20th March 1943

Saturday

Grey skies, rather thick cloud.  

A new chief clerk came this morning, a Mr. Walling, son of old Walling who is manager of Benham’s printing works.  He seemed quite a decent sort of man, and I think would be a help to us.  He would certainly keep the girls in order.

Poulter introduced me to a Lieutenant Thompson, son of Prof. Thompson,Pprofessor of Latin at the University of North Wales, Bangor.  Poulter said I knew “all about North Wales” and understood Welsh, at which Lieutenant Thompson smiled rather pityingly and said “I’m afraid I don't.”  Miss Camilla Wybrants came in, wearing a green nurse’s dress, and looking very charming.  Poulter was greatly taken with her, and became very facetious on the subject of hospitals and nurses.  I wondered if she could guess what was the matter with him.  He goes back to London on Monday, but is very cheerful and happy about it.

Home to tea, and then to see Hampshire about hay etc.  We have got a little, but it is still very scarce.

Back to Holly Trees at 6, and finished some letters.  Went off to Lawford via Ipswich Road.  Just as I got to Skipping Street I heard the sirens, but I hurried along under the low clouds so as to get as far away from Colchester and the aerodrome as I could before anything happened, but nothing did and the all-clear came in ten minutes.  The moon showed through thin cloud for a few minutes, and then faded away as thicker clouds rolled up.  Some drops of rain fell, and a flight of rooks flapped over, heading for the great rookeries by Dedham Gun Hill.

This evening spent a lazy time reading by a roaring wood fire.  Not a plane about, the only sounds being an occasional train rumbling by.