30th March 1941

Went over to Dedham to tea at Sissons'. Felt very ill with bad pain. Ate supper, most unwisely, and felt much worse. Left at 11pm, under the impression it was 10 o’clock. Had a dreadful job getting home – wondered how I should do it. A certain amount of bombing and firing was going on in the direction of Clacton, and many searchlights out, but no planes came over my road. I could see flashes of bursting bombs. Alarm on when I got to Colchester, but felt so bad I turned in right away and to hell with it!