Not a Guy to be seen anywhere today [for Guy Fawkes Night]. Spent a lot of time searching through photos at the “Essex County Standard” tonight – a saddening job, to be reminded of many scenes with which I was familiar when I was young.
When I went to the little café tonight for supper, I thought as I walked along the cobble paving by All Saint’s Churchyard that William Wire must have walked along this very pavement. It is almost the last piece in Colchester, and shows clearly in a photo of 1858.
Lovely moonlight night, cold and still. Standing on the Castle roof, I could hear the machines at Paxman’s and Bracketts [factories], humming in the distance. No planes over.
All Saint's Church now houses Colchester's Natural History Museum. Can anyone tell me if the cobble paving that EJR mentions above remains near the Churchyard?
William Wire was a 19th century antiquarian who kept a diary of archaeological finds in Colchester from 1842-1857. EJR's decision to keep a journal had been influenced by his knowledge of Wire's diary.
3rd November 1941
Mr. A.W. Page [a farmer on the War Agricultural Committee] said today that he did not see why the Government should get so much money out of Excess Profits Tax, so after this harvest he gave his head men £25 each – on condition they invested it in War Loan!
Mrs. Rushbury was at lunch today in Rose’s café, with an artist whose name I forget. They were talking about Chelsea Public Library, where both had worked. Mrs. R. said she had met her husband there, when he very shyly asked her to let him paint her. She must have been a very pretty little thing 20 years ago. They seem to have had a good party at his birthday last week. One of the guests was sick in the garden.
[War Agricultural] Committee today. Very long and dull.
Mrs. Rushbury was at lunch today in Rose’s café, with an artist whose name I forget. They were talking about Chelsea Public Library, where both had worked. Mrs. R. said she had met her husband there, when he very shyly asked her to let him paint her. She must have been a very pretty little thing 20 years ago. They seem to have had a good party at his birthday last week. One of the guests was sick in the garden.
[War Agricultural] Committee today. Very long and dull.
2nd November 1941
Had a long and pleasant day at Birchett’s Wood [the Belfields' home] and the Sissons' [at Dedham], cycling home at midnight under a watery moon, with a few heavy showers at times, fortunately blowing behind me. Had a narrow escape where a trench has been badly filled in on Harwich Road. I fell into a hole about 6 inches deep when going at full speed, and all but came off. Got to Castle at quarter to one, dried my clothes and drank hot milk.
1st November 1941
The Germans are still advancing into the Crimea, but the newsboys this afternoon were only calling “Big Race Result”.
Cold wet weather. On duty alone [at the Castle] tonight, and relieved Winnie, [Miss Oldfield] a strange little girl, who has nothing whatever to say.
Cold wet weather. On duty alone [at the Castle] tonight, and relieved Winnie, [Miss Oldfield] a strange little girl, who has nothing whatever to say.
30th October 1941
Out early this afternoon, and cycled to Battleswick [Farm]. The old gentlemen are still about the place, and are continuing to farm about 20 acres across the valley, which I am sure they will do until they drop dead. They are both real good Essex farmers. Inspected some old brewing things for the Museum, and then on to Fingringhoe. Saw pretty little Miss Elmer driving a tumbrel past Grubb’s, while her father’s tractor was ploughing the big field behind Hervey Benham’s house.
Found Grubb varnishing a trap. Everything in terrible confusion, old pails, tins, old stoves, bits of harness, furniture, all over the garden. Told me a sad tale about her brother trying to get her turned out of the cottage. Had a cup of tea with her, at a table which as usual bore the remains of the last five or six meals, spread with a cloth which was covered with cats’ footmarks, leading to and from the milk jug. The animals had evidently drunk out of the jug as far down as they could reach. There was a plate of rotting tomatoes on the electric stove, and an incredible mass of harness on the floor. She said “We generally keep it on the sofa but somebody came in who wanted to sit down.”
Poor Grubb. I don't know what she can do. I tried to tell her it was useless to keep eight horses, all either very old or else unbroken, but she would not listen. Back at 6, and saw Hampshire about some more chaff, called at home, then supper, finished letters, and to the post at 10.
Very cold, but not so bad as yesterday.
Found Grubb varnishing a trap. Everything in terrible confusion, old pails, tins, old stoves, bits of harness, furniture, all over the garden. Told me a sad tale about her brother trying to get her turned out of the cottage. Had a cup of tea with her, at a table which as usual bore the remains of the last five or six meals, spread with a cloth which was covered with cats’ footmarks, leading to and from the milk jug. The animals had evidently drunk out of the jug as far down as they could reach. There was a plate of rotting tomatoes on the electric stove, and an incredible mass of harness on the floor. She said “We generally keep it on the sofa but somebody came in who wanted to sit down.”
Poor Grubb. I don't know what she can do. I tried to tell her it was useless to keep eight horses, all either very old or else unbroken, but she would not listen. Back at 6, and saw Hampshire about some more chaff, called at home, then supper, finished letters, and to the post at 10.
Very cold, but not so bad as yesterday.
29th October 1941
Biting cold N.E. wind. Sunny in the morning, and then about 1 o’clock it began to snow, but soon left off. George Farmer came in, looking rather ill and depressed.
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