Tuesday 1 May
Went to History. The teacher gets onto one theme & talks about that nearly all the evening. This time it was elections & MPs (shades of the current bye-election!) Quite interesting but not very useful for the exam. Went to see Theresa Duckett after, about Grail Publications, then wrote a couple of letters.
Grail Publications (also, apparently, referred to on 27 April), which until recently (c. 2017) was still in existence, is part of an organization known as the Grail Society, which supports the Grail Community. This women’s community was founded in the mid-1930s, was originally located in Pinner, and moved to Winchester in 2011. It is a Catholic religious group. The publications ‘are recognised world-wide for simplified versions of important documents in the Roman Catholic Church’, according to the society’s website. There are more details here: https://www.grailsociety.org.uk and here: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/grail-community-life-inside-a-gently-crumbling-retreat-2099614.html.
Wednesday 2 May
Dad’s Anniversary Day. Just got to Mass by the skin of my teeth! Went to lecture at the hospital on Midwifery. Quite good. Didn’t do much else. Am having to walk to work as I can’t get the parts to mend my bike. Rotten nuisance.
Thursday 3 May
Went to English. It poured with rain when I came out & as I had to walk home, I was quite wet by the time I got there. Wish Frances would hurry up and find out about that job. I think she’s coming home at the weekend. Cyril, his wife & boy are coming on Sat.
Friday 4 May
Went to Maths. Didn’t get on so badly. If it wasn’t a question of time I’d be alright. Caught a bus home. Mother & Gerry went to the flicks. They didn’t get home till nearly 11 with the result that we went to bed late. I never seem to be able to get fairly into bed before 12 these days.
Saturday 5 May
Worked in the morning. Tried to rehabilitate our old table as we’ve taken down our shelter. Cyril, his wife & Tony came in the afternoon. Went to Hospital in the evening. Nothing very much doing there. I still don’t think much of Dr. Allen as a humanitarian. Poor little children don’t get much consideration from him however much they cry.
Sunday 6 May
Went to 8 o’c Mass. Spent most of the rest of the day mending my bike. Think it’s alright at last. Procession in evening. Cyril’s alright but his wife’s a Talker.
Monday 7 May
Great speculation as to when VE day will be. Everyone thought it would be this afternoon. Went with Cyril & Mrs. to the Ritz. Saw “Can’t Help Singing”. Deanna Durbin. Quite good, though not very storified. During the show the manager said VE day will be to-morrow. Zita, Gerry & I went down to Tindal Square at about 12. Crowd there. Sing-songs etc. General Jollification.
Tuesday 8 May
Went to 8 o’c Mass & also 11 o’c. Didn’t do much during the day. The Worralls left. Hugh came home. We went down to Tindal Sq. again. More crowds. Dancing there. Drunks etc. Quite fun. Danced quite a bit with a soldier. Got home at 2 a.m. It went on till 4.
Wednesday 9 May
Didn’t get up till 11.30. Went to flicks in afternoon. Saw “Arsenic & Old Lace”. Good. Went to Tindal Sq. again but it started to rain at about 11.30. So they packed up. I’d like to have been in London for the celebrations. Must be good.
Thursday 10 May
Went to 8 o’c Mass & took my breakfast to work. Went to English. Did some washing when I got home as Zita & I are going to London to-morrow to a dance at Archway. There’s also a gramophone recital there so it should be good especially as it’s so near VE Day.
Friday 11 May
Zita & I caught the 5.20. We had hoped to catch the 4.58 which is a fast train if it was late, but of course it was on time. We arrived at Highgate at about 7.30. We were blazing hot, stifling weather. There wasn’t a proper dance, only a concert (gramophone). Quite nice music. They had dancing after but no men to speak of!
Saturday 12 May
Went down to B’s with Frances. Got there at about 12.30. We all went to the flicks. Saw “Here Come the Waves”. Quite good Bing Crosby no second film. Only a documentary about the invasion of France by Yanks.
Sunday 13 May
We overslept! Went to 12 o’c Mass. Disgusting. Went to flicks in afternoon. More disgusting still. Saw “Action in Arabia”. Good. George Sanders. Also “Time Flies” Q-G. [quite good, presumably!] Got home about 10.15.
Monday 14 May
Nothing worthy of note occurred. Went to French. Did some ironing. Wrote to Sr Phillips. Didn’t get to bed till 12 o’c. Intended to write to the L.C.C. about that laboratory assistant’s job but didn’t have time.
