Posted by Iain on June 03, 2006 at 12:48:09 from 194.66.208.11 user Bulldozerman.
As told bv Peggy Tillinqhast
I went to Mr. Ransome's for tea. He and his wife welcomed us at the door, apparently very glad to see us. Then Mrs. Ransome took us all over the house. But the room I liked best was a room in which Mrs. Ransome kept her collection, which was china cats! Cat, kittens every-where! And so cute! Next we had tea. There was current cake, then Cadbury's chocolate biscuits, and a wonderful cake but very bitter frosting. After tea, I went out to look at the Thames. It was blazing with lights, and very pretty. Mr. Ransome was a fat man but he had a very thin face. He had on a grayish-brown vest, with a coat and trousers. He had a white moustache, and white hair. He had very kind eyes. After looking at the Thames, I read fairy tales till we had to go home.
As told by Nancy Tillinghast
On Dec. 2, Sunday, I went to Arthur Ransome's for tea. Mr. and Mrs. Ransome lived next to Putney Bridge, an underground station. They lived next to the River Thames. Just before tea Mrs. Ransome showed us all the pictures of cats on the wall. And she had lovely ornaments of cats on the mantle-piece. She had cats of all sizes. Big cats, little cats, and kittens. The things I had for tea were lovely. First I had bread-and-butter. Then I had biscuits. There was one kind that was all crunchy, which was covered with chocolate. Then I had another kind of biscuit that was yellow. It had yellow lines running to the middle. In the middle was the name of the company who made the biscuit. Then I had currant cake. Then I had another kind of cake which the frosting was rum, so I didn't like it. After tea Mr. Ransome lent me some binoculars. I went out on the balcony. I loved to look at the river with the boats. And through the binoculars I saw a train, full of lights, going across a bridge. It was beautiful, all reflecting in the water.
After that, the next thing I did was to lie before an electric fire and read fairy tales! The chapter was The Light Princess. The story was about a princess who lost her gravity when she was born. But the chapter was so long Mummy wouldn't let me finish it. And while I was there I noticed some small models of boats. There were Scarab, Death and Glory, Swallow, and Amazon. I don't know which boat I liked better.
I decided to study Mr. Ransome before I left. He looked quite different than I thought he did. He had a rather fat red face, with a moustache that had grown white with age. His head was bald, except for a fringe of white hair around it. He had sort of a round nose, and two twinkly eyes. I couldn't see his mouth because of the moustache.
I forget what kind of a suit he had on. I think it was brown tweed.
That's all I can remember now. Good-bye. The end.