Phillip Hunt recalls his association and friendship with Cornish academic, historian and author, Alfred Leslie Rowse CH FRSL (1903 – 1997)
It was in 1980, soon after I had joined The National Trust to manage their Retail Shops in Cornwall, that I first met A L Rowse. I was called to our Regional Office Reception to be told by Dr Rowse that I would of course, like my predecessor, be happy to stock copies of his many books, which he himself would provide, and deliver direct to the shops.
As it happened, I had long been an admirer of his work and as he was prepared to supply his books on generous terms, saw an opportunity for us both to benefit from increased sales. At that time publishers were having a difficult time and anxious to clear stocks. Dr Rowse in his usual shrewd way had an agreement that he would purchase any surplus copies of his own titles at a very advantageous price, which he stored in bulk at Trenarren, his home near Black Head.
With his car boot fully loaded with books he would then sally forth around Cornwall to persuade any book shop he passed to purchase copies of whichever books he happened to have with him, out of the over one hundred titles that he had published during his lifetime.
In the run up to Christmas 1981 I asked him to carry out some book signing appearances at National Trust shops, to which he readily agreed. So began many years of such events, which built up a regular following, when book purchasers were treated to impromptu lectures on any subject which cropped up.
By this time I had also been invited to take tea at Trenarren and so had begun what became for me a treasured friendship not only with Dr Rowse but also with his housekeeper, Phyllis Cundy, a doughty lady of immense charm and patience. After tea my wife, who often accompanied me, would be banished to the kitchen to talk to Phyllis, whilst I would be willingly subjected to what AL called a tutorial. This would range widely over many subjects, usually connected in some way to Cornwall of which he had an immense knowledge. Often, he would talk of people he had known, many like Sir Arthur Quiller Couch, John Buchan or Ralph Vaughan Williams, particular heroes of mine. It was fascinating to hear first hand about them and be able to relate them so much more to their published work.
I soon began to realise that the public image of Leslie Rowse as an irascible, sometimes arrogant man was not entirely the true picture. Behind his frequent berating of ‘third raters’ was a man with a mischievous sense of humour, who could be kindly and generous. He also took a great interest in young people and generously encouraged those who showed signs of emulating his own desire to pursue an academic career.
After he sensibly gave up driving, we would make frequent trips in my car to his favourite places around Cornwall, usually accompanied by Phyllis. We often stopped for lunch, when as a result of his increasing deafness the whole restaurant would be treated to our private conversation, which could contain sometimes embarrassing, though usually hilarious, comments and revelations about people, living and dead.
Great men, like us all, are seldom perfect but, as in the case of Leslie Rowse, they make an indelible and lasting impression on those of us who have had the privilege of being close to them and sharing so many memorable moments with them.
Phillip Hunt has had a lifetime interest in Cornish music, particularly brass bands, playing in them, writing about them, and broadcasting his weekly Sounds of Brass programme on BBC Radio for over 35 years. He is a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh, with the Bardic name, Lef A Vrest, Voice of Brass.
