Letter from Frances Hodgkins to Dorothy Selby
Date
29 Jan 1933
See transcription
Catalogue number
FHL196
Date
29 Jan 1933
Transcript
Sunday Jan 29th Hotel Balear IBIZA- Balearic Islands Spain
My Dear Dorothy
Do write & tell me how you are, or I shall be getting anxious & that is not good for me. Hope you are not down with Flue – nor your sister. I hope, better still you are in Switzerland & away from London unpleasantness – out of grey & cold into sun & blue skies and are basking and flourishing. I pray this is so.
Work with me has been at a standstill while freak weather did its worst. We all went down with Flue one after the other but are now better & up & doing. But no painting yet. Winds high & cold – ships in Harbour – seas rough. But all the time more & more almond blossom on the trees refusing to hold back for all the dirty looks from the sky. But we have ridden the storm and now for some nice weather & warmth. I have got off a batch of work to Lefevres.
We celebrated at the Bodegan in olives & Xeres wine. Very good. You can have a Vermouth for 2d.
Life very jog trot & simple. Same faces as when I first came. We all look a lot of hardened old Timers. No one, of course, does a spot of work but my self. More fool I. Sunday Cinema our one Solace. Films atrociously silly & bad with every now & again a good one. So we go on – in the true gambling spirit – in hope – at 6d a time.
My 3 friends are now planning bathing suits for the summer & have already started sunbathing out of which I hope to get a subject.
I think if this summer place in Majorca turns out well (we may go there end of Feb:) that you & Barling had better come out. I hear it has good Hotels. English people go there & good painting. By then I shall be through with my Show – for better or for worse – judging by the art news everything appears to be at a standstill.
Ben writes he is producing at the rate of 8 pntgs in 4 days! I see the Skeaping Divorce in coming up. Ben is defending – pugnacious isnt he? I am rather surprised.
I send you P.V. card for 7 & 5 & hope you’ll go to it if you are in London and can fit it in. No new work from F H. Ben very annoyed & vexed. Macdonald firm.
We have got over the lack of butter & are now having tinned kind & don’t know the difference. Look out for any Notices & keep for me will you? Absolutely no news except that I & my party are well & recovered from their Rash.
Reassure by a card –
Much love
Frances ---
Thanks so much for papers. You once said I might send Press Cuttings to Egerton Terrace. May I? It will be such a very great help. Send them on periodically not one by one & tear off all coverings etc to save postage.
My Dear Dorothy
Do write & tell me how you are, or I shall be getting anxious & that is not good for me. Hope you are not down with Flue – nor your sister. I hope, better still you are in Switzerland & away from London unpleasantness – out of grey & cold into sun & blue skies and are basking and flourishing. I pray this is so.
Work with me has been at a standstill while freak weather did its worst. We all went down with Flue one after the other but are now better & up & doing. But no painting yet. Winds high & cold – ships in Harbour – seas rough. But all the time more & more almond blossom on the trees refusing to hold back for all the dirty looks from the sky. But we have ridden the storm and now for some nice weather & warmth. I have got off a batch of work to Lefevres.
We celebrated at the Bodegan in olives & Xeres wine. Very good. You can have a Vermouth for 2d.
Life very jog trot & simple. Same faces as when I first came. We all look a lot of hardened old Timers. No one, of course, does a spot of work but my self. More fool I. Sunday Cinema our one Solace. Films atrociously silly & bad with every now & again a good one. So we go on – in the true gambling spirit – in hope – at 6d a time.
My 3 friends are now planning bathing suits for the summer & have already started sunbathing out of which I hope to get a subject.
I think if this summer place in Majorca turns out well (we may go there end of Feb:) that you & Barling had better come out. I hear it has good Hotels. English people go there & good painting. By then I shall be through with my Show – for better or for worse – judging by the art news everything appears to be at a standstill.
Ben writes he is producing at the rate of 8 pntgs in 4 days! I see the Skeaping Divorce in coming up. Ben is defending – pugnacious isnt he? I am rather surprised.
I send you P.V. card for 7 & 5 & hope you’ll go to it if you are in London and can fit it in. No new work from F H. Ben very annoyed & vexed. Macdonald firm.
We have got over the lack of butter & are now having tinned kind & don’t know the difference. Look out for any Notices & keep for me will you? Absolutely no news except that I & my party are well & recovered from their Rash.
Reassure by a card –
Much love
Frances ---
Thanks so much for papers. You once said I might send Press Cuttings to Egerton Terrace. May I? It will be such a very great help. Send them on periodically not one by one & tear off all coverings etc to save postage.
Sender's address
Hotel Balear, Ibiza - Balearic Islands Spain
Credit Line
E
H
McCormick
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