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[Page 111]
November 12
122.
Back from a short enjoyed route march. Reniscure a rather pretty little village – its square tent filled and the tracks duckboarded… a charming little church and a fine tree hedge around it and its clustering cemetry… One chateau – about 150 yards from the roadway – a high building of apse ends with two small knobby turrets breaking the highly pitched roof of slate… the avenue of old trees finely coloured – black skeletons and brown green patching of dying leaves.
A clear lovely early spring day and a warm sun.
123.
Two Ballets suggested themselves to my mind coming back… a Ballet of Autumn – hoary subject – its setting from the winding climbing road to Cassel… just on one of its abrupt turns a little back from the road, a white stucco formal chateau, somewhat suggestive of Georgian architecture by the high iron gateways a great weeping branching tree, black, and long festoons of rich red brown and madder leaves…. the chateau patch of white through the vivid colour. As we passed down the road slowly hobbled an old little woman, wrapt in a great black shawl and her face lovely as an old miniature.
November 12, 13
Then a Ballet of Madness, or Fear. A Darkened setting – the ballet in a twilight, a living freize of semi nude figures writhing fantastically as carvings of a Buddhist Temple.
Evening: early, but turning in. This afternoon to Reniscure villiage with Frank S. . The old stone chateau mentioned this morning inspected from end of avenue where it opens to the gardens in front…then we learnt it was 1st Divy Hqs. .. Met Les Ford and Johnny, they from the second chateau… a fine old brick building.. made a sketch of it, and then some rough outlines of the perfect little tracery windows of the church.. closed so no chance of the seeing of its inside.
To move off tomorrow.. stay here owing to road congestion, wether per foot, or by buss not known. Latest is though we are to buss the whole way – to somewhere by Abbeville, the transport to take the distance by stages…if Buss must try again for an outside seat.
ECUIRE/ November 13
124.
Somewhere in Picardy, about 20 miles from Boulogne.
Reniscure left early this morning – 7.30, and on arriving here after a full day of marching, the whole Ambulance at 4.30…
Billeted in a Farmhouse in a valley of autumn… and mud.