Jan 29 Saturday.

Alan & Beryl married today. Papa Pritchard very rude to Alan (not a word) & Mama1 told her[RG] she was throwing her life away.[RG]
Laura did Ch [Chapter] 16 last night. I went over it in morning. In afternoon bought artificial flower posies in Kilburn for 6d in a second hand shop.
Margaret &[RG] Montague & Dorothy Simmonds to supper.
Then to Alan & Beryl's party at Adelaide Road.
Present: Alan, Beryl, Laura, me, Karl, Montagu & Dorothy, Ward & Dorothy, Harry & Alix, Kenneth Allott & Kumari2 – he spoke to me not to Laura, a horde of undistinguished friends of Beryl's. It was a bottle party; gramophone music but no dancing. The elements did not mix. Laura suggested the thread game3, which was played (a tiny stout dentist German Jewish called Bergman competed) and marbles and pitch & toss, which I organized. (I won 12 halfpennies at pitch & toss.)
Dorothy & Montague returned early with us and we talked about the use of sculpture: the making of household gods.

Editorial Notes

2Indian KG
3puff-thread KG

Hands Referenced

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

Places Mentioned

  • Kilburn

    Brent, London, England

  • Adelaide Rd.

    Hampstead, London, England
    88, Adelaide Rd was the location of Alan Hodge and Beryl Pritchard's flat, late 1937 eds.

People Mentioned

  • Laura

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

  • Harry Kemp

    Kemp, Harry
    Poet. Met Graves and Riding through James Reeves in August 1936, just after their arrival in England. In their previous correspondence, Riding had been intrigued by his falling-out with Communism. He became associated with their circle, collaborating on various projects. (RPG 248-49)

  • Alix Kemp

    Kemp, Alix
    Married to poet Harry Kemp. The couple shared a house with Graves and Riding in Ewhurst, Surrey (1937). eds (RPG 277); also referred to as Frau Eierman by RG eds. see Diary August 30, 1936

  • Alan

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

  • Allott

    Allott, Kenneth
    Welsh poet (1912-1973) eds.

  • 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.

  • Beryl

    Pritchard, Beryl
    daughter of Harry and Amy Pritchard, R.G.'s second wife. Formerly married to Alan Hodge. Robert and Beryl had four children: William, Lucia, Juan and Tomas. eds

  • Ward

    Hutchinson, Ward
    Photographer. Contibuted to"Epilogue." W.G. R.G. often refers to "the Hutchinsons" (Ward & Dorothy) as a couple especially when they were staying on the island. eds.

  • Dorothy

    Hutchinson, Dorothy
    Ward Hutchinson's wife. WG

  • Montague Simmonds

    Simmons, Montague
    poet, and civil servant in the children's branch of the Home Office; m. to Dorothy Simmons, the sculptress RPG

  • Dorothy

    Simmons, Dorothy
    Sculptor associated with the Graves-Riding inner circle (1938-39). Married to Montague Simmons. eds