The Mad Boy, Lord Berners, My Grandmother, and Me (53 page)

Gardner, Juliet 170

Gardner, Lord 157

Gardner, Winifred Herbert, Lady Burghclere 157–8, 168–9

Garth (estate foreman at Faringdon)

Robert’s ‘outdoor’ boyfriend 292–3, 294, 318

description of 293–4

family background 293

marries a local woman 293–4

relationship with Victoria 300

his widow Betty and his daughter Susan attend

Robert’s funeral 348

his widow Betty given lifelong tenancy 364

Gaury, Gerald de 198, 283

comment on Ibn Sa’ud 188–9

description of 188

as explorer, orientalist and diplomat 188

involved in intelligence work 188, 189, 196

takes Robert to the Arabian peninsula 188, 189, 195–200

takes numerous photos of Robert 196

as close friend of Robert in later life 200

Georgian Group 82

Gide, André 67, 271–2

Goncharova, Natalia 36

Gordon, General Charles 15

Gorky, Maxim 144

Gottfried, Dr 270

Gould, John 85

Birds of Great Britain 18

Grainger (Pekingese) 104

Gramophone magazine 39–40

Grand National 97, 98

Grant, Duncan 136

Gravestock, Mel 391, 397

Green, Henry see Yorke, Henry

Green, Martin, Children of the Sun 63

Greene, Graham 183, 190

Guinness, Bryan, Lord Moyne 116–17

Guinness, Diana see Mosley, Diana Mitford

The Halfway House (film, 1944) 256

Hall, Radclyffe, The Well of Loneliness 112

Hansford, Pauline 201

Harpers & Queen 302, 368–9

Harris, Alexandra 92

Harris, Jack (bandleader) 177

Harrod, Dominick 243, 262

Harrod, Henry 243, 262

Harrod, Roy 203–4, 206, 221, 269

Harrod, Wilhelmine ‘Billa’ Cresswell (1911–2005)

description of 203

marriage to Roy Harrod 203–4

as close friend of Gerald 204, 284

as inspiration for Fanny in The Pursuit of Love 204

comment on Clarissa Churchill 206–7

comment on Robert’s discharge from the Army 214

delighted at ménage à trois at Faringdon 243

comment on Gerald’s being nice to babies 251

comments on ‘poor Jennifer’ 262–4

moves to Oare House 262–3

comments on Michael Luke 264, 265, 273

comment on Gerald’s ballet Les Sirènes 269

as regular visitor to Faringdon 269, 291

asked about Victoria’s possible father 376

furious at being asked about Victoria’s biological

father 376

Havelock, General 5

Heber, Reginald, Bishop of Calcutta 55–6, 57, 239, 374

Heber, Richard (d. 1835) 57

Heber-Percy, Alan (1907–1934)

good-looking and disreputable 51, 62, 66–7

joins the Scots Greys 62

death of 98

Heber-Percy, Alan (1935–1998)

helps Rosa with accommodation and work 341, 367

description of 344, 346

disinherited by Robert 344, 346, 357, 366

as shareholder and manager of Faringdon Farm 344, 357–8

helps to scatter Robert’s ashes 359

bought out of the Berners Estates Company 366–7

makes sure that Jack Fox retains shooting rights for

life 367–8

death of 388

ashes scattered at Faringdon 390

Heber-Percy, Algernon (1869–1941)

character and description of 51, 52

as semi-invalid 51

as harsh parent 54–5

dislike of alcohol 56

appalled at Robert’s lifestyle 70

death of 218

Heber-Percy, Algernon ‘Algy’ (1904–1961) 50–51, 62, 218

Heber-Percy, Algernon (b. 1944) 53, 57, 382–3

Heber-Percy, Cyril (b. 1905)

fanatical animal lover 51

comment on his parents 52

comment on food at breakfast 56

comment on Robert’s liking for reading and

painting 57

comment on Robert’s madcap schemes 61

becomes master and huntsman of a pack of

hounds 62

given Alsatians by his brother Alan 62

comment on reason why Robert resigned his

commission 64–5

visits Robert in his barracks 214

at Robert’s funeral 347

Us Four (memoir) 52

Heber-Percy, Dorothy Lygon see Lygon, Dorothy ‘Coote’

