Monica was engaged in essential war work, in a clerical capacity, at the Marconi factory in Chelmsford. She hated the work and the environment, but was not allowed to resign. Her boss was known to her and her coworkers as ‘Tom-Tom’.
Monday 1 January 1945
Nothing very exciting to begin the New Year. Went to 1 o’c Mass. Tom-Tom’s not in to-day. Ill, I think. B came back from London. Must try to get something for Mother’s birthday on the 4th. Nothing worth getting nowadays. Unless you’ve got coupons & I haven’t. Feel tired. Heard “Pippa Passes” on the wireless – good.
Tuesday 2 January
Still feel tired. Can’t seem to get to bed early. Had another letter from Peter. He’s still at Leigh. John F[isher] came from Ipswich for a day or two. He took Mary to the pictures! Nothing good on here this week. Don’t think I’ll go. Must do some studying.
Wednesday 3 January
Quite a bang in the night. Rocket near Beehive Lane. Worked till 7. The warning went at about 5 to 7. The first we’ve had for ages. Anita & I were cycling up Moulsham Street when the doodle passed overhead. Phew! Luckily it didn’t stop! Another warning later & another doodle.
Thursday 4 January
Mother’s birthday.
Rumpus at work to-day. Just because we wanted to stick a picture on the blackout! Old crabs! It’s just like a school. Didn’t do very much. Am reading a book called “The 5th Army Fell Back”. Good. About the last war. We haven’t heard from Clive yet. Rude man!
Friday 5 January
Went to London with B for the weekend. I want to get an Arithmetic book. We caught the 7.44 train & arived at about 9 at Liverpool St. I phoned Frances. She’s coming to Coleherne Rd to-morrow night.
Saturday 6 January
Went to 9 o’c Mass at the Brompton Oratory. Then we had breakfast at Lyons & then went to Foyles & got my Arithmetic book. Went to flicks in afternoon. Saw “Dark Waters.” F[ranchot] Tone, M[erle] Oberon very good. Went again with little Kathleen in evening. Saw “Old Acquaintance” very good indeed. Also “7 Doors to Death” not bad.
Before and after the war, the rail trip from Chelmsford to London would have taken about 45-60 minutes. During the war the blackout, troop movements etc. clearly slowed things down.
Sunday 7 January
We didn’t wake up till 9 so went to the 10 o’c Mass. Didn’t do much until we left at about 4.45. Caught the 6.8 got to Chelmsford at 8.10! Barbara [Fisher] was at home. Went round to Mary S’s with her. We had some wedding cake.
Monday 8 January
Auntie Norah’s birthday. Tom-Tom came back to-day. We asked him if we could come in every other Saturday instead of 2 on & 2 off as we do now. What a row! Anyone would think we’d asked for the moon! He doesn’t think we really want it! Worked till 8. Had a letter from Peter. He’s in Devon.
Tuesday 9 January
Joyce & Anita want a transfer. Tom-Tom says he can’t stop them! Yet he stopped me. I’m biding my time till they get transferred then the sparks will fly! We’re having every other Saturday off. He apologised for making a row yesterday! What a boss. Went to History. She certainly makes it interesting.
Wednesday 10 January
Quite a near rocket this afternoon. About mile away. Everyone made a dive – after it all happened! No casualties. Went to the Ritz. Saw “The Hitler Gang.” Quite good. About Hitler’s rise to power. Interesting. Also “I Met Him in Paris.” Good. Claudette Colbert, Melvyn Douglas, & Robert Young.
Thursday 11 January
Went to English. Good. I enjoy it. Probably because I’m quite good at it. About the only subject I am good at. Uncle Willie was at home. He’s staying the night. He asked me to lunch with him at the Lion & Lamb. Barbara & Mr Hawkes will be there too.
Friday 12 January
Didn’t feel terribly well so didn’t go to Maths lesson. Zita went to London to-day. She’s going to a dance at the nurses home at Highgate. I had lunch with Uncle Willie, Barbara Mr Hawkes & another Wren called Joy. Quite a nice “do”. Mother’s going to London to-morrow.
On Saturday nights Monica did volunteer duty in the casualty department at the local hospital.
Saturday 13 January
Frances’s birthday.
Mother went to London. I went shopping in the morning. Saw Mother off. Did some washing in the afternoon. Went to the hospital in the evening. Nothing very much doing. Only one stitching. A man who’d had an accident. He was a bit lightheaded. Very truculent.
Sunday 14 January
Went to 9.30 Mass. Warning & doodles in the night. Nothing near. Didn’t do very much. Went to Church in evening. Mother & Zita were there when I got back. Neither Tom nor Owen were there (at Highgate).
