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Notebook of Berta Ruck, April 1962-July 1964, including letters from Lord Toby Aldington, August 1962, Ursula Bloom, October 1963, Barbara Cartland, [n.d.], Harold B. Hewitt, October 1963, Heather Jenner, November 1963, Dyfnallt Morgan, October 1963, and Harold Nicolson, December 1962; and a memorial service card of her brother Oliver Laurence Ruck, Llanidloes Parish Church.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, May 1960-April 1961, including letters from Emyr Humphreys, February 1961, Hesketh Pearson, October 1960, and Vita Sackville-West, March 1961.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, 1957-1960, including letters from Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, February 1958, September 1959 and [n.d.], Eleanor Graham, September 1957, Harold Nicolson, September 1958, Brocard Sewell, February-March 1960, and Sacheverell Sitwell, March 1958; two sketches, 1901, which Ruck drew for a School of Art scholarship; and printed extracts from tributes to Alice Helena Alexandra Williams ('Alys Meirion') following her death in 1957, including Berta Ruck's broadcast in 'Woman's Hour'.

Typescripts, 1956-1957, of radio scripts by Berta Ruck, which formed the basis of her autobiographical volume, A Smile for the Past (London, 1959).
They comprise scripts, some incomplete, for a series of six talks, also called 'A Smile for the Past', recorded 2-3 April 1957 for transmission in June and July on the Home Service (ff. 5-16 [Talk 1], ff. 17-23, 27-40 [2], ff. 24-26, 116 [3], ff. 69-81 [4], ff. 83-95 [5], ff. 82, 96-115, 117-118 [6]) and the script of a talk recorded on 22 May 1956 and transmitted on 24 June (ff. 41-68, two copies). Also included is an incomplete draft, [?1957], of a letter from Ruck to Aled Vaughan at the BBC, discussing the series (ff. 1-4, first page lacking); typescript drafts, [1957x1959], of Chapter 8 of the book A Smile for the Past (ff. 119-128); and a cutting of an article by Ruck, 'I enjoyed my boarding schooldays', Western Mail, 9 April 1955, containing material found in Chapter 8 (f. 129).

