Griff regrets leaving Ida to catch the bus as he ended up walking home instead. "If one disobeys in the matter of catching buses, one might as well do it on a large scale and not rush away to walk all the way home."
He writes late at night as he likes to give half an ear to the speeches on the radio but promises her his undivided attention. He mentions Italy joining the war and hopes that the Vatican City is not bombed "for they at any rate seemed to be for peace."
He relays how he ended up in Middleton by getting on the wrong train being so distracted by a novel he was reading. The first time he did that, he got on the wrong train after hearing Norman Allin sing at Belle Vue.

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.

A gorgeous description of Ashton-under-Lyne market area by Griff here. He comments on a Greta Garbo poster and thanks Ida that she "doesn't pluck your eyebrows and stiffen the lashes" like Garbo.
"Mr S. Junior told me much about the (alleged) pretty girls of Ashton, but naturally I am not interested in such matters, despite the adventures of Others with constables in the Air Raid Shelters." Whatever that means...
He's love to see her "fascinating" pyjamas "but cannot at the moment in all honour suggest how!"
He reassures her that when he's on his way home at evenings "I would never stand about during a raid and there is a beautiful shelter half way along Mauldeth Rd."
He asks if she could help his parents and aunt with odd things "when I go up" (to enlist presumably but it never works out that way for him), as they "are all three too old to chase about much."

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.

Whoever Tommy is, he's returned and Griff is delighted about it.
He then goes on to blame a dull book on his falling asleep on Sunday afternoon.

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 appears to have bought Griff a tobacco pipe and he is very impressed with its potential. He talks about the whist tournament at Birch church, followed by drinks, dancing and musical performances. He shares little anecdotes and conversations about the day and evening.
He discusses cinema options in Manchester.
He signs off "if all the youth and beauty assembled this evening at little Birch (or is it Big Birch?) I declare there would be non to equal you."

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 remarks on how hard Ida has to work when NSM principal Hilda Collens is away sick, "you become horribly overworked". When his boss is off however, "there is a certain postponement of Efficacy and Preparation Drives and so on!"
He wishes he could help. Little did he know that he would become the bursar of the school in 1945.
He compares seating arrangements in different cinemas across Manchester in a long preamble to asking Ida if she would accompany him to "test out the seating arrangements at the Rusholme Theatre?" Very cute,
His singing voice was on "pretty form this morning so I have hopes for Monday" and wishes to avoid the use of gargles "or other poisons".

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 of a verbal spar between himself and Mrs Lester. Both were enquiring as to how they bumped into each other out and about at the very suspicious hour of past midnight. After an unsatisfactory conclusion Griff apparently "leaves the vestry hastily but with dignity."
He describes a dream she featured in where he met her on the road for a walk.
He mentions some books and looks forward to seeing her at the Night Club to play cards. He finishes by praising her dresses.

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.

"Wednesday being one of those ridiculous days when I'm not privileged even to catch a glimpse of your in the far distance, I am relieving the feelings with written words."
He discusses her feather Walter leaving his Birch Church where he was choir master. "He has built Birch to the point when it has one of the best voluntary choirs in the world." He knows why he presses them so much - because they are amateur - but sometimes "I feel like chucking Birch and a good many more pleasant things and becoming one of Manchester's shop-owners or something and trying to make a packet (like Comrade Cottie)" Comrade Cottie? If anyone can make betters sense of that writing then I can do correct me.
He thinks he could get out of a rut if he could write successfully, a play or something. "A lot of money isn't really required, only more." But he sometimes "sinks into gloom."
He hopes Walter doesn't think himself too old for Birch. He got himself a chair after choir to save his feet and "it hurt a little for we have never known him to do that before." And "he has the spirit and interests of much younger men, and his ideas on church music are so sound."

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.

"Love + Travel" indeed! Griff writes to Ida that he loves her and is excited by her visit to Ashton-under-Lyne before Christmas to see him. He details her journey options. Pre-Google Maps level of planning.

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.

In this letter from Geoffrey Griffiths to Ida Carroll just before Christmas he mentions that he looks forward to "that especially long letter before the New Year" she would write to him. He begs for a "story of your life" letter and promises to destroy it after reading if she details her life for her.
He is trying to convince her that Boxing Day in the Lake District for fresh air is the best thing and arranges going to the cinema on New Years Eve, possibly to see The Drum. Possibly seeing George Formby in January.
It's deathly cold and church was sparsely populated, tempting a nip into the pub on the way home except he's not one for drink.
He jokes that "One or two of the Hallé gang have said wistfully to me that they would like Mr Rees for a regular Master of the Choir, so I am thinking of applying for the conductorship of the Matthay orchestra!! (Funny piece - not to be taken seriously)"
He signs off that he must attend to writing Christmas cards.

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.

Have a swinging Christmas, indeed!

Ref: CARROLL/IGC/3

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

A lovely little Christmas card from Hazel to Ida Carroll.

Ref: NSM/20

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 tiny (creepy) doll was a keepsake of the Carroll family, famous music educators of Manchester.

Ref: CARROLL/WC/12

The final concert of Northern School of Music's Junior School. A little note of farewell and planning advice by Ida to the students on the back.

Ref: NSM/20

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

"Der Freischütz" is an opera I haven't seen programmed before by the Northern School of Music, or the RNCM or RMCM for that matter but feel free to correct me.
It's a supernatural take of warning, with magic bullets, deals with the devil, drama and of course, more drama after that.
Again an A and B cast, with many students involved in the production.

Ref: NSM/20

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 programme sort of hangs between two schools: the Northern School of Music which programmed it with one of its most well-known alumna, Alfreda Hodgson - and the Friends of the Northern College of Music advertised on the back. The NSM ceased in 1972 to funnel its efforts into the new NCM, now the RNCM.

Ref: NSM/20

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

I *love* an annotated programme. A bit of extra history with the history. This one's just a printer's proof, hence the scribbles.

Ref: NSM/20

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 full words of Mozart's Requiem are printed here in the programme. Do you reckon anyone sang along? I think I would have tried. Badly. But points for (bare) effort.

Ref: NSM/20

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

Possibly the last orchestral concert of the Northern School of Music.

Ref: NSM/20

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

"An evening of Italian music" with a coffee break in the school's basement canteen. Of course with any Italian evening there must be opera so they've popped in some of Puccini's opera "La Boheme". A very kind addition of a narrator explaining what's going on in English before each item. Sounds delightful.

Ref: NSM/20

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

In its last year of existence, the Northern School of Music heads over to Salford for an other orchestral concert. A bit of a mistake on the programme, Wagner's work "Tannhauser" is listed as the composer itself!

Ref: NSM/20

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

A spring concert by the Northern School of Music. Again with the madrigal group - where are the Manchetser madrigal groups now?

Ref: NSM/20

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

A Christmas concert! Love a good Christmas concert, complete with sing-along. Irene Wilde, staff of NSM, conducts the concert. Fantastic to see female conductors in Manchester.

Ref: NSM/20

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

Nabucco, a biblical opera, performed by the Northern School of Music. I think this is the first opera by the NSM where I've seen two casts. Usually it's just the one cast but we've got an A and B cast here. Hence the sheer number of names in the programme!

Ref: NSM/20

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 Northern School of Music Junior School in 1971, with the steady support of the Barnardo's charity. Great to see another female composer being programmed, this time Dame Elizabeth Maconchy. She was the first woman to chair the Composers' Guild. The NSM was founded and run by women. A nice little nod to women musicians here.

Ref: NSM/20

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