Lionel Dunsterville Diary (original) (raw)

January 1st
Daisie's birthday – Celebrated in Fancy Dress on Saturday night.

January 6th
It looks as if this Solar Films Ltd., got up by Percy Sykes might be a good thing. I have put £100 into it and am going to help in the work of conducting the tours that will produce the films. Brunel is the producer and Hay the helper. I may have to go off on a tour in February. Whether I like this sort of thing or not it must be done, as money for the boys' universities must be found somehow, and I thank God for giving me this chance.
The selfishness of love is paramount and overrides everything. It can't be helped – that is just what love is – fundamentally pure selfishness and nothing else – Realising this, one asks the question is the Love we extol so much a vice or a virtue?

January 11th
Susanna has stayed two nights in Castletown with the Pauls – she returns to-day. Leo leaves for Cambridge to-morrow. Galfrid has not written, we are anxious about his exam, but I have confidence in him and hope for the best.
To-morrow I go to Milntown to spend one night. Daisie can't go because of Anthony and Susanna.

January 13th
Returned from Milntown – I have too much work. I have to be perpetually thinking of family finances and how on earth we can pay our way for the coming year. Masonic ritual takes up a large corner of my brain. Lectures, especially the Liverpool one, and the Monte Carlo one. The tours with Solar Films, the boys' careers, local lectures, Sunday School. Then Pelmanism, writing articles for Magazines etc.

January 16th
To Douglas – stayed with the Marshalls. Lectured to the Wesleyans in Victoria St. Anthony came in to hear the lecture and I put him up at the Peveril Hotel.

January 17th
Daisie came in and we all stayed at the Peveril – it snowed hard, but snow did not lie except on the high lands. Daisie and I dined with the Governor and Lady Fry – a very nice and interesting party and a really good dinner. The two Deemsters, the two High Bailiffs, the Attorney-General and the Vicar-General were all there with their wives – a great function.
Anthony goes back on Friday.

January 19th
General Buchanan came to see us.
Last night I read to the G.F.S. on the lives of George Eliot and Charles Dickens.

January 20th
The artificialities and consequent trivialities of our civilisation fritter away all one's time. One does little of the better and higher things because there is no time for them. Oh for the days of the cave-dwellers! Here is my time-table for to-day. 6 a.m. got up, lit oil-stove, made tea, woke Anthony and saw him off at 7 a.m. Breakfast at 8.30, then filled petrol lamp, cleaned and filled my Aladdin Lamp and the small oil-stove, filled big oil-stove. Got out bicycle, pumped and cleaned, bicycled to Fort Erin, hair cut and back at 11.30., wood-chopping till 12.30 for kitchen fire. Lunch at 1.0. After lunch boiled 3 gallons of water – went to Chemist and bought water-glass – mixed it in the new pail. Took the old pail up on the Cronk and cleaned out the old lime. Cleaned out and dried the camp kettles to prevent their rusting in disuse – they deteriorate more from being put away for a month with a little water in, than in any other way. Tested egg-preserver – mended a broken China ornament. Half an hour's rest, tea at 4.30. Then tidying up my room and writing till 6 p.m., when the post came and another day was gone. I spent over an hour hanging Daisie's big mirror in her bed-room. It is very difficult to get 3 separate strings all hanging equal length, exactly. These are only the major-minors – the rest of the time was absorbed by minor-minors, too petty to record.

January 21st
Meeting of magistrates at Rushen Castle, Castletown – I was appointed one of the Licensing Board.

January 24th
The very cold N.E. gale continues. It was so cold in the house I proposed to walk over to the Castletown, 5 miles against the gale and call on the Webb Wares and the Fowlers. It was hard freezing work along Carrick Bay and Daisie was almost blown away, but it did her good. Nice to come back to one's own comfortable fireside. I shall never be able to sympathize with Daisie's longing for the varying joys of cheap lodgings and boarding-houses which are bliss to her while this is bliss to me. Of course housekeeping is hard work and you escape that in lodgings, but does that out-balance the squalor and lack of privacy?

January 25th
Miserably cold – East gale continues with fury. I am very proud of Susanna – she only entered her class – rather above her – last term, and this term she has been unanimously voted "Captain" of the class. A good arrangement by which the children vote for their Captain who is a sort of prefect on a small scale.

