Feted

Saturday, February 14th., Cadogan Square, London.

I had a great time in the Potteries. Sundry hours with Wilcox Edge in the train! He is a very interesting old man, and the Potteries is too much obsessed by his failings. He tells me he was Mayor of Burslem thirty years ago. Imagine that! Though born in Burslem he lived mainly in Wolstanton and had a scheme for the 'annexation' of Wolstanton by Burslem. It came to nothing in the end and Wolstanton remained instead in the clutches of Newcastle. Seemed philosophical about it. A lifelong Liberal.

I went to Hanley and did nothing whatever except ornament the proceedings with my presence, and I was told about forty times how much I had 'honoured' the said proceedings with my 'presence'. Not at all as I expected. The Mayor wore his two-ton chain. I sat on his right. I saw all sorts of people who knew me and whom I didn't know, and whom I admirably pretended to know.  Disconcerting to be feted in a place one has persistently described as being indifferent, if not inimical, to worldly renown. I arrived at 2.30 and left at 6.39, breathing a sigh of relief, and dozed on the train.

But I got home without a headache and the next three days did vast quantities of my novel. yesterday I reposed, and had Robert Loraines to lunch, and a musical supper party. At this party Arnold Bax and Eugene Goossens sat down at the piano and improvised, without a preliminary word to each other, a Spanish tango which lasted a quarter of an hour, and to which Tania danced. It was full of new tunes, and there was never the slightest hitch, discord, or fumbling. How they do it I know not but in that line it was the most marvellous thing I ever heard. Bed at 1.45. Tania was, of course, much admired.

Today I am writing the preface to "Don Juan".