1940s: Argyll and Felix Sturgeon
Their time at Kilquhanity
Argyll and Felix Sturgeon were one of the three couples jinvolved during the opening of the Kilquhanity House School the others being Nan Harrison and Arthur Edgar and, of course, John and Morag Aitkenhead. Although they had started out as both friends and ‘business partners’ of John and Morag. their relationship at Kilquhanity was both short-lived and controversial.
They left America in 1937 when Argyll was 47 and Felix was 40 (quite a difference in ages to John and Morag) They had already gone to Europe together in 1936 and subsequent years, visiting Paris, Rome, Spain and Morocco.
It is interesting to speculate why they moved from academic life in Edinburgh to joining up with John and Morag and setting up Kilquhanity School. Perhaps the fact the Argyll did not complete his PhD study is a factor. Their two boys, who had remained in the States were grown up. The War. Argyll was qualified to teach in Scotland but Felix had very few academic qualifications. She had passed the Cambridge/Oxford Exam whilst at High School and had also obtained a Certificate in the Teaching of Drawing. I understand she had a strong desire to teach drama and other creative arts subjects.
Nan Harrison wrote the following article for the book Kilquhanity’s Jubilee: Reflections and Creations: 1940 – 1990:
. . . . I was born in Castle Douglas and reared in Ayrshire, so I had a feeling of home coming. This was a bit upset by my first ever meeting that day with John’s proposed partners, Felix and Argyll, I suppose it would be called a culture shock now. …… That first New year party was mainly memorable for the effect of Argyll sloe gin had on everyone!
Aitkenhead family anecdotes regarding the Sturgeons are limited to:
‘The story was that Felix and Argyll refused to make a start in the morning until they had eaten their kippers.’
‘Felix used to swan around in long flowing dress with a cigarette in a holder or lie dramatically on sofas.’
Below is a transcript of a handwritten letter from John - who was still living in High Hapton - to Argyll and Felix. It is undated but must have been written either in August or September 1940, before the school opened. Its contents can be interpreted in a variety of ways.
Dear Argyll and Felix,
Having read your two letters tonight on coming home, the one first thing I want you to know is how much I feel you’re having the heavy end of things and how grateful I am and all. (sorry if this isn’t as legible as type.) However, we’ll be down soon. The 16th is about impossible really. Working up till night of the 15th leaves us no time. So hope you’re not too disappointed. But sure I think we should take kids as soon after that as you like. A pity Mary Miller can’t come at once. She said she’d have to work a month’s notice but I’ll write her tonight, maybe she could come earlier.
Sure that’s okay by us about the stove. Say these descriptions of it are priceless Felix. Crombie says he’s going to write the story of Kilquhanity, but you’re going to push him for time I reckon if you keep on like this. (now if I stayed away for keeps don’t you think a series of letters to the absent – ever shortly arriving co-director would make a darn good funny book?)
And about the cost of things. Early pupils will solve it and as well as that I’m asking for money for my venture, from sympathisers – four beggars of teachers in the system what can’t get out of it. They should help us. Pity have to change day-fee but I agree.
For God’s sake don’t kill yourselves in the actual hard physical work. I wouldn’t like to have to work without you and anyway I want some work to do – so you might leave some.
About Morag coming with me, I guess that’s o.k. We had really decided on that course because otherwise she would not have had such a convenient transport for Neill and his trappings – train to Dumfries probably. So all being well we’ll arrive together.
I’ll write Neill for any folks he can recommend.
20 (pounds) is a bit steep for day fees I’d say from 15 (pounds). Parents might help by coming and going a bit. Or no?
Leave the matter of radiograms till you see the Rey’s gramophone?
Say, we can easily tutor the George Brown boy. Languages from you folks; English and history from me (I mean these are our orthodox qualifications) … and I’ll take on to put matters across up to a fair standard.
I’ll have to try to see these Eurasian kids. The mother thinks we’re a bit far away but I must get into contact myself with her, never met or wrote her only heard from Crombie.
Have written the Mrs Knight.
Can’t say yet about china from Mary. She’s just newly out of bed having at last brought forth the man-child. But I am keeping that china in mind. Morag says tell the mother ‘no definite list but 3 of all underclothes and plenty woollens. Wellington boots, sandals.’
Enclose card from Boase. Keep it and we’ll talk about that refugee. I’ll use other addresses he gives.
Beds. I’ll ask our friend Todd (pacifist friend the ironmonger) here to get me particulars and might even have some beds here in time and bring them along with us,… that is single beds like that one I slept on at your house in Currie. Is this O.K.?
Blankets. I’ll do what I can. There are mills locally.
And thanks ever so much Felix for keeping us so well informed. You’re a brick. Guess you remember every single thing.
