I remember it well
Sir: The Duke of Devonshire (Letters, 24 January) takes issue with an anecdote about his father's ashes in my article, 'With Uncle Harold at Petworth', (17 January). I said that we were doubtful about Harold Macmillan's story, but he and John Egre- mont were capping each other's funeral sto- ries, and my account of Macmillan's is accu- rate, as my wife can testify. Indeed, it — and the entire evening — was unforgettable.
I told it to the Duke several months ago; as I recall, we both doubted its veracity but agreed that it was a splendid story; it cer- tainly capped John's hilarious account of the difficulties in getting his Aunt Maggie, who was very tall, into the family vault.
As I said, Macmillan was a superb racon- teur, and no doubt his stories improved over the years, but my papers and memory are accurate.
Robert Rhodes James
The Stone House, Great Gransden, Sandy, Bedfordshire
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