So ends 1941, and so we look into the vague vista of 1942, a year which will no doubt bring as many disasters and terrors as that now finished. Colchester has been very lucky indeed, in fact since those two days in the autumn of 1940 there have been few really terrifying moments, and the wail of the siren no longer turns my stomach. If this luck holds until the end of the war it will be a wonderful thing. There are rumours that aerodromes are to be built at Langham and Colne. If this is done I am afraid the town will be in considerable danger, but they are nothing more than rumours so far.
No bells and no sirens at midnight tonight, only a few distant drunken voices singing “Auld Lang Syne”.
30th December 1941
Felt better today, but considerable pain in the legs. My limbs have a curious tendency to “go to sleep” at odd times. Heart pains quite gone now, but I have been careful to avoid any strains.
29th December 1941
Terribly cold. The office is only half heated. Felt very ill. When I went out at 8 o’clock the sun was just beginning to show in the east, casting a faint pink glow across the sky, while the west was a beautiful egg shell blue. High Street was deep in misty shadows, the tower of the Town Hall and the Water Tower glowing faintly in the light of the rising sun.
Very busy all day with sugar beet cropping forms, but did not feel like doing very much work. Had an hour off this afternoon to go up to Mrs Lyon-Campbell’s with Poulter. The old lady was most pleasant, and we brought away a Bronze Age sword and a very fine palstave, both found in the garage, among a mass of rubbish. Dr. Laver bought the sword from Wells, and I believe it is from the Thames at Barking.
Very busy all day with sugar beet cropping forms, but did not feel like doing very much work. Had an hour off this afternoon to go up to Mrs Lyon-Campbell’s with Poulter. The old lady was most pleasant, and we brought away a Bronze Age sword and a very fine palstave, both found in the garage, among a mass of rubbish. Dr. Laver bought the sword from Wells, and I believe it is from the Thames at Barking.
27th December 1941
This afternoon it suddenly dawned on me that while wages are as high as they are now the working man will never make any effort to stop the war. Providing things are no worse than they have been this last two years, the working man will be content to carry on for a lifetime.
26th December 1941 - Boxing Day
Fine, cold day. Had to go to the office all day. Only Joanna and Peter Folkard [Capt Folkard’s son] came in, to work on the Farm Survey, which is rather behind-hand. The whole town was very firmly shut, not a shop or a café open anywhere. I rang up Rose, who was there, but she had no food. We all (Jo. Peter and I) went round to the Regal, but that was shut, too, so we were finally driven to going to the “Red Lion”, where I have not been for years. Had a very good lunch, after waiting a while, and I paid for the lot, 14/4 in all.
Fine night, cold and starlight.
Apparently our Great Premier spoke on the radio tonight, but I am glad to say I did not hear him. I understand he said that England may be in a position to take an offensive in 1943, that our position is far worse at present than ever before, and that unimaginable horrors lie before us.
I was most interested to see in the Essex County Standard this week a letter from a farmer at Bures, suggesting that Churchill should be “elected” Dictator of England by a national plebiscite. He recalls in his letter (as a shame on the town) an occasion when Churchill came to the Colchester Oyster Feast, and was not very well received by the crowds.
It is interesting to see that anybody could be so stupid as to seriously advance this purely Fascist idea as an aid to Democracy.
Fine night, cold and starlight.
Apparently our Great Premier spoke on the radio tonight, but I am glad to say I did not hear him. I understand he said that England may be in a position to take an offensive in 1943, that our position is far worse at present than ever before, and that unimaginable horrors lie before us.
I was most interested to see in the Essex County Standard this week a letter from a farmer at Bures, suggesting that Churchill should be “elected” Dictator of England by a national plebiscite. He recalls in his letter (as a shame on the town) an occasion when Churchill came to the Colchester Oyster Feast, and was not very well received by the crowds.
It is interesting to see that anybody could be so stupid as to seriously advance this purely Fascist idea as an aid to Democracy.
25th December 1941 - Christmas Day
At home most of the day. Mother still managed to provide a “Christmas dinner”, turkey, plum pudding, everything. She has never failed yet, and I don't believe she ever failed in the last war. Went down to the mill this afternoon, and did a little work. Quite a number of Christmas cards, which Mother set out on the mantel-shelf in the usual way.
Went back to the Castle and ate a lonely supper in the cell. No raids day or night. This is the third Christmas Day during the war, and there have never been raids by either side on that day yet.
Went back to the Castle and ate a lonely supper in the cell. No raids day or night. This is the third Christmas Day during the war, and there have never been raids by either side on that day yet.
23rd December 1941
Went out with Joanna this afternoon to do the survey of Brick Kiln Farm, by the “Lion and the Lamb”. Part of the land is in Langham and part in the Borough, owing to the very peculiar formation of the boundary at that point. Hadley has a nice little farm, with 6 cows and a few pigs. He was complaining that old Mitchell will not take his horses (or rather horse and pony) off the low meadow, where he has no right to put them. I told H. to impound them, but all these men feel that the law protects the wrong-doer, not the complainant, and I know he will take no action. The horse is very old, and Hadley said “If he live on that medder much longer, he’ll die.”
We went on to Dedham, to see Poyzen about a new water supply, and then, being so near, called at Sherbourne Mill, where Mrs. Parrington, who looked very charming in brown “slacks”, gave us a cup of tea. After that I got Joanna to drive me back by way of Dedham Street, so that I could go to the Sissons. Joanna is very pleased that she is staying on with us for the revision of the 1942 cropping, and so am I. She is a lovely girl, completely unaffected.
At the Sissons met Joan Richards. Mrs. S. had been playing the cello, which was leaning against her spinet when I went in, and some of her puppets, including the new one Poulter made for her, were scattered about the room.
Miss Richards was talking about fire-watching. She said that at Gloucester Cathedral there was only one night-watchman and an ancient verger, yet at her school, outside the town, the staff had been compelled to forego their holidays in order to maintain continual watch throughout the whole day. Sisson came in from Frinton, where he had been on bomb damage business, and brought his wife some flowers for Christmas.
We went on to Dedham, to see Poyzen about a new water supply, and then, being so near, called at Sherbourne Mill, where Mrs. Parrington, who looked very charming in brown “slacks”, gave us a cup of tea. After that I got Joanna to drive me back by way of Dedham Street, so that I could go to the Sissons. Joanna is very pleased that she is staying on with us for the revision of the 1942 cropping, and so am I. She is a lovely girl, completely unaffected.
At the Sissons met Joan Richards. Mrs. S. had been playing the cello, which was leaning against her spinet when I went in, and some of her puppets, including the new one Poulter made for her, were scattered about the room.
Miss Richards was talking about fire-watching. She said that at Gloucester Cathedral there was only one night-watchman and an ancient verger, yet at her school, outside the town, the staff had been compelled to forego their holidays in order to maintain continual watch throughout the whole day. Sisson came in from Frinton, where he had been on bomb damage business, and brought his wife some flowers for Christmas.
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