Letter from Ralph Vaughan Williams to Ralph Wedgwood

Dear Randolph
It was nice to get your letter - I haven't written because I had nothing particular to chronicle and because I knew you were happy. How jolly your country seat sounds - Maurice told me you had said something about it in a letter to him. Whereabouts is it? Is it near Howick - I'm afriad we're not going to Howick this summer - next Tuesday we go to Meldreth near Royston  till the beginning of August - it would be jolly to be near you then - but plans are necessarily vague for us - I hear Maurice & Lucy¹ are coming to you some time.
I've seen a lot of Maurice - indeed he comes round most mornings and smokes a cigarette while I am "working"!
Most of my time lately has been taken up getting my magnum opus² ready for Cardiff & Leeds - it does take a long time getting things from the nearly ready to the quite ready stage. I had a most amusing time at Leeds the other day - I went to take the chorus through it - first I was introduced in a little speech by the secretary and afterwards I was interviewed by the "Yorkshire Evening Post" - the young man begged me to tell him what my hobby was - when I assured him there was nothing interesting about me he said "except your face".
Finally I was taken to a hotel to wait for my train - and on the threshold I suddenly heard "Hello Master Williams" and found myself clapped on the back by two burly Yorkshire men - they turned out to be members of the chorus - they insisted on standing me drinks and one of them wanted to take me home with him - promising me a spare bed and a "Yorkshire steak" cooked by his wife!
Give my love to Iris - I like to think of the trailer but it would suit the flats of Cambridge better than the hills of Northumberland
Yrs vy affectionately
R Vaughan Williams

1. Maurice and Lucy Amos.
2. Toward the unknown region.