Affichage de 5083 résultats

‘Herschel House, Cambridge’ [Letterhead]

Full Transcript

Tuesday the 3rd [March]

My dearest George,

I was very glad to find that The California did not sail after all till Saturday morning. I suppose it was because the weather was so stormy.

I am afraid I am going to do the one thing you told me not to and use a ton of coal straight away. We are under thick snow here. Some fell on Saturday night but on Sunday night there as a heavy fall and yesterday was a glorious sunny day. The children played at making snow men in the afternoon in the garden and had a lovely time. It was thawing most of the day and when I went to bed but it froze later in the night and was freezing hard this morning.

Blunt has again not come so I have rung up Mrs Salter and he is well so I have taken his address and written to him.

Nellie, the new cook is so far very satisfactory. She seems very nice and cooks well.

Frances Wills is coming here tomorrow for five days. I shall enjoy that. We are both going to dine with the Cranages on Thursday before the lecture. So far I seem nearly as full of engagements as I was before you left. People are being most awfully kind and nice. Really I think more friendly than they were at Godalming.

Mrs Cranage rang Vi up to find our when I was coming home that she might meet me with her car. Vi didn’t know, but it was most awfully kind of her.

At Bletchley I got into the same carriage as John Chaister [?]. He was coming to Cambridge to stay with David for the Greek play. So I saw him again in the evening.

I enjoyed seeing the Greek play quite a lot, the dresses were very good and the colour scheme pretty. As I did not understand it there did seem a lot of standing still and spouting at the audience. But I expect if I had understood it I should not have felt that so much.

I am so sorry you left your dressing gown behind. I am sending it to Bombay [Mumbai] and then addressed to Darjeeling in case it misses you.

Wednesday

I see that the California left Gibraltar on the 4th. So now you are in the Mediterranean. I hope it is warm and nice. I am getting rather worried about the garden. If the weather goes on being so cold I shall not possibly be able to get the necessary seed sowing done before I go away. If I can’t do it I think I shall come back for a few days of solid gardening in April.

I hoped to do a lot of greenhouse seed sowing today but I can’t get the seed boxes. The fishmonger promised them but he has not sent them.

I went to the Quay Village performance last night. It was quite good and very well arranged. There was no scenery so there were no long pauses as there so often are in amateur theatricals. I think the whale show was a great credit to Mrs Salter.

The young man we picked up at St. Neots came round yesterday just as we were starting nursery tea so I asked him up and he was quite pleasant and jolly and evidently enjoyed seeing the children. Clare was in an appallingly talkative mood all day yesterday. Nothing would stop her tongue and at tea time she had her fling. I found her this morning before breakfast engaged in writing out thirteen times table. She has determined to write out and learn all the difficult ones up to 19 times she days. Mrs Reade came to lunch yesterday. I took her after lunch to see the new Sidney Sussex chapel and we met Mani Forbes there and they had a long talk about the chapel etc which Mrs Reade evidently enjoyed very much.

I don’t think I was very good company. My period had just come and I wasn’t at all on the spot. I have just fallen down from ladder and all trying to get the climbing things into the loft. Luckily I did not hurt myself at all.

I have heard from Mr Raxworthy. My bank balance is overdrawn £823 and your £112 that is £935 in all. He suggests we sell of our £500 Vickers 4% which would bring in £400 and £400 National War Bond for £420. If we get £2500 for the Holt we need only sell the Vickers I think so I will tell him only to do that for the present.

Dearest one I do hope you are happy and having a good voyage. I am keeping quite cheerful and happy but I do miss you a lot. I think I want your companionship even more than I used to. I know I have rather often been cross and not nice and I am very sorry but the bottom reason has nearly always been because I was unhappy at getting so little of you. I know it is pretty stupid to spoil the times I do have you for those when I don’t.

Very very much love to you my dear one.

Your Loving,
Ruth

Letter from his brother Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory. This letter was found on George Mallory's body in 1999. It was wrapped in a handkerchief along with two other letters.

Full Transcript

65 Longridge Rd
London SW5

Ap 2nd 1924

My Dear George

Many thanks for your p.c. Both children had flu about a week after I had it, & then I got a second dose. However we are all splendid now.

As you will see from the address, we have moved. The children were beginning to get a bit out of hand & we always seemed to be catching one disease or another. We are awfully comfortable now in very nice rooms. We have got two double bedrooms, a single bedroom for Tom, & a sitting room. Tom’s bedroom is ordinarily a sitting room, so nurse can have the children down there when we don’t want them. I like it ever so much better than the Hotel, because I now have somewhere quiet to read & write.

