Thursday 1 March
Went to English. Didn’t do much else. Wrote three letters. We haven’t heard from Tony for quite a while. Not since we had the photos in fact. The weather’s quite nice though it’s turned a bit colder. Still Spring’s on the way thank goodness.
Friday 2 March
Went to Maths. The usual teacher was ill again. Mr Millington took us. It’s awful because one tells you one way to do a thing & another tells you entirely different. Didn’t do much else. Boiled my apron & cap & starched them. Chum’s not very well, she keeps being sick.
Saturday 3 March
Work in the morning. Played netball in afternoon against East Hanningfield Youth Club at Rettendon. We won 15-3. Quite a good game. We had the first warning for ages last night. They’ve started sending doodles again & ordinary planes. And our C.D. [Civil Defence warden] has been demobbed! 2 Warnings this afternoon. Saw 2 doodles. Went to hospital.
Sunday 4 March
Went to 9.30 Mass. Did what I usually do on Sunday – practically nothing. Mother’s got a nice cold. Rained a bit this afternoon. Heard “Music for All”. Quite good.
Monday 5 March
Didn’t go to work to-day. Stayed in bed in morning. Plumber came in afternoon to mend our pipes, at last. Didn’t go to French. Have been reading several “Nursing Mirror’s”. Interesting. Must get through Matric soon.
Tuesday 6 March
Stayed at home again to-day. Will probably go to work to-morrow. Dull weather but no rain. Had a bath in afternoon, did some studying. Didn’t go to Tech. Must keep studying Maths or I shan’t get through.
Wednesday 7 March
Back at work. Felt alright till I got there! Then I suffered a relapse! Went to see Anita at the hospital. She thinks she’s got to have her eye out. Anyway she says they’ve given up hope of getting her sight back. Went to church after. Didn’t do much else.
Thursday 8 March
Went to English. Zita stayed away from work to-day. She went to the Dr to-night who said she must go into hospital for observation. She might have a gastric ulcer. I think she goes in on Sunday. Warnings have not been so frequent lately (touch wood!)
Friday 9 March
Took Tessy to the Dr’s. She’s got a bad knee. Pimples all over it. Saw Pimply Percy on way home. He asked if I was going to the dance to-morrow, but I can’t. Saw Anita also. She’s out of hospital for the time being. Is going to see a specialist in London on Tuesday.
Saturday 10 March
Tom turned up! He only stayed for a few hours. Played netball in afternoon against the Priory. We lost 10-9. A close game though. Good. Went to the station afterwards to see Tom off. He caught the 4.5. Went to the hospital. Quite busy at first, but everything was practically over when I got there. Zita went into St Johns today.
Sunday 11 March
Went to 9.30 Mass though I was woken up at about 7.30 as I slept in the eye clinic. Was just too late for the 8. Didn’t do anything exciting. Washed my hair.
Monday 12 March
Tom-Tom wasn’t at work. He’s been bombed out. Went to French. It’s getting difficulter and difficulter. Nice weather lately. Hope we’re not having our summer now. Anita came to work in the afternoon. Walked home with her.
Tuesday 13 March
Gerry’s Birthday. Gave her a couple of drawing blocks. Went to History. Mrs Newport was ill again so we had to put up with the same man we had before. What a bore! He talks for hours about absolutely nothing. Wrote & told Mrs Alford I shan’t be at the hospital on Sat. (St Patrick’s dance.)
Wednesday 14 March
Tessy’s Birthday. Went to the flicks with Mother. Saw “Waterloo Road”, Stewart Granger, John Mills, Alastair Sim. Quite good. Also “My Pal Wolf”. Good too. No one I knew in it. Zita will probably be coming out to-morrow if she’s alright.
Thursday 15 March
Zita came out this evening. She doesn’t know the results of the x-ray’s etc. yet but I don’t suppose they’d let her out if they thought she was very bad. Went to English. A sort of test. Two essays, half an hour each. It’s not really long enough (for me at any rate) but that’s how they do it in the exam apparently.
Friday 16 March
A new man came to work on Monday. His name is Richardson. He’s taking Piggy’s place. Piggy’s going. Wish I was! Went to Maths. Thank goodness it wasn’t Millington. Didn’t do much else. Intended to write to Frances and forgot. Hope the dance is good to-morrow. Don’t suppose it will be.