Three volumes containing a draft, mainly autograph with typescript insertions bearing autograph revision, of Berta Ruck's autobiographical volume, A Smile for the Past (London, 1959).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, 1951-1956, including letters from Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, May 1953, and Emlyn Williams, July 1955; notes for her novels Fantastic Holiday (London, 1953) and The Men in Her Life (London, 1954); and a copy of Dock Leaves, 3.9 (Winter 1952).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, Aberdyfi, May 1945-December 1946, containing journal entries including comments on the end of the Second World War and its aftermath and notes for fiction, especially the novel Surprise Engagement (London, 1946) (here called 'They are engaged', ff. 27-73 passim). Some one hundred and forty-six letters, cards and telegrams, mostly from family and friends, January 1945-September 1946, cuttings and other ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Tony Thorne, January 1945-March 1946 (ff. 4 verso, 12 verso, 17a, 26 verso, 44, 56 verso, 65 verso, 73verso-74 verso, 75 verso, 79 verso), Miriam L. Rothschild, 4 January 1945 (f. 6), Ronald Staples, May-June 1945 (ff. 6, 10 verso), J[oseph] P[eter] T[horp], 6 June 1945 (f. 10 verso), Alec Waugh, July 1945-April [1946] (ff. 22, 75 verso, 80), Vicki Baum, 20 August 1945 (f. 24 verso), Bernard Darwin, 28 August 1945 (f. 26a), Oliver Onions, September-December 1945 (ff. 34, 35, 59 verso), A. E. Chesterton, 26 October 1945 (f. 41), Nancy Rodd [ie. Mitford], 12 January 1946 (f. 43 verso), Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, [11 November 1945] (f. 52 recto-verso), Marda Vanne, 11 November 1945 (f. 53), Osbert Sitwell, November-December 1945 (ff. 54 verso, 58 verso), Maurice Bowra, 22 December [1945] (f. 60 verso), Hermon Ould, 11 March 1946 (f. 74), Esmond Knight, [1946] (f. 75 verso), Ivor Brown, 20 August 1946 (f. 83 verso), Ambrose Heal, 16 September 1946 (f. 87), and C. A. Lejeune, 24 May [1946] (f. 89 verso). The volume contains references to the deaths of her friends Ménie Muriel FitzGerald (f. 1) and Edith Heal (f. 87), and conditions in London after VE Day (ff. 7, 8); also verse (f. 46) and an ink sketch (f. 51 verso) by Ruck. Pasted into the volume are 1945 General Election leaflets for Merioneth (ff. 17, 20 verso, 22), and photographs of Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies and Marda Vanne (f. 86).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, September 1943-January 1945, containing a few diary entries, mainly commenting on the war and on the progress of her writing, and pasted-in letters and cards to her, including one each from Sir Maurice Bowra and Emlyn Williams (f. 38 verso). Also pasted in are press cuttings relating to contemporary events, especially the progress of the war, and a few programmes for concerts and plays performed at Aberdyfi, 1942-1944.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, May 1942-February 1943, containing notes for fiction, notably for the novels Bread and Grease Paint (London, 1943) (ff. 34-35 verso, 36 verso, 37 verso, 48 verso) and Shining Chance (London, 1944) (ff. 20-25, 28 recto-verso, 33 recto-verso, 37, 38, 39 verso, 40 verso-41 verso, 43-45), and journal entries and comments on the progress of the war (ff. 4-5, 6, 12-19 verso, 38 verso-39). Press cuttings relating to contemporary events and thirty-four letters, cards and telegrams to the author, April 1942-February 1943, have been pasted in.
The correspondents include William Lyon Phelps, 15 September 1942 (f. 5 verso), Osbert Sitwell, [December 1942?] (f. 9), Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies, [December 1942] (f. 9 verso), Edith Heal, [December 1942] (f. 11), Anthony Thorne, January-February [1943] (ff. 20a, 27, 51 verso), and Marie Stopes, [December] 1942 (f. 42 verso). There are numerous references to Oliver Onions' illness and hospitalization, January-February 1943 (ff. 12-19 verso). The volume includes a number of pen drawings by the author (ff. 19, 33, 36, 39 verso, 40 verso, 41 verso, 51). Some folios are stubs, containing fragments of text (ff. 26, 27, 29-32, 49-50, 52-53).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, July 1941-April 1942, containing ideas for fiction, journal entries and comments on the progress of the war. Press cuttings relating to contemporary events and some sixty-six letters, cards, postcards and telegrams to the author, May 1940-April 1942, have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Anthony Thorne, July 1941-January 1942 (ff. 1 verso, 15 verso, 17 verso, 24, 39a), Hermon Ould, 25 July 1941 (f. 1 verso), Emlyn Williams, [1941] (f. 4 verso), Baron Atkin of Aberdovey, 20 November 1941 (f. 18 verso), Edith Heal, [Christmas 1941] (f. 33), Able Seaman E. J. Smith, HMS Cossack, 2 May 1940 (f. 36 verso), Alice Williams, 2 March [1942] (f. 38 verso), and Alec Waugh, 19 February 1942 (f. 47 verso). The journal includes a description of a visit to her sister's house in Llanfachreth, Merioneth, October 1941 (ff. