Fine day until afternoon, when rain set in again.
I have a hole in foot due to nail in shoe.
Worked in morning as Dorothy still sick.
Rumour says men standing by for parcels, but Father Meyer says a Formosan said 2 weeks at latest.
Pat Cullinan (TB patient) not allowed to come to final night of plays which went off very well; not a big audience but most appreciative; Even Dr. H. Talbot said he liked the 'sketches'. Mum and Father Meyer there.
Visited Marie, Annie, Mrs MacDonald and Betty Twidale.
Party re plays in afternoon; (every one came including) Johnny Anderson, Jacqueline Matthews, Beryl Goldenberg, Pat Cullinan, Sheila Haynes, Pauline Beck, Joe Lewis, Peggy (Barton), Mr T Concannon and Clifton.
We more or less decided to do Alice in Wonderland in the summer, Pauline Beck and Mr Concannon agreed to help.
Rainy again.
Dr Valentine was pleased with plays.
Mum sold Olive's grey coat for 300 Yen to Betty Twidale.
Mr Sandbach gave end of Yunnan talk in evening.
Catholic Action meeting in afternoon.
Jane/Jean Lyon married to F. S. Chisholm.
We opened last tin of bully.
Much banging in night, Clifton said he saw flashes.
Mum's 30th marriage anniversary.
I was in poisonous temper re re-typing of extra copies at work.
Saw Pat Cullinan re putting on the plays in Leprosarium on Sunday ((for TB patients.))
Fish came in for about first time for 3 weeks.
Gorgeous day.
Mr. L. E. Ryan died about 6pm.
750 planes over Tokyo.
Egypt and Turkey declared war on Germany, according to paper.
Went to Mr Ryan's funeral with Mum, only about 2 dozen there.
Meeting in afternoon, washed hair.
Blasting still going on.
Japs fussing re issues of dry rice. ((You could have some of your rice ration uncooked - to do yourself - instead of having all your ration cooked; many people then ground the dry rice on the grinders and made little cakes etc. with it for a change of meals.))
German lesson in afternoon, only Mr Cautherley and me.
Worked in morning; there was an inspection about 2, so stayed at hospital for a while.
German lesson in afternoon, only Mr George Cautherley and me.
Saw Joan Wilkinson and offered to teach her shorthand, she wants to learn, having started lessons with Martha Lewis (age 14).
Some school children arrested for being on road ((presumably beyond gates)).
Rumours re parcels from Kowloon Godowns on Monday, but Stericker (John) says no news.
Card from auntie at Gillingham saying 'As soon as I know you are on your way, I will attend to larder - chips and cheese, but taboo rice.'
Eric MacNider lectured.
Rumour that parcels will come tomorrow, with firewood, but nothing official - excpt committee appointed to decide distribution, and suggestions invited.
There's a petition going round to stop food from going to Welfare, and suggestions invited. ((Apparently a plan proposed that some of parcel food should be kept for people in poor health to give them extra, instead of all parcels distributed equally among every one.))
Doreen came for shorthand.
Yesterday news was that Germans must have 12% food cut, and have only enough to last till end of April.
Went to Joan Wilkinson and arranged to give her shorthand lessons. Mist curling right down on us.
Gladys and I went to Indian quarters to get people to come to social. Our efforts rewarded; Joe Lewis came, it was quite a success. Pauline Beck same as well. Dorothy Wilson won bar of choc donated by Father Hessler. Clifton ran the show and did it well. When Harold and Elsie Bidwell arrived, they announced that a loud toot from the jetty brought every one out - expecting firewood and parcels.
Later, a notice that there will be parcels tomorrow, some private ones, 600 cases comfort parcels, 2 cases books, toilet articles, men's clothes. No mention of bulk foodstuffs to everyone's disappointment. Bulletin suggests that only 2,500 individual parcels in all ((i.e., 1 each, as camp population then about 2,460)). From Canadian Red Cross. The committee announce we're to have 1 parcel each distributed at once, minus 1 tin corned beef which will be taken by Welfare and replaced by reserve tins they have.
Very disappointing news - early this a.m the Japs woke us up calling for Max Bickerton ((a Japanese-speaking internee who often interpreted)), and men went off re parcels.
After church, I went to help at hospital shelling cockles which came in rations.
