Love Letters: Leonard Woolfe and Trekkie Ritchie Parsons, 1941-1969"It was the middle of the Second World War, and Trekkie, a painter and book illustrator, was married to the publisher Ian Parsons, who later became Leonard's colleague. Leonard was 61, Trekkie 39. He wanted her to get a divorce and marry him but instead she persuaded him to move next door in London and spent the weekends with him at Monks House in Rodmell. When Ian came back from the war, the Parsons moved into the flat above Leonard's, and also bought a house near his in Sussex. Trekkie was a feisty, principled, Scottish feminist - she had never wanted a husband and now, it seemed, she had two at once. She spent the weekends with Ian and the week with Leonard: she took holidays with them separately, acted as hostess for them both, and told no-one about the way they lived. The arrangement worked smoothly for the next twenty-five years - an inventive and honest solution for a woman who loved two men in different ways at the same time.When Trekkie and Leonard were not together they talked by post - a letter scribbled while she cooked the dinner could reach him before breakfast the next morning. Apart from a handful of letters, no one has read their correspondence, which Trekkie sea |
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Page 40
... [ Friday ] 28 May [ 1943 ] 25 Vic Sq . Leonard dear would you like me to come this next week end - Friday 4th . It seems we are to go to Derby on the night of the 14th so that I wouldn't be back in London until about the 26th or so . So ...
... [ Friday ] 28 May [ 1943 ] 25 Vic Sq . Leonard dear would you like me to come this next week end - Friday 4th . It seems we are to go to Derby on the night of the 14th so that I wouldn't be back in London until about the 26th or so . So ...
Page 165
... Friday morning . Pilly is well & hungry . She came up here , leapt upon me & tried to find an abundance under my waistcoat , but was disappointed . O dearest , how I hope it's Friday . I almost wailed & howled when I saw the fondant ...
... Friday morning . Pilly is well & hungry . She came up here , leapt upon me & tried to find an abundance under my waistcoat , but was disappointed . O dearest , how I hope it's Friday . I almost wailed & howled when I saw the fondant ...
Page 274
... Friday [ 31 January 1964 ] Dearest L Luxor No letter from you - but I think posts take a very long time . This will ... Friday Friday week 335 : [ Sunday ] 2 February 1964 Dearest , [ Monk's House ] Your letters were all right and ...
... Friday [ 31 January 1964 ] Dearest L Luxor No letter from you - but I think posts take a very long time . This will ... Friday Friday week 335 : [ Sunday ] 2 February 1964 Dearest , [ Monk's House ] Your letters were all right and ...
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Common terms and phrases
afternoon arrived asked August beautiful believe called cold coming course darling dear Dearest dinner don't door everything eyes face feel felt flowers Friday friends garden give glad head hear hope July kind last night leave Leonard letter Lewes lithography lived London look lunch mean meeting Miss Monday Monk's House morning never nice October once painting Parsons perhaps Press probably published rain returned Ritchie Rodmell Rose round seems sent September side sitting stay Sunday suppose talk tell Thank thing thought Thursday tiger told took trees Trekkie Tuesday turned usual Victoria Square walk weather Wednesday week wind wish Woolf write written wrote yesterday