Week of 2 July 1945

Monday, 2 July
1 Pelham Place - Christ's Hospital
Caught 9.18 train from Victoria and Reg met me at Horsham. We had coffee there and then drove over to the farm. Had a nice time there and did a lot of business, went over the garden and had a very good lunch. Drove over to Christ's Hospital in time for tea. It turned into a lovely evening and we sat in the garden and watched the children training for school sports. All the family very well and very nice. Had some excellent wine with our dinner.

Tuesday, 3 July
Christ's Hospital - 179 West Heath Road
Pips drove me to the station to catch 10.30 train up to town. We had been busy tying up flowers, picking raspberries, etc, and I went up laden.
Lunched with Mabel who was delighted with her raspberries, etc.
Taxied out to Anne's in time for tea. Found both her and Sarah looking much better than when I saw them last week. Unfortunately, Sarah got a slight scald on her hand when going to bed.

Wednesday, 4 July
179 West Heath Road
A completely sunless depressing sort of day, and I have felt very tired. Was busy writing in the morning . After lunch went to Hamilton Terrace where Pippa joined me a little later. It was her first visit and she was very pleased. We got back here in time for tea, and afterwards she and Anne went into town to a cinema - The Way to the Stars. Very good indeed, they said.

Thursday, 5 July
Polling Day. Pips left for CH after breakfast. I spent the morning in bed - very tired. After lunch I bussed in to vote in Brompton Rd. Then on to tea with Mabel when I met Louise Mayer, Mrs Parker and Dr Cutler.Looked in at Enid's for a minute or two.
A very overcast morning turned into a real heatwave.

Friday, 6 July
A terribly sad day. Bet rang up about 10 am with the tragic news that Denis's plane was overdue and that he had been notified to her last night as missing by the War Cabinet. Mabel, ? and Oswald all tried to raise additional information and we had high hopes when we heard on the 9 o'clock news that rafts had been sighted which were believed to belong to a missing Liberator. But at midnight we heard that these rafts belonged to another plane. We phined Bet several times during the day, and in the evening she phoned up to ask me to go down tomorrow.

Saturday, 7 July
179 West Heath Road - Great Wenham Hall
No further news of the missing plane. Anne went out and got my ticket to Wenham and my rations, and Mabel brought me out some sausages, etc. I packed my few things and caught the 2.20 train to Bentley. Had a sandwich lunhc in the train. A very hot and crowded journey. Alice met me at the gate, and Bet at the door. Wonderfully brave and unchanged. She is carrying on everything just as usual. A lovely summer evening. Barnaby looking very fit and much improved since I last saw him.
I rang up Anne after supper.

Sunday, 8 July
A very lovely summer day. Bet keeping up marvellously, but a great look of suffering on her face.
I did not go to church.
No news of any kind and they did not say on tyhe wireless if the search for the missing Liberator is still being carried on.