Letter
Ida Carroll, Geoffrey Griffiths
1939

Geoffrey Griffiths writes to Ida Carroll whilst on the boat to Europe on his short holiday, He reckons he strained some sinews in his foot trying to rush for the post to send a letter to her before and "am now limping about on all fours." Not the best way to spend a holiday. But does not regret rushing out of a funeral that ended early to catch the second half of a match. Half price at half time - can't ignore a bargain.

He's slightly teasing when he writes "if the boat sinks in the gales remember I have four books belonging to you, I haven't made a will but should like you to have my volume of Scott's poems and anything else you fancy."

Ida, it turns out doesn't like comedy films (despite the fact that he brings her to them A LOT) and, a self-proclaimed "student of the psychology of laughter in relation to the screen and stage (having read one large, fat textbook) I should like to know, if you don't mind being experimented upon, whether you remember any performance by a comedian who has impressed you."

He described 2 dreams: one in which he is in a hall with members of the Hallé Orchestra, and Ida is amongst them with a cello, and the other dream of him walking with Ida and he talking about the cultivation of daffodils, "which is pure cheek, I admire flowers and plants very much but don't know a think about growing them." Fascinating, Griff.

He encourages her to go into professional performance more, or to set up her own business so "I could try to crash in as partner!" Little did he know that he would indeed end up working with her at the Northern School of Music as the bursar, and she the secretary and later principal.

He muses about heading to the continent, "In some respects we are a good joke to our friends on the continent, but I think the failing applies to men mostly."

No comment.

He refers to conscription in the impending war, how some people loathe it and others are excited to go. He claims "it's hard to be a pessimist on a Tourist Office" with all the lovely brochures and posters coming from Italy and Germany, but recognises that the it's going to create a real problem for the tourist company's balance sheets. "Anyway, I regret bitterly our political games of the last 21 years," since WW1 he admits.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.