verso]

I’ve just escaped from a terrible official party here & they are still dancing down below as I can hear the – – band that was produced tho they cant play & have never heard of jazz!! The evening started with a ghastly dinner & the only saving clause was that I managed to get Molly Little asked tho she wld’nt have been if I had’nt luckily discovered on my return from the races that she was’nt coming. I just couldn’t have been more furious with ‘Dame Margaret’ (as this beta of a wife of Governor Davidson’s calls herself) when I mentioned Miss Little’s name to her & she said she did’nt know her & I since find that she did really. The – – ‘Dame’ had heard that Miss Little & I were mutual friends of Sheilie’s & knowing that she was attractive & could dance guessed that I wld. dance a lot with her if she came & so she wld’nt ask her!! And just to spite the old beta I’ve spent most of the evening with M.L. & we’ve had such a marvellous talk about Sheilie & I think she’s so sweet; not pretty but quite attractive & such a soft sympathetic little voice & she’s such a link somehow tho. a vewy indirect one with YOU sweetheart as she is so devoted to Sheilie & there’s practically nothing Sheilie does’nt tell her anyway she knows almost everything & I’m sure all about Bertie tho probably not about Ob!! Still I’ll likely be seeing & dancing with her at most of the parties here so I’ll try & pump her more; Sheilie has also apparently written some vewy sweet things about me to her which she’s told me & made me feel vewy shy & I’ve in return been showing her some ‘Do’ photos & she was so thrilled to see YOU angel as she’s heard so much about you but never seen a snap tho. I guess she sees the picture papers!! I could write on for hours to-night Fredie darling but its getting so late & I’ve got a hellish morning at the Town Hall so I must take a pull & get to bed or I’ll be in worse shape than usual at 10.00 A.M. Oh!! I do love you love you so mon amour

[Page] VI

19^th June (2.00 A.M.) Vewy late to-night I’m afraid sweetheart but we’ve been to a rather good private party after an official dinner of the N.S.W. Govt. at the Town Hall where I had to speak for 7 mins & with hardly any time to prepare it & as I did’nt crash I’m quite pleased with myself & managed to pull off a couple of jokes on 3000 people which was something I need hardly tell you that I had 3 dances with Molly Little to-night & I like her more than ever & she really is very sweet my beloved & we get on well dancing. As a matter of fact there are 2 or 3 women I think prettier than M.L. in Sydney but I’m concentrating on her merely because of Sheilie & so indirectly because of YOU & she’s so different to all the women I’ve met out here darling as she really does remind me very much of Sheilie in many little ways & then she’s such a gt. friend of hers. It was so lucky striking her the first night here & if I get to know her well she would be a sort of Poots to me!! I had 3 hard hours at the Town Hall this morning & thousands of people streamed past me & I felt more like a model or a relic of the ‘Emden’ (or any other object on who) than ever!! But there were huge & dense enthusiastic crowds outside & it was really très emouvant the people here are far less rough than they were in Melbourne & I’m really having a far easier time here & the program is reasonable tho. strenuous!! Of course I have’nt really seen anything of the city yet except a few crowded streets & then the harbour; there’s rather a good sort of ‘Criterion’ here, the ‘Wentworth’ where one can feed & dance at the same time which is patronised by M.L. but I don’t suppose I’ll ever get there & I’m not keen to really tho. anything to escape from this – – Govt. Ho. & the – – Gov.t & the – – ‘Dame Margaret’ Davidson O.B.E. They are the absolute limit & I just can’t be polite any more

[Page VI verso]

20^th June (1.00 A.M.) There’s been another party here to-night sweetheart but more or less small & there was a slightly better band tho. they were’nt really much good & I had to go up into the gallery where they were playing to wake them up with my little ‘jazz traps’!! Of course these pompous boobs (the Gov.r & ‘Dame Margaret’) tried to make it all as official & pompous & serious as possible tho. somehow I was feeling in fairly good shape & ragged a bit & managed to make everybody treat the party as a joke which it was & Molly Little & I laughed till it hurt my beloved!! God! she’s so like Sheilie I cant help saying it again & she gets the hysterics just like Sheilie does!! We (or rather I) wrote out a short cable for her to send to S. during one of our sits outs & it runs like this: ‘We wish you & F. were here. Love. Molly & E.’ I had to add the F. Fredie darling or I could’nt have added the E!! I’ve really got to know M.L. quite well now; she’s writing S. by this mail & I wonder what she’ll say about me ?!! You must ask Sheilie angel as I expect she’ll be vewy amusing about me!! My only stunt to-day has been the races at Randwick again tho. as usual I lost everything I put on & I’m sorry to say I’ve lost over £100 in quiet ‘punting’ (as they call betting in Australia) without plunging at all!! I must be a regular ‘Jonah’ darling as the horse I backed in the steeple chase fell at the first fence & was killed tho. the jocky was all right!! More enthusiastic but very kind crowds & it was’nt such a bad way of spending an afternoon tho. I’m getting vewy tired of never spotting a winner or even backing a horse that ever gets placed!! However luckily for me I can afford to loose tho. its irritating; I’m so so sleepy Fredie darling so it’s a xase of bed again sweetheart tho you know that because ‘Fredie Venus’ is my constant thought therefore its my last thought before going to sleep!! Bless YOU.

