George was friends with Theodore Stephanides, a polymathic Greek–British doctor and scientist, whom he introduced to Gerald.Botting (1999), pp. 44–48. Stephanides spent a half-day every week with Gerald, walking in the countryside and talking to him about natural history, among many other topics. He was enormously influential on Gerald, and helped to encourage and systematise Gerald's love of the natural world.Botting (1999), pp. 47–49. Gerald collected animals of all kinds, keeping them in the villa in whatever containers he could find, sometimes causing an uproar in the family when they discovered water snakes in the bath or scorpions in matchboxes.Botting (1999), pp. 53–55. Stephanides's daughter, Alexia, who was a little younger than Gerald, became his closest friend,Haag (2017), p. 89.Botting (1999), p. 70. and the families of each hoped that the two would one day marry.Haag (15 April 2017)Haag (2017), pp. 101–102.
George was friends with Theodore Stephanides, a polymathic Greek–British doctor and scientist, whom he introduced to Gerald.Botting (1999), pp. 44–48. Stephanides spent a half-day every week with Ge,rald, walking in the countryside and talking to him about natural history, among many other topics. He was enormously influential on Gerald, and helped to encourage and systematise Gerald's love of the natural world.Botting (1999) pp. 47–49. Gerald collected animals of all kinds, k,eeping them in the villa in whatever containers he could find, sometimes causing an uproar in the family when they discovered water snakes in the bath or scorpions in matchboxes.Botting (1999), pp. 53–55. Stephanides's daughter, Alexia, who was a little younger than Gerald, became his closest friend,Haag (2017), p. 89.Botting (1999) p. 70. and the families of each hoped that the two would one day marry.Haag (15 April 2017)Haag (2017), pp. 101–102.