GERAINT'S STAY AT LOWER FARM DAGNALL HERTFORDSHIRE PART 4
Joan How's Visit to Lower Farm Part 4
Within this discipline of gardening and writing Geraint Goodwin was to produce three short stories, ‘A Woman in the House’' (later re-titled ‘’The Young Bull'') ‘’The Old Folk in the Dead Houses'' and ‘There Binna No Spring'' (later to become ’'Late Spring') Whilst working on ‘The Heyday in the Blood’' his writing became hindered by iritis and it was before Christmas 1935 that he was able to recommence his work. During what must have been a very difficult time healthwise, he wrote with such fervour that his pencil was worn to a stump. His letter to Sidney Campion 1st July 1936 relates ‘’There was no pencil holder in the village. At this crisis the village grocer loaned me a sweet pea holder which, fixed on the stump, enable me to finish the last chapters.'' As I read this letter to Doris Munn she said at once '‘That would be George Norman, the grocer.’' A collection of short stories, including ‘’Janet Ifans' Donkey'' was published under the title of ‘’The White Farm'' in March 1937, within 10 months of ‘’The Heyday in the Blood''. Geraint's mother visited in 1936 over Christmas and this visit was to form the idea for his next novel ‘’Watch For The Morning'' in which she features as Menna. Through the character of Menna Geraint was able to depict his mother's strong character, and love of all things connect to nature. Since my visit to Lower Farm in July 2010 I have had the opportunity to meet Myfanwy Lumsden nee Goodwin, and we talked of her time at Lowr Farm. Although very young when at the farm she could remember that there was no electricity just oil lmaps, and that she managed to singe her hair when leaning over one too far. The family car, a Morris Coupe was another memory. Iy had an open top which caused many a problem for her mother Rhoda's working clothes. Geraint used to run Rhoda to Berkhampstead railway station every day to catch her train to London, once, unfortunately, the birds had nested in teh car overnight leaving white droppings all over the seats! Another memory is of her father so engrossed with his gardening that the young Myfanwy would be forgotten, enabling her to wander out of the farm yard and into the road. But I feel her most endearing memory is of visiting Whipsnade Zoo where Geraint was friendly with one of the zoo keepers, the little Myfanwy beign hoisted onto her father's shoulder and feeding a biscuit to a very tall giraffe.
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