Counting One's Blessings

by William Shawcross

  20 October 1914 to Beryl Poignand

  Glamis Castle

  Dear Miss Poignand*

  Mother wishes me to write and tell you our address in Herts:

  St Pauls Walden Bury

  Welwyn

  Herts

  She is very busy as we have just heard this morning that my brother Michael is starting for the front at any time, so I expect she will fly down South to say good-bye.

  Please excuse my bad writing, as I’m in rather a hurry.

  Yours sincerely

  Elizabeth Lyon

  9 August 1915 to Beryl Poignand

  Glamis Castle

  My Dear Miss Poignand

  Thank you very very much indeed for your long and amusing letter, no news of you, comments on my letter, but all the same great fun talking or rather writing about our mutual friends. First I will try and answer one or two of your questions.

  We sat in the stalls at the Hippodrome, right in the middle just under the gangway thing, so I got a lot of extra amusement, because you see the actors & actresses all walk along it.

  2)Yes, we did have rather an exciting journey up to Glamis, in this way. Two most beautiful sailors were also travelling in the same corridor. […] We had long conversations in the corridor in the morning, David and I were travelling alonio. Rather amusing, what?

  3)My hat is only a rotton little shiny rainproof one.

  The soldiers are charming. My dear Miss Poignand you are missing something! One is a fisherman and a Naval Reserve, he has been shipwrecked five times. Blue eyes, black hair, so nice. Reminds me of Henry.* By the way it’s getting awful. The vulgar and insulting telegrams on my birthday were about darling Henry’s stomach, was it real or a cushion, he was just having his 25th anniversary on the stage & such insults. Really it’s awful. Dear Beautiful One,† I do so miss him, it was great luck, before I went, he had to pass right under the window so I had a good look at him, he really, honestly (bar rot) is very good looking and clean. You know what I mean by clean, not like Fatty.‡ […]

  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Fenella succeeded in getting a photograph of Henry, he would go first place on my dressing table. But I’m afraid he’s too modest to have any published. Father gave me a little horseshoe in pearls and diamonds for my birthday. […] It’s very pretty stones, tho’ it would have been prettier not a horseshoe.

  I must end now, haven’t I written a lot of rot? Can you read my writing? David is yelling for me

  au revoir, y l

  Elizabeth

  ‘Glamis became a sort of hospital and St Paul’s Walden was a hospital and we had ward jobs in the First World War, helping a bit in the hospital. Rosie did proper nursing and I only went and played cards with them in the evenings or perhaps wrote a letter or things like that. They all cheated like anything. It was all right – we played one of those games when you can cheat quite easily. There were about fifteen of them, mostly convalescent from the big hospital and I think they were really happy there. Then all my brothers went off. Everybody went. There was nobody left.’

  26 August 1915 to Beryl Poignand

  Glamis Castle

  My dear Miss Poignand,

  Perfectly wonderful, marvellous, absolutely indescribable news, prepare yourself .

  Lavinia* has a first cousin

  who —

  KNOWS

  darling

  HENRY

  VERY

  WELL!!!!

  He is 35 (Hahahoo, Rosie and Mike will be squashed!) & she is going to write & find out the colour of his eyes, & everything, also – get his signature. Isnt it absolutely unbelievable. Darling Henry. I am so pleased. I feel that it was quite worth sticking up for him all this time. Oh my sacred Aunt in pink tights, perhaps we shall even meet him, help I shall die in a minute.

  Yours, Elizabeth

  Friday Aug 27 1915. Spare neither time nor money in procuring a couple of photos of Basil Hallam.† T’is of great importance. The news of Henry is wonderful. I really do not despair of meeting or at least seeing him. Oh my sacred Aunt, you wait a few days. You just wait.

  From the usual person

  31 August 1915 to Beryl Poignand

  Glamis Castle

  My dear Miss Poignand

  I will now try to write you a letter with some news in it. (Not so much of the Darling.)

  Fergus* has been home on leave, only 5 days. He went back on Saturday. Christian and the Baby are both here the baby is going to be called Rosemary.

  I went to tea with Lady Jellicoe on Saturday last, she lives quite close. She had heard from Sir John who said he thought it wasn’t true about the Moltke† being sunk, that it was only damaged, but that he wasn’t yet sure.

