Official Magazine of the Northern School of Music, covering the academic year 1958-59.

It's Ida Carroll's birthday! Her boyfriend Geoffrey Griffiths has yet to get her a present - he wants it to be perfect. He knows she wants a handbag and socks and the like but would like her to pick it so that it is perfectly what she wants.
He mentions a "Tommy" that is on leave for the weekend - from war service?

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths writes to end the day expressing his love for Ida Carroll. He's restless still and the new rota for shifts for the Auxiliary Fire Service aren't going to be pleasant.
He's been practicing an [Arthur?] Bliss piece with the chorus/choir. It's becoming a bore. He knew it would be a difficult one "even for the old greybeards-tell-you-what-key-it's-in-sing-it-at-sight."

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths writes that now they are seeing each other much more often, letter writing to Ida Carroll hasn't been as much of a necessity. He discusses some war service arrangements but has yet to be called up.

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.

Geoffrey Griffith's day has been so busy he had barely had time to think of Ida Carroll more than 50 times.
She loved seeing her at a concert, she looked beautiful.

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths begs for forgiveness as he confesses to being the reason that Ida Carroll cut her knee - he convinced her to stay out when she wanted to return home. It looks like she's fallen off her bike. "I always deplore the necessity for cycling during the black-out, and now this is laid at my door."

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.

Geoffery Griffiths complains that "a hundred hours (nearly) are quite ninety-nine too many" before he gets to see Ida Carroll again. He wishes her good luck managing a concert - likely one of the Northern School of Music students. She has promised to visit him in Ashton-under-Lyne and promises that "the Mayor of Ashton-under-Lyne occupies the shop next door, he and I will give you the Freedom of the City of whatever it is called."

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths writes to Ida Carroll that a letter from the Ministry of Transport says that his "deferment [for war service] could no longer be extended, but I haven't any present deferment date, so we think I've been mixed up with Vernon in the Oldham office."

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths calls Ida Carroll "the best and most beautiful girl in the world." He tells her of amusing short stories he's been reading and wonders if cold days lead to laziness - and over eating. "Something must be done about my waistline, but I seem never to have the time to do anything about it." (Same.)

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.

Complaining of the warm nights, Geoffrey Griffiths is finding sleep difficult, especially as he has to spend the nights apart from Ida Carroll. He's looking forward to being alone with her in Marple and knows his parents would like to see her and play cards.

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths here declares war on those "cannibalistic gnats" that have bitten Ida Carroll on their walk together. He references her "duty nights", supposedly as Air Raid Warden for Didsbury area of Manchester and invites her to the (John Willie Lees?) Woof Cup cricket match in Stockport.

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.

"It is so easy to miss a train nowadays and a missed train can play havoc with my best intentions," admits Geoffrey Griffiths. His summer hours at the travel agents are in full swing, it seems, and he's working later and later to meet demand.
He criticises Hilda Collens for putting too much constraint on Ida Carroll, expecting her to work so much for the Northern School of Music and, it seems, not allowing her time to take other work.
There is a lot to consider for Geoffrey in terms of possible call-up and other "war work."

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.

Business is booming in the travel agency where Geoffrey Griffiths works and his boss has asked him to stay a 2 extra hours but he refused, "the enormity of it trying to keep me away from you all those extra minutes." He references Ida Carroll's resilience and fortitude.

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.

"We are very close in spirit, aren't we?" Geoffrey Griffiths laments the days he must wait until he can see Ida Carroll again. He discusses his day, cleaning up, doing the household accounts, reading and playing cards with his auntie. Their "novel" they appear to have been working on has had its opening draft scrapped by him, and he has had a letter from the London School of Journalism about possible attendance options. He organises the rotas for the Auxiliary Fire Service, which seems to have new recruits to replace those that have left.

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.

Goeffrey Griffiths disagrees with that "bad doctor-man" who reckons he has a "bronchial cold". Griff reels against the idea, claiming that "I was singing scales yesterday and this afternoon."
He thinks he's getting along with his elderly family members because he's seeing less of them lately.