Rumours rife - that there was bulk stuff, that there were Canadian, British and American parcels, but after our 3 plays were put on at Sanatorium ((for TB patients, pre-war the Leprosarium)) this afternoon, we came down to earth with a bang: apparently there may not even be enough parcels for one per person, and they are all 1942 parcels from Lourenco Marques.
Worked in morning.
Catholic Action meeting in afternoon, then Red Cross parcels given out, dated April and June 1942, the sort we had in October 1942. Outside they looked in bad condition (brown cardboard boxes) but not bad otherwise. Two of our chocolates weren't good, but there seem to be no blown tins. We opened tin of lobster paste.
Lecture by Dr. Dean Smith on 'Food.'
The Holloway family, and Clifton are getting private parcels, which were meant for Charles and Eileen Medley who had been in camp but were repatriated in 1943.
((I don't know how many 'private parcels' arrived with the general shipment: I guess relatives in UK or USA 'in the know' managed to get them included.
The private parcels sent to internees who had already been repatriated were presumably distributed by our council. Clifton Large & his parents were Canadian but chose not to be repatriated in 1943, (because Clifton wouldn't leave my sister Mabel, and his parents wouldn't leave without him), so their nationality was probably what earned them the Medleys' parcel.
The Holloways' eldest daughter Edith was married and lived with her husband in Canada; very probably Edith had sent the parcel the Holloways received.))
Gun emplacements being blasted horribly near to us.
Opened steak and tomato pudding this evening - lovely!
Mr J. S. Gibson, aged 72, died.
Went to see Annie in morning.
Doreen had shorthand lesson.
Worked in afternoon.
Joan Wilkinson (16) came for shorthand lesson.
Mrs Adams collected our congee.
No Mass because Red Cross clothing is in Prison Officers' Club.
2 post cards from Mrs Irene Cole ((in Australia; her husband was killed at Aberdeen, Hong Kong, during the war. He was a colleague of Dad's))
Visited Betty Twidale.
Still no Mass. Had a lay-in.
Visited Offenbergs and Annie. The Dutch Block people still say we'll get bulk stuff. That Shamshuipo have had theirs.
German lesson.
Bridge with Marie, Peggy and ?? in evening.
A sad little message from Uncle Harry ((in Bath, Somerset)) saying that his father (also my Dad's father) had passed away on 16th April 1944.
Post card from Auntie dated 4th July 1944.
To Confession in afternon. Went to see Annie, and Pat Cullinan.
There was an air raid this a.m. seemed to be on shipping, some one said it looked like a super-fortress.
In draw, we won a sewing kit, a portion of Naptha soap, and tooth powder.
Have started curling hair again, but it doesn't last long. ((No perms in Stanley!))
Worked in am. Sheila came in afternoon to discuss Easter things, then to Benediction, then C.A. Section Meeting where I read quarterly report: Gladys, H. Crutwell and Reddish came.
Bridge in evening with Alec Barton, Peggy and Marie; then talk with Father Hessler and Gladys and Peggy.
A ship sunk by a large plane in the bay - Clifton saw it.
Went visiting re Easter play – Simpsons, Thirlwell, de Vleeschouwer, Strange, Eager, Leonard, Twidale, Offenbergy, Williams and Annie.
A shell whizzed over us in morning, and no one knows quite why but it was said that one of our large planes was round.
Visited Mrs Edgar (Mr E most charming and friendly); Forsters (to have Paddy and Maureen in show), and Annie (Van Der Lely) where I had tea, and Rennie announced he and Annie are marrying in April, and invited me to be bridesmaid.
Canadian private parcels were given out - mostly soap, clothing and cigarettes.
Saw Charlie Rozeskwy re magazine.
At 12 we had first babies' rehearsal on the Bowling Green. Some of them are worse, but some better than I expected.
Had apple pudding (tin) tonight.
Mrs Joan Witham gave a talk about Convents at girls' club.
W. Spark died, aged 62.
Letter from Uncle Bert ((in USA)) saying 'Can we send you anything?' !!!!!!! (even a safety pin would do!)
Boiling hot day.
No newspapers for 5 days.
German lesson outside.
George Davitt in hospital.
Joan Wilkinson had shorthand lesson.