Friday
Steady, continuous rain all day. Most welcome. Another alarm about quarter to 1pm. No planes heard.
9th July 1942
Thursday
Drove in early this morning, beautiful weather, cool, with large wet looking clouds, and intermittent sun. Noticed an emergency water tank in Harwich Road completely surrounded by tall, scarlet poppies, reflected in the still water as in some exotic pool.
In Dead Lane, had to edge carefully past two plough teams on their way to work, the ploughs rumbling along on the little road-wheels, one horse in the chains and the other led behind by the ploughman. They were all Suffolks, very nice looking.
Enormous convoy of Canadians left the town as I arrived, going out towards Clacton .
Looked out of the office window this morning and saw three soldiers sitting on the edge of the pavement opposite with their feet in the gutter, eating buns and reading newspapers. They were English too.
This evening went to supper at the Roses’ at Boxted. Lovely fine evening, and much to my surprise an air raid alarm about 7 o’clock. Have not heard one for some time. Nothing came over.
Had a very pleasant evening, and left at 10 o’clock for Lawford. Everybody gone to bed when I arrived.
7th July 1942
Tuesday
Went down to Mersea this morning. Everything looking very well indeed.
Received the Essex Archaeological Society Transactions today, part I of volume XXIII. This contains the Annual Report for 1938! It is disgraceful that these numbers cannot be brought out at a proper time, as they were in Fowler’s day. However, this is a very fat, well-illustrated number for wartime, and contains among other things an account of the destruction of Little Horkesley Church almost two years ago, and an account of the salvage of the medieval brasses. Glad to see Benton [the editor of the E.A.S. Transactions]
Slight rain early in the day.
6th July 2012: Olympic Torch in Colchester
Seventy years after E.J. Rudsdale wrote his wartime diary entry for 6th July 1942 (see below) the Olympic Torch passed through Colchester this morning. There is no doubt that Rudsdale would have enjoyed witnessing the spectacle from the roof of Colchester Castle or the Hollytrees Museum and that he would have recorded the event in his Journal. CP
6th July 1942
Monday
Called at home tonight, and Mother told me that Maitland [EJR's cousin] had definitely joined the RAF, and expected to go soon. Presumably the Bank [where Maitland Underhill worked] have been unable to get any further extension for him. I wonder how he feels about it.
Slight rain today.
4th July 1942
Saturday
Bought a nice little edition of Froissart today for 3/-. Read some of it on duty tonight.
2nd July 1942
Thursday
Had Robin shod today for the third time. [The blacksmith] Brooks’ charges are now 8/- for Robin and 9/6 for Bob. Carthorses are now charged 12/6.
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