Did spring-cleaning in our room, killed many cockroaches.
Mrs. Flaherty was beaten up, up the hill, and sent to hospital. Other Black Market people arrested.
Barbara Anslow's diary: View pages
Mr. V. Seymour in trouble up the hill, and had to stand up there some time. His wife took food up to him.
Worked in am, then Peg & I played bridge against Mr W.J. and Mrs J. Fulker, we lost.
Some people had to go up hill for putting 'reunion soon' or something like that on their postcards.
Outside roll call in the rain - not heavy.
More beatings. Smith ((don't know which one!)) to hospital today, and H. Vanthall has just been taken in ((presumably 'up hill'))
Rumour - official that we get no meat.
Played bridge with Dorothy, Mrs Hall and Mrs Shields.
Peg & I played Grace Darby and Wyllie.
German with June in am.
Mabel not well.
Went to see Annie, then to hospital visiting Maria Connolly and Mr MacFaden.
To Benediction, then Catholic Action junior meeting where I recited 'Sunday Afternoon' poem.
((No entries. I was in hospital for some days with a suspected 'stone'.))
Still in hospital.
Miss Batley ((either Edith or Ivy, don't remember which)) in hospital because of eating berries of castor oil plant.
On Sunday last, we had MEAT - wonderful.
To Rosary with the RC nurses in Operating Theatre on last 2 evenings, and Holy Communion in Ward 6 on two mornings. Heaps of people besides family came to visit me, Doreen in particular.
Came out of hospital. Was given lard.
We bought wong tong in exchange for dry rice.
Annie brought us some wong tong, she thinks she's pregnant.
16 years since we left Hong Kong in 1929.
Repatriation rumours - ship in Manila!
To club meeting. Harold Bidwell talked about Beaumont College.
Air raid alarms. We ate at 4pm because every one had to be indoors 4-30 - 5.30pm, people - some of them Europeans - went out from Gaol.
Finished writing 'Balancing Jean' very badly and scrappily.
Rumour that some of the outlying beaches have been shelled.
Social in afternoon, great success. I recited poem:
'Is there really an England, I wonder?
Or is memory confused with a dream?
Was there ever a life without hardship and strife
Where a lazy content reigned supreme?
Does there still stand a road trim with houses,
All alike, yet a difference in one?
(Nothing frightfully great, just the creak of a gate
That's a welcome when roaming is done?)
Did I ever rush to a hot kitchen
On a raw winter's late afternoon,
And toast hunks of bread that I afterwards spread
Thick with butter that melted too soon?
Was I once in a small old-world garden,
Bright with roses and pansies and all?
And away at the end, a few Wyandottes penned,
And a cat sat in state on the wall?
There are none who can steal my illusions,
That is, if illusions they be:
And though all else may go, I have something no foe
Can appropriate - my memory.'
Letter from Margaret Todd (UK):- 'Delighted to get letter... Expecting baby in May.'
Sheila's (Haynes) and Pat's (Cullinan) banns called for last time - as precautionary measure in case of invasion.
Tony Sandberg's and Esther Haughlands' banns called first time.
Lent Limelight book to Paulina Pemble (13), who is 'loving it.'
In evening went walking to kaolin pit by Bungalow D, had drink of water from Lena (Edgar), then to concert at St Stephens. Ian Heath at piano - first recital for ages, since strict injunction re only 2 concerts per month.
We called on H. Kew, then Peggy and I than sat outside railings by A3 chatting, - and expected Admiral Nimitz, great full moon.
To St Catherine's meeting in morning, then we all started to pack in accordance with the latest rumour. It sounds impossible and rather grim, but that doesn't make it any the less improbable - we were caught on the hop on Dec. 8th 1941. ((Sadly, today I have no memory of what this 'latest rumour' was: maybe Mr Jones' diary will reveal this.))
Olive's bed broke in the night.
Played bridge in Peggy's room in evening.
Lots of people ill with enteritis.
I started back at work again after illness.
IT'S supposed to be tomorrow. ((Whatever it was we expected on the 25th!))
Rumour that sugar and oil will stop; and that Churchill is in Singapore.
Planes over most of night.
Made emergency biscuits.
Rumour that British fleet 20 miles from Canton.
Reverberating gun practice in morning.
Bridge against Mrs Lilian Kershaw and Mrs Ormiston – lost.
Went swimming.
Five years today since we were evauated from HK and last saw Dad.
Bridge, we played Dr Selby and Shields ((either Sammy Shields or A L Shields)), went down 16.
Worked in afternoon.
Visited various people, including Mr Charles Poyntz.
Peg & I played June Cheape and George Halligan in evening, we lost.
Lovely meat pasty.
Eileen Grant in hospital - typhus.
Had sought-by-me interview with Mr. Gordon Burnett ((He was a journalist with Newspaper Enterprises. I was asking for advice re writing)). He set me an exercise which he would criticise.
Worked afternoon.
Pacifist meeting.
Swimming with Peggy Barton and Dick Cloake.
Got Limelight story back from Mrs Jenner, her criticism: characterisation isn't good; it is far too long; characters subservient to the plot rather than the plot dependent on the characters; it won't sell as it is but the plot is quite good. It was a shock to hear that the conversations were confusing and garrulous.
Swimming in afternoon.
Peg and I played Mrs Smalley and Joyce (? who), and called a small slam and made it.
Doreen for shorthand.
Worked in afternoon, typed much of Catholic Youth Magazine. Father Hessler sick.
Went to see Mr Burnett with my 'exercise' - 400 words about camp life. He said it wasn't bad.., but to me it sounded like a school composition compared to his which he read to me as a sample. He has offered to help me with narration, and told me to report on the food queue as if writing a letter, and he will criticise it.
Clifton went into hospital.