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, July 1940-June 1941, containing journal entries and comments on the progress of the war. Press cuttings relating to contemporary events, other ephemera and seventy-three letters, postcards and telegrams, May 1940-March 1941, mostly to the author, have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Michael Joseph, 12 July 1940 (f. 2), Harold Nicolson, 3 June 1940 (f. 2 verso), Helen Rees ('Jane Oliver'), 16 August 1940 (f. 10 verso), Robert Owen Morris, 19 August 1940 (f. 12 verso), Maurice Bowra, December 1940-February 1941 (ff. 26, 66 verso), Tony Thorne, August-September 1940 (ff. 32 verso, 35), Dolf Wyllarde, 27 November 1940 (f. 34 verso), Peter Wykeham-Barnes, [December 1940] (f. 35 verso), Alys Meirion, October-December 1940 (ff. 36 verso, 45 verso), Angela Thirkell, 8 November 1940 (f. 45), Edith Heal, 18 December 1940 (f. 47), Marda Vanne, November-December 1940 (ff. 50 verso-51), Bradwell T. Turner, 12 May 1940 (f. 53 verso), and Alec Waugh, 8 January 1941 (f. 54a-b). A photograph of Ruck is on f. 5 verso and there are pen drawings by her on ff. 10, 23. Press cuttings include political cartoons by David Low, from the Evening Standard (ff. 2 verso, 29 verso, 30 verso, 33 verso, 41, 46, 64 verso-65), and items relating to the deaths of John Llewelyn Rees (ff. 8 verso, 11, 68) and Amy Johnson (ff. 51 verso, 63 verso). Programmes for Christmas events in Aberdyfi and Tywyn, December 1940, are on ff. 38 verso and 48.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, December 1939-May 1940, containing journal entries, comments on the progress of the war and notes for fiction. Press cuttings relating to contemporary events, other ephemera and some sixty-nine letters, postcards and Christmas cards, mostly to the author, have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Oliver Onions, 25 December 1939 (f. 20), Arthur Oliver, December 1939-May 1940 (ff. 2b, 20 verso, 51, 57, 63-65 verso), Vicki Baum, 25 November 1939 (f. 2), Edith Heal, [December 1939] (ff. 2a, 20 verso), Anthony Thorne, December 1939, March 1940 (ff. 7 verso, 56 verso), Osbert Sitwell, Christmas [1939] (f. 19 verso), Ménie Muriel FitzGerald, [1939] (f. 22 verso), Naomi Jacob, [December 1939] (f. 26 verso), Alys Meirion, 29 December [1939] (f. 27), Lieut-Cmdr Bradwell T. Turner, [February 1940] (f. 47 verso), Alec Waugh, [December 1939] (f. 51 verso), Sir Kenneth Barnes, 4 April 1940 (f. 57 verso), and Horace Horsnell, 2 April 1940 (f. 58). One letter from 'Effie', [January 1940], discusses the state of Ménie Muriel FitzGerald's health (f. 35 verso). The press cuttings include several political cartoons relating to the war (ff. 39 verso, 52-53 verso).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, Aberdyfi, September-December 1939, containing journal entries and comments on the progress of the war. Press cuttings relating to contemporary events, photographs and some forty-six letters and postcards, mostly personal, to the author have been pasted in.
The correspondents include her son Arthur Oliver, October-[November] 1939 (ff. 13-14, 16, 33 recto-verso, 42-44), Ménie Muriel FitzGerald, 2 October 1939 (f. 12 verso), Michael Joseph, October-November 1939 (ff. 12 verso, 40, 59 verso), Anthony Thorne, [1939] (f. 34), Horace Horsnell, 28 November 1939 (f. 59), Harold Nicolson, 21 November 1939 (f. 59a), and Osbert Sitwell, 28 November 1939 (f. 60 verso). There are numerous references in journal and letters to the marriages of both her sons, Arthur and Bill, in October 1939. Among the photographs are one of Ruck (inside front cover) and two of Bill Oliver (inside front cover, f. 36 verso).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, September 1939, recording her move from London to Aberdyfi, Merionethshire, at the outbreak of war and commenting on contemporary events. Press cuttings relating to the war and thirty-five letters and postcards to the author, August-September 1939, mainly from family and friends, have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Oliver Onions, discussing his own move to Aberdyfi, September 1939 (ff. 16 verso, 45, 47, 53 verso, 59, 60, 64), and Tony Thorne, 17 September 1939 (f. 67 verso). She records the engagements of both her sons (ff. 51, 65).

