1st April 1943

Thursday

Heavy, low, clouds, and rain falling, so took advantage of a slight stomach-ache to stay in bed, listening to the birds singing in the rain, and the voices of people coming to the “backus door” for milk.

Lay in bed until after 2, refusing all food except a bit of bread and butter, and finished  reading the Life of Harriet Beecher Stowe.  The duplicity of the English at the time of the American Civil War most interesting.

Joy said I was on no account to move, but the sun came out about 3, so I slipped quietly downstairs and away on my cycle.  I had to go in to Colchester in any case, to feed Bob.  It was a hard struggle against the head wind, and gave me heart pains.  

Home to tea, and then to feed Bob.  Running easily before the wind I got back to Lawford at 6.30.  Told Joy I had only been as far as Dedham to post letters.  

Sky quite clear tonight, and bright starlight, but very few planes about.  Writing until 10.30. 

31st March 1943

Wednesday

Quite recovered.  Lovely morning until 11, but began to cloud over.  Heard a great number of planes going out towards the sea, very high, and soon after there was an alarm for 10 minutes.  Joanna came in again for a few minutes, in fact she was there when the alarm sounded, but simply kept on talking to the other girls.

The clouds continued all day, but nothing else happened.  Rain began about 5, very fine, and blowing before the strong westerly wind.  As I cycled out I thought how the scene looked exactly like the Cymm fach, especially the valley, looking down from Crockleford Hill.  What would I not give to be far away in the Welsh Mountain at this very moment.

In the papers today there were new regulations published about coastal areas.  This year it is not intended to prohibit persons from visiting the East Coast, but from tomorrow certain coastal areas may be closed suddenly and without warning.  These areas may be anywhere within a strip 10 miles wide from Berwick to Lands End.  I don't think this would affect my living at Lawford, as the whole of our District would be within the 10-mile belt, and one would be able to move about within it.

Tremendous gale blowing tonight, the house shaking, and the wind howling through cracks and crevices.  No planes about at all.

30th March 1943

Tuesday

Felt bad on waking.  Headache very bad.  Clouds, but a high wind.  Did not leave until 9, feeling terrible, not made any happier by the news in the “Times” of attacks on the S. Coast yesterday.  Thought I should never reach Colchester.

Felt worse all morning, though the sky cleared, and great white clouds sailed majestically across it.  Could stand no more, called at home, had 3 cups of tea, but no food.  Ella was there.  Heard there was an alarm for an hour last night.  Set off for Dedham to see Sissons, and met them on their own doorstep, just back from Colchester.  They were most kind, gave me tea, and I ate two bits of bread and butter.  Had 2 and a half hours talk, most entertaining, and felt much better.  Going along Pond Lane just after 7, I overtook two pairs of Moorhouse’s horses going home from work, all lovely Suffolks.  The sky was pearl coloured, with great mauve clouds sitting across the valley.

Before I got to Dedham, I stopped to see Polley about the two trollies which he is making.  He was busy with them when I went in, making a lovely job of the wheels, all being cut out by hand, oak and ash.  He lamented that it was impossible to get seasoned timber, and had been for many years.

29th March 1943

Monday

Rotten night.  Bad stomach-ache came on about 4a.m.  Quite a new kind of pain, high up under the edge of my ribs.  Terrible griping sensation.  Heard the Town Hall strike 5 and 6, then the watchmen went and some men arrived to make alterations to the emergency exit at the end of the Wheeley’s passage [the emergency exit for the Castle's air raid shelters].  I went over to Holly Trees at half past 7, washed, and opened letters.  The sun was up, shining through layers of thin, high clouds.  

Went to Rose’s for breakfast.  She had just arrived, but looked very ill, and was going back to bed.  Poor dear, she looked very ill, and had a terrible cough.

  

Wind to S.W.  Warmer.

28th March 1943

Sunday

Lovely day, light S.W. wind, with great fleecy clouds floating across a deep blue sky.  Spent the whole day writing.  I had intended to have taken Robin out, but became engrossed in my work, and forgot.  Went in to Colchester at 6.30.  Fed Bob, called at home, and then to the Castle for duty.  Spent 3 hours in the Holly Trees Muniment Room, going through Laver’s great “Index”.  Also rearranged all the Colchester and County Petty Session Records in chronological order.  Poulter came down for half an hour, but went to bed early as he has to leave for London again at 6.30 tomorrow.

