This gorgeous letter is from Ida Carroll to Vivian Evans, regarding the death of Ida's sister Elsa. Vivian was a student at the Northern School of Music during its interesting transition period towards its closure and the creation of the Royal Northern College of Music.

Ref: VEvans
With kind permission of Vivian Evans.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff writes to Ida discussing the arrangement of tickets for a concert, who is and isn't able to come.
"I haven't taken you to a 'blackout' service!" at the church and remarks that the concert season is very short. Regarding the church choir, he writes that "a few suitable attendances by me at evening service will calm the ire of the old war-horses in the choir" since he left to focus on his singing with the Hallé. However, with more people leaving there bass singers are becoming increasingly outnumbered, he asks her "can you sing bass as well as play it?"
He invites her to the cinema and jokes that "I hope Philip falls all the way downstairs and can't take you out."

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff writes to Ida "the hurried note this morning was quite inadequate to express my pleasure on hearing of the return of Tommy. I hoped he would be south of the Somme, but it all turned out for the best that he was sent north. I trust they will all get a good leave after that awful racket. Poor Mrs Armstrong must have been in a pretty awful state."
Hilda Collens is ill and therefore Ida has to take up more work at the Matthay School of Music, so Griff understands if he has to see less of her.
He's been playing scales on Boris the cello and practiced singing.
He wonders whether she would go and see the Wizard of Oz with him but equally would like to meet without going to the cinema.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff feels "guilty, staying in all Tuesday night and not writing to you." He went to bed early feeling "seedy" and expected a cold was coming on, not sleeping for hours, "I enjoy lying in bed and thinking pleasant thoughts."
Some travel agencies are shutting down and he was sent to close out the accounts. He was doing the accounts for Cottier when he heard some nice music being played elsewhere, one of her Matthay School of Music students he reckons.
"Would you have time to go out with me on Saturday, please?" He's like the cinema and of course it's the new concert season of the Hallé, "I should like to go with you if you are going in for it again." He's already saved up £1.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff tells Ida he got home ok and hopes she didn't get too cold before she got in. She meant to practice (piano or double bass) over the Christmas holidays but didn't get around to it so "it might have been good for your fingers! But it's nice to be quiet sometimes."
He recalls walking home on the 1st of January and overhearing a bit of drunken confusion about a chap called Albert. Sounds highly entertaining.
He's been practicing scales and runs on his cello Boris and reading Marguerite Steen's novel Spider about musicians.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff wishes Ida a very happy birthday for the 1st December. He does however wonder what one does when one's birthday is a Sunday and therefore without post. "I doubt you will allow me to be prowling down Lapwing Lane around midnight on Saturday, so I cannot very well put it in your letter box after you have gone to bed." He's glad she's going to a Hallé concert for her birthday.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

"Papa sleeps half the day and then stays up half the night expecting Warnings," Griff tells Ida. It is so cold in his bed that he is afraid to go to sleep, and he loves her very much of course.
He hopes that "you aren't in the bad books of your Mama for entertaining me after such a busy day" as he knows that "it must be an ordeal for her to have a host of people at once."

