Straight on Till Morning (54 page)
Read Straight on Till Morning Online
Authors: Mary S. Lovell
73
Bad 'Uns to Beat
, Guy Paget, Collins, 1936.
74
Extract from letter: Karen Blixen to her mother, 2 March 1930.
75
Interview with Mrs Doreen Bathurst Norman, Jersey, May 1986; and the writer's own experience.
CHAPTER 5
1
The Honourable Denys George Finch Hatton was born in 1887, the second son of the 13th Earl of Winchelsea and 8th Earl of Nottingham.
2
Doreen Bathurst Norman, telephone conversation, October 1986.
3
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen
, Judith Thurman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982.
4
Interview with Beryl Markham, Nairobi, April 1986. Beryl also hinted at a characteristic which other informants (among them Sir Charles Markham) had mentioned. âHe was something you wouldn't like,' she told me. âDo you mean he liked men and women equally?' I asked. âOh you knew, did you?' To me it seemed perfectly in line with Denys's extraordinary sensitivity but I felt that Beryl was disappointed that I was not shocked.
5
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen
, Judith Thurman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982.
6
Letter from Bunny Allen, July 1986.
7
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen
, Judith Thurman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1982.
8
African Hunter
, Bror von Blixen-Finecke, Cassell, 1937.
9
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen
, Judith Thurman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982.
10
Interview with Beryl Markham in Nairobi, April 1986. Asked for her opinion of the theory that Bror had infected Tania with syphilis, in view of Cockie Hoogterp's claims that it was not possible, Beryl responded, âHe had lots of other women you know, has anyone else ever complained of getting it from him?' This writer was unable to discover any other complaints. However this is not conclusive, for few women would have aired such a problem had it occurred. Nevertheless it is a point to consider.
11
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen
, Judith Thurman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982.
12
ibid.
13
Transcript of interview made with Mr Bunny Allen for the television documentary
World without Walls
, Kenya, 1984.
14
Inside Safari Hunting
, Dennis Holman, W.H. Allen, 1969.
15
Black Laughter
, Llewelyn Powys, Macdonald, 1953.
16
East African Standard
, 17 May 1931.
17
Out of Africa
, Karen Blixen, Penguin, 1984.
18
James Fox, âWho is Beryl Markham?',
Observer Magazine
, 30 September 1984.
19
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen
, Judith Thurman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982.
20
ibid.
21
ibid.
22
Silence Will Speak
, Errol Trzebinski, Heinemann, 1977.
23
The Gipsy Moth was a two-seater bi-plane built by De Havilland. It was the first light aircraft to gain âpopular' acceptance and did much to promote civil aviation.
24
Silence Will Speak
, Errol Trzebinski, Heinemann, 1977. After Denys's death his family accepted Tania, possibly because she formed some sort of link with Denys. She made many visits to their home and became a favourite surrogate aunt to the Finch Hatton children.
25
In
Silence Will Speak
Errol Trzebinski says this âgave a vital fillip to their relationshipâ¦In the way that a new child, whose birth is neither planned nor hoped for will sometimes postpone a rift in a foundering marriage, flying brought interest and a feeling of temporary peace.'
26
Out of Africa
, Karen Blixen, Penguin, 1984.
27
Percy Bysshe Shelley, âInvocation':
Rarely, rarely comest thou,
Spirit of Delight!
Wherefore hast thou left me now
Many a day and night?
Many a weary night and day
'Tis since thou art fled away.
Â
How shall ever one like me
Win thee back again?
With the joyous and the free
Thou wilt scoff at pain.
Spirit false! thou hast forgot
All but those who need thee not.
Â
As a lizard with the shade
Of a trembling leaf,
Thou with sorrow art dismayed;
Even the sighs of grief
Reproach thee, that thou art not
And reproach thou wilt not hear.
Â
Let me set my mournful ditty
To a merry measure;
Thou wilt never come for pity,
Thou wilt come for pleasure;
Pity then will cut away
Those cruel wings, and thou wilt stayâ¦
Â
I love Love â though he has wings,
And like light can flee,
But above all other things,
Spirit, I love thee â
Thou art love and life! Oh, come!
Make once more my heart thy home.
28
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen
, Judith Thurman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982.
29
ibid.
30
Interview with Mrs Doreen Bathurst Norman, Jersey, May 1986.
31
Out of Africa
, Karen Blixen, Penguin, 1984.
32
Mrs Doreen Bathurst Norman in telephone conversation, October 1986.
33
Interview with Mrs Doreen Bathurst Norman, Jersey, May 1986.
34
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen
, Judith Thurman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982.
35
ibid.
36
The Times
, 21 September 1936.
37
Out of Africa
, Karen Blixen, Penguin, 1984.
38
ibid.
39
ibid.
40
Interview with Beryl Markham, Nairobi, April 1986; and transcript of interviews with Beryl by film crew of the documentary
World without Walls
, Kenya, 1984.
41
ibid.
42
The Times
, 21 September 1936.
43
Hunters' Tracks: Great Men â Great Hunters
, J.A. Hunter, Hamish Hamilton, 1959.
