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Birth of Robert Anthony Keates, son of Walter J. and Dorothy Keates.
Planes about all night.
Rained heavily.
Window frame.
3 landings on Kyushu after big naval battle 21st.
Rumour that sugar and oil will stop; and that Churchill is in Singapore.
Planes over most of night.
Made emergency biscuits.
Deputation saw J. authorities about food - J. said "what children want - raspberry tarts"? Another woman said raw rice went further - said bought it from workers' extra rice!
More planes.
Heavy showers all day. SW wind.
Lep. window fitting.
Very fed up. No G no smokes.
Extract from Statement re Rations covering 1942 – May 1945 sent to Tokyo
Cashed a £400 cheque for Mrs Meredith, HK&S Bank at a good rate of 33 to 1.
Rumour that British fleet 20 miles from Canton.
Reverberating gun practice in morning.
Bridge against Mrs Lilian Kershaw and Mrs Ormiston – lost.
Went swimming.
Bright & hot.
Fitted in window frame at Lep.
Lorry with meat & veg 6pm.
Made 3 more rings.
Some meat stolen, thrown off the lorry before arrival & later sold.
Five years today since we were evacuated 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.
Sandbach (quoted from “Invitation to Live”, “Out of the night” / Myhill
Meat pastie & stew
((following text undated, but on page for July)) J. only allowing 2 concerts a month.
((Following text not dated:))
Margaret Guttinger ((a neighbour living in Fung Fai Terrace)) sends word peace talks. Privileged to have short wave. Peace sensation.
Spend freely on pork and buns for dinner, Y3,000. Glad not more. Account book looks like lasting just long enough. For first time in years had coffee at own expense in restaurant, for three of us. Coffee and two small cakes each, Y372 plus tip = Y400
NE wind, warm, showery.
Slight temp 101’ this am but normal by 10am on G’s thermometer.
Workers’ sugar.
Spring-cleaning finished.
We all hope for a happy month, for something to happen for our good.
Lorry with veg 7pm.
Mrs Harrison barging about 10pm.
Booze party at Franks. ((Probably fellow Prison Officer, E S Franks.))
Beach open & a pm ∴
Bright, hot, no wind.
Planes about early am.
Glazing in Lep.
With Steve pm.
No smokes.
Sugar 1.6oz & tea 1oz issued.
Russia warns Japan to surrender? ∴
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.
Cashed a £100 cheque for Mrs Meredith HK&S Bank at the highest camp rate of 35 to 1. ((There wasn't any Mrs Meredith in Stanley Camp, so this most likely refers to Mr A C Meredith, who worked for the Hong Kong & Shanghai Bank,))
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.
No playing of gramophones or other musical instrument during roll-call, otherwise they will be confiscated