Diary extracts for October 1946
3rd Oct 1946:
Nellie [old family friend] brought pears and grapes
I was so taken with them that I had to start a still life painting of them right away.” (Finished on the 6th October)
7th Oct 1946:
Nevinson died today.
7th Oct 1946:
London
Went to see about repairs that want doing to the “Three Bridges”. Found it was the rubbed parts which are intended to be there, and in any case someone has varnished it, so nothing could be done.
8th Oct 1946:
NEAC Jury: Lord Methuen, G. Spencer, W. Dring, Guthrie, E. White, Cheston and Cundall on jury.
About 2,000 paintings to look through, a poor lot of work
9th Oct 1946:
Saw Gwen John’s memorial show.
Henry Moore’s show mostly drawings.
the sculpture more like window dressing models than anything else.
11th Oct 1946:
Mavis gave her first lecture at Lymington on ‘Design in the Home.’
Had my first set of fake teeth in! It seems a mouthful! Hope to get used to it.
15th Oct 1946:
Bought a wooden ladder to sit on when painting large canvases. It saves having to stand which is tiring.
16th Oct 1946:
A talk on the radio, Schools programme, about the 'Queen Elizabeth' from the ship itself. They said ‘you will hear the siren’. It blew, and then a few seconds later I heard it again coming across the water from Southampton.
After lunch Mavis and I went down to Hythe to see her off on her maiden voyage as a passenger liner. About 1,000 people on Hythe Pier. Craft of all kinds about, and planes of every description, including a helicopter hovering around. It was a grand sight. She steamed out most majestically sounding her deep siren in salute. Molotov and Bevin & co are all on board.
24th Oct 1946:
Frames of Cambridge pictures to G and Stone to be gilded. [King's Cambridge Looking Eastwards from the Backs and Trinity College, The Wren Library and River Cam]
Lunch with Devas. Victor Pasmore there in strange clothes like this: [see drawing!]
My seascape (winter) had sold at NEAC for £75. It looked bad I thought.
Got the huge carved frame on the car at G & Stone and came home in the dark most of the way.