Page:FM Bailey letters from LA Bethell.pdf/6

Letter 4, 10th May 1930 IMG 0336

New Clan Dorking 10 . V. 30

My dear Bailey,

I have just been lunching with James Blackwood – who tells me that to the best of his knowledge you are not moving from Drummond Place, and will continue to live there. Is this so?

I ask for two reasons – firstly, because it would be a disappointment to your friends in the South if you were to fly once more to inaccessible regions – and secondly, because I still have the local Agents busy finding you the sort of house you described when you talked of the

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possibility of settling in Surrey. J.B. may have got hold of the muddy end of the stick; He may, on the other hand, have more recent news of you than mine – now a month or two old.

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You remember our jaunt, with Martin, down the Dibang, when we tore the bottom out of his Berthon boat? See “Maga” of June 1st – forthcoming. I'm afraid I've had to elaborate what was merely a lark into something longer – and add a few trimmings, surrounding circumstances which never happened, in order to make a rather longer story of it. The lies you will spot at once; but several of the other incidents you will recognise. I thought I'd better warn you of the fictitious nature of some of the details,

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and the reasons for them, since George Blackwood, who always likes to see behind the scenes in these contributions, if possible, knows that “Baird” = Bailey and “Marriott” = Martin.

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When are we to see you and Mrs Bailey down here? Can you make the time for a jaunt, and time to break bread?

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Do you ever go to the R.G.S. evening meetings? I shall be at that of May 19th – as I am bidden to dine with the Kramer(?) Club that evening, and to go on afterwards to hear Schomberg read his paper on the Thian Shan. He ought to be interesting.


 * Best luck. Yours v. sincerely
 * L. A. Bethell