Diary 1941 Hinda Harris, (25 years old) 74 Lawrence Road, Hove 3, Sussex
January 1 Wednesday
So what? No resolutions – except one to try and return home. If all goes well next
Wednesday will be fateful day. One whole week when anything can happen!?
Gave notice to Labour Exchange – nothing to what I’d like to give them!
January 2 Thursday
Snow and frost. Went to see “Under Your Hat”, and “Rancho Grande”, former funny,
latter usual cow slow musical. Warning 7.30 – still on. Flak and some aerial activity.
Hurry up next Wednesday!
January 3 Friday
Still cold. Preparations for next week going ahead. Dad and I will go home first, Mum
and Gordon will clean here and then follow Saturday.
January 4 Saturday
Piercingly cold wind. Roamed every grocer in old town then into new town – for
soapflakes! Warning from 7 to 8 and second at 10.40 – lasted until 8am.
January 5 Sunday
Still cold wind. Washing freezing on the line. Stayed in – near the fire whenever
possible!!
January 6 Monday
More packing. Snow today, froze later tonight. Der tag almost here!
January 7 Tuesday
Said goodbye to Aunt Minnie and Gerald. All packed and waiting. Still more snow
but stopped freezing.
January 8 Wednesday
At last! Goodbye Swindon. Much mucking about on trains tubes and trolley buses.
Saw Monica after 2 ½ years – for 1 ½ hours! Stoke Newington not so bad as feared
but dreary beyond belief. London Bridge area worst damage. After travel anti-climax
- front door lock refused to budge!! Persuasion with Vaseline finally did trick. Very
very tired – but home – sweet home again!!
January 9 Thursday
Nothing but work. House damp and cold but now airing with plenty of (?) Rusty locks
everywhere and garden in a mess. Swept, cleaned, dusted and still more sweeping,
cleaning and dusting to be done! First home warning lasted 1 ¼ hours, second ¼ of an
hour later and still on. Something big has fallen somewhere?
January 10 Friday
Continued housework. Aching all over and feet giving out – so I am almost ready to
pass out but I must finish work. Great improvement in appearance. Trunks and parcels
arriving. Warning again tonight – still on.
January 11 Saturday
Mum and Gordon back. Family reunited, all very pleased. House clean and warm – so
am I now, but still tired. Warning as per schedule.
January 12 Sunday
Relaxed a bit today. Completed unpacking. House now fuller than afor with
possessions. Warning at 7.30 – just over. And so to bed!! (About time!)
January 13 Monday
Further cleaning up. Surveyed town in afternoon. Fine weather. Plenty of people and
blessed absence of uniforms(?) Ran into Margaret outside Wade and had a pow wow.
Everything much as usual except absence of onions in Hove and general scarcity of
meat.
January 14 Tuesday
Yet more tidying up and fixing of better blackouts. Alan Cranfield came to see
Gordon, after 18 months in the navy. Had plenty of information re his travels in
Mediterranean, north and atlantic and likes the life. Finds the weather and blackout
irksome! So do we!!!
January 15 Wednesday
Snowed here first time since we got back, but no hills to climb so I don’t care! To
Lido to see “Ghost Breakers”, very funny and “Miracles do Happen”, quite amusing.
Place almost empty.
January 16 – 23 nothing.
January 24 Friday
“The Great Dictator”. Grand comedy and great propaganda, if only someone would
listen.
January 25 – nothing
January 26 Sunday
“The New Moon”. Romberg’s music and Macdonald-Eddy singing – impossible to
fail to please.
January 27-29 – nothing
January 30 Thursday
“Four Sons” Czech betrayal ’38. Good acting. “Phantom Raiders”. My first Nick
Carter, not very impressed.
Jan 1 – Feb 6 – nothing
February 7 Friday
“Strike up the Band” rhythm, romance, melody. Pretty good entertainment.
Feb 8 – Feb 11 – nothing
February 12 Wednesday
“I love you again” good comedy. “Calling Philo Vance” Competent whodunit with
newest Vance.
Feb 13-14 – nothing
February 15 Saturday
Met Margaret, went along front. Back here for tea, then to Royal to queue. “The
Light of Heart”, very good and not (remarkably) overacted. Just scraped home 5
minutes before warning. Still quiet.