[Page] VII

(6.00 P.M.) I’m going up country to-night for 24 hrs & leave by train at 10.00 P.M. so I’m scribbling a few lines now sweetie as the train is so difficult to in: church at the cathedral at 11.00 was more painful than ever & then I visited Randwick soldiers’ hospital the largest in Australia & had to shake hands with over 1000 wounded men & thee were over 200 amputation cases which was vewy twying as one has to have a short yarn with each one & I returned here at 2.00 vewy exhausted & dazed angel so that I just cld’nt face golf which I had meant to do!! However I had a good gallop round the Centenial Park near Randwick which was better than golf & rode that chestnut horse again that I jumped at Melbourne as they’ve kindly brought him up here for me!! I hope to get a ride & some laps round the race course on Tues. or Wed. & they are keen for to f out as I did & Caulfield & I think its quite a good stunt. I’ve managed to get Molly Little asked to dinner here to-night sweetie & fixed up that she should sit next to me so that’s something & she’ll be able to help me tho. another desparate evening here as I can hardly bring myself even to talk to these – – Davidsons!! However they are tamer than when we arrived not that that is saying vewy much; they really are the most impossible couple & no wonder the dominions get fed up with the Old Country & want to abolish all Imperial governors if the Colonial Office will insist on sending out such hopeless boobs!! I’m going to tell G.G. & Milner etc what a lot of harm is done throughout the Empire by the rotten Governors they appoint who are nearly always pompous duds who they don’t want in London!! How pompous I am these evening sweetie but I feel I might be able to help in this direction & even poor ignorant little David cant travel around the Empire officially without getting a little experience!!!!

[Page VII verso]

22^nd June (2.00 A.M.) I got back from the up country trip at 10.30 P.M. belovèd but was enticed to a party be Mollee Little (she spells her name ‘Mollee’) tho. I was’nt there 2 hrs & did’nt get in more than 7 dances as they have about 6 encores to every dance & the sit out intervals are ridiculously long !! However I got 3 with her & it was a good jazz band & floor & I wanted some exercise after a ghastly political sort of day in the new federal district or ara called Canberra which is the site of the new Commonwealth capital!! We left the train at a tiny stn. Called Queebeyan at 10.00 A.M. after a comfy night’s journey (tho. such a shaky train & so impossible to write & I turned in early) By the way we actually danced to a gramophone after dinner last night sweetie & at old Davidson the gov.r’s suggestion & not mine which was really amazing!! But we ragged a good deal & M.L. was in good shape tho. we had to quit at 10.00 P.M!!

But to continue about to-day up country; from the stn we motored to Duntroon military college (in the federal area) where I inspected the cadets on parade & addressed them & walked round the college which is a good show; there are 110 cadets doing 4 years training, a sister establishment to the naval college at Jervis Bay on they are 2 years older. I was 2 hrs at Duntroon & then motored on a few miles to ‘Capitol Hill’ which is to be the central point of the new city or commonwealth capital where I had to sit thro. A fearful lunch in a tent & then lay a foundation stone of one of the proposed federal buildings tho. it was the 15^th stone that has been laid at Canberra in the last 10 years & they have’nt made any effort to even start in building as yet tho. they seem to have laid out some roads & done some irrigation work as the district & site is the most bleak & desolate ‘bush’ & station country that one could imagine & miles & miles from anywhere!!

