14 June 1983
Dear Mrs Marshall.
Thank you very much for your letters: I am so glad I wrote to you, though I cannot add much more to your knowledge of Mr Lowry. In our short acquaintance, I do not remember speaking to him about his mother, except suppose a word of condolence. In his mother's last illness I understood him to be a recluse; but, as I have said, after her death we encouraged him to get out a bit. So I know nothing about her attitude to his painting; but it may well be that she encouraged him to keep on with his office work rather than try to make his living as an artist. I think I remember him saying that now that he was independent he might risk giving up his job, which I understood from him to be in a Surveyor's Office.
I must read Mrs Rohde's book again, in the light of yours; but my feeling is that, as what you write about Mr Lowry from your own experience is so important, both books were necessary. I suppose that they were in the end published at about the same time. I do not recall seeing the reviews of either. Did anyone review the books as a pair?
I am afraid that the Tyne is right off our beat, as we are fully stretched now in keeping in touch with our family in Hoylake, the Lake District and the West Country; but, if I do get a chance, I should certainly like to meet you and your Gallery. On the other hand, if you ever have occasion to come by car down the M1, we are a convenient last stop before London, less than 10 minutes from the Lutterworth - Harborough junction (just second on the right off the Harborough road). Then you could of course see my Lowry drawing.
My wife, Margaret and I are very sorry to hear about Mr Marshall's accident, and hope that summer, when it comes, may put him really right. And we are also very sorry about your difficulty in seeing: I make no apology then about typing this, an my handwriting is hard enough to decipher even by those without any visual handicap.
Yours sincerely
George Jager