  Mademoiselle [Lachaise]‡ went away this morning. […]

  Isn’t it quite too wonderful about Henry. Please try and get some pictures of Basil. You know that postcard shop in Regent St we both hunted for? Well, I know where it has now moved to!! Please try there for Basil. Photograph preferred to a P.card. I enclose a plan of where it is. In Piccadilly, same side as Piccadilly Hotel. Nearly opposite St James’ Church. The only place. If they don’t keep ‘em they get ‘em for you.

  Goodbye Write soon,

  Yours till the moon turns blue

  Elizabeth

  14 September 1915 to Lady Strathmore

  Carberry Tower

  My Darling Mother

  I hope you had a very good journey down, & also David. I miss you both very much. I wonder if you could ask Catherine,* if she has time, to buy me some hair ribbon like the enclosed pattern as I have none at present? Darling Mother, don’t forget, a little white fox neck thing, a really chic hat, the ‘dernier cri’ in shirts, & a warm winter coat, the newest mode!!!!!! There is nothing much to say, as everything goes on just the same. I am feeling much better. I shall write to David. Please give him lots of kisses from me, and to you. Love to Jock & Neva from your very very very loving Elizabeth

  16 September 1915 to Beryl Poignand

  Carberry Tower

  My dear Miss Poignand

  Many thanks for your letters. I will first answer your questions. […] Yes, the Zeppelins did a good deal of damage,† Wood St demolished as you say, and a Rubber Factory gutted, also, most of the casualties were from a bomb dropping on to a motor bus. They knew a whole day before that they were coming and yet made no preparations. I hear we have captured a German aeroplane & pilot at Wantage. That’s good. Its quite true. London is full of dreadful rumours. Dardanelles is going badly for us. But much the worst is that Kitchener is going to resign. […] But, Sidney, who wrote about it, says that he does’nt think that this long suffering country would stand that, for they have such faith in K of K.* I hear the Russians are getting a much better supply of ammunition now, perhaps they will pick up a bit. I am going back to Glamis this afternoon, Oh,oh,oh, Miss Poignand old sport. How terribly you would have envied me. I spent the whole afternoon on the shores of the Forth. So near the ships that I could see people. And a conversation with a most beautiful sailor, with blue eyes and black lashes and so good looking. That was yesterday. He pointed out all the ships to me. First, nearest the bridge, came the Lion, then Tiger, New Zealand, H.M.A.S. Australia (to which he belonged), Indefatigable, Queen Mary and many others. They looked too fine for words. I simply revelled in ‘em. And simply hundreds of beautiful brown Lieutenants, Subs, Snotters [midshipmen], Admirals and sailors. Oh my. They were all most amorous! While I was watching the ships, they all turned round, it looked so nice. Beatty’s fleet I suppose. Love Elizabeth

  Sunday 26 December 1915 to Beryl Poignand

  Glamis Castle

  My dear Silly Ass

  Thank you very much for your letter. Always received with grateful thanks. I wonder if you have left London, anyhow I shall send this to Cheltenham.

  Well, I hope you had a very happy Christmas, and nice presents. Would you like to know what I had?

  Father gave me a wrist watch, Mother a kettle, Rosie
some handkies, David some chocolates, Nurse a box with patience cards, Catherine a hankie, Auntie Vava a picture, Grannie a bowl, May a pair of shoe buckles etc in fact rather nice useful presents. I hope you liked the book. […]

  The men liked the Tree very much I think, they each got an electric torch, a shirt & chocolate & crackers & things.

  I believe the noise last night at ‘lights out’ was something appalling, trumpets & squeaky things going like mad etc. Abell said, ‘It’s a funny thing, I wanted a bloomin’ cigarette case, and I wanted a blinkin’ electric torch and I got ‘em both’! So he ought to be quite pleased. Pegg asked me if you’d gone to Cheltenham. Ernest was simply delighted with his book. Of course we drank ‘To Hell with the b— Kaiser’ last night and good ‘ealth to Henry and Larry!* Nurse gets passionate love letters from Ralph & Co, also from one who signs himself ‘Prince William the Conqueror’. I think he must have got slightly mixed up! ‘Ow h’are you my h’only h’adored one? Pretty bobbish??† […]

  Good-bye, farewell, fare ye well, Tarry not, so long, au revoir good bye farewell etc etc etc etc and so on for 2 pages.

