This morning the weather was drizzly and while Mam, Grandad and Clarice and Julia sat in a shelter on the sea-front, Dad and I walked to Westbrook and Westgate. At Westbrook is the Royal Sea Bathing Hospital built in 1790. There is also a big pavilion where a resident concert party is engaged. There is seating for 1,500. St. Mildred’s Bay & West Bay make up the Westgate coast. On the cliff tops are beautifully kept lawns & flower beds and here also is a large pavilion.

   The weather cleared up in the afternoon and we bathed in the pool again.

   This evening we sat on the beach while Clarice & Julia went to the Punch and Judy. They hardly even miss a performance and often appear in the show. Before going home, we had some chips for our supper.

   After breakfast this morning Dad and I went to the station to see about the luggage. It was only then that we found that we had been given back wrong halves to our return tickets. However, we got the right halves back. Back on the beach, we went into the pool. It was very hot.

   After dinner, we bathed again and then lay on the beach in the hot sun. I like getting sunburned since one only gets the chance at holiday time.

   Tonight we went to a firework display in the Dreamland Car Park. This was really very good for apart from the usual Sky Rockets and Comets and Fountains etc., we saw the Star of India, a Circus Clown, a Goose that laid a Golden Egg and a house on fire with a fire engine & firemen with a hose — all made of fireworks.

   Again it was very hot today and we bathed both in the morning and afternoon. I can now swim by myself.

   After tea we did a little shopping and then went along to a shelter by the Sun Deck Pavilion and we stayed there until about 8.45pm. Clarice and Julia went along to see Punch and Judy. I must say that this is the best show that I’ve seen of its kind. It always has four to five hundred people at each of its three daily performances.

   After sitting in the shelter we walked back along the sea-front and Dad and I walked along the pier. It was dark by then and we could see right along the coast, hundreds of twinkling lights. It looked really beautiful.

   We had some chips for our supper and got to bed at about 10.30.

   I was out this morning by 7.0am. The sun was shining and it was nice to think that instead of going home there was still a little longer for us to remain by the seaside. Already, hundreds of people were pouring into the town. After breakfast we said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Merchant.

   When we got down to the beach the Bathing Pool had been drained and we did not bathe until this afternoon. The early promise of good weather was not fulfilled: it was cloudy this morning and rained on and off after dinner.

   This evening we sat in the usual shelter and then walked to the Harbour. We had some whelks and then chips before going home to bed.

   Today, our last full day here, the weather has been colder and cloudy. In fact, rain this afternoon sent the few people on the beach scattering for shelter under the Pavilion, hastily scooping up deckchairs which here cost 6d per session!

   Dad and I swam in the pool during the morning and afternoon, and at my suggestion since it would be our last chance this holiday, again tonight.

   We had some chips for supper and got in for 9.0pm because the trunk had still to be packed. It is to be collected next Tuesday.

   It seems quite strange writing in my diary again. [On holiday I had been writing on rough paper.] I got up early this morning and had a last walk along the beach. Breakfast was at 7.45 and we were on the station in good time to catch the 9.18 train. We all got seats this time. As the train drew out, we all looked back, rather regretfully, at the house which had been our home. The journey itself was uneventful. We made thirteen stops totalling an hour and a quarter and arrived in Birmingham at 3.57. The journey took 399 minutes in all. Birmingham was just as we left it. It was raining as hard as ever; what a Bank Holiday! [Years later, August Bank Holiday will be moved to the end of the month. The weather will be no better!]

   One of my goldfish was dead when we got home. Tonight we saw Part 5 of the “Passing Show” on T.V. I now have the task of writing up nine days’ diary.

   I spent some of this morning writing up last week’s events. I cycled to Stratford Road just before 10am and got some meat for Ginger. The demonstration film on this morning was last Sunday’s “Weekly Review”.

   After dinner I looked at my picture postcards. I now have over a hundred [and still have them 50 years later]. Mr. Burton brought Ginger back at about 3.0pm. She is in season again.