Heber-Percy, Gladys May Hulton-Harrop (d. 1956)

description of 50, 51, 52, 300

family background 51–2

dressed Robert as a girl 53

as harsh parent 53, 54–5

opens Hodnet Hall as convalescent hospital 56

relationship with Robert 57–8

writes grovelling letter to Stowe 59

concerned at Robert’s Mad Boy lifestyle 65, 70

forbids Alan to return to Hodnet after married

woman scandal 98

as visitor to Faringdon 156

at the marriage of Robert and Jennifer 236

relationship with her granddaughter Victoria 300

Sofka stays in Gladys’s old sitting room and study at Hodnet 382, 383

Heber-Percy, (Ann) Jennifer (Evelyn) Fry (1916–2003)

dislikes Faringdon 2, 8

leaves white wicker handbag behind when leaving

Faringdon 3

portrait of 3

1943 photograph of 6, 7

character and descriptions of 7–8, 10, 157, 164–5, 171, 176, 243

as visitor to Faringdon 156, 185, 336, 337–8

family background 157–61

relationship with her father 159, 164–5, 171, 172, 173, 181, 241–2

childhood 161–7

relationship with her mother 161–2, 164, 171, 175, 230–31, 244–5, 249–50, 254–5

short autobiographical story by 161, 171

education 167–8, 172–3

becomes aware of parents’ relationship 171–2

social and sexual encounters 173–6, 178–85, 233–4, 264–5, 272–3, 275–7, 278–9, 296–7, 338

has a London season 176–7

photo album 183–5

effect of the war on 200–202

wartime employment 201

love of music and literature 202

in Oxford during the war 202–3, 207, 231

meets friends in Heywood Hill bookshop 226

lives life to the full in wartime London 231–5, 255

marries Robert 235–8

pregnancy, birth and christening of Victoria 238, 240, 243, 245–6, 248–50, 252–4

role at Faringdon after her marriage 240–46, 254

rejected by Robert 241

refuses to meet Diana Mosely at Faringdon 257

separates from Robert and moves back to Oare 260–65

undergoes psychoanalysis 261–2

reaction to death of her friend Primula Niven 274

divorced from Robert 275

accidentally leaves Victoria in Harrods 277–8

marries Alan Ross 279–82

birth of her son Jonathan 295

failure of her marriage to Alan 295–9

helped Alan in his literary endeavours 295

friendship with Deirdre Craven Connolly 297–8

health of 297

dislikes getting older 336–7

looks after Pixie 336–7

hosts party at Clayton for Sofka 358–9

lets slip that Robert was not Victoria’s father 375–83

death of 388

Heber-Percy, Robert Vernon (1911–1987)

character and descriptions of 2, 7, 10, 11, 54, 57–8, 61, 63–4, 74, 77, 153, 183–4, 241, 242–3, 313, 317