44
ibid.
45
The Times
, 17 May 1931.
46
Hunters' Tracks: Great Men â Great Hunters
, J.A. Hunter, Hamish Hamilton, 1959.
47
Silence Will Speak
, Errol Trzebinski, Heinemann, 1977.
48
Interviews with Mrs Doreen Bathurst Norman, Mrs Sybil Llewelyn, Mr Ryan âBuster' Parnell, and others who wish to remain anonymous.
49
Silence Will Speak
, Errol Trzebinski, Heinemann, 1977; and
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen
, Judith Thurman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982.
50
East African Standard
, 16 May 1931.
51
Out of Africa
, Karen Blixen, Penguin, 1984.
52
Isak Dinesen: The Life of Karen Blixen
, Judith Thurman, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1982.
53
There is a story that Beryl was pregnant by Denys when he died and that she chose to terminate the pregnancy. This information was repeated by two separate sources, neither of whom would agree to their names being given here; and neither knew of the other's disclosure. I did consider omitting the incident. However it has been included here because of its obvious importance and because I was able to substantiate other things told me by the same people.
On numerous Ooccasions I came across a barrier whenever the subject of Beryl's relationship with Denys came up. Interviewees who had seemed willing to talk freely suddenly appeared vague, or said they weren't prepared to talk about it. This seems odd in view of the fact that over fifty years have now passed and attitudes towards sexual mores have changed. I was left with the distinct impression that there is still something about the affair which has not been told.
54
Telephone conversation with Doreen Bathurst Norman, October 1986.
CHAPTER 6
1
General; also George Bathurst Norman's tribute, 4 September 1986; interview with Jack Trench by team of television documentary,
World without Walls
, Kenya, 1984; article by G.D. Fleming, âPopular Flying', July 1936: âOnce I shot an 8 ft 4 in lioness beside our hangar and despite the six-foot ditch and barbed wire fence we often got game inside, and several times lions made their kills inside the aerodrome.'
2
The Times
, 21 September 1936.
3
Florence Desmond
, Florence Desmond, Harrap, 1953.
4
Pioneers' Scrapbook
, ed. Elspeth Huxley and Arnold Curtis, Evans Brothers, 1980.
5
Then and Now: Nairobi's Norfolk Hotel
, Jan Hemsing, Sealpoint, 1975.
6
Pioneers' Scrapbook
, ed. Elspeth Huxley and Arnold Curtis, Evans Brothers, 1980.
7
ibid.
8
Sport and Travel in East Africa
, compiled from the Prince of Wales's diaries by Patrick R. Chalmers, Philip Allan, 1934.
9
Interviews with Miss Florence Desmond, Surrey, March and June 1986; and
Florence Desmond
, Florence Desmond, Harrap, 1953.
10
ibid.
11
Interview with Beryl Markham, Nairobi, 1986.
12
ibid. Reconstruction based on what Beryl could remember and the writer's own experiences.
13
Beryl Markham's first log book; entries date from 11 June 1931 to 10 October 1934.
14
East African Standard
, various issues, 1930 and 1931.
15
Interviews with Beryl Markham, Nairobi, March and April 1986; and transcript of a filmed interview with Beryl Markham for the television documentary
World without Walls
, Kenya, 1984.
16
Information extracted from Beryl Markham's first log book.
17
Interview with Beryl Markham, Nairobi, April 1986.
18
Daily Express
, September 1936.
19
Civil aircraft are recognized by a âregistration number', consisting of a prefix and suffix. Each country has its own prefix â i.e. British civil aircraft carried the prefix GE initially, followed by three letters of the alphabet. Later the British prefix was changed to GA. The Kenya prefix was VP.
20
Mr John Dawson of Melton Mowbray in personal correspondence with the author. The purchase price of the Avian in 1928 was £600 âex-aerodrome'; but the price was later lowered to compete with the ubiquitous De Havilland Gipsy Moth which sold for £395.
21
Michael Cottar, 20 November 1931.
22
Interview with Mrs Cockie Hoogterp, Berkshire, 1986. Downdraughts generally occur near mountains in hot weather. They are invisible of course and can vary from annoying to extremely unpleasant. A light aircraft will fight to gain altitude but any gains the pilot is able to make are invariably lost in a series of alarming bumps.
23
Interview with Florence Desmond, Surrey, 1986, Tom had more silver trophies for his horseriding activities than for his flying.'
24
Campbell Black made the round trip between England and Kenya thirteen times between 1929 and 1934.
25
Paddy Migdoll, Buster Parnell and Sir Charles Markham were among many of Beryl's friends who were given the impression by Beryl that Tom had been âthe love of her life'. This view is not shared by Doreen Bathurst Norman who thought that Denys Finch Hatton had meant more to her. Beryl made the following statements: âWhen my beloved flew to England I followed himâ¦' Question: âDo you mean Tom when you say beloved?' âHim, yes â who else would I mean?' and (when talking of her transatlantic flight) âThen my beloved was killed and I went home quickly.'