   At 5.0pm I went to the Hippodrome. The Folies-Bergère Revue (C’est de la folie) is there until Saturday when it will have completed a fortnight’s run. The show is direct from London Hippodrome where it ran for two years and also the Paris Folies-Bergère theatre. It has been described as the most sensational and spectacular show ever. The first act was in two parts (a) Les Étoiles de Paris was very spectacular and colourful with Mlle. Angela, Kenneth Birrell and Vilma la Verne, les Boys, les Modèles, les Danseuses and Les Nus. (b) was “A Man about Town”, a sketch with Alec Pleon. He ended up by (accidentally?) knocking over the scenery. Kenneth Birrell and a Vocal Ensemble featured in Les Chasseurs. The third item was “Place Pigalle” with Vilma la Verne singing with Eddie Vitch, Les Boys and Les Girls. The fourth scene showed the reception given to mark the debut of a man whose music was destined to become immortal — Frederic Chopin. Next we saw some really delightful juggling by Vivian et Tassi followed by L’enfer des Femmes. Rixio was the Devil, and Angela played Purity. Les Danseuses took the part of the sinners, Les Nus the part of the Temptress. Then after Alec Pleon again we saw Le Masque de Versailles (a) the Boudoir (b) the Fountains with Les Modèles et Les Nus.

   After the Intermission was Premier Bal with Les Modèles, Les Danseuses et Les Nus. Eddie Vitch then showed us “How to behave in a smart Parisienne Restaurante”. It wasn’t very funny, This was followed by Le Grande Catherine then “Boy meets Girl” with Vilma la Verne and les Modèles. The 13th scene was Retour à Paris then Les Trois de Milles — stalwart exemplars of muscular eurythmy. This was followed by Ivories de Chine wit its masked figures. This was in two parts (a) The Market Place, Pekin (b) The Grand Palace. Alec Pleon sang and the show ended with the whole company in a grand finale.

   Today Warwickshire started their match against South Africa at the County Ground. I arrived at the ground at 9.30 and got in at 11.10. Dudley Nourse won the toss and put Warwick in to bat on a drying wicket. cricket

   Gardner and Don Taylor batted steadily for twenty minutes and added 14 before the former was caught by Athol Rowan off Melle for 7. Ord started off very unsteadily but took his score to 23 before being caught by McLean off A. Rowan at 12.47. Hitchcock batted brightly and his fourth scoring stroke was a six off Mansell but he also fell to Rowan’s leg trap, being caught by McLean for 23. The score was then 118 for 3. The wicket had cut up very badly. Dollery was the next partner to Don Taylor but Taylor himself was caught by McLean off Mann with the score at 134. His 73 took two hours and included 8 fours. Wolton’s 27 included two fours and a six. He was another Rowan victim at 179. In the next 15 minutes E.B. Lewis and Townsend lost their wickets for two apiece. No. 9 in the batting order was Keith Dollery, a young fast bowler from Tasmania, playing his first game for Warwick. He scored 14 but was caught by Eric Rowan off Athol Rowan with the score at 213. Grove was out with no addition to the score. Then Tom Dollery hit out, a four, a single, and then two huge successive sixes to the leg boundary off Athol Rowan. Van Ryneveld, a magnificent fielder, made a tremendous dive to catch the second of these and only just failed to do so. The next ball clouted by Dollery was also going for six but McLean thought otherwise and took a fine boundary catch. Warwick were all out for 230 — a good score considering the state of the wicket. Dollery had contributed 52. Twenty-eight of his last twenty-nine runs came in boundaries.

   The day’s excitement was by no means over. Rowan was brilliantly run out by Weeks with the score at 4. Then Waite fell to Grove two minutes later — 8 for 2. McLean was bowled by Keith Dollery just after the same player had held a smart return catch off Van Ryneveld’s bat — 10 runs for 4 wickets after only a quarter of an hour’s play. Then Cheetham came in to steady the batting but Nourse and then Mansell fell to smart catches in the slips off Weeks’ bowling — 26 for 6. Cheetham batted for nearly an hour for 19 runs. He was caught by Townsend off Weeks with the score at 37. Athol Rowan was caught by Townsend off Grove at 39. Mann and Chubb stayed together at the wicket for the remaining 40 minutes. At the close, S.A. were 67 for 8 wickets.

   Nothing much happened today. I stayed in during the morning. We had dinner early, intending to go to Lewis’s Flower Show with Grandad. We went down to Grandad’s but he did not want to go particularly so we stayed at his house for the afternoon. We got back just after 6.30.

   On T.V. this evening we saw “The Silent Village”, a new play by William Templeton. A runaway wife meets her lover in an inn on a Swiss mountainside. Everything is completely in order; there is even a chicken ready for supper in the kitchen. Yet the inn is deserted. Other travellers arrive — the pursuing husband, an English family, a boxer in training and a composer. But there is not a soul in the village. An avalanche is about to wipe out the village ... The night is spent in apprehension, and throughout a tense atmosphere is created, an adroit suspense right up to the last moment.