[Page] VIII

Christ! how I must be boring you with all these long detailed accounts mon amour tho. you know how I must just tell you everything We had 2 small stunts on the return journey tho. only at stations so that it has’nt been a hard day only a vewy twying one I must turn in now sweetie as I’m by way of riding at Randwick race course at 10.00 AM. & I’ve let myself in for taking a ‘chaser’ over some hurdles so that I must be in the best shape possible!! Its sad & pathetic for me to think that this is the end of ‘aged 25’ & that in 24 hrs time I’ll be in the 2^nd quarter of life!! What a sordid little thought my Fredie & I do feel so terribly old away from TOI; how well I remember my birthday last year angel as it was the end of Ascot & I had to go to Cardiff!! Do you remember? Yes I know you do!!!! And you wrote me such divine letters to Cardiff!!

23^rd June (3.00 A.M.) What must you think of me being so late again to-night but I was booked for a – – party (no! M.L. was’nt there sweetie!!) tho. we did’nt get there till midnight as there was a ‘gala’ stunt at the leading theatre ‘Kissin Time’ but such a rotten show!! I’ve been back 1 hour but the Admiral & I must always have a slight yarn before we turn in tho. we don’t sit up as we used to belovèd!! I had a gt. ride at Randwick & that chaser was a real tough proposition tho. I got him over the hurdles all right & galloped him twice round the course tho. he nearly pulled me off!! These Australian horses are brutes to ride till you get into the trick of it tho. pompously I think that for a ‘green’ Englishman I’ve picked it up fairly quickly & entre nous that I’ve made a slight bit with the riding community here tho. I could’nt say so to anyone but YOU mon amour; I feel quite a little ‘Master Clever’!!

[Page VIII verso]

They (a few amateur riders & jockeys) could’nt have been more surprised that I got the chaser round the course ‘sans accident’ as he played up like hell the 1^st half of the way round & then tried to bolt with me when I galloped him & he’s easily the biggest horse I’ve ever tried to ride!! Please forgive more boring details sweetie but you know crazy about riding I am & I’m afraid also getting rather pompous about it!! “Ça suffit’ as its so late; I lunched at the Town Hall with the N.S.W. branch of returned men’s League before a monster ‘digger’s’ parade where I tried to inspect 8,000 returned men!! But they broke ranks as I knew they wld. (led by tight men) & I had to take refuge at the saluting base tho. they all marched past afterwards & it was a good stunt tho too big!! But they could’nt have been nicer or more enthusiastic sweetie as in fact the ‘diggers’ have been ever since I landed & as I think I told you I punked them more than anything else in Australia; they really have played up marvellously & after all this is’nt a dry country!! I just could’nt have been more bored than I was at the party to-night Fredie darling but we had to go as it had been organised for us long before we came here!! What I think of at last being 26 Christ! how I hate & loathe getting a day older darling one & it’s the limit when one has to change one’s age 25 to 26!! What I think of birthdays tho as I’ve so so often said my precious belovèd what I think of anything away from YOU? Less than nothing tho we are only just ½ way thro. the trip; but still that is something!! I’m going to ride again at 10.00 AM. Perhaps rather rash but I must go thro. with it!! Bless you & how I love you love you sweetie!!

[Page] IX

24^th June (3.00 A.M.) I’m an absolute disgrace & so so terribly ashamed to appear so gay sweetie but the fact is that the old Davidson’s insisted on organising a mild form of birthday party for me to-night tho we’ve all been too dead beat to be able to enjoy it!! They asked a few ‘bits’ to dinner (M.L. being one of them) & as we had to go on to a huge official ball at the Town Hall he insisted much to our surprise that we shld. all return here afterwards at midnight to dance in peace & he sent for a small band!! The Town Hall was needless to say the most fearful crush so that we were glad to quit tho we’ve all been far too worn out to dance much & no wonder!! M.L. & I had another of our yarns but we had to try to dance to keep awake; its really lucky its our last night in Sydney Fredie darling as life here is too strenuous for everybody & we are all B.F.s for having sat up so late so often for nothing too!! I had another good ride at Randwick this morning & I rode a couple of gallops on 2 different chasers in training which is a strenuous game as a start off & sitting like a jockey with one’s knees on the horses’s neck is’nt hald as easy as it looks!! In fact I’m quite pleased with myself for having stuck on sweetie!! There was a huge school children’s demonstration on the cricket ground this afternoon followed by a pompous stunt at the University (another – – hon^ry degree) besides many other smaller but equally trying items which always seem to accumulate on last days anywhere!! We go up country again at 9.00 A.M. for 2 days tho we only pass thro Sydney to-morrow (Friday) evening as we sail at 8.00!! We’ve got 2 bad days ahead of us beloved but I’m so excited at the chance of the mail (which I hear has arrived) being sent up to Toronto (where we stay the night) by the afternoon train!! Good night my darling little Fredie my sweetheart mon amour à moi; all all my blessings & baisers