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff relays to Ida a slight cock-up he made when showing to his Auxiliary Fire Service shift. As no one was there yet, he let the manager (of the George and Dragon pub where they were based) that he would nip back to the office for a couple of hours. But had forgotten "the two lady helpers who were on from 4:00-8:00! They waited with anger until 9:10" when more regular volunteers showed up.
He asks her "did you hear the siren this morning?" He dismissed it and just went back to bed but he felt very sorry for her, being an Air Raid Precaution Warden.
He assured her that he got home safe from their date and says "oh darling, it is so hard to part and so very nice to say 'goodnight' - thought at one time the possible nearness of others filled me with vague alarm!"
He refers to a party or event at the Matthay School of Music and hopes he could see her after. He would like to take her to the cinema.
He's looking forward to the pension fund concert and doesn't mind sitting at the front row, "though I should be in a most frightful state of jealousy if I had to sit in front of you and G.A.H.!!"
He discusses playing chess and can't wait to see her.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff scribbles on the edges of his letter to Ida about plans to meet.
She is away at Colwyn and her sister dropped by the travel agents (but he was out) to arrange and then cancel transport for a trip. He deliberates on where to send Ida's letters to.
He's been to the ballet alone and "the theatre being packet to standing point" it was very popular, particularly Tchaikovsky.
He thought Constance Lambert was "looking like a large trained sealion." (Rude)
He went home "in a tram with hardly any lights, not black-out precaution, just fusing I guess."
He discusses wartime politics and the fallout of the First World War, confiscating territories from Germany and new unpopular alliances.
He relates work routines such as having the office boy Eric undertake "The Rite of Throwing Out the Dustbin" to a slow march.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff writes to Ida that he's looking forward to more walks like they had on Monday, "there is an added charm in the pleasantly unexpected, and I had almost made up my mind you would be out or otherwise engaged."
Her friends will be envious of her tan and she will attract attention from men on and off buses.
Lonely walks are good for thinking "but I didn't want to think particularly deeply about most things, being rather exhausted mentally for the time being."

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The "beastly" bus service loitered at the stop, which Griff gripes that he could have been spending that time with Ida instead.
He refers to a concert he's looking forward to with the Hallé.
He will definitely meet her on Tuesday or the time between now and when he sees her at the end of next week "is not to be endured."
He discusses going to the theatre with her and is glad she liked The Lambeth Walk from the film Me and My Girl. He admits to being a Lupino Lane fan.
He asks, "What is the cerebellum please?" and says "I hope Miss C[ollens] toddles in all well and sound and gives you a good chasing round on Friday and Saturday, though I suppose she will be weak and the boot will be on the other foot.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff thinks he may not be able to see Ida on Tuesday after all - we're not sure why.
He updates her on the Rummy League table and she is winning, and he wonders what he's going to do to get a wedding present to Connie when he doesn't know their address.
He's been to a concert and challenges her to guess the piece he heard based on his notation. Anyone know it? I'm hopeless so feel free to guess.
He's had a lovely evening with the radio on, updates her on his work at the travel agency and writes about cricket.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff writes to Ida apologetic that he almost lost her letter that he usually keeps in his jacket pocket.
He's having his tobacco pipe fitted with a new stem and is "expecting it to look quite elegant."
He thanks her for Thursday and remarks that "a little rain cannot dampen your spirits."
They are both keeping an eye on their weight but he assures her "those scales lied if they said you were fat."
He promises the waitress he saw wasn't as pretty as her.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff writes to Ida reviewing his week according to R.H. Naylor's Tendencies for Everybody. Naylor was the inventor of sun signs in astrology and published his predications in newspapers in 1937.
Griff hopes the concert in January will go well is hopeful that Edward Kilenyi will perform well and reckons that Richard "Tauber is really very good technically, but I do like the Italian style better."
Griff is taking an indoor cigarette break to write to her, as he has given up smoking outside.
He gives his opinion of a concert they attended but "I enjoyed also the rude to Lapwing Lane [her house] and the supper, rather more than the concert really."
With more traffic now around Didsbury, he asks her to be extra careful on her walks.
He urges her to take it easy and not to write such long letters when he knows she's at the end of term at the Matthay School and it's so busy. "You may write with chalk on brown paper for all I care, so long as you do write," but that writing so much when she's busy "is sheer disobedience (thank you very much for being disobedient this time)."
She is going to see "The Amazing Dr Clitterhouse" at the Rusholme Theatre. He hopes she screams the house down so that they are forced to do renovations.
The Hallé choir are singing new music, "new or newish music is always popular with the Hallé, just a little exercise in sight reading - and some of them are very hot indeed."

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

This is Griff's handwriting - is he practicing his singing? Or just... why would you copy out some opera? And then send it to your girlfriend. Like, Aida is a *sad* story. Anyway, there it is.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff updates Ida on the card game score board. Although playing whist on a rummy night is "almost like playing baseball at Lord's."
He's working at Huddersfield at the moment and laments the commute.
He discusses the music on the radio and their cricket plans. He's like to subscribe to the NSM's Old Student Association magazine, "I have spent hours at Central reading room looking at all the queer periodicals run by various societies. Every trade, profession and crank movement has its magazine, and some are very funny (to me)."

