Oct 30 Saturday.

To London : Karl at Highcroft in charge of Solace1.[RG]
Laura arranged things at Boulestin's lobby with Wing Commander Gayford; while I bought socks, arranged repair of dressing gown, bought 2 cotton jerseys for 10/62 each.
Norman at Boulestins.
Oysters, pheasant supreme, white burgundy, braised celery, figs flambées and coffee. (£2.7.6; Norman's show) & then with Alan to drinks at a pub.
Bought a penetentiary dog-kennel & sea shells money-box for Norman for his dreary visitors 1/-3 a time. Norman took us to St Peter's Square & off to Arkesden, leaving his suitcase behind.
A walk along the Mall at dusk with Laura & round by Chiswick High Road.
Len & Jane came after supper: Len talking about his Hollywood plans. Sunday Express rang up & told me I was a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Lit [Literature]. I made no statement beyond that this was the first I had heard of it.

Editorial Notes

1Graves' cat eds.
210 shillings, sixpence eds.
31 shilling eds.

Hands Referenced

    • Annotation: ink correction
    • Character: regular
    • Ink: black

Places Mentioned

  • London

    England

  • Highcroft

    Ewhurst, Surrey, England
    Rental house that RG and LR shared with Harry and Alix Kemp in Ewhurst for July-November, 1937 RPG

  • Boulestins

    London, England
    restaurant eds.

  • St. Peter's Square

    Hammersmith, London, England
    Robert Graves and Laura Riding began living together in a flat there in 1927. (RPG 49); Gordon Glover and his mistress, Molly, took this address in 1935; also the location of Norman Cameron's flat in 1937 KG.

  • Arkesden

    Essex, England

People Mentioned

  • Laura

    Riding, Laura
    (1901-91) American poet. Laura Riding (née Reichenthal; then Laura Gottschalk).

  • Alan

    Hodge, Alan
    Oxford history graduate. Became close friends with LR & RG. First husband of Beryl Graves. CP & WG

  • Karl/Carl

    Goldschmidt, Karl
    Karl Goldschmidt, later Kenneth Gay: Graphic artist, friend and secretary of Robert Graves and Laura Riding since 1934. R. G. spells both as Carl and Karl.

  • Norman Cameron

    Cameron, Norman
    Poet. Built Can Torrent in 1932-1933. W.G.; m. to Elfriede, then to Catherine Vandervelde; friend and contributor to LR and RG's work eds.

  • Wing Commander Gayford

    Gayford, Commander
    (1893-1944), Wing Commander for British Royal Air Force. L.R. and R.G.'s landlord in Alma Square, London (Nov. 1937 - June 1938). eds.

  • Len

    Lye, Len
    New Zealand painter, sculptor, and filmmaker whom LR & RG had met in London. He helped with the Seizin Press publications. WG; married to Jane Lye, son Bix. eds.

  • Jane

    Lye, Jane
    Married to New Zealand artist/ film-maker Len Lye; son Bix Lye. Friends with R.G. and L.R. Visited Graves and Riding in Majorca (1930), where Jane provided secretarial assistance. eds (RPG 138).

Bibliography

    • Title: Daily Express
    • PubPlace: London