Alexandra Barr (Lurgan

Roberta and John, Retirement from Herbert Gallery. John Hewitt Society

The one thing people should know about Roberta is that she had a wide range of interests and she recorded these in her diary and in doing so demonstrated independence of thought, acute observation and lots of reflective thinking.

I selected this because I was fascinated by the many things she was interested in and often passionate about. These ranged from fashion through art, literature and theatre to politics and the meaning of freedom.

During a visit to London, she described a busy schedule: “Peggy Roberts & I went to Book exhibition – very exciting to see these old books [...] P.A.& I to Houses of Parliament at 3.30. Saw Ernie Morrison, Jenny Lee, Marquand & some others but no sign of Atlee or Winston Churchill.”65

She describes a late-night visit to Forbes near Trafalgar Square by herself where she shared a table and drank chocolate. She people-watched and at the table with her she recorded a

“young man & fruity voiced very middle-aged woman. He was a little pimp & stung her for cream buns & cigarettes [...] they made me

65 Roberta Hewitt's 1951-1974 Diary (D3838/4/2/2): p.600

rather sick and then very sad – they were both intelligent & yet obviously unhappy & trying to find something. The old woman milking youth – the boy I disliked most”. 66

Roberta draws a most vivid vignette from this late-night accidental encounter in a coffee shop demonstrating her skills in both observation and writing.

I loved her reflective thinking in June 1952 – she is reflecting on her thoughts about the phrase “in my opinion”. She writes:

“I suppose it is because we know we have very few real opinions & we express what we have gleaned from the thoughts of others”.

From here she moves onto freedom of thought and freedom in the material world and comments on how freedom frequently had to be won:

“Primitive man fought animal and nature to preserve his body. The negro’s fought against their bodies being bought and sold”.

She then moves on to reflect that sometimes having achieved freedom one is not willing to allow others the freedom of choice

“Trade Unions had such a long fight to get a decent pay package that now they can’t give any worker the freedom not to be in a Trade Unionist”. Roberta finishes this section in her diary with “I suppose we can’t have freedom of thought until we can think – can we – can I”. 67

Poem and YHI Card. PRONI: D3838/4/2/1 & D3838/1/1/21

66 Ibid: p. 600-601 67 Ibid: p. 713-714