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff writes to Ida thanking her for sending him the Old Students Association magazine of the Northern School of Music. "It is great and I laughed only once out of place, thereby showing rather bad taste, too - the Births, Manage, Deaths."
He refers to Hilda Collens' content in the magazine, saying "there are surely two kinds of efficiency, a 'nice' kind and a rather domineering, 'bossy' sort, and I know you aren't the latter."
He then gets a bit obsessed with quoting long passages from A.E. Coppard's Ninepenny Flute.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

They are going to see Madam Butterfly but it's selling out fast. He discusses the cast and mentions that he is hoping to "prepare some nice notes for you" of Figaro. Ida may be called to play in the Madam Butterfly orchestra and he hopes it doesn't interfere with their date night.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Remember when the RNCM was German for a bit?
Yeah no idea either but they even changed the signs in the building, like Konzerthalle instead of Concert Hall.
If anyone remembers this then do let me know, I'd love to learn more, especially dates!

Ref: RNCM/P/7

Griff tells Ida that he's been for a walk during a lull in the storm "the 'raiders passed' went soon afterwards" and was delighted with the calm weather. "I had assured the family it was far too rough for any Tricks from Abroad!"
We learn that Ashton used to have six railway stations and that one had a service that dropped him very close to home in Fallowfield.
He's practiced cello and then singing at work but now keeps getting interrupted by the war. "I simply wasn't conscious of a raid being on! (There is a wailing sound; I am going to be interrupted; I am interrupted! All my train of thought is ruined.)"
He's played cards with his family and remarks "that was the last of the two 'all clears' so I might have a moment of peace."

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff updates Ida on his busy working hours, even taking work home. He's listened to the Damnation of Faust on the radio, "and dashed good it was." He's also learned of a new composer, Dorothy Howell. Howell was a student of Tobias Matthay, who was also the teacher of the founder of the Northern School of Music Hilda Collens. He thought her work "very interesting."
He's feeling fit and cheery but "about my private life I feel rather less happy, being more than an trifle deprived of the society of nice girls." Not that he's been spending time in the company of "nasty (or horrid) girls" he assures her. He fancies going for a walk with her but it being nearly midnight he reckons he should probably go to bed instead.
He references a book by H Robinson (not sure who that is), saying that it is so popular that she will have to keep it "at the School until the possibilities of the book have been exhausted by the youngsters of next term, an unofficial library."
His teasing paranoia of her dating policemen rears, "it is such a log time since I saw you last or wrote to you, and the air is so thick with policemen that anything might have happened."
He invites her for a walk or the cinema.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Griff would rather Ida write to her on anything she can get her hands on than not write to him at all. "Can't recommend carving on stone as in the days of long ago, for it would be very slow work and rather expensive to send through the post, There is such a mode as delivering in person, but you might be tempted to throw it." Good point.
He updates her on routine and tells her that she makes it much more liveable, giving him something to look forward to.
He mentions films they could see and that he dreamt that he met "in Paris, of all places. Remember offering to show you around (which is pretty good, for I would hardly find my own way around)."

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Oookay

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Ida is away and he hopes she is getting sunshine in Cornwall. He's been to the cricket but didn't get to catch his friend there. He's not going to make it to the Night Club - playing cards with friends - "for duty calls me to Oldham office."
"I hope will take care not to go to School and do a lot of work."
He assures her that "of course you didn't writes 'a lot of drivel'; I can't show you, only you seem to have a penchant for screwing things into tiny balls and chucking them about."
He updates her on friends and that "Miss Collens telephoned some days ago asking for information, and sounded dashed pleased with herself; she seemed calm and unhurried and my previous impression of her was that she seldom exercises these qualities."
He ends by discussing books, cinema and their plans to meet.

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3 GG
With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust
Date is unknown.

Part of the #NSM2020 project "A 20/20 Legacy: the centenary of the Northern School of Music" supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.