MacNeice020
Jan23rd1957
The British Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcasting House, London, W.1
Telephone: Langham 4468 Telegrams and cables: Broadcasts, Telex, London
January 23rd 1957
Dear George, Thank you very much for your letters. Here are two copies of the missing last page of the play. I have just had a letter from Goldblatt and agree that the title is inadequate. I shall comb my brains for an alternative. Could you do likewise? By the way, Goldblatt only offers me a percentage on takings. I should prefer some cash down – as an advance or an option or what-have-you! Anyhow, you might tactfully indicate to Goldblatt that before I am really committed I would wish to have a contract for this – or at any rate something definite and detailed on paper. I am very glad that you are going to do the décor for this and would like to discuss it with you when I am over round about the 10th. I must thank Mercy and yourself very much for inviting Bob Pocok and me to stay – which we are both greatly looking forward to. It looks now as if we shall be coming up, possibly by car, from Dublin to Belfast on Sunday the 10th, arriving at approximately 7pm. Please get in a couple of bottles of Whiskey on account of Bob and myself – and we will refund the same! Please don't forget about the tickets for the England-Ireland match. The best thing would be for you to get them in time to send over here to me well in advance, but if it's too near the date could you entrust them to some safe hands in Dublin from which I could collect them on the morning of the 9th? Thank you very much indeed – and Mercy too – for your kind words (apart from the facetious qualifications) about my prospective doctorate. Hedli and I would certainly be delighted to stay with you for the occasion. I have just had a letter from Queen's in which they say that I and my wife can 'of course' be their guests for the occasion. Do you think I could charge them the price of a posh
