Week of 15 May 1944

Monday, 15 May

Sheepcote

Sharp frost and bitterly cold. I had a fire in the drawing room all day and hardly stirred out.

Felt a bit all overish.

 

Tuesday, 16 May

A miserable cold day. I went by train to Halstead. Had my hair waved and did some shopping. Town all beflagged for Salute the Soldiers Week.

 

Wednesday, 17 May

Bitterly cold and some heavy showers. Cleared in the evening.

Lil arrived by the 5 o’clock train. I met her at the station in Tils’s car.

 

Thursday, 18 May

A better day, but still very cold. Lil and I took a walk after tea up by Scott’s Pastures. Coe and Erb Smith sawed off a couple of big dead branches from the Spanish chestnut on the lawn. After supper we listened in to Negley Farson in Traveller’s Tales. An account of his shooting a buffalo in Africa. A very poor show.

Cassino captured by the Allied Forces.

 

Friday, 19 May

Still cold, but turned less so and the evening was lovely. Lil had a bad night and felt poorly and stayed in bed most of the day.

 

Saturday, 20 May

A cold windy day. Mr Harris from BlueBridge House, Halstead, brought his daughter-in-law over to inspect the house on behalf of some friends. After tea Lil and I walked walked up to the Castle for the finale of the Salute the Soldiers week. Mr Butler made a speech and the ATC boys gave a display. The Essex Regiment band arrived very late and we did not wait for them.

Pippa rang up in the evening to say they had got back safety to CH on Thursday after a trying journey. They had missed their train and had been 13 and a half people in the carriage – plus the dog.

 

Sunday, 21 May

Sunless and bitterly cold. I did not go to church as I was expecting people from London to view the house, but they did not come till after lunch. A Mr and Mrs Cunliffe, a rather intriguing pair. They had both been married before. He was bearded with  a grown-up family by his first wife. She was young and good to look at with a baby of a year. She rested while I took him round the farm, and had a long talk with Lil re literature. They stayed for tea, to which Mrs Godfrey turned up unexpectedly, and Mrs Monty came in later, also unexpected. The Cunliffes left by the 5 o’clock train. They seemed to like the house.