I suppose you see a few papers, & know what a series of strikes we are having just now. It would appear that the Trades Unions regard this as a good moment for getting the best possible terms. The most serious thing I think is the development of strikes organised by Communists against the advice of the Unions. I hope they will get the firm handling they deserve.

I went to a most interesting meeting at the B.I.I.A. [British Institute of International Affairs] last night, on ‘the Balkans’. I find that one gets a lot of most useful information there, which is good from an educational point of view.

Mother stayed a night here on her way to Aix Les Bains. I am not quite sure whether she is particularly pleased with it now she has got there.

I am going up to Birkenhead to stay with the old man over Easter & hope to see Avie & her family at the same time.

I imagine you have now started your trek. I have seen one article in the Times so far, but that just dealt with the administrative arrangements & the composition of the party.

A Trafford cousin has suddenly turned up. He is normally a cantonment magistrate in India & home on leave. He is an odd piece of work & seems to have a passion for getting to know relations. We had him to supper one night & he took us to Diplomacy last Saturday. The revival of Diplomacy is excellent. I never thought anything of Gladys Cooper as an actress, but I must say she seems to have improved tremendously lately.

The children are bursting with life & I think very happy.

Good luck to you
Your affectionate brother
Trafford

Letter from Stella, believed to be Stella Cobden-Sanderson. Postmarked 2 April. Mallory used the envelope to note down the code numbers and pressures of five oxygen cylinders.
This letter was found on George Mallory's body in 1999. It was wrapped in a handkerchief along with two other letters.

Full Transcript

Forum Club,
6, Grosvenor Place,
Hyde Park Corner,
S.W.I.
[Address has been crossed out and replaced with ’23 Hertford Street. W,]

Dear George,

Just after writing to you last week, I saw in The Times that the expedition had started from Darjeeling – And now you are really on the march. I think of you so often & try to imagine what you are doing. What is the weather doing? Is it terribly hot?

I am so longing for sun & warmth that today I have definitely decided to go to my friends near Cannes for about a month from the middle of May – It won't be fashionable but a great great joy to get to the south. The flowers will be heavenly then.

My alternative was to do a round of visits in England. For a long time I was tempted to do this because I love my friends & making new ones. But I suddenly had such a desire for the south & peace. And now I am glad to have decided this.

I expect to go to Paris for Easter with the Macmillans then join the Shears & other American friends in Paris until middle of May. So I shall start with a gay time.

Last night I saw Shaws St Joan” I was very much moved & impressed with it. And I do think that its wonderful of Shaw at his age to write without exaggerating his mannerisms. Some of the dialogues are far too long – But its wonderfully written & without the desire to show his own personality too much. The acting is excellent & its most beautiful to look upon.

I had lunch with Mrss Graies yesterday at her club – Sissie is in Italy & she pressed me to go saying she was lonely & had a great many things she wanted to discuss with me. But these consisted of abuse of Macdonald because she had not seen him, that Ishbel's head had been turned, & that Macdonald had treated Sissie badly. In between this, improper stories. And all this shouted at the top of her voice in a public room. My answers having to be made equally loud down a speaking tube! Poor Sissie, I am really sorry for her.
London with the strikes has been very exhausting & terrible for the wretched daily workers. It’s amazing how good natured is an English crowd.

On Saturday the day of the boat race my brother is expecting nearly 200 as their garden goes down to the river at Hammersmith. Mother & I are not going as we have too many old associations of my father.

I am longing to hear from you since your arrival.
My love to you dear
Your affectionate
Stella

April 2

Letter from Mary Brooke, Mallory's sister written from Colombo. This letter was found on George Mallory's body in 1999. It was wrapped in a handkerchief along with two other letters.