All the very best
John
First page of above letter
Argyll and Felix did not remain at Kilquhanity beyond two years and probably left after disagreements with John about how the school should function or develop, although there is no direct evidence to indicate how or why the relationship soured.Felix letter to Ted and his then wife Dorothe in America - 1941
There’s a lot of fun in dressing up the old tales with a lively lot of wisecracks inserted. You ought to have seen our ‘Cinderella’ at Christmas (given by the staff for the edification of Kids and Guests) with all roles reversed as to sex – John and Arthur as Ugly Sisters, Hugo as Cinderella and Felix as Prince Charming.The shoe-trying-on-episode was a Howl, climaxed by an unrehearsed triumph by Dashiell-the-Dog who wandered into the middle of the scene and seized the slipper (which had been temporarily dropped by Prince Charming after a futile struggle with the second Ugly Sister’s hoof). Dashiell walked proudly off with it, making a perfect exit! That Cinderella was pure farce. The Aladdin being done by the kids, will be much more serious. They like watching farce but when they play they like it ‘properly done’. (Conventional little blighters, children.)
This letter indicates Felix was enjoying many aspects of life at Kilquhanity both work and leisure. Sadly the letters that follow suggest unrest between staff members and a lack of support for a lot of what John was doing in these very early days in the life of the school. It is wise to remember that Scotland/Uk was at war, rationing was in place, money was very tight and that in all of this John was ‘finding his way’.
In 1940 – Felix wrote to Ted – son, (date unknown). Ted had been worrying about their safety in Scotland if the Nazis invaded. He wanted them to come back home though as it turned out they would not have been allowed back into USA. Below are extracts from this letter:
‘If there’s been a six week gap between this one (letter) it isn’t because they’ve been sunk, it’s because I haven’t written. Sorry. But there aren’t enough hours in the day and we’ve been so dam busy. Jam and jelly-making – you ought to have seen the masses of plums our four trees bore this year – as well as a fair crop of apples and gooseberries – innumerable and black and redcurrants. (no, silly – not all growing on the four trees – growing on their own bushes and things.) And then people coming to tea, especially over weekends – last Sunday 18 blew in – fortunately in relays so that we only had to wash cups and plates to be ready for the next – and the last one left at 9.30 the next morning.
And farewell parties and meetings and long-winded negotiations over the lease of the new place (Kilquhanity) and making a layout of the folder about the school and planning advertisements – you can see how letters don’t get written. Besides, I wanted to have some definite news about the new place before I wrote, and people just don’t do things in a hurry here. (only us!) Besides washing and ironing and meals and writing a detective story – which is nearly finished, by the way – and all the usual household things. So you see. And it isn’t that I’m not constantly thinking of you, bless you, because I am.
. . . . Yes, I did get the letter you wrote telling us something of the tough time you had before you landed that idiotic job writing comics. . . . Dorothe (Ted’s wife), I’m most everlasting thankful that you are in charge of him now and won’t let him tear into those ghastly twenty-odd hour stretches of turning out tripe.
. . . . Talking of tea, you know – we’re really doing remarkedly well in the matter of food. Prices are up, naturally, but there’s enough. If people come to tea they usually bring along a little chunk of butter or some sugar or tea or cake. It’s all very neighbourly. The butter shortage is annoying towards the end of the week when the ration is running low, and margarine is rationed, too.
Eggs have been sparse, they aren’t rationed but the distribution isn’t all it might be so that unless you’ know someone who knows someone who has hens’ you’re out of luck. We happen to be in the lucky category just now though. It’s interesting how you get on to things under these circumstances.
F’rinstance, a philosophic gardener we know – a great character, full of wisdom and a deep reader of old herbalists and ancient gardening books – has tipped us off to all sorts of ways to make things grow and to use unusual things in cooking. There’s a weed called ‘tushielaggie’ (this might be a made-up word to ‘impress’ the americans!) that grows wild in the garden and you can take the leaves and dry them and crumble them into a mossy green powdery form and roll them with your tobacco into cigarettes.
It makes the tobacco go ever so much further and doesn’t spoil the taste at all. . . . and we’ve brewed a grand beer from one of his recipes, using molasses and dried hops (or instead of hops you can use big marigold flowers) and a spot of malt and yeast. Carl says it is almost as good as the beer in Vienna!
Tussilago Farfara - Coltsfoot - a common weed in Scotland
. . . . Yes, there is still democracy here and its roots are very deep in this people. That is one of the reasons why we feel it is worthwhile to stay here and throw our small weight on its side. . . . We’re too apt to think of France as the cradle of liberalism and revolution, but if you red the old stuff you’ll find many of the ideas that flared up in France were lighted here. Voltaire’s letters show it, and the frequent allusions in French political pamphlets and literary letters show it.
George Washington was a good sample of it. I’m not meaning that the British are a Superior Race – (it’s the wrong’uns among them that think they are, and for the wrong reasons.) – but they’ve been conditioned more deeply and for a longer time than nay of the other Europeans to the notion that democracy and freedom are part of the air they breathe. They’re slow to move, but when they move it’s all together and with a solidity that is powerful.
Ted, her son, was to become a famous writer of Science Fiction – so perhaps the comic writing was part of his journey.
Argyll and Felix were part of Kilquhanity School from October 1940 until December 25th 1941 or thereabout. Although they had been part of the discussions and plans for this new school earlier in 1940 and they might have left just before Christmas 1941 we can surmise that their involvement with this new school was in the region of 18 months.
