8th July 1943

Thursday

Fine until this afternoon, but cool, then clouded over and showers began.  All day long the noise of the ‘planes from Langham, circling low round the town.

This morning they sent 5 horses up from Wigborough to collect the new trolleys and the wagon which Lawrence has been re-painting.  As nobody had bothered to tell me, the trolleys built by Polley at Ardleigh had not been brought in to town, so I had to send one pair of horses over there – those two will have done more than 30 miles on the road today.  Jack Bell, who used to be at the Corporation and afterwards at Moy’s, took one of them.  A very old man who went down to Boast’s yard for the wagon, lives at Wigborough, and told me had never been to Colchester before.  He did not seem very struck with the place now he has seen it.  I got him to bring the wagon up to Holly Trees, a glorious sight of shining red and green, and then insisted that the District Officer and the whole staff came out to look at it. 

Walked down to Buttles’ Corner with the old carter, and put him on the Mersea Road.  He said “Reckon I’m glad to have you with me, or I’d be lost around here.”

Lawrence told me that when he was painting this wagon he found on it the name of Stanford of Beaumont Hall, who left there quite 30 years ago.  These vehicles are ever-lasting.  The carter liked it, - he said it was “a master wagon”, same as what they had when he was a boy.

Cycled out by the Ipswich Road.  Lovely cool evening.  Wheat yellowing and oats right ready to cut.