16th March 1945

Friday
Writing in my room until nearly 2am, then dozed in the armchair.  Twice the rooks in the trees outside woke chattering, and at about 3 o’clock a ‘plane limping very badly, roared and rumbled across the north of the town.

Woke at 6.30 to the sound of heavy rain, but fine again by 8, and the sky becoming blue in patches when the post-girl, in a white raincoat and scarlet scarf round her head, was coming in at the gate.

Went round to Oldham’s chemist’s shop, now kept by Mr Rigg, to see the groined vault in the basement.  It was originally divided into three four centred bays, each with a carved boss and carved corbels.  Some few years ago the two most easterly bays were destroyed in order to lower the floor of the shop, as the vaults stood about 3’6” above the present street level.  This happened not more than 10 or 12 years ago, but no effort was made to secure the bosses nor to make any record.

Busy all day on letters, etc. and did some labels – for new accessions, as I daren’t re-label any of the stuff done by Edwards.  Actually, there are very few errors on his labels at all.


Spent evening reading in my room, in front of the gas-fire.

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