30th July 1943

Friday

Glorious brilliant day, very hot.  One of the girls fainted in the office this morning.  Just after dawn a big flight of ‘planes went out from aerodromes in Suffolk, right across Lawford.  See in the evening papers that they went to bomb an aerodrome in Holland.

Busy all day.  More letters criticising the War Agricultural Committee in the weekly paper.  One signed by Prior, obviously inspired, but quite true, complains that the Committee refuse to allow farmers to fallow their land, yet they fallow their own farms.

Mrs. V., the Women's Land Army supervisor, in a rage all day, having been given notice to leave.  She’s quite useless, in fact we have had no satisfaction with Women's Land Army since Joanna left.  Lot of trouble with the pay today.  Got out at 6 for some tea.  Outside Holly Trees a Czech asked me about buses for Wivenhoe, the streets were full of strolling Americans, and in the café a Dutch sailor, very fair and Nordic, was having tea with an English girl.  Every few minutes a ‘plane from Langham roared over our heads.

Went round to see Molly Blomfield about photos and negatives [for the National Buildings Record].  Duncan Clark has given her a very nice lot.  She was extraordinarily bright and cheerful, laughing and joking, wearing a pretty print dress.