Few planes about at exercise, and bunches of searchlights playing in the west.  Slight fog, and frosty looking stars.  For some reason did not feel very nervous tonight.  Turned in at the Castle a few minutes after midnight.

27th March 1943

Saturday

Poulter attended the sale of the Doctor’s books at Hodgson’s on Thursday, but bought nothing.  They made over £600.  The fine Morant which belonged to Philip Hills and contained Morant’s portrait made £6-10-0.  He does not know who bought any of them.  So ends the old Doctor’s library.

Called for a cake at the café but was told that Rose was ill.  Had half a mind to go down and see her, but did not. 

Sun came out this afternoon, so after doing stable chores I had tea in the town.  There do not seem to have been any attacks during these last few days, although weather conditions have been ideal.

Back to Lawford by 6.  This evening writing, and reading a life of Harriet Beecher Stowe, extraordinarily interesting.

Felt depressed that another week has gone, and yet I achieve nothing.  The weeks go by so fast.

Fine tonight, and several planes about at exercise.  When I looked out at 10 o’clock the sky was brilliant with searchlights.

Noticed that troops have left the motor repair depot at Parson’s Heath, and a lot have moved out of Dedham as well.  Nothing but very young boys of 18 and 19, wearing new very ill fitting uniforms, in the streets now.

Met Harris of Fordham and a man with two Suffolk stallions, all decked out in coloured ribbons, frothing over their bits, and calling shrilly to one another.  It was a fine sight, and it is not often you see two stallions like that together.

26th March 1943

Friday

Woke at 6, and waited for light to come, but the clouds were thick and low.  I felt very apprehensive and depressed, particularly as the fact that bombers going out last night made a retaliation raid all the more likely.  Started late, and went in as slowly as I could, by Ardleigh, then down Hart’s Lane to Ipswich Road.  Near Langham Lodge Lane about 100 young Americans were laying cable-pipes in a trench, which was being dug by a mechanical excavator, working like a dredger.  The men then laid the pipes and filled in the earth, while two or three behind were consolidating the ground with mechanical rammers worked by accumulators.  As the pipes were put in, the cables were laid out through them.  The whole operation was being done with remarkable speed.

Called at Hall’s the coach builder in Greenstead Road, to see if he would build a new trolley for us, but he declined, as he has all the repair work he can manage.  He seemed quite surprised that anybody should want a new horse-drawn vehicle.  He and his mate, both quite elderly men, thought that horses would be used for years after the war ended, as the army would have all the motors and would have to be kept up to full strength “in case any one else should get up that we might have to knock down.”  

Called at Dedham to report about Poulter.  Sisson told me something of his trip to Exeter.  The damage done there last year was very considerable, and was greatly increased by the indiscriminate demolition carried out afterwards.  In one case the local panel of architects had, with permission of the Regional Commissioner, begun emergency repairs on a badly damaged block of Georgian houses.  During the week-end the Borough Surveyor’s men pulled down the entire block!

This afternoon I went into the lavatory at the Horkesley “Half-Butt” and saw some remarkable writings on the walls, some in chalk, some in black pencil.  They were as follows:

            THE PEOPLE WANT PEACE.

                        STOP FINANCIERS WAR.

            WINSTON CHURCHILL EMPIRE WRECKER.

                        THE BRITISH GOING TO THE YANKS.

            BRITONS AWAKE FROM SLUMBER.

I have never seen such sentiments written up in public since the war began.

The young soldier who murdered the old woman in Audley Road was hanged on Wednesday morning.  The jury had recommended mercy, but as he was only a poor soldier no notice was taken of their recommendation.  I see in the “East Anglian” that there has been a murder in Ipswich recently, also done by a soldier.

Had a curious dream in the early hours of this morning.  Dreamt that I was reading in the papers that Russia had made peace with Germany and that England had at once declared war on Russia.

Cloudy again tonight, only a few planes about.