Saturday 17 March
At work in the morning. Did some shopping in the afternoon. Tried to get a pair of stockings. Cant get a pair of silk ones in town. Ended up with a Lisle pair. Not too bad. Quite fine. Went to St Patrick’s dance at Shire Hall. Not bad. Didin’t feel too good. Have a lovely cold coming. It was too crowded for decent dancing.
Sunday 18 March
Felt rotten to-day. Lovely cold. Went to bed in the afternoon. Dozed a bit which made me feel worse I think. Saw a little twerp at the dance last night called David. He oges to the Tech. Talk about fast!
Monday 19 March
Didn’t go to work to-day. Spent the day in bed. Slept all the afternoon. Don’t feel at all well. Didn’t go to French of course. Didn’t want to miss. I’ve missed too much already. Still couldn’t be helped. Lovely weather. Really Springlike.
Tuesday 20 March
Stayed in again to-day. Got up at lunch time. Didn’t do very much. Don’t feel like studying though I ought to really. Tessy & Mary are at home with Impetigo. Crocky family! Tessy’s face is an awful mess. She been to the Dr. & is treating it but it’s taking a long time to get better. Mary’s not so bad.
Wednesday 21 March
Got up earlier this morning. About 10. Tessy, Mary, Chum & I went for a walk in Baddow meads. Lovely day. Mild & sunny. First day of Spring! Went to a lecture in the evening at the Nurses training school. Dr Kerr. Anaesthetics. Jolly good. Theory this week, practical next. Interesting.
Thursday 22 March
Went to English. Made an appointment to have my hair trimmed at Bonds tomorrow at 5. Didn’t do much after night school. I’m impatient to get Matric. The more I think of it the more remote it seems.
Friday 23 March
Went to Bonds. They said they couldn’t do it as I was 10 mins late! Anyone would think it to[ok] hours to do a trim. Anyway made an appointment for to-morrow for a shampoo & set as well as a trim. Went to Maths. Not too bad. He condescended to explain some trig. to me! Piggy left.
Saturday 24 March
Housework in the morning. Went to hairdressers in afternoon. Don’t like the way she did it. She seems to have cut my hair all wrong. Shan’t go there again. Went to hospital in evening. More interesting than usual. A stitching & a plaster. The weather’s been lovely to-day. Like Summer.
Sunday 25 March
Didn’t wake up till late so went to 10.30 Mass. The Palms are quite plain this year. Not in the shape of a cross. Pity. Frances came at about 5.30. She goes back to-morrow.
Monday 26 March
Frances got a telegram saying she was going on night duty & needn’t be back till Wednesday midday. Went to French. Am getting quite friendly with a girl there called Grace Hatton. She’s quite nice. Rotten weather to-day. Raining all the time, much to the dismay of my hair!
Tuesday 27 March
Went to History. Tech breaks up to-day. No more lessons, no more French, no more sitting on a hard old bench! Went to flicks after. Saw “Western Approaches”. Very good. In technicolour. About the M.N. [Merchant Navy] Also “My Ain Folk”. Not bad for a Butcher film. [What does she mean? It was written by Kathleen Butler – who had written the screen plays for dozens of films, including Busman’s Holiday and Old Mother Riley Joins Up, since 1934 – so perhaps she meant a Butler film.] Very Scottish. Quite nice singing & scenery. Anita had her eye out today.
Wednesday 28 March
Frances went back this morning. Went to the lecture at the hospital. Very good. Anaesthetics again. Frances says I may be able to get a job as Lab. assistant at Archway Hosp. She’s going to enquire. Hope I can get there, though one probably has to have Matric. Still she’ll find out.
Thursday 29 March (Maundy Thursday)
We left work at 4 this afternoon. Or rather we were told at 4 that we could go home. Went to church. Listened to “The Man Born to be King” at 9.30. Lovely play. Life of Our Lord in modern language by Dorothy L. Sayers. We have had it 3 or 4 times on the wireless but you never get tired of it.
Friday 30 March (Good Friday)
Dad’s birthday. [Her father, Maul Richardson, had died in 1937.] Went to the Mass of the Presanctified in the morning. Thank goodness we didn’t have to work this year. Went to church in the afternoon & again in the evening. Strange day. But then, Good Friday always is, to me at least.
Saturday 31 March
Barbara & Betty came this afternoon. They are staying till Tuesday. They went to the flicks with Zita in the late afternoon. Mother bought a new costume. A sort of puce colour with a squared pattern. Quite nice. It suits her. Went to the hospital. There’s a new Dr. there called Dr. Allam. I don’t care much for him. Didn’t like the way he treated a little baby. Scared it.
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