Monday January 9th 1933

Windows awful this morning. Threatened with the sack. Should not have cared anyhow - too desperate and disappointed. The boss told me with joy that he had told the inspector that I was no good and that there would therefore be no hope of a transfer.

(A later reader may wonder why we clung to such dreadful jobs, with long hours, no overtime pay, very poor conditions and hectoring bosses. It was because anything was better than the humiliation, poverty and indignity of the dole in those days.)

Howard left at a moments notice – moved to our Cheapside shop.

My weight is now 11stone 1lb. Left shop fairly early. Listened to the gramaphone and Mrs. Wood at the piano – ‘In Old Madrid’. Read Compton Mackenzie ‘Sinister Street’ and talked with the children.