January 26th
My cold is very bad and to-day was a dreadful day. S.E. gale and rain – to Douglas by 9.34 train. Lunch with the Clucas's – called on The Governor, back by 9.30 p.m. Lecture 7.30 p.m. a very crowded room. It was a tiring day. Susanna is laying up vast stores of good knowledge. I am glad she has taken a liking to Dickens: she has read Pickwick, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, and Dombey and Son, and Thackeray's Vanity Fair – it was quite her own choice – but it shows the advantage of having nice readable editions handy.

January 28th
General Meeting Ellan Vannin Club. Turner drove me home in his car. A frightfully dull entertainment. Last year was quite merry and bright, I don't know why this was such a frost.

January 29th
A beautiful Spring day. In the evening we went to a Cantata in the Primitive Methodist Church. It was quite nice.

February 1st
Beautiful crossing. Welbeck Palace Hotel with the Hawkes. Pension 25/- a day.

February 2nd
Lunch with Cockerell. Met Sykes at his club to talk about Solar Films, I now have £200 in it, I hope it will prosper.

February 3rd
Meeting of Solar Films and talk. Lunch with Brown of the Times.

February 7th
Left by night train for Liverpool. Arrived 6 a.m. Wednesday 8th. Arrived St. Bees 4.41 p.m. Lecture at St Bees.

February 9th
Arrived L'pool 4 p.m. Exchange Hotel.

February 10th
A beautiful crossing.

February 20th
Got a wire which will mean my being in London on Thursday, which is a nuisance. Daisie is as upset as if I were ordered to instant execution. She curses the Isle of Man and everything else.

February 23rd
Susanna and Daisie came down to see me off by the 7.19 a.m. train. A fairly decent crossing. Arrived at Ilchester Gardens 9 p.m., very tired and dirty. Unpacked and went to bed.

February 24th
A busy morning with Neale and Whiting over the Burmah film.

February 28th
We have had fine weather to-day and glorious sunshine for the Royal Wedding.

Excellent news that Galfrid has passed the London Matriculation. Last night spent with the Dunsfords being "gay" – such misery. It was very kind of them. Theatre the Grand Guignol with morbid sordid dirt – nearly made me ill. Then the Trocadero Supper – Good God! call that gaiety! I was filled with loathing for myself and humanity.

Wandered round the crowds with Dunsford till lunch. Then young Turner came in to lunch. I felt sick and could eat nothing. Then home and to bed with fever and sickness – disgusting.

March 1st
Would have stayed in bed, but have an appointment with Solar Films at 11. a.m., and must get to Liverpool to-night – feeling a wretched worm. I also had to go to Solar Films again at 3.30 in the afternoon which prevented me from having an afternoon's rest – filled myself up with aspirin. Such a chapter of disasters – comic. Went down to get a bus for my 3.30 appointment – waited a long time, every bus but 15, at last 15 came. No room inside. Got on top – began to rain – furious monsoon. Opened umbrella – new, cost 21/- yesterday, blown to smithereens – wet through, blocks in traffic, time flying, had to get down and take a taxi after all, got to Suffolk St. and found I wasn't wanted. The Night train to Liverpool.

March 2nd
Address Students' Christian Movement at Liverpool – stayed with Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Adams.

March 3rd
Met Daisie at Isle of Man steamer, then back to Ilchester – feeling better, but both of us rather feverish and sickish.

March 6th
We are still both very seedy. What a change from the beautiful quiet of the Cronk. I am now doing the most hectic period of my life both physically and mentally – it is an endless rush and it is a big business working up the Burmah lecture. I dream of it at night. Shall be glad when the nervous anticipation of the first night is over.

March 13th
A Red Letter Day. The ship is launched – Very strenuous and thoroughly tired. Press lunch at Paganis at 1.30, then to the theatre and straight on to the stage. Naturally not at my best, but managed all right – it was really only equivalent to a dress rehearsal – second performance in the evening – all right.

March 15th
Film and lecture improving. The two lectures are tiring, but I can manage, and I feel better and stronger than I was a day ago. Daisie and Leo leave for the Isle of Man to-night. Leo arrived from Cambridge on Monday. What a life!!