Feb 16 – 18 – nothing
February 19 Wednesday
“Hired Wife”, very funny, and “South to Karanga” slightly episodic.
Feb 20-21 – nothing
February 22 Saturday
Rev. Dr. Donald Soper on “Mans just Portion”(?) extremely frank exposition of
Christian Socialism at the Dome, delightful meeting place. Usual dodderers with
statements super-imposed on questions, but Soper very tactful and clear in answers.
Inevitable voice from back of hall!
February 23 Sunday
“Music in my Heart”, pleasant trifle, comedy laced with melody, and “A Girl Must
Live”, English but incredibly slick and snappy comedy, good cast, Rene Houston
outstanding.
Feb 24-25 – nothing
February 26 Wednesday
“He Stayed for Breakfast”, Communist comedy, “We Who Are Young”, trials of
newly-weds, both good. Sat behind Pat and had a good old chin wag. Meeting next
Wednesday. Pat getting married in April.
Feb 27-28 – nothing
March 1 Saturday
Second lecture in free church series. Kenneth Ingram on “the Peace Settlement” –
competent but uninspired. Rather dry delivery, although ably argued. Walked along
the cliff back with M. Then home again. Bright, and windy on the cliff!!
March 2 – 3 – nothing
March 4 Tuesday
Actually got paid at Labour Exchange and no remarks about black marks on record!!
Just in time to get me out of the red. Got my fingers crossed. Day of reckoning round
corner?
March 5 Wednesday
Met Pat as arranged. Walked and talked. Then back to office for tea! Met Kate Hunter
– my successor, (the fourth since I left) and namesake Harris, Cost Clerk. Then went
to “Foreign Correspondent” – good cast, hectic story, shot full of American faux pas
but typical Hitchcock entertainment, which means not boring.
March 6-7 – nothing.
March 8 Saturday
Dorothy Sayers on “Daily Work and Vocation” (?) not wimseycal, but many hometruths and one or two personal opinions. Biggest attendance of all – many detective
fans?!!
March 9 Sunday
“Argentine Nights” Ritz Bros. Andrews sisters, Gauchos, grins but no groans. Good
comedy. Also “Mother Riley in Business” our own brand of humour, also very good.
March 10 – 11 – nothing
March 12 Wednesday
“The Lady in Question” light comedy, and “Sailors three” hilarious comedy! Laughter
– ‘all over the place!’
March 13 Thursday
Sudden call from Miss Simon to do a little typing job. 9 popular songs – 30 copies for
a canteen. Earned enough to almost pay for grey skirt! Wish there were more “jobs”
of this variety!
March 14-17 – nothing
March 18 Tuesday
“Four Wives”, babies, beaus, belles and blubs. Pretty and fare. “Raffles”. Slender and
silly, also snob.
March 19-20 – nothing
March 21 Friday
Bought scarlet boucle to have jacket knitted. Saw “Bad Man of Wyoming” Wallace
Beery bad boy again, and “Hold That Woman” skip-tracer(?) midly amusing.
March 22 Saturday
Last of New Christian Order series. Margaret Bondfield sound parliamentary speech
but nothing new. General level attendance maintained and everyone thanked. Mutual
admiration, finale.
(From now on, I’m only transcribing entries that are interesting!)
April 8 Tuesday
Bought scarlet patent pochette.
April 22 Tuesday
“Christmas in July” funny, fresh dialogue. “World in Flames” 12 years indictment of
events leading up to the war to end peace. Depressing but necessary.
May 10 Saturday (Hinda’s Birthday)
25! Quarter of a century old. So what? Grey gloves (one pair wool, one silk) posy,
jumper and chocolates. “Quiet Wedding” funniest film for weeks. “Rumba” old but
bearable. Wonder if I shall be 26?!!
May 16 Friday
Interview and landed a job. Start Monday. “Spring Parade” Viennese fairy tale with
good music and singing. “Hot Steele” fairly good but not as hot as its title.
May 19 Monday
Started off quietly today passed quite uneventfully. Staff, Miss Seymour, Miss
(?)field, Miss Butcher, Mr Ford. Boss Mr P Spooner.