nicknamed the Mad Boy 2

welcomes his granddaughter and her mother to Faringdon 2–9

1943 photograph of 6, 7

death and funeral 9, 346–9

meets Gerald at Vaynol 11–12, 70–73

birth of 32, 50

family background 50–53, 57

dressed as a girl by his mother 53

education 53–4, 59–61

subjected to strong parental discipline 54–6

portrait of 59

leads a madcap life of decadent pleasure 61–3, 65–73, 317

joins the Army 62–4, 206, 213–14

asked to resign his commission 64–5

homosexual life and loves 67–9, 265–7, 317, 320, 336

brief engagement to Kathleen Meyrick 68–70

relationship with Gerald 74, 76–81, 89, 241

tries to commit suicide 78

takes up hunting 80–81

involved in local country life 90, 92–94

rides in the Grand National 97, 98

as superstitious 97–8

youthful friendships 99–112

dislike of Cecil Beaton 106, 323–5

relationship with Peter Watson 108

political views 120–24

believes the Folly was a 21st birthday present 132, 134

possible rift with Gerald 135

friendships and sexual involvement with women 137, 144, 155, 240, 318, 320–23

given ink drawing by Picasso 137–8

as Kit Lambert’s godfather 150

in charge of estate matters 153–4, 242

accompanies de Gaury to Saudi Arabia 188, 189, 195–200

involved in espionage 196, 200

letter to Gerald on his Arabian experiences 196–8

prepares a list of suggestions for Gerald to follow

in wartime 198–9

referred to as Gerald’s ‘agent’ 207–8

returns to Faringdon 214, 215

antipathy towards Clarissa Churchill 217–18

involved in Gerald’s play The Furies 234

marries Jennifer 235–8

relationship with Jennifer 241, 250, 278–9, 283, 300–301

health of 244, 245, 338–9

delighted with his daughter Victoria 248–9, 278–9

joins the Auxiliary Fire Service 256

separates from Jennifer 260, 263

relationship with Hugh Cruddas 265–7, 292–3, 312, 314

divorces Jennifer 275

looks after Faringdon and Gerald in his final

illness 283–7

feels lost without Gerald 287

furious with Peter for playing the piano at

Faringdon 304–6

asks Victoria and the children to join him on a

cruise to South Africa 308–9

life at Faringdon after Gerald’s death 310–20

allows elderly traveller to camp near Faringdon 313–14

enjoys foreign travel, particularly to Africa 313, 315, 322

love of controversy and tendency to shock 313–14, 315, 317, 330, 331, 339

takes over undertaker business 315

continues to welcome guests to Faringdon 317–20

celebrates Gerald’s musical and literary legacy 322, 394

relationship with Sofka 327–35

invites Jennifer to Faringdon 336–8

marries Coote Lygon 339–42

leaves Faringdon to Sofka 343–5

uncertainty as to his being Victoria’s biological

father 375–83

gives the Folly to Faringdon town 393

Heber-Percy, Victoria Gala see Zinovieff, Victoria

Heine, Heinrich 37

Helpmann, Robert 147, 150

Hemingway, Ernest 151

Henry VIII 41, 251, 353

Hepworth, Barbara 205

Herbert, David 267

Herbert, George, 5th Earl of Carnarvon 158

Herbert, Henry, 4th Earl of Carnarvon 157–8

Herbert, Lady Herbert 157–8

Herbert, Lady Victoria ‘Aunt Vera’ 167, 248

Herbert, Winifred see Gardner, Winifred Herbert

Hess, Myra 234

Heygate, John 170, 170n

High Bohemia 67–70

High Numbers (rock band) 319

Hill, Anne 226

Hill, Heywood 226, 254

Hitler, Adolf 119, 120, 123, 124, 186, 261

Mein Kampf 119, 356

Hobdell, Roy 291

Hodnet Hall (Shropshire) 32, 50, 50–56, 58, 64, 76, 98, 135, 382

Hoffman, Mrs Eleanor ‘Margot’ 112, 224

Hogarth Press 219

Holding (gamekeeper at Hodnet) 54

Holiday, Billie 202

Holst, Gustav 168

Horizon literary magazine 107, 182, 205–6, 232–3, 283

Hornbuckle, Patricia (housekeeper at Faringdon) 386

Horrocks, Samuel 356

Horrocks, Sarah 356, 368, 388

Howard, Brian 183, 232

Hulton-Harrop family 51

Huxley, Aldous 128

Ibn Sa’ud, King 188–9, 196

Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain 1942 227–8

International Surrealist Exhibition (London, 1936) 140–41

Jackson, Derek 104, 122, 254, 257

Jackson, Vivian 122–3

James, Edward 90, 139–40, 143, 270, 283

James, Henry 79

John, Augustus 296

‘John Knox’ (bird of Paradisaeidae family) 85

Johnson, Celia 168

Johnson, Ken‘Snake Hips’ 201

Johnston, Nicholas ‘Nicky’ 329

Johnston, Susanna 329

Kaye, Florence ‘Mouse’ 149–50

Keene, Mary 276

Keppel, Alice 44

Kinnoull, Mary Meyrick, Countess of 69

Kipling, Rudyard 171

Knox, John 85

Koestler, Arthur 232

Kretschmer, Edmund 28

Lamb, Henry 108n

Lamb, Lady Pansy 108n

Lambert (butler at Faringdon) 84

Lambert, Christopher ‘Kit’ 150, 319–20

Lambert, Constant (1905–1951)

comments on Gerald’s use of wit in music 37, 38

conducts Gerald’s ballet A Wedding Bouquet 147

writes music for Diaghilev 147

description of 148–9

friendship with Gerald 148

as Sitwell protégé 148–9

crisis in his marriage to Florence Kaye 149–50

as legendary reciter of Façade 149

health of 150, 187

as regular visitor to Faringdon 150, 159, 283, 379

relationship with Fonteyn 150

visits the Gargoyle Club 232

death of 319

Lancaster, Osbert 93

Lane, Philip 322, 394

Larkin, Philip, Jill 206

Las Pozas (Mexico) 140

Laughter in the Dark (film, 1969) 313

Laura, Duchess of Marlborough 323

Law, Andrew Bonar 159

Law, Freddie 286

Law, Mrs (cook at Faringdon) 216

Lees-Milne, James (1908–1997)

comment on the Princess de Polignac 223

travels round England on behalf of the National

Trust 225

comment on Jennifer’s ‘accident’ when laughing uncontrollably 255

comments on his visit to Faringdon 258–9

excoriating description of Jennifer’s party 275

Lehmann, John 280, 295

Lehmann, Rosamund 276

Les Six (Auric, Durey, Honegger, Milhaud, Poulenc, Tailleferre) 44

Lewis, Rosa 65–6

Listener 288

London

Gargoyle Club (Soho) 7, 183, 231–2, 263