31st January 1943

Sunday

Woke at 7.  Tremendous wind and rain, the whole house shaking.  Never heard such a storm, and it kept on unabated all day.  At times the rain eased, but the wind blew until you felt the house must collapse.  Spent morning writing.  This afternoon had to go to Colchester to feed Bob.  Went up by Humberlands.  Elm tree down near Bargate Lane, bringing down the electric power wire with it.  Broken glass from forcing-frames all over the road by the Land Settlement.  The gale was due S.W., and blew me to a standstill several times.  It took me one and a half hours to get in.  Fed Bob, home to tea, and then left at quarter past 6.  Pouring rain again, but got back in 30 minutes, wet to the skin.  Lovely supper, and warm room, made the journey well worthwhile.  

Writing until 10p.m.  Wet clothes hanging up to dry all round the room. 

In the Sunday papers today, the news that Saunders-Lewis, the Welsh Nationalist, has polled more than 1300 votes in the Welsh University election, out of a total of about 5,000.  He was second in the poll.  In the same papers, it reports Mr. Maxton as warning the Scottish Nationalists against violence.  Can there be something stirring  among the Celts?

Wind and rain again with great violence about 9 o’clock tonight, the house shaking and rattling with every gust.