Presents....

Diary of Peter Watkins, MD, FRCS. of the events of 6th - 8th March 1928. 

(By Paul Charles)

   Upon first arriving at George's newly refurbished hunting lodge in Wales it was not at all necessary to keep a diary of the events. After all, why would anyone want to make note of what happens at a simple dinner party for old friends? However after a few hours things did not appear to be what they seemed.

   The evening started reasonably well, I arrived at the Lamb & Flag in Rhayadar at around 5pm after a hellish 23 hour journey from Cornwall and met up with Cpt. Jeremy Norman-Taylor (Ginger), Lady Eleanor Mountbatten (Ellie) and Dr. Jonathon Vallance Stone (Jonnie), who were to join me as guests of George Huxley-Beaverbrook. We were to meet with George's butler Myles at 7pm so had a couple of hours to kill, which we did so by playing chess and consuming what turned out to be a rather large quantity of fine single malt. Jonnie introduced us to an acquaintance of his, Mr Farringdon 8.15pm and lead us to the Lodge- Nannerth-Ganol, a very remote place in the darkness.

   The weather did not hold to our favour, it was a very stormy night. The rain flowed down the roads like a river, and several rivers had burst their banks, flooding nearby fields. We rushed indoors and were shown to our rooms by Myles, who advised us that dinner would be served at 9.30. I washed, shaved and changed and made my way to the upstairs drawing room of the very impressive house.

   George had not yet arrived so I mingled with Jonnie, Ellie and Ginger. Jonnie passed a young maid on the stairs and told her that his jacket needed pressing and his shoes a good polish. She looked at him in utter disgust and told him to do it himself!! George really must get his servants into line. It wasn't until George arrived with is cousin Fiona Shortlands that he advised us that the insolent maid was in fact a guest of George's, Cecelia Wainwright- only the gal George and I were trying to fix Jonnie up with!!

   George introduced us to his other guests, Briony Cavanagh (a businesswoman by all counts! Lord what is the world coming to?), Edward Harper an RAF Gunner, Lloyd Webster a Fighter Pilot, and of course Fiona. Myles served sherry and I lit a pipe and relaxed until dinner.

     George had a very eerie photograph of his uncle Jonathon Huxley above the fireplace and he explained  to us that the lodge we were now in was completely gutted by fire in 1840 and that he had spent the past months refurbishing the place. (Jolly good job George!!) Myles informed us that dinner was now served and explained to George the one other guest, a Mr. William T. Brackner had not yet arrived. George suggested that we sit for dinner despite his absence, which we did.

  Dinner itself was a welcome feast. The first remove was a strange 'fruit' called a Melon, somewhat sweet but certainly refreshing. It was at this point that Miss Cavanagh noticed a strange smell of fish in the room, George could not explain it so we put it down to somebody having lots of 'thing' and not washing properly. Probably one of the commoners needing more umbrella treatment! Jovial banter flowed across the table as Mr Brackner arrived for the second course, a sumptuous fare of fresh roasted chicken, vegetables and the best roast potatoes I've tasted in a long while.

   Myles was certainly not up to scratch, though, glasses were left empty, even after I tipped him a rather generous £20/-/- to keep the wine and whisky flowing well!! During this course, George and Ellie agreed on a 50 Guinea wager that his Bentley could out-run Ellies plane in a race, Jonnie never being beaten by anything suggested he joined the wager by racing his fine new stallion against the two machines!! My money was on the Bentley. George brought-up the subject that his cousin Fiona had certain psychic abilities and often acted as a medium for seances - What absolute twoddle!- He suggested we hold a seance tonight in order to contact his Uncle Huxley. After the idea was Poo-Poo'ed by several of us, we finally agreed and Myles and Fiona went upstairs to arrange the drawing room for the occasion.