Notebook, July-August 1939, compiled by Berta Ruck in memory of her late father, Colonel Arthur Ashley Ruck (d. 12 July 1939), including reminiscences; twenty-three letters, telegrams and postcards from family and friends, 1935-1939, being mainly letters of condolence; and other items, [1920s]-1939.
The correspondents include Alys Meirion, [17 July 1939] (f. 5), A. Bodvel Roberts, 13 July 1939 (f. 104 verso), Paul Bland, 18 July 1939 (f. 112a verso), Ménie Muriel FitzGerald, 17 July 1939 (f. 113 verso), and Bernard Darwin, 13 July 1939 (f. 114); there are also two letters from A. A. Ruck to Berta Ruck, 25 February 1935, 26 March 1939 (ff. 3 verso, 37). Also included are newspaper obituaries of A. A. Ruck, [July 1939] (f. 1 verso), and of his brother, Col. Oliver Edwal Ruck, [July 1934] (ff. 16 verso-17), and two group photographs, one a family group, [1920s], both including A. A. Ruck (ff. 4, 44 verso).

Notebook of Berta Ruck, February-September 1939, containing diary entries, ideas for fiction, comments on the progress of her writing and on the threat of war, and pasted-in letters and cards to her, including one from J. B. Priestley (f. 23 verso). Also pasted in are press cuttings relating to contemporary events including the death of W. B. Yeats and the European political crisis.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, August-December 1938, containing a journal of a stay in Italy, mostly around Lake Garda and Venice, August-September 1938 (ff. 1-34), notes for fiction, and comments on the Sudeten crisis in Europe. Photographs, press cuttings, theatre programmes and twenty-six personal and family letters and cards, 1936, 1938, have been pasted in.
The correspondents include Oliver Onions, July-September 1938 (ff. 9 verso, 13 verso, 14 verso, 17 verso, 20 verso, 21 verso, 47 verso), Philip Connard, [1938] (f. 27 verso), and Marda Vanne, 4 August 1938 (f. 48); a letter on behalf of Queen Mary, 3 February 1936, acknowledges Ruck's letter of condolence on the death of George V (f. 3 verso). A programme and cuttings, October 1938, relating to the first production of the Emlyn Williams play The Corn is Green are ff. 34 verso, 36, 43-44. Among the photographs are two of Ruck in Venice and Cologne (ff. 45 verso, 49). The journal entries include an overheard conversation between a German and an Austrian concerning 'the Juden question' (f. 18) and a description of the former residence of Gabriele D'Annunzio at Gardone (ff. 29 verso-30)

Notebook of Berta Ruck, September 1937-June 1938, containing journal entries including comments on contemporary events, notes for fiction and articles. Some forty-eight letters, cards and telegrams, mostly from family and friends, cuttings, photographs and other ephemera have been pasted in.
The correspondents include A. A. Ruck, September 1937-April 1938 (inside front cover, ff. 73, 91), Alec Waugh, October-[December] 1937 (ff. 13, 44), Norman Haire, 29 October 1937 (f. 18), Oliver Onions, 1937 (f. 19 verso), Nathaniel Gubbins, 19 November 1937 (f. 27), Alys Meirion, [1937] (f. 29 verso), Naomi Jacob, 19 December 1937 (f. 36), and Peter Wykeham Barnes, [December 1937] (f. 36 verso). The volume also contains ink sketches and drawings by Ruck (ff. 54, 57, 59 verso-60, 63, 69 recto-verso) and a photograph of her, [1938] (f. 51). The press cuttings include articles by Ruck (ff. 59, 79, 80 verso) and an article from the Daily Express, 12 November 1937, about her son, Arthur Oliver (ff. 26 verso-27). Various press cuttings and letters from Austrian friends (ff. 49 verso-58 verso passim, 80a) discuss the Anschluss in March 1938.

Notebook of Berta Ruck, January-June 1937, containing diary entries, ideas for fiction, comments on the progress of her writing, and pasted-in letters and cards to her, together with her typescript account of attending the trial at the Old Bailey of Saunders Lewis, Lewis Valentine and D. J. Williams, sketches of the defendants and related press cuttings and correspondence. Also pasted in are press cuttings relating to other contemporary events, including the coronation of George VI and the marriage of Edward, duke of Windsor.

Forty-six manuscript and typescript letters, [c. 1890]-[c. 1934], from Berta Ruck, mostly to her father, Col Arthur Ashley Ruck, [1920s]-[c. 1934], containing mainly personal and family news.
Also included are two letters to her grandmother Mary Anne Ruck, [c. 1890] (ff. 1-4), and a carbon copy letter to her sister-in-law, Georgina Ruck, 15 July 1932 (ff. 86-91). Most of the letters were written either from home or while on holiday in Austria, France, Germany and Sweden. There are references to Oliver Onions (ff. 6-100 passim), Geoffrey Moss (f. 6), Sir Ray Lankester (ff. 9 verso, 10 verso-11, 12, 31, 32, 66), Ménie Muriel FitzGerald (ff. 13-17, 18, 29, 46-47, 56, 59), Alec Waugh (ff. 26, 35-36) and Vita Sackville West (f. 46); she also describes her car accident on 14 July 1932 (ff. 88-91). There are ink drawings by Ruck on f. 2 recto-verso.