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.

Geoffrey has just come off duty for his war service and he missed Ida Carroll terribly. He laments them not being close, "what tiresome interruptions there have been of late sweetheart - we haven't been alone for more than 2 minutes together for ages or so it seems."
He's spent the time on duty working on his Bridge strategy, it seems and wishes that she could fly to him as it is too cold to bicycle.

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths has missed the bus home after visiting Ida Carroll but "I am glad the No.19 went without its distinguished patron; goodnight kisses are important, the mere catching of the bus is not."
He plans to go to the cinema on Palatine Rd to see one of those "rather crazy American comedies" and possibly invites her for a meeting?

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.

More pre-wedding anxiety from Geoffrey Griffiths to Ida Carroll and seemingly from Ida as well - she has a lot of work suddenly to do and he suggests that the wedding be postponed until they don't have to worry so much. "Are first impulses always the right ones?"
"All I desire if your happiness" so he wants her "to be sure on every point."
He makes a gorgeous reference to poets Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett, who had a legendary romance in letters and life (complete with disapproving father on her part).

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.

Official Magazine of the Northern School of Music, 1956

"Now that the awful grief of Mother's death has gone, what about you and me in the scheme of things?" Geoffrey Griffiths admits to anxieties about moving forward with the practicalities of moving out and getting married to Ida Carroll, worried for his father and auntie at home without any company or help.
"If some time you want to chuck the School [Northern School of Music] altogether and try to engage in free-lance, we could I think (so long as I am here) live quite comfortably communally at No.37." I bet she wasn't best pleased at being presented with that suggestion.

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths writes to Ida Carroll in a "talk" letter, not so much a "love" letter. "I am sure of course that we differ in temperament to some degree and in heredity." His mother has recently died and it looks like he wishes to postpone their early wedding. "I do regret "Nov 1st" [their planned wedding date] but do love you nonetheless, sweetheart!"

He discusses his will, in case he should die in war service, and how it would work between her and his family.

He discusses a "Dr. J." and his advice, with some scepticism it seems.

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.

The merger years! Why did it take so long to create the Royal Northern College of Music?

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

A fascinating bundle of letters all about the planned marriage between Geoffrey Griffiths and Ida Carroll. We start with a letter from Ida Carroll to her parents, written while she was in Uttoxeter reassuring them that she hasn't eloped but that she her and Griff decided to become engaged the night before. It looks like, from this letter, that there was an attempt 10 years ago to get married but that this didn't happen. They wish to get married on November first (this letter is dated Oct 5th) so that they could do it before Geoffrey possibly gets called up for WW2 service. They've chosen a flat to live in and she breaks down when she will see them, where she will eat and how the finances between her and Griff will run. She admits that Griff is "petrified" of their reaction and that she is taking an easy way out with writing a letter instead of going to see them with the news.
In the next note, Ida asks someone (her parents again perhaps) to welcome Griff when he comes to see them tonight. She also asks for margarine coupons and jam. "I shan't have time to get myself married so you must help me... Do let's be happy about it all - I'm tickled to death. And I want a merry wedding - not a funeral."

In the next set of notes we hear from W. Frank S. Holmes, of the Joint Matriculation Board, a friend of the Northern School of Music. He congratulates her that "Griff is an excellent lad and unless I am mistaken, has many of the qualities that go to the making of an excellent husband." The subtle and secret nature of their relationship is hinted again as he admits to being only one of the few who would even know about their relationship.
In a short note by Ida, possibly back to Holmes, she says that the wedding will be private with only a few people. She wants to avoid the whole music school turning up so will not be broadcasting the news.

Sadly, as far as we know, they never did get married. Either the war got in the way or, also likely, Ida's parents refused to allow it.

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.

The story behind the love letters - Geoffrey Griffiths and Ida Carroll.

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