8th March 1944

Wednesday

Lovely morning, clear blue sky, quite warm.  Buds appearing on the hedges.  Hundreds of planes going out, very high, due east, making a continuous vibrating rumble.  Had an excellent breakfast, as I left late to go to Fordham.  Cycled along slowly, through Langham and Boxted.  Saw three horses on an old fashioned cultivator and two on the harrows at Blyth’s place, Plumb Farm.  Looked at old Smith’s cottage at Boxted, where the bomb fell.  It appears to be another hall-house, but could not get in.  All the south end is down, but it is well worth rebuilding.

Through Boxted to Horkesley.  Saw a wooden bungalow in a little copse, right on the boundary of Horksley, which would do very well for me.  It appeared to be empty.  In the lane going up to Fordham Place, saw a brewer’s dray with two horses, from Bergholt.  Have not seen one for years.  Kedar’s man was drilling with a tractor near the house, the drill painted blue with bright red wheels flashing in the sun.  Across the lane two men were sowing fertiliser by hand, as white as millers, and a black collie dog lay on the roadside in the warm.

Tremendous activity at the aerodrome.  Huge grey bombs lying about all over the field, most terrifying objects.  A dump of at least 200 just outside the windows of the Air Ministry Office.  Nothing left of Harvey’s Farm but rubble and bits of wood.  Arranged to take about 300 slates and 500 tiles.

Outside the aerodrome saw the lorry AMK 906, which I saw dumping sand at Dedham more than a year ago.  The police have never taken any action, although they know this is a false number.  Told the Clerk of the Works to watch the driver.

Took two complete rods from the wattle-and-daub of the farm, and two lengths of the cord used to bind them.

Back to Colchester by way of Bergholt, and got in just in time for lunch.

This evening cycled to Higham met Cottee’s taxi, and moved all my books etc down to Sisson’s.  Thankful to get them away.  Cottee charged only 6/-.

Came over cloudy after lunch, and the moon obscured tonight.  How strange that, if we get a few days peace, we no longer expect an attack.  It has been so quiet for more than a week the Germans must be planning something big.

Went to bed early.  Not feeling very well.  Painful cough.