May 20 Tuesday
Settling down. Nice general routine so far. This evening “High Temperature” genuine
bedroom farce, three acts in and out of bed. Frothy but funny, good pace maintained
all through.
May 30 Friday
Ordered navy suede shoes.
May 31 Saturday
Bought grey silk for skirt. Navy hat.
June 1 Sunday
Clothes Rationed!! Biggest bombshell on the home front.
June 14 Saturday
One Saturday morning a month off. Mine today. Bought material for jacket (first
coupon lot!)
June 17 Tuesday
Grand hike over the downs. From Woodingdean to Rottingdean. Quiet except for
solitary tank, though ‘cat’ tracks all over the place. Also plenty of barbed wire and
man and tank traps. Ended in R’s pub. Full of Scots soldiers and local residents. Fine
weather broken at last.
June 30 Monday
First afternoon at Children’s Hospital. Outpatients department full of mothers and
children and nurses and a doctor or two. Miss Bartlett (almoner) Quite nice, I think I
shall like it there, despite the smell of disinfectant and children bawling!
July 8 Tuesday
Surely the hottest day on record?! Flaming July!
August 2 Saturday
Registered today. Summed up by girl behind me “Born in the last war and registering
in this!” Note: all the 25s looked 30 – especially the married ones! Moral – don’t
marry.
August 4 Monday (Bank Holiday)
To Worthing, where I walked the town and was blown around by gales, finally to get
caught in rain and soaked. Hot bath and dance ended an otherwise awful day!
August 26 Tuesday
Couldn’t decide on any show so went to Jimmy’s and had a fish supper. Then walked
back to Glady’s flat and had a talk.
September 1 Monday
Relaxed throat. Coughing myself to bits and my (?)
home.
dropping like lead. Staying at
September 3 Wednesday
Posted Monica’s present – pair of sheets – to her!
September 9 Tuesday
Said so-long to Gladys, who is going into the Land Army on Monday. Saw her
uniform, quite attractive. Played table tennis with Maisie and Garry Brooks and quite
enjoyed the evening.
September 12 Friday
Up to London to start my holidays by attending Monica’s wedding. Civil ceremony
very brief - no ‘love, honour and obey’, or ‘until death do us part’, much to M’s relief!
Small reception, Bill’s sister, brother-in-law, niece, land-lady and daughter. After
leaving them all I rubber necked in the West End, and saw the ruins. My first solo trip
to London so I also had a memorable day!
September 13 Saturday
Helped Mummy buy a chapeau and then went to the Academy to see “Andy Hardy’s
Private Secretary”, funny, with exceptional singing by Kathryn Grayson,a new singer.
September 15 Monday
To Haywards Heath for first time. Fair ride, but cold walking.
September 16 Tuesday
To Horsham, to visit the Franklins, Mr Cohen senior, then Aunt Rachel, Cousin
Minnie, Second cousin Cynthia, Pauline and Sefton. Considerable talk and family
gossip ad nauseum. Nice houses on new estate, tho’ small.
September 17 Wednesday
Still cold. Bought more wool for jumper.
September 19 Friday
To Rottingdean for the ride. Able to walk on the cliffs and smell the seaweed –
actually! Then rode back to see a glorious musical treat.
November 15th Saturday
Out to buy a new coat. After much walking, bought one at Bradley’s, in deep wine
shade. Day cold but fine, thank goodness!
November 18 Tuesday
Anglo-Polish ballet – excellent. A little nervous at first but delightful when they
warmed up to it. National dances in costume formed a gay whirlwind of colour, music
and movement.
December 2 Tuesday
To the Imperial for the first time. A nice theatre but badly heated and unorganised.
The bill was very weak. Two good turns, one just bearable and the rest flat. The
audience was ‘cold’ in more senses than one!
December 6 Saturday
Bought a watch, also further Christmas presents.
December 24 Wednesday
Very little solid work done today! Went over the wards to see the Christmas
decorations. Some children came up for toys, but plenty over.
December 25 Thursday
To date: one nice jumper, soap, bath salts, felt flowers, scarf, note-paper and
compendium. Also the end of a cold in the eye – all puffed up with its own
importance!