Cotmania. Vol. IV. 1929-30

you sent me in the Autumn. As I said when I did write, my memory is so bad now that I have to ask my wife over + over again about occurrences and letters.
I don't know the Newburgh people but we could get the Parsons, I feel sure, to obtain a view of the picture for you or take you over if they were at home, and I can ask Capt. Hay, if indeed permission is necessary for access to the Dropgate, and take you over there.
Ampleforth College bought Gilling & it is rumoured that the panelling is likely to remain there. I am bound to say I prefer the glass to
[recto 2]
other decorations in that room to the panelling itself. What do you suppose is the date of the panelling? A printed description of the room talks of it as Elizabethan, which it certainly is not. I believe it succeeded some old Jacobean panelling.
I envy you your trip abroad. I fear am past all that and at present we are all over head in farm work. The poultry keeps Joan & myself occupied, for we have 1600 young chicks and five hundred laying birds. My eldest daughter Elsie is in London just completing her training at Mrs Hoster's and Joan has taken her place with the hens. I like all this work but get too tired now. Still the pleasure of being out at all hours on the hills keeps me at it, regretting only