| Admin/Biog History | Folllowing the advice of Robert Birley, one of Nicolson's schoolmasters at Eton, Nicolson delayed his entry to Balliol by nine months. Instead of remaining at Eton he was keen to pursue independence and spent the intervening months in France. He arrived in 1933 and spent the following months learning the language and preparing for going up to Oxford. He lived with a French family near Tours. He returned to England in April, visiting Eton for a final farewell in June. That same month, he began a nine week tour of Italy, again with a view to learning the language and preparing for Oxford. |
| Description | In which Nicolson is staying with a family called the Pepins, at Les Avrins near Tours learning French and having lessons with a curé. Entries written during this time are very factual - usually just a straightforward account of the events of the day - and might include information about his host family, sightseeing in the local area, socialising with new acquaintances, including William and Lilian Dudey. Also writes about letters received from friends and family - in particular from John Ellison (a friend at Eton) and from his parents (who are travelling around the U.S.A.). Nicolson's reports on the latter reveal much both about the relationship between his parents, but also his own relationship with them.
Returns to England in April and writes about everyday life at Sissinghurst; family quarrels, in particular with Grandma (Lady Victoria Sackville); trips to London (often staying at King's Bench Walk and the Garrick Club); conversations with his parents; learning to play golf; politics; the situation in Europe; gardening and building plans at Sissinghurst. Also writes about socialising with and entertaining friends and family including Eddy Sackville-West, Christopher Hobhouse, Hilda Matheson and Olive Rinder.
Returns to Eton for a final goodbye in June and then travels to Florence where he stays at the Villa Pestellini, writes about, and sketches, the sights he visits. Meets Bernard Berenson for the first time. Learns Italian with Signorina Gozzini, socialises with Kirkpatrick, Pucci, Miss Deakin, Hope Hannington, and the 'Gordon Duff girls.'
Includes a list of books read on the inside front cover & a 'review of these 6 months' on the page opposite the entry for 11th Jan. [A digital copy of the 6 month review can be found below]
Of particular note:
April
-5th: brother (Nigel Nicolson) arrives at Les Avrins for a visit
-19th: leaves Les Avrins
-21st: meets parents on the 'Bremen' and sails back to England
-22nd: describes changes at Sissinghurst
May
-5th: C.E.M. Joad visits Sissinghurst
-6th: Peter Howard and his wife Doris Metaxa visit Sissinghurst
-9th: visits Grandma (Victoria Sackville) who tells 'stories about Mummy getting hold of women and Daddy of men, about Violet Keppel, Virginia and Raymond''
-18th: trip to London with parents; visits Granny (Mary Hamilton) and his Aunt (Gwen St Aubyn); meets various friends - inlcuding Daniel Meinertzhagen and Christopher Hobhouse
-19th: visits an Epstein exhibition at the Leicester Square Galleries
-21st-22nd: Christopher Hobhouse and other guests visit Sissinghurst; Powys, an architect, visits to discuss building a library
-28th: Virgina and Leonard Woolf stay at Sissinghurst
-30th: visits Grandma (Victoria Sackville) who is 'quite hopeless about her law suits, however particularly and carefully Mummy explains'
June
-3rd-6th: returns to Eton for fireworks; stays with Robert Birley; meets old boys and masters for final farewell; dines with Marie and Robert Weatherall
-8th: starts for Italy
-9th: arrives in Pisa (sketch of Piazza del Duorno on opposite page)
-10th: arrives in Florence
-11th: Berenson invites him to lunch
-12th: has first Italian lesson with Signorina Gozzini (sketch of Nenvenuto Cellini's Pensens, Loggia dei Lanzi & Duomo and Giotto's tower on opposite page)
-13th: meets Berenson for the first time at I Tatti
-15th: visits Uffizi and watches a religious procession (sketch of Michelangelo's David & various tombs on opposite page) [A digital copy of this entry can be found below]
-18th: lunch at the Berensons
-19th-23nd: sight-seeing in Florence with Pucci and Gordon-Duff girls (sketch of Palazzo Vecchio on opposite page)
-24th: celebrates San Giovanni day by watching a procession in the Piazza del Duomo and a football match in the Piazza della Signoria; dines with the Berensons (sketch of Mercury & Donatallo's David on opposite page)
-26th-29th: sight-seeing in Florence
-30th: travels to Bologna to meet his parents & they all return to the Villa Pestellini |
| Image Caption | Journal entry showing review of the last six months, 1933 |
| Journal entry for 13 June concerning Nicolson's first meeting with Berenson, 1933 |