  6 February 1916 to Mrs Poignand

  Glamis Castle

  Dear Mrs Poignand‡

  Thank you very much for the delightful cutting about Mr Ainley and your letter. We have now got a huge box of cuttings, photographs and ‘poems’ all about him and we always welcome any addition to the collection! It must be delightful the spring flowers out, we have none up here yet, only Christmas roses and daisies. We all went into Dundee to the theatre there the other evening. Miss Poignand behaved herself in a disgraceful manner, she very nearly got chucked out by the ‘chucker out’! She sang so so loud that the manager came and asked her if she would kindly stop, whereupon, she sang most aggressively to him (the poor man had a red nose) ‘Put a bit of powder on it’, which is a vulgar song. To crown all that, she drank three cocktails on reaching home, and had to be carried up to bed by Barson,* who seemed to enjoy the job!!! I really felt quite ashamed of her! Thank you very much for your wishes about my exam. I don’t really think I shall pass, you see I don’t know much, and I’m most stupid. I think much the best plan would be for Miss Poignand to let her hair down, put on a short frock and do it for me. I should pass & get many distinctions! Don’t you [think]? Yes, she looked too funny for words on the pony, with her legs flapping, & her arms wagging about, I laughed till I nearly cried. But she stuck on all right, which was the chief thing! When we get to London she & me are going to have a gay time, we’re saving up for it. Thank you so much for your letter. Yours sincerely

  Elizabeth Lyon

  17 March 1916 to Lady Strathmore

  20 St James’s Square

  My Darling Mother

  Just a little letter to tell you the news from here.

  I began my examination today.* I started soon after 8 this morning, and got to Hackney about 9.30! Bus and tram, it’s the only way. I did a ‘memory drawing’ paper, which ended 10.45, so I came back for lunch, & then went back again at 1.30! I did a ‘model drawing’ paper this afternoon and got home about 4.30. Altogether it took 4 hours on journeying from here to Hackney and back again! I’m what you might call ‘slightly fatigued’. The exam place is about the last house on that side of London, green fields beyond, stupid sort of place I call it. My cold is much better, but staying in bed, even for only 2 days makes me feel ‘pale’ for a bit.

  I am going down to Eton tomorrow, to see David, May and Sidney are coming. I am taking him an Angel cake, six plums, & one lb of grapes, is that right? I hope that you are quite well Lovie, also Father, Rosie & Mike. I got a letter from Father this morning, what beastly weather you must be having, it’s fairly warm here just now. How are those horrible beastly, disgusting, food-gobbling, hideous, putrid, and above all USELESS chickens? I have never seen such supercilious and snobbish birds in all my life. I am going to see Henry next Friday when I’ve done my exam, you said I might, didn’t you? I am saying ‘Miserere’ this Friday but next Friday I shall say ‘jubilate’.

  I’ve got to start at 8 tomorrow morning!

  So goodbye darling Mother from your very, very loving Elizabeth ooooooxxxxxxxxx

  25 March 1916 to Lady Strathmore

  20 St James’s Square

  My Darling Mother Lovie,

  Thank you very very much for your letter this morning. Yes, I am very happy to stay another week, and I do so hope you won’t be lonely. I am going down to Slough with May this afternoon, to see her little house, with no roof, or drains or bath!

  Then on to tea with David. I am staying the night with her. Lady Airlie* got on the telephone this morning, and said ‘when are you coming to see me?’ And I’ve got to go to tea with her on Monday.

  I am so dreadfully frightened. I can’t think why she asks me, it’s so kind of her but I wish she would’nt. I wish I’d suggested Tuesday, because then Rosie would have been there. […] May is giving me a mauve linen dress by a French dressmaker who was with PAQUIN,† aren’t I smart?!!!

  I got a letter from Father, and he said that I didn’t tell him all the little bits of news that I told you, I didn’t think that they would interest him, being a man, but I will write him a really ‘chatty’ one now. I hope he is quite well. I am afraid I’ve failed in my exam, the Geography and Arithmetic were quite hopeless, much too complicated for me! […]

  Goodbye darling Mother from yr very very loving Elizabeth

  28 March 1916 to Lady Strathmore

  20 St James’s Square

  My Darling Mother

  Rosie arrived all right this morning, though her train was rather late. We went out shopping together before lunch, she seems very well. We tea’d with May, and had to wait over an hour for a taxi! A terrific gale blowing, sheets of snow and altogether beastly weather. It must be disgusting at Glamis. […] My tea went off fairly well with Lady Airlie!! Only she and Mabel‡ were there. […] Lavinia wants me to go to tea, to meet Princess Mary* and Prince Albert† next Sunday. They don’t frighten me quite as much as Queens. I do hope that Father’s cold is better. I sent Mike some papers today, and I’m bringing some songs with me too. Good bye darling Mother, don’t you think I’m very good at writing?! From your very very loving Elizabeth