   John called for me early this morning and brought me a birthday present — a Lucas cyclometer for my bicycle. Dad gave me 5/- and so did Grandad, while Clarice & Julia gave me a writing case [which I still have fifty years later].

   Nothing much happened all day. Warwickshire’s match against the South Africans ended in a draw. S.A. were all out for 77 in their first innings (Chubb 24 n.o., Grove 4 for 30, Weeks 3 for 23, Dollery (K) 2 for 19). Warwickshire did not enforce the follow-on and added a further 201 for 7 dec. (Don Taylor 69, Chubb 3 for 87). This left S.A. to make 355 runs to win at the rate of seventy runs an hour. They made 290 for 6. Glamorgan are the only county side to beat the tourists so far. cricket

   On T.V. tonight, I saw the Newsreel, “Looking at Animals” (heads), “The Duchess Vanished”, then Arthur Askey [whom I met a year or two earlier, together with his daughter Anthea]. Lastly I saw the first of four films on life in the British Isles — “We in Britain”.

   I did not wake up until 10.30 this morning. It was raining fast and it kept on until about 3.30 in the afternoon so I did not go to Birmingham City’s trial game at St. Andrews. weather

   I decided to go to the Hippodrome to see the Folies-Bergère again. There was nothing worth seeing at any of the cinemas.

Korean Diary for July 25th–Aug 7th

25th. Talks resumed at Kaesong. Communists put forward new proposal concerning withdrawl [sic] of foreign troops.

26th. Agreement reached on 5 point agenda.

27th. UN propose a demilitarized zone.

29th. Deadlock over demilitarized zone.

3rd. Deadlock maintained.

4th. Gen Ridgway breaks off talks pending a Communist explanation of breach of neutrality.

6th. Communist leaders explain ‘accidental’ violation of conference area.

7th. Gen. Ridgway agrees to resumption of talks if neutrality zone is respected.

   This morning I weeded the front garden and pulled up dead plants, and helped Dad to cut some of the hedge as well.

   I stayed in for most of the afternoon.

   Tonight I took Hound out early for her evening walk in order to watch a play “Albert” on T.V. at 8.25pm. This was the story of a P.O.W. at Marlag in the late summer of 1944. “Albert” was a life-like dummy, capable of marching and smoking and so forth, an escape device which was the handiwork of Lieut. John Worsley, R.N.V.R. The play was very good and the atmosphere never lacked reality. Michael Gough gave a fine performance as Geoffrey Ainsworth, the bearded creator of “Albert” as did Felix King as the Kommandant.

   Nothing much happened this morning.

   After dinner, Mam took us to the Olton cinema. We saw first Smugglers’ Gold. It was quite good but rather lacked speed of action until the last ten minutes. During the Interval, we saw Atom Man versus Superman Episode 13, “Atom Man Strikes”. This is quite far-fetched but it has plenty of action and is quite humorous.

   The main film Jealousy I liked. Larry Parks and Barbara Hale were both very good.

   There was a very good selection of T.V. Programmes this evening, seven items in all. After the Newsreel we saw “The Inventive Mind”, “Band Call” (Nat Allen and his orchestra), Fire-Eating with Dan Mannix, Country Dish (Hindle Wakes), Interlude for Harpsichord and then last of all “What’s My Line?”

   This morning I read a condensation of Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon Tiki Expedition in The Reader’s Digest. It was very good.

   At 10.15 I cycled onto Stratford Road and got some horse-meat for Ginger.

   After dinner I went into the garden and did some weeding, lit a bonfire and cut some of the lawn. I did not go to Cubs.

   I cleaned out my aquarium this evening then took Ginger for her evening walk.

Korean Diary for August 8th–10th

9th. UN Delegation agrees to resume talks after Communist Commanders have given another assurance that there will be no violation of the neutrality of the conference area.

10th. No progress is made at the longest session of the Armistice Talks.

   This morning I read Part of Fred Hoyle’s Nature of the Universe. Astro-physics can be a most absorbing topic! Later in the morning, I took Ginger out and went shopping in the village.

   After dinner Mam and I watched the Television. There was a tele-film of “Country Dish” until 3.20pm, followed by a ten minute film about the cause and prevention of fires. There was then an interesting film “Padirac, the Black River”. This told of the exploration of this tributary of the Dordogne which runs deep underground for some miles.

   The Birmingham–London helicopter went past our house at 4.0. [It was operated by British European Airways for only a year or so, from Heybarnes Recreation Ground.]

