Diary extracts for Feb to March 1944

13th Feb 1944:

Decided on St George’s [Richard's old boarding School] as a school for Crispin. (Béchervaise is headmaster)

29th Feb 1944:

Saw Rex at the Redfern . .  I showed him some of the paintings for children, he likes them but doesn’t want them at the Gallery as they would only sell!

29th Feb 1944:

Dennis Brain playing the horn in Brahms Horn Trio at NG lunch time concert

RA elections

Gerald Kelly said he had bought little thatching picture and had hung it at the Churchill Club.

Edward Maufe said he had bought my painting of Mousehole done a couple of years ago.

2nd Mar 1944:

National Gallery exhibition of paintings by war artists.

Had quite a talk with Sir Kenneth Clark who was more affable than usual, said he liked my work and he said how much he liked my painting of ‘Grock’ and the prodigal son transcription. Sutherland and his wife there, had a chat with them . . . 

A curious coincidence: at Zwemmers' [art book shop] to pay for ‘How to Draw Ships’ for Jasper Kay, found John Kay there purchasing ‘How to Draw Horses for Shirley!’ [John Kay, husband of Richard's sister Guendolen]

30th Mar 1944:

Worked all day to finish the painting of the wreck of the Herzogin Cecilie (30x40) Want to send it to the RA.

31st Mar 1944:

To London with ‘Bombardment of Salerno’, ‘Fortresses over Southampton’, to Admiralty. ‘Night Raid on Portsmouth’ to the RA. Tried to find frame for ‘Cecilie’