| Admin/Biog History | At the beginning of July 1933, Nicolson was three weeks into a nine week tour of Italy. He returned to England mid August, spending his time at Sissinghurst with occasional trips to London before going up to Oxford for his first term in October. |
| Description | In which Nicolson continues a tour of Italy describing his travels to, and sight-seeing in, the following towns: Florence, Siena, Perugia, Venice, Gubbio, Urbino, Rimini, Ravenna, Ferrara, Mantua, Verona, San Vigilio, Lucca and Pisa. Part of the tour is made with his parents, by car. Nicolson also writes about friends and acquaintances met along the way including 'the Lathams' (Paul & Patrica, neé Moore)', and 'the Lancasters' (Osbert and Karen, neé Harris).
Returns to England in August and writes about everyday life at Sissinghurst with his parents (Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicolson), brother (Nigel Nicolson), Aunt Gwen (St Aubyn) and various paid staff. Writes about gardening; visiting guests; conversations and family quarrels - in particular with Grandma (Lady Victoria Sacvkille); trips to London; socialising with and entertaining friends; learning golf and French; having script lessons with Christopher St John; and preparations for going up to Oxford.
Goes up to Oxford in October and writes about lectures attended; clubs joined; discussions held; dining out; trips back to Eton; revising for and sitting exams; playing sports; making and socialising with friends including in particular John Usborne, David Wallace, Andrew Wardrop, Francis Graham-Harrison, Mary Budge, Maurice Bowra and Robert Birley. Returns to Sissinghurst for the Christmas break and writes about the festive celebrations; skating on the lake; and engagements attended with his parents.
Also includes a 'resume of these 6 months' on page adjacent to entry for 3rd July.
Of particular note:
July
-1st: leaves Florence with his parents; arives at Siena
-2nd: writes about the Palio di Siena horse race in the Piazza (sketch of the track on opposite page of main text of entry for 2nd July) [A digital copy of this entry can be found below]
-9th: meets Osbert and Karen Lancaster on their honeymoon in San Vigilio
-10th: separates from his parents and goes alone to Venice where he stays with Victor Cunard
-15th: attends a fireworks display in Venice
-18th: leaves Victor Cunard's house and moves to a pension
-28th: returns to Florence
-30th: arrives in Lucca, stays with a family at the Villa Altieri Gattaiola (sketch of Villa Altieri Gattaiola on opposite page) [A digital copy of this sketch can be found below]
August
-4th: (sketch of Facade of Duomo, Lucca on opposite page)
-9th: leaves for Pisa
-11th: arrives in Paris
-12th: back at Sissinghurst
-15th: visit to White Lodge to see Grandma (Lady Victoria Sackville) and writes about her relationship to Vita- they spent most of the time quarrelling 'I hate you, I hate you, from the bottom of my heart I hate you as you hate me'
-16th: trip to London; lunches with John Sparrow 'undoubtedly the greatest of my friends'
-23rd: Rex Whistler comes to tea at Sissinghurst
-24th: John Ellison comes to stay at Sissinghurst
-29th: John Sparrow comes to stay at Sissinghurst
-31st: writes about hop-picking
September
-1st: visit to the 'long garden' to see the hop pickers
-8th: visit to White Lodge to see Grandma (Lady Victoria Sackville)
-15th: reports that his father (Harold Nicolson) has 'had an offer from Lord Beaverbrook to return to the Londoner's diary at £3000 a year'
-17th: Christopher Hobhouse dines at Sissinghurst
-18th: visit to White Lodge to see Grandma (Lady Victoria Sackville)
-27th: visits the KitKat club with Daniel Meinertzhagen and records that it 'filled me with the greatest repulsion: vulgar decorations; music and girls as professional dancing partners. D.M. has an unfortunate weakness for that life. But it is me that is the freak'
-30th: reports that 'M&D had a mild row about garden planning. It was their classical v. romantic antagonism coming out.'
October
-4th: first day at Oxford. Writes about first dinner, who he met and speeches by the Master and Dean
-17th: meets Jeremy Hutchinson for the first time
-21st: learns of the existence of art lectures at the University and says he plans to attend
-28th: writes about first luncheon party he has ever given, attended by Francis Graham-Harrison, David Wallace, Maurice Bowra, John Sparrow and Robert & Elizabeth Birley
November
-1st: writes about an unauthorised meeting in Ruskin college to discuss the motion 'should free speech be allowed or not'
-2nd: attempts to attend an Oswald Mosley meeting but it is packed; dines with Jeremy Hutchinson
-4th: visits London for the day with John Usborne
-10-11th: Aunt Gwen (St Aubyn) and his mother visit Oxford; writes that he 'admires Mummy more than anyone else on this earth quite apart from her being my mother'
-17th: lunch at Kenneth Clark's house during which he admires their paintings, in particular the Famous Women dinner service created by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell
-20th: spends the evening in Andrew Wardrop's room discussing sex
-21st: plays chess with McCausland
December
-2-34th: returns to Eton for the weekend, spends time with Robert & Elizabeth Birley
-5th: takes a viva voce; returns to Sissinghurst for Christmas
-9th: describes an 'endless argument about education in which Mummy is so stupid. She has a sort of inferiority complex about Oxford and being a woman'
-12th: visits London to meet father (Harold Nicolson) and attend a party at Juliet Duff's house for Victor Rothschild and Barbara Hutchinson; attends varsity night at the Palladium
-23rd & 24th: writes about family tensions before Christmas
-25th: visits Grandma (Lady Victoria Sackville) for lunch, drops in on Virginia and Leonard Woolf in the afternoon
-30th: reading Read's book on art and writes 'I am worried about modern art, as Mummy is about religion. If Mummy can appreciate Van Gogh then why can't I appreciate Picasso? it is a question of generation' |
| Image Caption | Journal entry for 2 July concerning the Palio di Siena horse race in the Piazza, including a sketch of the track, 1933 |
| Journal entry featuring a sketch of the Villa Altieri Gattaiola, 1933 |
| Journal entries for 8-11 July concerning Nicolson's life as an undergraduate at Oxford, 1933 |