June 20th Monday. Quite a day! Hazel W at mid-morning and scarcely had gone when Evelyn A arrived, and no sooner had Ray taken her off to Aldingbourne to her sisters-in-law than G and J appeared for tea. Am flat out with no work done at all.
Dom Coyote’s Raun Tree | Influenced by Rosemary Sutcliff?
Dom Coyote is the professional name of Dominic, my son, whose story-telling was first nurtured sat at Rosemary’s feet, hearing snippets of the latest book read aloud to him.
Willow warbler singing where we had tea … (Rosemary Sutcliff Diary, 19/6/88)
June 19th Sunday. Joan and I and the pups (went) for a run out beyond Amberley taking a picnic tea with us. It was lovely, very hot. Willow warbler singing where we had tea.
They’re beginning to bicker as they always do after a couple of days together … (Rosemary Sutcliff Diary, 18/6/88)
On June 18th Saturday a couple of people known to Rosemary Sutcliff visited ” … more or less separately . They’re beginning to bicker as they always do after a couple of days together, which is sad”.
She looks rather coarse and lumpish … (Rosemary Sutcliff Diary, 17/6/88)
Now today I have a dilemma as I transcribe Rosemary Sutcliff‘s diary for June 17th Friday. For she names a visitor who “has lost quite a lot of their looks since I last saw them, and looks rather coarse and lumpish”. This is how I have chosen to reconcile capturing Rosemary’s closely observed, evocative comments about people, with the need to protect feelings and anonymity (although I doubt that the looks-losing person in question is reading this or will do so). Since Rosemary was not writing these diaries for publication, did not publish anything from them in her lifetime, and would not have wanted to offend anyone in theirs, this is how I have decided to do it!
ROSEMARY SUTCLIFF (1920-92) 