March 19th
I don't like having to lecture on Sundays, but I am glad to have the afternoon off anyway. It is also nice beginning at 8.0., it reduces my dinner which is a good thing and I get home by 10.30 and in bed by 11.0. Saturday was my one and only full house – I don't know if this show is going to pay or not. The Philharmonic Hall is out of the way and it is Lent also.

I feel very well and the two lectures do not tire me in the least. My voice is as fresh at the end as at the beginning. So far, my trip to London and Daisie's has cost about £100 – I am that much out of pocket – I shall be glad to get a cheque for £100 and then I shall at least be square.

March 21st
This is rather a strenuous life – Yesterday, for instance – Breakfast 8.30, wrote letters to 10.30. At Philharmonic coaching understudy 11. a.m. Photographer (Press) 12 noon. Lunch 11.30 and Press artist 2.45 Performance 3 to 5.0. Tea with Mrs. du Moulin, Dined at Odeninos Restaurant 7 p.m. with Royal Geographical, then performance 8.30 to 10.30 and home at 11 bed at 12.

March 25th
My lecture goes easier now and is less exertion. I think my first performance was a stupendous thing and the world's record of impertinence. Not my fault I was let in for it. I knew nothing of Burmah and could get no good books to prepare on and had no time to prepare and not one single rehearsal. Under such conditions I had to take the platform in London and speak to the United Press – representatives of Times, Morning Post, Telegraph etc., etc., 80 of them! Colossal cheek and thank God it is over and I shall never have to face such a dilemma again. I now have good books and after 26 lectures do really know my subject, but it is wonderful to think I was able to do that first lecture without making the most awful howlers. I ought to add to the above that I was enduring an attack of influenza from which I am only now recovering.

March 28th
Very empty houses and the show is not paying. It is hard luck, I haven't received a penny yet.

March 30th
This beastly show isn't paying at all – They are almost at the end of their funds. They own me about £150 and can't pay it, all I could get was a cheque for £25 on account. We are going to try our luck in the provinces – week after next.

April 1st
Daisie, Susanna and Leo arrived from Isle of Man. They had a good crossing.

April 2nd
Westminster Abbey and Zoo in afternoon, then I had the horrid evening performance.

April 4th
Galfrid arrived from Sherborne.

April 7th
My last lecture – thank goodness. A good house – I am tired of talking, 49 two hour lectures in 26 days – what a treat it will be to have a day off. On Sunday I leave for Warrington, on Monday Leo goes to the Darbyshires and on Thursday Daisie Galfrid and Susanna come to me at Warrington.

April 10th
We arrived at Warrington last night about 11 p.m. Rooms had been taken for me – the sort of places the "artists" of travelling companies go to, poor things. The lady of the house is charming, good-natured and worked to death. But things are not nice. When Daisie comes I must move into Patten Arms Hotel which looks quite decent. Here I pay 35/- a week and she gets me and cooks any food I want. It is quite an adventure.

April 12th
Very empty houses. Things may improve. So far in two days – 3 lectures – we have taken £23., and I can get £25 for one of my own lectures for one hour's work. It's poor business. Daisie arrives to-morrow.

April 13th
Houses emptier than ever – it's dull work. Transferred to the Patten Arms Hotel and Daisie arrives to-day – we have a Matinée, so I can't meet her. Shall be glad to get out of these rooms and this scrappy food of tinned salmon and bully beef, I've not had a decent meal since I left London.

April 16th
Holy Communion, Holy Trinity Church 8 a.m. mattins in Parish Church.

Left by 3.49 train for Stockport, George Hotel. The show has been a miserable failure in Warrington. Evensong in Parish Church Stockport which we liked very much indeed.

April 17th
A real feat. I gave the lecture 3 times – 2.30., 6.30., 8.40 and felt none the worse. – I seem to be one of those people who can talk for ever. But I was mentally tired. Miserable houses – about £6.0.0. in the three hours! in a hall that can seat 2000 people, Mon Dieu!

This hotel is just a public house and quite intolerable. I don't think we can stand it any more. In France or Germany things are never so bad – but in England once you get away from first class hotels you just sink to squalor and dirt. It's awful!