   On T.V. tonight I saw “Sports Magazine”, “Starlight”, “The Lighter Side”, and the second film in the series “We in Britain”.

   There was another dreadful tragedy at Lewis’s at dinner-time, the second in 4½ months. A woman fell 105 feet from the roof and was killed; she was Mary Bermingam (28). There is a photograph in the Mail of crowds outside Lewis’s gazing up at the roof.

   Today the fifth test match began at the Oval and while Mam and Clarice & Julia went to see Alice in Wonderland at the Odeon in town. I watched the match on T.V. [Mam was angry and upset when they got back. The Odeon, New Street, was an expensive cinema to go to. Any films we wanted to see we used to wait for to come round to the Warwick or Olton. On this occasion a neighbour suggested that Mam and the girls might like to go with her to see the film. Mam thought the neighbour was treating them. But Mam ended up paying for them all, ’bus fares too! I remember the unhappiness as though it were yesterday.]

   Nourse won the toss and chose to bat. The first two hours batting by Rowan and Endean produced only 66 runs, then Endean was caught by Brown off Laker for 31 with the last ball but one before lunch. At 106 Rowan and Van Ryneveld left and this was the start of a collapse for the side was all out for 202. Eric Rowan scored 55 and Athol Rowan 41. Laker took 4 for 64. cricket

   England lost Hutton with the last ball of the day for 28. He was l.b.w. to Rowan. Lowson got a “duck” so they are now 51 for 2, 151 runs behind.

   Warwickshire beat Northants in two days by an innings and 169 runs.

   Bob came to see us tonight.

   This morning I watched the test match again. Early morning rain delayed the start until 11.50am.

   Following May’s dismissal before lunch, Compton and Watson put on 40 for the 4th wicket. Watson was brilliantly run out by McCarthy and then wickets fell cheaply. Compton, last man out, scored 73 of England’s 194. Watson, 41, was the next highest scorer. cricket

   The main point of interest was, for me, Worcestershire’s match against Yorkshire, and since Yorkshire lost by 8 runs Warwickshire have won the County Championship for the first time since 1911. They have only been beaten once — by Lancashire — and won the Championship with only 13 players, not one of whom was called upon to play for England. 5 players scored 1,000 runs while Hollies and Grove (for the first time) took 100 wickets.

   This morning I took a football boot to be re-studded at the cobbler’s [at Payne’s, a shed-like building on the corner of Warwick Road and Station Road where I think there had been some bomb damage], and I took my football to Willmott’s on the Stratford Road to be laced and blown up.

   I cycled to Blues’ home match v Bury this afternoon. Blues won 2–1 after being 1–0 down at half time. Trigg & Higgins scored for Blues, Daniel for Bury. It was rather a poor game. football

   England won the 5th test and the series by gaining a four wicket victory. The scores were:—

S.Africa 202 (E. Rowan 55, A. Rowan 41; Laker 4–64) and 154 (E. Rowan 45; Laker 6–55)

England 194 (Compton 73, Watson 41) and 164 for 6 (Brown 40, Lawson 37; Chubb 3–53).

   In England’s 2nd innings, Hutton was given out obstructing the field, for 27, a decision without parallel in test cricket, only the fifth in history.

   This morning I got up early and made a pot of tea. Then Clarice and Julia and I went for a walk along the canal from Woodcock Lane to Richmond Road. Hound had to come with us of course. Ginger fell into the canal — quite a new experience for her I imagine, but she did look silly.

   I spent the morning and afternoon cutting the lawn and re-shaping the flower beds.

   After tea I washed up and took Ginger for her evening walk. I then watched the second half of The Bachelor a play by Miles Malleson with a Russian setting. It is actually an adaptation of the play by Ivan Turgenev.

   Again today the weather has been disappointing. Ever since we came back from Margate the weather has been cloudy and dull with showers and a few bright periods. The only really fine day was last Thursday.

   This morning I fetched my football boot from the cobbler’s. My football was not ready at Willmott’s but while I was in that district I called on John Winrow. Unfortunately he was out.

   This afternoon I finished reading my library book — Gunby Hadath’s No Robbery. It was very good. On “Children’s Hour” we saw the third part of “Hurricane Express”.

   I took Ginger out tonight as usual. On T.V. we saw “Hi There!”, a music and comedy show, a short play “Her Best Foot Forward” and “Adventure in Sight” a pictorial album of scenes and events.

   As usual I cycled to Stratford Road this morning to get horse-meat for Hound.

   Later I watched the Weekly Review on T.V. This is part of the daily demonstration at 11.0am.

