Bryan Fox explains why the Mancunian Way flyover in the city centre of Manchester has a curve in it.

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

Bryan Fox describes the attitude and atmosphere of the Royal Northern College of Music's first year.

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

Bryan Fox talks about helping to create the Royal Northern College of Music from John Manduell's living room. Manduell was the first principal of the college.

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

Bryan Fox talks about Ida Carroll's character. Ida Carroll was a student, then secretary and then principal of the Northern School of Music before becoming Dean of Management at the Royal Northern College of Music.

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

Bryan Fox talks about ordering the pianos for the new Royal Northern College of Music. The RNCM was created in 1972 from the amalgamation of the Royal Manchester College of Music and the Northern School of Music.

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

Official magazine of the Northern School of Music, covering the academic year 1965-66.

Official Magazine of the Northern School of Music, covering the academic year 1967-68.

Official Magazine of the Northern School of Music, covering the academic year 1968-69.

Official Magazine of the Northern School of Music, covering the academic year 1969-70.

Official Magazine of the Northern School of Music, covering the academic year 1970-71.

Envelope sent to Ida Carroll's address in Didsbury, Manchester. It contained many photographs, which made up part of the collection digitised by the RNCM.
(Date estimated)
From Ida Carroll's personal collection.

Ref: CARROLL/11/7/1

With thanks to the Ida Carroll Trust

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 same bus that Geoffrey Griffiths takes is both horrible and sweet - depending on whether it's taking him towards Ida Carroll or away from her.
Before her, he never knew what kisses "could do to a man".
"I love you, you lovely and fascinating and exciting girl."

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.

After leaving Ida Carroll that night, Geoffrey Griffiths was "rushing home early all to no purpose; unless it be to provide more time to write to you, for here I am waiting for the sirens to sound."
He's practiced his chess playing with his father and would play Bridge with Ida, "when I can't just be alone with you, and just being alone with you is quite the nicest thing in the world."
He would like to take her to "Pride and Prejudice at the Old Didsbury for I heard you say you wanted to see it and I believe it's awfully good."

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths doesn't like leaving Ida Carroll so early but "the days we live in at present" mean it was time for him to go - probably referencing wartime.
He liked her dress and admits to admiring everything she wears although he's not the best at describing it.
He wishes he was on his way to see her now instead of just returning home.

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.

After many "I love you" declarations to Ida Carroll, Geoffrey Griffiths philosophises that "no weekend ends in memory, nor the other days when I see you, but I do resent their ending in calendar-fashion."
He has played Auction Bridge and then "Acuction Solo" where he "won a mythical" game "during the second warning." Possibly an Air Raid Precaution warning?
He's got a new winter coat but forgot stationary so has been reusing the envelopes Ida has used to write to him.
He details his plans for meeting her, depending on a "if a warning catches 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.

"I often wish I had kept a diary or journal of some kind," starts Geoffrey Griffiths, "so around about 1926 would be the time when you first bowled me over completely - and you have never ceased to do so since." They would have been about 16/17 then.
He is distrustful of people, he admits, due to meeting such a "strange assortment" working in the travel office. After a short cut in of anti-Semitism, he admits that when he first met her father Walter in the travel office years ago, he thought here "is a man with a good heart." Walter invited him to join his choir at Birch Church and he did, meeting Ida, "to my everlasting joy and many incredibly happy times."
He wishes he had left the Stanton agency years ago, "I feel more than ever that I haven't 'arrived' anywhere, and it is high time I had." Little did he know that just after WW2, he would take up the role of Bursar at the Northern School of Music, where Ida was secretary.
He wishes to take her to see "Melody of Youth" at the Capitol Theatre cinema.
He's bouncing between agency offices at the moment, all with different closing times - Ashton, Altrincham, Oldham and Stockport.

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths says to Ida Carroll that the "Hallé programmes are nice" and he hopes he can attend some as he is not booked for Auxiliary Fire Service shifts much lately. He's like to got to the Brahms concert but sees no reason why he couldn't attend any she wanted to go on - unless she plans to go with her friends. He'd love to see her in Ashton-under-Lyne after he finished work, perhaps they can get tea and buns before heading 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.

Geoffrey Griffiths is busy between serving on the Auxiliary Fire Service at Ashton and 13 hour shifts at the travel agency. That's a lot of hours. In the meantime he hopes Ida Carroll is able to relax on holiday and is getting a tan (to use a less racist phrase than him! Archives are full of historical cringe moments.)
He treasures the ashtray he gave her "my very own first present from you for keeps" - aside from the music and concert tickets she gave him.
She has sent flowers from her mother and has been promised a bunch of home grown roses from his family in return.
He writes a scribbled note to her, how much he loves her, while he's serving his shift at the Auxiliary Fire Service.

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.

It's 11:15pm and Geoffrey Griffiths wonders that Ida Carroll will be "on the old beat, or in the old shelter" about now - possibly on her air Raid Precaution patrol as local warden.
WW2 is getting in the way of bath time: "If that cad Hitler messes about until five tomorrow morning, I shall have a bath at 5:05. The ablutions were "dodged" almost cheerfully on our other raid nights (they were decidedly chillier than tonight) but now it is becoming no joke!"
He misses her and "this sitting up on duty business is bad all round; it keeps us apart sometimes, makes us (or me) tired and sleepy and encourages me to smoke too 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.

Geoffrey Griffiths assures Ida Carroll that he loves her even though he can't visit in the evenings/nights as he's working. She has had a "great indisposition" but we're not told what its nature is.
She's thinking about getting glasses, "horn-rims sound the very thing" he agrees. With the railway timetables now in small print he thinks he might do the same! (Possible wartime paper rationing could account for the smaller prints).
He urges her to take her time travelling and not to push herself.
He's enclosed something for her sister Elsa but it seemed to have made its way to her as it was not with the letter.

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 100% love letter star quality. Geoffrey Griffiths simply must write down how much he loves Ida Carroll, having only just got home from wishing her good night, " after loving you and being loved."

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths misses the time he used to have for long goodbyes with Ida Carroll.
On Tuesday he is scheduled to work at the Auxiliary Fire Service over night, "it is our Great Firewatching Art (i.e. Dart Throwing in the Bar Parlour until 2.00am but the other squads are just as crazy, in one way or another.)
He's expecting "to have our call-ups after July 1st" and he would hate to leave her but "the only cheerful thing about July 1st is that Early Training in Nice (we hope) weather is promised, rather than having to go on Oct 1st!"
The travel agency he works for is worries as they had not "taken any warning about training girls or older people!" when their regular staff is called to war service.

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.

It sounds like Ida's wartime service Air Raid Precaution patrols are getting harder. Geoffrey sympathises with his work on the Auxiliary Fire Service, "not content with calling me to real activity in Burnage for the first time on Tuesday, the same thing would happen in Ashton the following night."
He anticipates "a bumper order tomorrow" for tickets to Coventry so is writing them out in advance for "the Northern Aircraft at Ashton where there are several ex-Coventry men." Possibly the demand for Coventry is due to the blitz bombing of the city in November 1940 - maybe people stationed elsewhere need to return to their families?

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.

Geoffrey Griffiths hates having to leave Ida so early in the evening. However, he doubts he'd be able to stay overnight at her family home and sneak out in the early morning without being heard.
He references, rather dramatically, a "Black Monday" which may be the week of Ida's holiday when he won't be able to see her. He encourages her to rest, see friends, and "don't listen to too much music - and don't think about the school!"
At this time, Ida was second command at the Matthay School of Music (soon to be the Northern School of Music) and helping to lead a school through wartime must have been tough.

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.