Tuesday 15 May
Went to History much against my inclination, but was glad I did go as there was a different teacher there, a woman. She was very good. There were only two of us there. Didn’t do much else. Read a bit. Had a bath & went to bed.
Wednesday 16 May
Went to the flicks. Saw “Guest in the House”. Quite good. Better than I expected. Also “She Gets Her Man”. Balmy, crazy, dotty & mad. Funny though. Joan Davis and Leon Errol.
Thursday 17 May
Went to English but didn’t stay. It was a lovely evening and there were only 3 of us there so we decided not to stay. I didn’t do much. Did some study at home. We leave off work at 4 to-morrow, thank goodness. The sooner I get out of this joint the better I’ll like it.
Friday 18 May
Went to Maths. The weather is very changeable now. One minute it is warm & sunny & the next it is dull & cold, if not raining. Frances came to-day. She & Mother went to the flicks. She’s staying till Wednesday.
Saturday 19 May
Didn’t get up in a hurry this morning & for once Mother didn’t object – verbally. Went shopping in the afternoon. Did the usual chores. I’ve been feeling much better lately. Not so grumpy. Must be that tonic I had.
Sunday 20 May
Went to 9.30 Mass as usual. Rotten day. It poured with rain in the afternoon. I’ll be able to dig the garden ready for the tomatoes anyway. Procession at church.
Monday 21 May
Another rotten day. It started off nicely, but got colder & chill [?] & poured with rain again in the afternoon. Went to the flicks. Saw “Janie”. Quite good. Also “End of the Road” good Edward Norris. Started embroidering my pinafore dress.
Tuesday 22 May
Didn’t do much. Studied a bit. Finished embroidering my p.d. It doesn’t look bad, though I say it as shouldn’t. Did some gardening! Started to dig up the prospective tomato bed. It’s nearly time for planting, if not quite.
Wednesday 23 May
Frances caught the 7.13 this morning. Hugh went back this evening. It rained on and off all day. I went with Hugh to the station and got drenched. Didn’t do much else except study. Couldn’t carry on with the gardening.
Thursday 24 May
Went to church. Then went to the hospital to collect my sub. allowance. The last one. Did some more gardening. Am getting on slowly. It’s hard work! (Doesn’t suit me.) Haven’t heard from Tom or Peter for ages. Must be slipping!
Friday 25 May
Got the cheap edition of “An Anthology of Modern Verse” at Ward’s. Bit of luck. The only one they had. Went to the Pav. with Mother. Saw “Abroad With Two Yanks” Very funny. William Bendix, Dennis O’Keefe & John Loder. Also “International Lady”. Good too. A decent programme for a change.
Saturday 26 May
Went to work in the morning. Had my hair trimmed in the afternoon. She cut it too short! It’s hardly long enough to curl. Still I expect it will grow pretty quickly. Listened to “Pride & Prejudice” on the wireless. Quite good though rather changed from the original.
Sunday 27 May
Went to 9.30 Mass. Took Chum for a walk in the afternoon. Cyril came at about 5. He’s stationed at Ongar now. Procession at church.
Monday 28 May
Uncle Willie comes home to dinner every day now, says he wants the exercise! Went to French. Didn’t do much else. The weather is still cold and showery. Miserable! Perhaps it will be better later on. Let’s hope so.
Tuesday 29 May
Went to history. The mistress shows you just how much you don’t know. I don’t seem to know anything! Was going to do some more digging, but couldn’t be bothered when it came to the point!
Wednesday 30 May
Went to the flicks. Saw “The Thin Man Goes Home”. Quite good, though I can’t stand William Powell. Also saw “Johnny Doesn’t Live Here Any More”. Quite good too. Rather balmy. I shall have to change my book token soon as the 6 months allowed are nearly up.
Thursday 31 May
Went to 7 o’c Mass. Went to Benediction in the evening then went with Z[ita] and G[erry] to see “Jamaica Inn”. Had already seen it once. It seemed a bit silly on a second showing. Saw also “For the Love of You” ancient, about 1920 I should think. Gave us a laugh anyway. [No idea what film this is – it is not immediately traceable on the internet, and the authoritative Leslie Halliwell’s Film Guide (1987 edition, of course) does not list it.]
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