THE LETTERS OF RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS

The White Gates

December 27 [1947?]

Dear Martin
I like to send a scrap to say how welcome your letter was.  Ralph arrived home that day in good time and I thought of your having a romantic journey and sharing your piece of cake with the Russian Natalie.  Ralph ought to have known her – ex Bach Choir and here for tea when we did the Bach Passion last March .  She belongs to the Old Russia – was a Beckendorff (ambassador I think?) and has an English husband.  She looks rather an extinct volcano? but I don’t know much about volcanoes.
Our Xmas was our usual quiet one.  What could be better.  Today R is having what he call a grand tidy and after that some digging.
Encourage the ‘pricks’, perhaps sawing helps as I think digging helps R.  My ankles are improving, my weight seems to be too great a strain for them! but I am all right.
My love to M^rs Martin & you
AMVM

1  Nathalie [née Beckendorff] Ridley, wife of Jasper Nicholas Ridley (1887-1951).