Read Iris Online
Authors: John Bayley
2. Iri’s father, the nicest and kindest of men – Iris adored him. Iris and her father and mother formed a trinity of equals.
3. Iris taking her mother to the ceremony at which she was made a Dame of the British Empire (©JackSing).
4. In the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.
5. Iris, at Cedar Lodge in 1959, contemplating her flowers – but she is not really much of a gardener.
6. Iris and Honor Tracy outside Cedar Lodge. Honor was a great friend, always combative and ready for an argument.
7. Reynolds Stone on Steeple Aston pool, around 1960, calm and contemplative as ever. Reynolds loved rivers, springs and the sea.
8. Janet Stone wearing my cap – she loved dressing up and often wore a sort of Edwardian costume.
9. Summer 1962 at the Old Rectory, Litton Cheney in Dorset, home of Reynolds and Janet Stone – a magic place, away from the world.
10. Cedar Lodge in 1965 – it became less respectable looking later on.
11. At the Villa Serbelloni, Como, Italy, in 1965 – the time of my first fishy mistake.
12. With the Buddhists – Iris always admired them. This was before the days of Peter and Jim . . .
13. Elizabeth Bowen by André Durand, 1969 (national Portrait Gallery)
14. Iris and J. B. Priestley at his home at Kissing Tree House, Stratford. Jack was the perfect uncle figure.