Monica left school at the age of 14 following her father’s death in 1937 in order to work and support the family. She left before completing her final qualifications. The matriculation (matric) examination, for which it was necessary to pass a variety of subjects to obtain a single qualification, was the passport to further education or a better career, and she attended night school in order to work up to the exam. Although she had probably already given up on her early ambition to become a doctor, she clearly wanted a career of some sort, but her application to the task in hand was variable …
Monday 15 January
Tom-Tom’s away again to-day. I think he came back too soon. Went to French. Difficult. Doesn’t seem to be much hope of my being ready for Matric. Wish I had some more time to study. Listened to a play on the wireless “Mr Barbage in the Parlour” I think. Quite good.
Tuesday 16 January
Went to History. Boer War. Good. Apparently you can take Matric so that if you fail in that you stand a good chance of getting the Oxford. So I think I’ll take it this June after all. It will be good practice anyway. And who knows, I might get it. The electricity failed at about 8.45. Came on again at about 10.30. Nuisance.
Wednesday 17 January
Left work at 5 & went to the Pavilion with Jean Lowe, saw “None Shall Escape”. Very good film although it was a war film. Alexander Knox & Marsha Hunt. Also “Tropicana”. Mae West! Awful! She’s completely out of date. Rotten acting anyway.
Monica’s sister Frances was working at Highgate Hospital in London.
Thursday 18 January
Went to English. Had a letter from Frances. She says there’s a dance at the hospital on 26th. To-morrow week. Hope to go. But will have to come back Saturday as I don’t want to miss going to the hospital here, I’ve missed too much already. B’s going on Saturday (she says).
Friday 19 January
A terrific gale was blowing last night! Woke me up so it must have been bad. Uncle Willie came to dinner. Went to Maths. The master’s no good. Not much anyway. Wish I could find someone to give me extra coaching. The wind’s dropped & we’ve had a bit of snow.
Saturday 20 January
Worked in morning. Did some housework in afternoon. Quite a heavy fall of snow in the late afternoon. It was quite thick when I went to the hospital. Nothing exciting there. No casualties. Think I’ve got another cold coming. Hope not.
Sunday 21 January
Went to 9.30 Mass. Freezing cold day. Washed my hair in afternoon. I’m going to have a Maria haircut. It looks nice (on Mary Robinson anyway). Went to church in evening then did some studying.
Monday 22 January
Tom-Tom’s an old crab. I’d like to kick his teeth in! Made an appointment for tonight to have a Liberty cut. Had it done at 5.30. Don’t feel as if I’ve got any hair left! Went to French. It was so freezing cold there (they turn the heat off in the evening) that we all went home at about 7.40.
Tuesday 23 January
Should have gone to History but didn’t. Aren’t I awful? Went to flicks instead. Saw “Pride & Prejudice” again. Jolly good film. One of its best features is the nice English spoken. Quite a pleasant change from the modern slang. The second film was “Harvest Days”. Quite good.
Wednesday 24 January
Tom-Tom gets worse & worse. I’ve never known such an office for pettiness. Worked till 7 o’c. Then went with Mother, Zita, Mr & Mrs Fuller to the Annual Dinner-Dance of the Knights of St Columba. Quite good. The usual long-winded speech-making of course. The dance livened up just as everyone had to go equally of course. Didn’t get to bed till 1.15.
Thursday 25 January
Went to English. Quite good. It wasn’t so cold there as the heating was on. There were two SAS men there. Hope to go to London to-morrow to the Dance at Highgate. Hope Tom and Owen are there. I don’t suppose the journey will be too good. It’s so jolly freezing . The frost stays on the trees & things all day. Very pretty, but Brrr! it’s cold!
Friday 26 January
Left work at 5 again to-day and caught the 5.20 to Liverpool St. It was a slow train so I didn’t get to highgate till 8 o’c. Neither Tom nor Owen turned up. There’s probably a good reason because they said they were coming. I met a nice Czech there. He’s a Pathologist. Tall, dark & handsome! Had a jolly good time altogether.
Saturday 27 January
F[rances] had the day off so we went out together. We tried to find a decent film to see as we hadn’t time for anything else. (I wanted to catch an early train back.) We couldn’t see anything alluring so we didn’t go. I caught the 3.48 home. Went to the hospital in the evening. Nothing much to do there.
Sunday 28 January
I’m terribly tired to-day. Too many late nights! Didn’t do much all day. Prepared my French. Wrote a couple of letters. Went to bed quite early.
Monday 29 January
Anita’s gone to hospital with conjunctivitis. She’s pretty bad apparently. Went to COM supper social. Not bad. Quite a decent supper & the games & things were quite good afterwards for a change. Saw Mary S there & we had a chin-wag. Haven’t seen her for quite a while. We must go for another of our walks.
Tuesday 30 January
Must try for a transfer again. Joyce has just got hers so I’m going to have a good shot at it. Can’t stick it here much longer. It gets me down. Went to History. Joe Chamberlain. We’ve got to move from the library. The new principal doesn’t approve of having classes there! Nuisance.
Wednesday 31 January
Worked till 7. Don’t think I’ll do any more overtime. Other people get away with it so I don’t see why I should be a mug. Went the Pavilion after. Saw “Rose Marie” a reissue. Not bad, also “Secret Motive” not bad either though a bit senseless.
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