Overwhelmed with new machinery. Dishwasher finally collapsed after about ten years and friend at electrical shop (who has been supplying us here for the 30 years hes been in the shop ,progressing from 16 year old apprentice to manager in that time) pointed out washing machine also limping along and not worth mending during last year. So he brought both in same exciting moment already recorded . Took me 2 days to master dishwasher and was just starting on Clothes washer yesterday when power cut off. After an hour I rang local friends ,who were both out, and finally electricity company who said no reported trouble elsewhere in village, must be my own trip switch.Ten minutes later Power came back.I went to rather chilly Taichi (North wind?)and later charming man from Electricity board arrived to pull trip switch for me only to find it had mended itself. He checked everything,and could find no cause( Like my mysterious fevers) for power going off, or coming on. Luckily machine registered Power Failure or I think he thought I was making it up. Michael B. came in earlier, refused lunch as busy setting up some big scheme for his studio.
London Saturday 23rd January 1943
was looking rather gloomily at weekend. Henry ( section boss) went off to Ireland for Belfast celebrations on tuesday. I decided to join Ruth at the Albert Hall and afterwards met Peter Price (Cambridge Film Society) and Roger Lubbock( ED Roger was only boy friend approved of by my family. My Father had known an earlier generation of Lubbocks living in the centre of what is now Univ. of East Anglia and had been in love with Roger’s aunt.He was already in MTB’s when I met him first with Philip. When he was posted to the Med.we corresponded for 3 years. There was never any romance but like Philip he seemed to be a real male friend) Roger came back to tea with me and we told each other about our respective love lives. Angus came at 6pm and we three went to try and get in to Casablanca. No go so went to Dog and Duck and ended up in Leicester Square pub.and then back to my room in Cheniston Gardens by 11pm, Angus left at 11.30 when Ruth got back from Figaro. and I took Roger to the station at 11.45 Talked to Ruth till 1.15.(ED It seems odd now that I should have felt fine walking back alone through totally blacked out streets as long as there was no air raid on)
London Sunday 24th January 1943
misty morning. Ruth left about 10.30 after a philosophical talk about the future of England and the middle classes( Ruth’s father is Chaplain at Winchester) I did some dusting, had a bath and went to lunch with the Prices where Roger is staying. I arrived about 1.15 to find they were both still getting up/ Went out and had Pimms at Coach and Horses. had lunch plus a Luxembourgoise called Jacques (whom Peter does not like.) Angus and Richard arrived after lunch also Nigel Bicknell and a Canadian who was staying there. (ED was Peter Price living at home with hospitable parents and mrs Price cooking for hordes, or like Philip making use of evacuated empty family Home? ) Peter, Roger,Angus Richard and I got into ‘Casablanca’ at Marble Arch this time. I wept a lot its a good film. Angus and Roger came back to tea with me. I was cross with Angus for arranging that he stayed all evening so I rang Terry, Murdoch, Anne and Camilla to get them to come too. Only Terry could come but he stayed till 11pm, Roger left at 7.30 and Angus at nine. I didn’t want to be alone with Angus who was either miserable, bad tempered, or ill and I couldn’t face being sypathetic ear to any of it. He is still living at Townshends.
January 24th Tuesday ’12
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