   After this, I read today’s Wizard and Adventure. [They were published on Tuesdays, and the Rover and Hotspur on Thursdays, 2d each, by D.C. Thomson & Co Ltd.]

   [I received a postcard of Windsor Castle this morning. It was written by Kipper, who is staying at 22 Northwood Avenue, Purley, Surrey. He says:

   Dear Willie,

   We’re having a glorious time here in London — the South Bank is as good as they say. The Festival Gardens & funfair are lovely at night time, when they are lit up. We have also booked for the Festival Hall twice during our week’s stay. Phil got us all down here safely on Thursday: 134 miles in 5 hours. I hope we get back as well! Please remember me to your parents. Cheerio for now,

   Kipper.

   We stayed in Windsor for an hour on the way down & went around the college.

   We saw two films on T.V. this afternoon. The first showed a party of men climb the Eiffel Tower from the outside. The second was “Hayfoot” a comedy with William Tracey and Joe Sawyer in the same series as “About Face” which we saw on July 25th.

   This evening I went to Cubs. Only six turned up so we played cricket. It seems to me that a lot of Cubs think that a holiday from school automatically entails a holiday from Cubs! A lot of boys are away with their parents though.

   I took Ginger for her evening walk.

   This morning I went shopping down the village with Mam. Ginger came with us.

   This afternoon we all went by ’bus [ ... ] to Heybarnes Recreation Ground which is, of course, the home of the recently innovated Rotorstation. [We went on the Outer Circle 11 to The Swan, then had our first ride on a Coventry Road bus, the trolley buses having finished on June 30th. The new services are the 57B, 58 and 60.]

   The helicopters make two or three daily trips to and from London. We saw one leave at 4.0pm, and then we went to Granma’s [236 Millhouse Road] and stayed until 5.0 o’clock. She was pleased to see us. We walked all the way home.

   I took Ginger for a walk tonight. We watched “What’s My Line?” on T.V.

Korean Diary for August 11th–14th

12th. Communist delegate agrees to put forward a plan for a truce area.

13th. No progress made in truce talks.

14th. No progress made in truce talks at 24th meeting. Gen. Ridgway explains point of view of United Nations about a demilitarized zone.

   This morning we all went to the Rotorstation and saw two helicopters leave at 11.0am. They are most fascinating to watch. I took some photographs,

   We dropped in at Granma’s and she insisted on our staying to dinner. We did so, and Mam and I did the washing up afterwards.

   We left at 2.30 or a little after and saw the helicopter land half an hour later. We walked as far as “The Swan” [Yardley] and then caught the No. 11 ’bus. We got home at 4.15.

   We watched a play on “Children’s Hour”. It was “Caliph for a Day” by Rex Tucker, an Arabian Nights Tale.

   Ginger was very tired tonight & would only let me take her to Starcross Road and back for her walk.

   We did not watch the T.V. tonight except for the weather maps. We listened instead to “Meet Christopher Blaze” and Derek Roy in “Happy Go Lucky”.

   This morning nothing much happened. I went down the village and took Ginger out.

   This afternoon we watched the composite Newsreel at 3.0pm and “The Squirrel, the Hare, and the Little Grey Rabbit” at 5.0pm.

   Tonight Mam and Dad went to the cinema as usual. On T.V. I watched a visit to the Reptile House and Aquarium at the London Zoo “to meet some cold-blooded animals on a warm summer evening”! It was a very interesting visit though and most enjoyable. At 8.45 there was “Caribbean Cabaret” featuring the Trinidad All-Steel Percussion Orchestra. Then at 9.45 the cameras paid a visit to the Tower of London to see the Yeoman Gaoler perform the Ceremony of the Keys. A final item was a “surprise” interview with Sam Rocket, a Channel Swimming coach.

   This morning I cycled down to the village to do some shopping.

   After dinner I spent the afternoon listening to various commentaries on Warwickshire’s last home game against Hampshire. Warwickshire batted first and made 344 for 6. Dollery is 110 not out. Spooner made 73, Townsend 56. The game was interrupted once or twice by rain. cricket

   I also saw another T.V. Programme from London Zoo from 3.30 until 4.9pm. I think myself that the impromptu entertainment given us by the chimps etc., compares favourably with quite a lot of the stuff professional artists provide. These visits to the zoo are well worth while.

   B’ham lost 4–nil to Leicester! I lit a bonfire at 4.15 and it kept alight even though the rain fell very heavily tonight. On T.V. we watched Part 1 of Treasure Island. weather

   I got up this morning and made the tea, then took Ginger out.