April 18th
Changed over to the Queen's Hotel, Manchester which is the usual magnificent affair with magnificent prices, but one must pay for comfort and cleanliness – such a treat to have nice sitting-rooms and a nice bath after that dirty public-house – it costs about 25/- a day each. Galfrid and Susanna arrive to-morrow at 3.30 and they all go back to the Isle of Man on Thursday. Stockport is almost a suburb of Manchester, trains every half hour, and it takes only about 12 minutes.

April 20th
Got the family off by the 8.30 train, they will have a calm passage. Went up to Bolton, Darcy Lever Mills to see Beeloo's Mill: very interesting.

April 23rd
Left Manchester 12.55, arrived London about 6 p.m. Found Redbourne Hotel very nice. What a ghastly failure the provinces were! On Saturday we certainly had better houses – better? About £5! and rent alone is £10 a day! Miserable fiasco. I see it is advertised that I am to lecture once a day at Philharmonic from 5.15. to 7.0. very easy work and convenient hours.

April 26th
Quite nice houses at the Philharmonic. Weather is real April weather with quite a good share of bright sunshine. Still it is cold and no one makes any alterations in clothes since Christmas. In the morning I go to a museum or the Royal Geographical or the Club and after dinner sometimes a picture theatre where the Natural History films are very good. I never cease to long for my beloved Island.

April 27th
A simple way of going to a theatre for free. I went to the Coliseum, a very good show – 5/- seat and I went without dinner, saving about 6/- ate a few chocolates and was not in the least hungry or missing my dinner. I never thought of it at all. There is nothing so easy as skipping a meal and it does one good.

April 30th
A wire to say Susanna has measles. I do hope it isn't going to be serious, but one always feels anxious when one is away – and Daisie might get it too. Meantime, of course, Daisie can't come here and I must go on being lonely.

May 3rd
Susanna seems to be doing all right, I am glad to say. No Philharmonic lectures this week, so I am going down to stay at Oxford from Friday to Sunday. On Monday we begin again with schools only. To-day did the Academy, then lunch at Club, had Penrose and an American, Kendall, to lunch. I enjoyed the Academy very much, so much so that I bought a picture. The Scarlet Shawl (oil) by Nora L.M. Cundell – just for the swank of saying I had bought a picture from the Academy, but I liked it very much, and it was only 12 guineas. I don't get it till August 7th when the Show closes.

May 5th
So bored with London. Went down to Oxford to see May in her new house, quite nice and a scrap of garden, but she is very seedy with a bad arm. Ursula looking well but heavily sat on, Dick magnificent in the B.N.C. boat. Had Ray Bomford to tea. Saw the Giles also in their new abode – a tiny house in St. John's Street.

May 7th
Returned to London. Got a letter to say Solar Films is bankrupt. I feel quite glad. My last lecture to the County Council Schools is on Thursday and I will leave the same night. Now they want me to go to the U.S.A. I don't want to go, would far sooner fix up a lecture tour at home with Christy. Leo has exceeded his allowance by £44 which just ruins me at a crisis like the present.

May 11th
Lunch Miss Mc.Leod – my last lecture. Goodbye Burmah. Friday left 11.5.0 train, arrived Liverpool May 12th – cold, but beautiful calm crossing.

May 14th
In bed with some awful disease – eyes and face swollen. Erysipelas, I suppose, very painful –

May 17th
Better and got up a little. Susanna is quite well, but still not allowed to leave her room, so she and I play Ludo and other games together. She is a really nice child and never seems at all peevish at the long confinement and never wants people to come and amuse her. She said "after this I shall never like to keep a bird in a cage."

May 20th
I got up and messed about yesterday, result face bad again, a bad night and back in bed.

May 21st
Got up a little – very feeble on my legs.

May 22nd
Up all day, but not back on ordinary food. Very groggy in the legs and hands and face peeling.

May 24th
Very feeble, but getting about. I wonder what disease I have had – lost all the skin off my face and hands.

May 26th
My skin is still very bad and I can't write or play patience, or do any hand work. We have had ten days perfect summer weather. London has a heat wave with people dying and all that sort of silliness. Here it has been nice, but Daisie has still kept on her hot-water bottle which seems rather a contrast to the London accounts.

