12th April 1943

Monday

Looked out at 5 – clear starlight.  (Heard an “all-clear” about 1 a.m.)  At 6 – thick cloud, most disappointing.  Left at 5 to 7, and to my joy watched the sky clear all the time I was riding in. 

Busy all day.  Everybody seems rather on edge and nervy.  Nott very silent, most unusual for him.

Trouble with Hull about the Holly Trees Muniment Room.  For the last 6 or 8 weeks I have been putting the wages money in there on Thursday nights, but being away last week Nott and Heather went down instead, and of course as luck would have it walked straight into Hull.  There was a hell of a row, and the little man rushed away to write one of his well known abominably rude letters to Capt Folkard, in which he accused him of taking the key from the Curator’s Office.  Hull has now sealed the door, and states that the room is definitely closed except to Benton and Rickwood [members of the Essex Archaeological Society] – Poulter and I are excluded.

Poulter is quite apathetic to all this, although he is as lively as he was 10 years ago, having had a very good report from the Royal Free Hospital.  There is no sign of the cancer at all.  This is extraordinarily good news, and it is fine to hear him talking as well as he ever did.

Dont know what line to take on the Muniment Room affair.  I have no intention of letting Hull keep me out if I can help it.