[Page IX verso]

10.00 PM [24 June 1920]

Yes the mail has come with a vengeance my little Fredie darling & tho’ I’ve only just skimmed thro parts of your No 8 letter I can see that besides being the most marvellously divine one it is a terribly sad one my sweetheart & the little I have read is making me cry!! As the result of your yarn with old Bertie [Duke of York, later to become King George VI] I suppose tho there’s also your letter No 9 & such a swell little birthday note you enclosed to Dickie [Lord Louis Mountbatten]!! But I just dare read your letters any more to-night angel for fear of breaking down altogether as we’ve had almost the worst day of the whole trip certainly the most jarring to the nerves as we’ve had to spend 5 hrs in a steam boat on the Hawkesbury River with the NSW labour premier & 10 of his labour govt!! Their scheme was to get poor little me all to themselves & more or less interview me & as the whole crowd are Bolschies one had to be frightfully careful!! However as they made one an excuse for an oyster & champagne orgy at lunch on bd. & all of them got toxy except Storey the premier there wasn’t much serious interviews about them tho, some of them struck out some nasty little bolschie ironies at the Admiral & me which hurt & then they began singing!! Oo! oo! oo! oo! What we went thru this afternoon mon amour & you know what wrecks we were when we left Sydney this morning!! So that when we reached the train at 6.30 one hour from here I couldn’t have been in a weaker state both mentally & physically to receive the first shock of a mere glance thro your No 8 letter for of course I’ve got the gist of it, that we must make the greatest sacrifice of our lives & give up our LOVE!! But oh! oh! my beloved darling little Fredie I just must’nt talk of it all or write any more to-night or I’ll never be able to face bolschie Newcastle to-morrow where anyway I shld. have had to make an extra effort!! It now seems a superhuman task to me to even live thro. The night my sweetheart tho. perhaps a real good cry when I get into bed will help me as of course I can’t let myself go till I can bury my face in your little pillow Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! I’m crying already sweetie & you know how I can cry.

[Page] X

I’m going to finish this long screed to-night my beloved & begin N^o letter when I get back to the ship to-morrow evening [Friday, 25 June 1920] although we shan’t be able to post till we get to Perth (W.A.) next week; it will be over 2^1/2 weeks since I’ll have written again angel for which I’m so so sorry tho. you known that is’nt my fault & that I write to you so so faithfully each night before I go to bed!! Whatever might happen Fredie darling you’ll always know that your poor sad worn out little David so so entirely faithful & devoted to his precious sacred blessed divine little goddess & idol his FREDIE whom he loves & adores & worships as no man has ever will again!! But you know that Thank God we are staying the night in this tiny cottage where we are quite alone tho. even dinner has been a strain & food nauseated me beyond words!! The Admiral is with me & dear Dickie [Lord Louis Mountbatten] who is always such a companion tho. I just cant look at the bloody Ld. Claud [Lord Claud Hamilton] & North [Captain Dudley North]; the rest of the staff have remained in Sydney, particularly poor old Godfrey who has been flooded out by my bloody birthday cables & correspondence till he’s nearly going mad!! I’ve had nice cables from such mutual friends of ours such as Sheilie, Sarah, Eileen, Philip & even old Burghie has thought of me!!!!

[Page X verso]

But a quoi bon continuing this trivial prattle when I’ve got such all absorbing & vital things to discuss mon amour; but not ce soir as I must be in the best shape possible under the circumstances to-morrow!! So good night & bless you my blessèd little sweetheart before Mrs Thpider & I settle down in bed to a marvellous cwy!! A demain soir tho. I’ll be your still sadder & more miserable little David than ever then I fear Fredie darling tho. it wont matter as we’ll be at sea!!

What you must think of the ultra frivolous tone of this letter up till 3.00 AM. this morning my belovèd but I never camouflage my moods to you as you know sweetie & I was a fairly cheery little boy (not a happy little boy as I’ll never never be happy away from my Fredie) at the end of Sydney having gone thro with the 2 biggest (& the only 2 really big) Australian cities sans accident!! And the photos I enclose are cheery too; I’m glad none have been taken since your No 8 letter tho I received it after dark thank God!! Blessings D.