June 1st
Sunday school fête at Silverdale. Received the joyful news that Solar Films cannot raise the money to send me to America in October, so I am free for home lectures. I asked for £300 down and first class return for Daisie and myself. Solar Films have gone broke, so I lose the £200 I invested and about £1000 they would have owed me for lectures. The ordinary fees I get for lectures say, from £10 to £25 for one hour! Here I gave 90 lectures of 2 hours and got nothing. But it was splendid practise and publicity. The Sunday School treat was a great excitement – Silverdale is a good place for that sort of thing and it was a beautiful summers day.

June 6th
After breakfast Lizzie had words with Daisie and both the servants ran away, so we have to do for ourselves. It was rather mean of them after making us pay Lizzie's way over from Ireland – one can't expect much I suppose from such degenerates. But it is sheer delight to have the house to ourselves for a bit – what a blessing if one could always live without servants.

June 9th
Now the servants have bolted we come back to the old régime and quite enjoy it for a bit. I get up at 6.0. and light the kitchen fire and make early tea. Breakfast 8.15. I fetch the milk and do out the rooms. Daisie works all day and Susanna works very well too, when she is back from school.

June 19th
The Bishop preached a good sermon yesterday. I had the big girls class at Sunday School. Darbyshire left to-day, a nice lad and I hope all Leo's friends will be as nice. Still no maids and we are quite happy.

June 22nd
Rain at last, I'm afraid it will spoil the motor-car races. Leo went off with the Turners to see them. Daisie has got two maids (Manx) who come to us on July 1st. Meantime there is plenty of work. Daisie does nine-tenths of it. Today was a "no fire" day so that I could give the kitchen range a thorough cleaning. Up at 5.45. Breakfast as usual at 8.15. I got the range black-leaded, polished and the soot out of the flues, fetched milk, etc., till 11.0. then cleaned myself which took sometime. The drawing-room is very much "lived in". Susanna's dolls occupy the best corner of the sofa permanently. I shall be very sorry when she passes beyond the doll stage.

June 27th
I had to motor to Castletown (at Mr. Emery's expense) to sign a license for his hotel to run a dance up to 1 a.m. – what a tyrannical law!

Chairman at the second General Meeting of the Port St. Mary foot-ball Club – interesting and instructive. There are one or two dominant spirits in the village, Tom Cain, Alfred Gavine, Mr Mc.Quarry, Alfred Moore, C.E. Moore, and the mob just cheer or keep silent as hypnotised – quite like the Lenin-Trotsky business on a small scale. Rain and cold – has been cold for some time. Leo makes himself very useful, repapered a wall and does other good jobs.

June 29th
The great Rushen Parish Church Garden Fête in aid of Church Room at Port St. Mary. I had to open the show, made my speech all right, but Daisie says I ought to have taken my hat off – ought I? Why? A deep problem. Must find out another time. Leo looked very smart in his flannels and did noble work, and won a very handsome, but useless, old carved meerschaum cigar holder, valued at £2.10.0. I had to spend £5 for the swank of opening the show. It went off very well, but there were heavy showers which kept many people away, however they made £70. Daisie, as usual, was working like mad all the time.

July 1st
Thank goodness the two new Manx maids arrived and all is peace once more. It was blissful to be able to dress for dinner and Daisie enjoyed herself in the garden. Heavy rain and the beastly drought is really broken at last.

July 2nd
A little rain, bitterly cold. For the whole of the past week it would have been a pleasure to have had fires in every room including bedrooms all day.

July 5th
Tynwald Day. Such a crowd on the trains and Susanna got squashed to death and caught her thumb in the door – she didn't howl, as she well might have – it hurt her a lot. There were 47 of us in 2 compartments meant for 20 and precious full they are with 20. The ceremony was interesting and the enormous crowd of trippers were well behaved and didn't laugh. A ripping nice thing an English crowd is compared to any other nation, - so good-tempered and well-behaved. One is fearfully tempted to turn the whole thing into a rag. Solemnity is always on the verge of farce.

July 14th
Susanna's birthday. I am so sorry she is now 11 years old – time must go on – she's got to be 70 some day and dead some day anyhow.

After 2 months painful discomfort my fingers are now nearly all right again and the splits healing.

