25.4.69
Dear Mum, sorry it’s so long since you had a letter, tho' at
least last time I did write rather more than a few lines! Just been re-reading
your letter about the newly-weds. (What’s the married name?) [I have no idea which newly-weds these would
have been; presumably a cousin of mine marrying someone. Nor do I know who it was that ‘descended’
on my mother.] I am sorry to hear
that you’ve once again been descended upon by one of my obviously bludging
generation ˗ sorry, two ˗ and it always seems to happen to your holiday, too.
The only thing I can hope about, and the fact that Mary comes and goes so
often, is that it lessens any loneliness you may be experiencing. [I think the 'Mary' referred to here was probably also a cousin.] Though why
you should I can’t imagine ˗ I’ve had all this
place to myself since Easter (!) and now find that since Julie has come back
that I quite got to like having the place to myself. Purely selfish, I am, and
yet I like having other people around too. I know, tho’, even tho’ you say that
it spoilt your holiday, that you do enjoy cooking for other people ˗ and that
it’s probably good that they’re there because means that you’re definitely eating properly. I’m only
sorry to hear that it doesn’t sound as tho’ they paid you very much towards it.
We are a selfish generation I know, and yet I always seem to wind up being
sympathetic towards my fellow youngsters. We’re very spoilt, that’s the
trouble.
 |
| The cover of Talbot's 1986 recording, The Golden Tenor. |
You’ll be interested to know that I’ve just shown around the
place (the flat) a new occupant ˗ making four of us here, and bringing the rent
per person down by over a pound. Not that it seemed to be making much difference to me at the price it was, but
it seems silly to have so much room and to be spending money unnecessarily. It’s
a Welsh (!) tenor (!) of 24, who is going to be at the Centre for the coming
term, and who happened to mention that he needed a place to stay, just as I was
thinking that a fourth person would come in handy. I had talked to John about
it and one night this week when he was here, we shifted the beds around in our
room, just to see how much space there was, and really, you could hold a dance
in there now! What also sparked off the idea was that Mike had said they a
divan in the cellar of their flats, and that it would only get damp down there.
So it’s arriving tomorrow, and Jeffrey (Talbot) arrives on Monday. To me he
seems a nice guy, coming from a similar family situation as me, and tho’ he’s a
typical tenor, he’s also down-to-earth as well. I think it’ll work out all
right, since none of us is ever here that much anyway!
John and I are going out tomorrow to see if we can’t get
some cheap furniture (2nd-hand) as the flat, tho’ furnished, has large bare
patches, and the living room looks more like an Ideal Home exhibition stand
than a living room. We’ve decided how much we can spend and with a bit of luck,
may pick up something worthwhile. Or several somethings.
I’ve been sticking up, with double-sided sellotape, cut-out
pictures from magazines, and tho’ that sounds revolting, it’s much better than
bare white walls. Actually, apart from the fact that they’re a little crooked ˗
some are ˗ they don’t look bad. But I stuck one lot up so crookedly, I had to
stick the others up around it crookedly to compensate! (I can hear you
screaming from here.)
Have I told you what I thought I might do at the end of
term? Don’t recall doing so, but the last letter was too long to remember all I
said. I’m thinking of say getting a part time job ˗ preferably musical of
course ˗ there was a job as a Music Librarian in this week’s Stage (the trade paper) which would have
suited nicely if I hadn’t been studying. It was part time. And with this I’d
like to spend about 6 months at least catching up on repertoire ˗ I don’t feel
satisfied with what I know at present ˗ and do whatever coaching comes my way,
with anything else in that line. Actually, on Wednesday, I again went to ElthamAdult Education and am getting £5- 12 for coaching amateurs for about two
hours! The boss-man said that there was a possibility of more work there ˗ and
if it could be relatively constant, that would
be very nice. The normal rep is away, at Glyndebourne, and that will be for a
while. (Spring must be here ˗ it’s eight o’clock and still light ˗ and fairly
mild.)
I got your latest parcel a couple of days ago, with the
biscuits and cheese and meat and fudge. Dear mother ˗ you put the fudge in a
box in a plastic bag, remember? Well, guess what happened? The fudge returned
to its natural state, and was a lovely solid squelchy block! It was terribly
funny. I left it out in the air (no, not right outside!) for a day or so
(including in the sunlight from the window, which didn’t help) and it’s
starting to harden up again. I’ve had one or two irresistable pices, and I
think it’s coming right. Hazel has demanded that I take some to her ˗ she’s had
NZ fudge before apparently! (Funny, the Canadians and Americans and Hazel all
go for the same kind of things as the NZs: milkshakes, hot-dogs...fudge! The
English don’t know how to make these things, tho’ they pretend. Oh yes,
hamburgers too.)
We’ve already had a very busy first week ˗ we’ve had one of
the Ring Cycle ˗ Wagner ˗ in our first Reps’ class, which hasn’t been as bad as
it might have been, and we have Rosenkavalier coming up in May. Man, that’ll be hard work! I’m still one of the two Reps with
nothing special to do (Alistair and
David are doing work outside) and so I’ve got lots to do. Might as well be
busy!
Lots of love, Mike.