Full Transcript

Ap. 12th
Steelback Lodge
Galle Face
Columbo

My dearest George

I hope you have been getting the weather reports all right – it will be very interesting to hear whether you can trace a connection with our weather & how long afterwards. Since sending you the observatory report yesterday we have had the most terrific storm – gale of wind from S.W. – torrents of rain & thunder – we had noticed very heavy clouds at the sunset & it looked as if something were approaching, but the storm didn’t break till about 1 a.m. last night. It was most violent for nearly three hours so if you get the same you had better be on the look out – I wonder how far you have got now – I do hope you are getting on well & making good time. We were very disappointed not getting up to Diyatalawa last Monday, we were all packed up & everything planned when a wire came from the C.C. postponing the whole move & in a furious temper that he hadn’t been told some little minor details that no one thought he would want to know. I believe there were some very heated telegrams between him & our Colonel but of course it didn’t alter things & we have just had to wait here in the heat & packed & angry! There is hardly anyone left down here now, but I believe we really shall get off on Monday & are much looking forward to getting up to the hills & a cooler atmosphere. Ralph is going off for a week’s shooting on Thursday – he & another man & they ought to have quite a good time & see a lot of interesting country. They are going to camp out & I believe try for panther & bears at night as it will be full moon. When he gets back we expect Wynyard for a few days on his way home from Shanghai. This place is getting rather gay now with the flamboyant trees & others all coming into flower – I am afraid we shall miss them at their best. We took the children to the museum the other evening. really most interesting – besides all the Ceylon animals, birds insects, precious stones etc they had a very interesting room of the native handicrafts – pottery etc some of it most attractive – I believe you get the best things of that sort at Kandy & we must certainly make an expedition there when we get back here.

With much love & let me have a line when you can
Your loving sister
Mary

Reflects on when he might get leave. Describes a visit to the William's house. Expresses her wish for Clare to start talking. Describes a funny moment between Clare and Violet. Discusses her opinions on The Times article about the Education Bill. Describes her plans for the Baby Welfare group, focusing on pre-natal care. Expresses her thoughts on military service. Sends him her love.

Evening - Informs him that Mary Anne has influenza and she is taking care of Diana. Tells him about having Car and Mr Reade for dinner.

Morning - Describes her night with Diana. Reflects on her feeling for Mr Reade. Tells him she is requesting help from Mrs Steel with Diana and Lilly while everyone is ill. Updates him on Mary Anne's health. Expresses her desire to help the O'Malley's financially. Is glad that she came to London.

Full Transcript

Marine Hotel,
Selsey,
nr Chichester.

My Dear George
I am writing this first thing on Tuesday morning & I am going up the village to try & get it off by the first post. Marjorie has written asking us to alter our day of returning if possible because of Father's fishing, so if Aunt Rosamond can have us on Wednesday we shall come home then.
I don't think either of us will mind one day less.
The weather looks a bit better today I think we shall have sun on & off.
Yesterday we left the BBs about six & reversed the walk we did on Saturday evening with them. It was misty & quite grey & very very beautiful walking along the wide wet sands with nothing but sand & sky to look at. One felt so far away from every thing and so much just a little bit of it all. I do like to feel like that. There's the sea the trees the flowers the birds & to feel just one of them instead of a person apart as one does in houses that is good.
I can feel more part of the spring and of it all than I have ever felt before because I'm doing what its all doing & making more. I must go on with this letter any longer or Im[sic] afraid shall miss the post. I hope I haven't.

Very much love
Ruth

Full Transcript

29, Courtfield Road,
S.W.
My dearest
It is most awfully hot here, but I have not had at all a bad day, we just sat comfortably all the morning and shoped a Liberty from our favorite shop man. I seem to have bought an awful lot of things but I made a careful list before I started so I don’t think I got any thing that I don’t more or less need. I have bought two pieces of stuff for ties for you if you like them. I have not begun climbing things yet. I am going to tea with Doris tomorrow and I think I shall go to the British Museum before that, and that will be lovely. I have a lot of patterns for Mary.

I have just had to stop in the middle of this letter to talk and give tea to an Aunt & Cousin of Alisons because neither she nor Mrs Steel are in. Alison warned me that they were dull. The Aunt however is not so bad she will at least talk but the girl hasn’t a word to say for herself.

I am so sorry for all the dull dreary people who have to live in London and for all the silly smart ones who want to. But I am much sorriest for the smart ones in grand clothes because there is not even any good in it. I wonder if you will ever have to live in London dear, I suppose there are realy a lot of compensations.

Good night & morning dearest I wish I could write a psalm poem about you & my love for you.
Your loving Ruth

‘Mount Everest Expedition, 1924. Agreement with the Members of the Expedition’, signed by ‘G. H. Leigh- Mallory’, dated ‘Feb. 13, 1924.’

alike seem quite powerless

Will married Ruth Mallory in 1939 a year after the death of his wife.