July 15th
Susanna's birthday party. Picnic tea up on the Cronk, a beautiful fine day. Winnie Clague from Perwick Bay, Kathleen Moore and Patricia Phillips from Port St. Mary, the twins, Marjorie and Mollie Simcocks and Kathleen Haben from Ballasalla, Barbara Flanagan, May Coates, Molly and Doreen Collister from Castletown.

July 21st
A mile of pennies for the Y.M.C.A. in Douglas, Daisie and I left by the 9 a.m. train. I worked with Mrs. Madoc at a silver carpet where we made £10 from 10 to 1.0. very tiring work. Daisie worked with Mrs. Hughes-Games, there were not enough workers – should be one every 20 yards = 85.

July 24th
Bishop's open-air service at Cregneish yesterday. To-day I am running a Y.M.C.A. meeting here with Miss MacCormack speaking.

July 25th
Regatta and Mariners' Flag Day. Dollie arrives out of the sky. Susanna dressing at 7.45 a.m. spotted her quietly seated at the top of the garden. She crossed yesterday and took rooms in the village.

July 26th
The Regatta was a little dull – those things are always run for the profit of interested individuals and no accounts are ever published. The Confetti Carnival was amusing. To-day is Susanna's breaking-up Day at the High School, and I also judge the platoon drill of the O.T.C. at King William's College. It's bad luck that one of the maids, Eleanor Gilmour should break down and have to go back to her home ill, just as we have the house full, but Dollie, of course, is a gain as she does more work than Eleanor.

July 28th
Castletown. King William's College War Memorial. A very fine ceremony.

August 3rd
Very busy with Flag-Days etc. To-day meeting for the Kentraugh Fête, then M.C. at Fancy Dress Ball for the Ex-Soldiers and Sailors.

August 5th
All in to Douglas to the Palace to see the wonderful mass of holiday people dancing. Home by the 11.o'clock train. Made speech from Life-boat for Flag Day.

August 7th
In bed with a frightful cold, the weather is wintry.

August 10th
Anthony arrived. Fine but cold. Yesterday Daisie and I went to the Clucas' At Home at Ramsey – met everybody. Six hours in the train! but quite pleasant, still it was a long, tiring day. Lunched with Mrs. Sugden.

August 11th
Galfrid arrived. Leo went to Ramsey.

August 17th
The Kentraugh Church Fête, has been very hard work for the last ten days, came off to-day, not bad. My Art Gallery made £4.3.0. Galfrid and Anthony helped and Angus Hunt, very useful – not enough helpers.

August 27th
Yesterday Daisie and I bicycled over the hills to Dalby, Glen Maye, Peel and home by train. The glen was very beautiful, and not crowded. I haven't yet got rid of my beastly disease, eye bad and itches here and there – it's a nuisance.

August 28th
Up at 4.0 a.m. Got on the move at 5 a.m. Daisie, I, Leo, Galfrid, Susanna, Dollie and Anthony – a beautiful walk to the Slaugh to see the sunrise, but as usual we were in a cloud on the hill-top . Still it was fine, and Dollie enjoyed the heather. Rather a long walk for Susanna before breakfast – about 7 miles and Home to breakfast at 9 a.m.

In the evening Dollie and Anthony moved over to Mrs. Crebbins rooms opposite the Kellys. She wouldn't stay any longer because she thought she was an encumbrance! Whereas she does half the work of the house and is really a great asset in all ways.

September 3rd
We've had one or two fairly fine days, but the ground has not been dry for a long time. Yesterday afternoon we all trooped over to Port Erin. The boys went into the caves along the South shore, while Dollie, Daisie, Susanna and I rowed round in a boat and landed at the caves and paddled about and enjoyed ourselves very much. In the evening we all went over to have coffee with Dollie. Dollie is amused at my writing articles in my study in such turmoil. Leo sits hammering at the type-writer while Anthony dictates to him in a strident voice. Susanna sprawls on the floor reading Teddy Tail in the Daily Mail. Galfrid examines the Oxford Dictionary, while Dollie, herself, weighs out gelatine on my letter-weight. The only variation is when Anthony takes over the type-writer while Leo pounds the piano the other side of the curtain. Daisie passes in and out putting things to dry on the hot-water tank which is in a cupboard in a corner of the room.

[NB: the diaries end at this point.]