  4 April 1916 to Lady Strathmore

  20 St James’s Square

  My Darling Mother

  I hope that you will get my telegram about David today. I wanted to go down and see him today, but he said that the doctor didn’t want him to see anybody for a day or two, and he was feeling ‘extraordinarily well’. Also he is leaving Eton Thursday or Friday, and, from his telegrams, sounded very cheerful, so I hope he’s not bad. Rosie is going down tomorrow. I can’t as I’ve got the dentist.

  My tea on Sunday with Lavinia was rather frightening – in fact, very. She had to get a few people to meet them, Princess Mary & Prince Albert I mean. The Duchess of Sutherland (young)‡ was there, she’s rather pretty is’nt she? Moucha Cecil,§ Lady Bury,¶ Maud Cavendish,| all the Spencers also a Mr Penn,** who asked after Lady ‘Rosie’, a Mr Robinson who was very nice, & a Mr Dill.

  I had a table all to myself at tea, with Mr Robinson on one side, & Mr Dill on the other, and I nearly burst trying to think of something to say! Prince Albert was next door, he’s rather nice.

  I was photographed yesterday. I am so afraid that you will be disappointed in them, the other photos there were all so hard but they’re coming tomorrow.

  May took me to the matinée this afternoon. Henry did a most weird and eerie sort of little play. The masks they wore were designed by Dulac,* who hopped about in brown velveteen the whole time. Henry has got the most wonderful voice, and he was universally admired. He is so dreadfully shy, that it’s quite painful I believe. Thelma Cazalet† said that they’de often asked him to lunch and that he was so shy that he’de accepted, and always telegraphed an excuse, poor old Henry!!! I’m so glad as it shows that he is’nt a fast sort of man. There was a delightful orchestra conducted
by Sir Thomas Beecham, who played some beautiful music. All the usual ‘matinee’ people were there. The beeeeautiful siren, Lady Diana Manners,‡ Nancy Cunard (???!!!) Duchess of Rutland (white haggard face, red lips and ‘oh oh’ eyes!)§ Lady Lytton,¶ quite pretty, Mrs Bonham Carter (otherwise Miss Asquith),| a beautiful widow, unknown, fast, slightly painted, but undeniably good looking, all the Duchesses, and the Dowager Duchesses, Queen Alexandra & family, & last but not least ME!!! And of course dear Henry.

  I suppose I’de better wait and come with David on Saturday night? Rosie dined with Marjorie Dalrymple Hamilton last night, Freddy was up for the evening.* I lunched with May today. Two munitions men were there. The powder factory in Kent blew up, because somebody was walking about, smoking a cigarette, which was the stupidest thing that could possibly be done! Also the Zepps dropped 90 bombs round Waltham Abbey our biggest cordite place, and killed – three chickens! Which was extraordinarily good luck. The damage done by the gale last week is frightful. They say it will be quite three months before the train service is normal again, & every telegraph wire is down. Tell Father they’ll want poles. All ours come from Russia.

  Well, darling Mother, I do hope that you are not very dull at Glamis. Rosie & I got a few dress stuffs at Harvey & Nichols, I hope you will like them.

  Goodbye darling Mother from your very very loving Elizabeth

  19 April 1916 to Beryl Poignand

  Glamis Castle

  My dear Medusa†

  […] I shall have to start right now answering all your questions. Two records of Henry have arrived, ‘Sing, Belgians sing’. Mike said, ‘Yes, he has got a beautiful voice’, which was a lot for him! Though of course it doesn’t sound so good on the gramophone. I shall fly to the Haymarket directly I get to London. We must try and go together, because we are about the only two people who really appreciate the poor darling! Well, now I have got a bit of news for you. ROSIE is engaged to be married! Aren’t you surprised? to Wisp Leveson Gower! She got engaged last Friday! I know you always want to know everything so I will give you his full address: Commander the Hon William Spencer Leveson-Gower RN.* He’s Lord Granville’s next brother. He’s been staying here the last few days, and he went down to London last night, and comes up again tomorrow for about 2 days. They wanted to be married in May, which is in less than three weeks, isn’t it awful. Though as he’s a sailor I hope she will be able to be a good deal with us, when Wisp’s at sea. He’s got a destroyer. […]