13 Pembridge Crescent

London W11

Bay 7610

26^th November [1962]

Hi Sningy, Giovanni,

Well to-day is the big day – the flat is all ours. The old lady is moving out at two-oclock this afternoon and tomorrow morning we will start to paint and sort-out. We bought a super old chest of drawers for 30/- at a junk shop near Ladbroke Grove. It had at least 12 coats of paint on it but we slaved at it for two days and have stripped it back to the beaut pine, it has white porcelain knobs and looks super. Were going to paint everything white walls and ceilings + woodwork. There is hideous

red lino on the floors which we’ll take up and just scrub and polish the floors. The main room is pretty big so were going to have the two low divan beds in there and sleep there at night we can keep all our clothes in the small bedroom as we’re going to try and get along without having anyone in.

There are two beaut big full length windows in the main room and I’m going to buy some black + white striped mattress ticking for curtains. As we only have the place for a year it seems an awful waste to spend too much on it. Brett has hysterics even at the mention of mattress ticking curtains so it doesn’t seem as though

I’ll get away with too much.

The bathroom is in an awful state we’ll have to completely strip the walls first. The colour is going to be all white walls etc. Taking up the lino and painting the floor with special floor paint in dutch blue: the Chrissie pres idea of bathroom things would be divine!! Can we have a photo of you and Giovanni to-gether to go in our rogues gallery on the bathroom

wall? Gee wish you were coming back for Christmas it would have been fan to have it here, but it is an awful lot of money for such a short while. Hope the trip to Australia etc comes off and is fabulous. Great sighs of relief about Franny, it seems to have sorted out nicely the new house will be a relief to go back too.

We had an invitation from Dyla’s (?) parents for the wedding reception. Her father is a Harley Street doctor. They are Jewish and Dyla’s real name is Shirley Dylas Kahn. Mich Johnson is a shams no money but the wedding is in four days. Wendy Paramor rolled out for Australia last Thursday after a riotous farewell part the night before. I saw a hideous accident on the way to it

so was feeling a bit neurotic all night. The man was flattened out all over the road.

Weet is sitting around biting his fingernails to get into the panels. He has decided to paint only three now, but it’s still a very time consuming and ambitious work he’ll be working on them solidly for quite some-time.

Paul Collins getting hitched in about two weeks, Susan Comeroy-Thompson leaving for home on the 29^th.

Well that’s it for now will write again soon when we’ve progressed a little with the flat.

Love kisses + hugs to you both we miss you as usual –

Love Whiteleys

P.S. Do you mind if I borrow your sewing machine to make the curtains?

P.T.O.

[verso]

P.P.S.

Did I tell you that Beazley is no longer at the ‘Little Shop’. She left within a week after coming back from Italy. Have an idea she was sacked poor bitch I feel a bit sorry for her.

P.P.S.

We went up to Nancy’s to pick up the things we’d left with her in Jim + Tony’s truck she was very friendly + hospitable made us all a snack. We asked her if she’s like to spend Christmas with us but she’s going to Austria with Richard – we met him too – nice person but not as good looking as I expected.

Avivale: Lets face it. I’m just not a writer. I’m a talker. Which costs more. However I’ll try …

Ruth is well. Rather removed. Functioning efficiently. Dresses well. Cooks delicious GOOD food. Lives frugally. Quietly. Watches the brilliant local telly. Rather hurt by the affaire Nick. Because she doesn’t, like me, radiate hysteria you get the impression shes OK but actually no one who is withdrawn is OK. Anyway she was very generous of her time and patience with me. But there really wasn’t time to write. I have worked out that if you and I and Gowsdin and Dicky put aside fifty cents a day for next five months we could have her fare over and back on the #300 quickie special. Anyway I am putting into the Ruth fund any odd earnings I have and tax rebates and so on – you know the occasional money from heaven. You might think of something you can do to raise Ruth money. Every little helps. The thing is we can earn more faster than she can there. I’ve told her to count on coming over next October and I’m almost sure she will. (Some money I do have coming to me is through a travel agency I’ve done somorefavors for. It comes to me in travel so I’ll get Ruths ticket through them and use that up).

Judy is very pregnant very beautiful and very chic. Happy with Howard who has just got a new job paying $60 instead of $40. Everyone is shockingly poor. Howard is slim and beaut but is a dreadful worrier. If they are out without the child he worries. If the child is with them he still worries. They plan to move back into London which will help. Rebecca their daughter is like David [Aviva’s son?] a martian. My theory is that martians are invading the earth by taking over the souls of children. Why else wont Rebecca kiss her auntie Lil? And why does she have that same sly sexy look that David has? and Hannah?? etc

John Taylor is very Taylored as usual. Merv is beautiful. Due to go back for six months to see his aussie mum. Merv has Sulim an a beautiful young Indian boy who cooked us a curry when we went over. Howard incidentally cooked me the best meal I ever had in my life when I went up for the day and stayed over. (Nothing beats your baked apples and mum gourmet treats, love)

We all had a lovely day sitting on Hampstead Heath perving on lovers. Typical English pasttime. Also typically English and shades of Celia Johnson was one lady being kissed by a man in rimless glasses. She had marcelled blue hair. She may have been his Mum.