   Nothing much happened during the morning and afternoon. It rained off and on — mainly on.

   Granma came this evening after tea and we all watched “Claudine” [sic], a play by Rose Franken. Anne Walford was very convincing as Claudia [sic] but Patrick Barr also gave a lively performance as the husband. On the whole, the play was pleasingly produced.

Korean Diary for August 15th–21st

15th. UN Delegation proposes that both sides appoint sub-committee to discuss location of demilitarized zone.

16th. Communists accept UN proposal.

17th. Sub-committee meets at Kaesong.

18th. Admiral Joy emphasizes necessity for agreement on militarily defensible position rather than a political line.

19th. U.N. forces launch limited offensive on E. coast.

   We got up this morning at about ten o’clock and after breakfast we went shopping in the village. I expected to hear my G.C.E. results from the Northern Universities Board on the 11th but I did not. I called at the Martins’ and found that Kipper and Phil heard their results from school a fortnight ago. The results were published in the Birmingham Post on the 17th and Phil showed me a copy. I found I had passed in all four subjects. Kipper passed in French, Maths, General Science, English Language and Geography. John passed in French.

   Chadwin got a pass in English and Maths as did Durnell. Hollingworth and Clasper passed in English alone. The failure to show individual merit is, in my opinion, quite ridiculous.

   One of the evening’s T.V. programmes was a visit to Southend-on-Sea to see the Illuminations. The programme can only be described as a failure.

   This morning we went to town at about 11.0am. We went first to Mark’s and Spencer’s then C & A, Lewis’s and the Midland Educational. At Lewis’s we went on the roof, a hundred and five feet above street level. We got home at 4.15.

   I went to the Hippodrome this evening. First on the bill were Bebe and Belle, two dancers, then Carl Carlisle & Maisie Weldon — impressionists. Next came the two Arvings — two very good continental cyclists, Harry Bailey the “King of Blarney” & Vic and Joe Crastomian. After the interval we saw Bebe and Belle, Donald B. Stuart a conjuror, and Jackie a clever Balancer. Topping the bill was the American Strip-Tease Girl Gypsy Rose Lee. She took five minutes to undress (finishing the operation as a shadow-graph), She introduced her four “beauties” sparsely covered with “vegetation” and clothed them, giving a mock lecture at the same time, a slightly disappointing act.

   This morning I went to the Library and got myself a Peter Cheyney novel — Lady Behave! I didn’t get a chance to read more than a couple of pages today.

   This afternoon’s television programmes consisted of three films, one about model aeroplanes, and a film about the Royal Navy as well as one of the “Holiday in Paris” series.

   There was a very good Music Hall show tonight “First Night”, the first T.V. show from the Radio Exhibition at Earl’s Court. It included Terry-Thomas, Anne Ziegler and Webster Booth and Rawicz and Landaur. Terry-Thomas gave an excellent one man parody of the “Housewives’ Choice” records programme. It was great fun.

   This morning at 11 o’clock we went to Granma’s and stayed for some time before going on to town.

   It rained continually all morning and afternoon. I doubt whether I have ever seen such heavy rain. weather

   Mam bought me my Birthday present from the Midland Educational — a Bible published by Collins with sixteen photogravure illustrations of Holy Land scenes. It has a leather cover and also contains pronunciation notes. [I used it for many years and still have it.]

   We got home at 5.45.

   Grace came this evening to see the repeat performance of “Claudia”.

   I had a letter from the B.B.C. today offering me a preliminary interview with Miss Doreen Dixon in connection with Television Drama Productions next time I’m in London.

   Lionel Gamlin may just possibly have me in the Christmas “Hullo There!”

   This morning, I cycled to Stoney Lane to get some horse-meat for Ginger. Then I watched the T.V. Demonstration Film. It rained heavily at intervals. I went to Dorling’s and fetched B.O.P. and The Listener.

   After dinner I washed up and went shopping on my cycle. I cycled to Granma’s at 5.0pm. I had to collect some beetroot for Dad to enter in the B.S.A. Third Annual Show tomorrow.

   This evening I watched the T.V. while Mam and Dad were at the cinema. There was the Newsreel then a half hour of music provided by Paul Adam, followed by the first of a new series of “In the News”. “Starlight” at 9.15 featured the Mack Triplets from America. Finally there was a visit to the London International Patrol Camp at Gilwell Park for the last Camp Fire. Most outside broadcasts are very good. This was no exception. Scouts