I loved Biba boutique where the dresses didn’t even get past my shoulders. Back to Barneys fat boy shop which now has a carnaby street department!

How about those London public phones which never never never work?

I went to the push pub one night but it was packed with dreary London crims and a lot of professional vomiters. Paddy McGinnis is the leader of the London push. We went to a party of sorts at June Elliotts a flat on top of a laundry she runs. Her 13-year-old son Patrick is beaut. But she misses her two children that Bob now has. She seems to be high on pot most times.

There was some very self conscious ‘turning on’ when we were there in the front room. Not push people. But nothing happened except they got all thirsty. A bunch of people who looked over 30 but told us they were 17.

Saw a lot of people of the post-Aviva generation. Say of course Corinne who badgered me in her usual Corinne manner. She had a beaut dinner evening with Charlie and Billie Lloyd (now both middleaged) and Jacob Judah. She says Jacob fell for me and tried to make a match Jacob nice as he is is not alas for me. Wot you think? Later there was another evening of Charlie Lloyd films and Cynthia Byrne came.

(in pencil in right at right of previous paragraph: Her kids + house are beaut. She nags Arthur all the time.)

We had previously, ruth and I, spent an evening with Cynthia who is about to marry Klippel and come here to Minneapolis. Cynthi was four years with Guy. He worked hard in those four years and they rarely saw one another which is why they got on OK. He came straight from his wife to Cynthia and she says champed at the bit and wanted to get off towards the end. Youll like her. Shes terribly like him the way people who are together get.

I saw a lot of the people in the Herald London office. I like them. Other journalists with whom I had short drinks repelled me. One day I had lunch at London school of economics with ken minogue the first bloke ever to kiss me back in 1949 and hedley bull now with the foreign office and very big in disarmament.

Noticed here in NY the cohen reviews I haven’t read them yet but in same time reviews of another young mans novel Richard farina joan baez’s brother in law and an old poke of Marians who sadly was killed in a motorbike accident just before book came out.

I ‘did’ Carnaby street (a take) and the boutique (so cheap) and kings road Chelsea on Saturday arvo and the hampstead pubs and little dinners in soho and bond street and oxford street. Dint buy much except books and a lot of union jacks. Read a lot.

First few days I FROZE. We had snow in april for first time in centuries. It rained for weeks. I wore my fur coats indoors all the time to Ruths amusement. Couldn’t sleep without the hottie.

One big night was the big pop concert at Wembley stadium. Sat in front row and saw all top groups climaxing with sexy rolling stones and beatles. Very Instant England.

aren’t the aussies in London RE-volting? One dreadful man took us to the Zambesi club (aussies and south Africans) Ruth and I were upset for weeks.

This is an awful letter but it gives you some of the news.

I loved Englishmen and lost my heart for about two minutes to Colin Lanceley, Helena Rubinstein award winner and Sydney artist. Mainly because he wore a leather sports coat like leonards.

Love being back in many ways because its home but miss london plan to go for two months net year and plan every second of it. Had a letter from Desbarats who was in London but we missed each other. More news later. Lets try and meet somewhere

love to Lloyd

Lilli

PS

One final thing. John seems terribly terribly terribly last year. I suppose if I had stayed longer I would have found someone lovely. Theyre all very nice, those young working class Poms. Very Mike Vaughan (my ideal man) He wrote to me and signed the letter ‘see you soon love must go now Yours sincerely’ Cripes.

Lots of nasty jealous gossip about John in London. That his days at the Herald are numbered, that he is a yes man, (all from jealous sources) that he left his wife for a blonde, that he left his wife because they were incompatible sexually (later explained to me that he was queer. Oh no, not this one) Finally that he was the father of one of the kids of a very stable Sydney marriage (THAT was upsetting if true)

anyway I’ve come back in a beaut mood (to an office that’s deadlier than ever) feeling beautiful, witty and cuddly. It wont last. An American film producer rang me the other day to say someone in London told him to phone me ‘I understand’ he said ‘you’re not very attractive by NY standards but very attractive by London standards’ God.