Tuesday 12th October 1937

Re speech: Ever since I left school, people have grumbled at my incoherent, careless way of speaking. Mr Smith of Mellor Bromley’s; Mr Hapraike of the British United…
Now, eleven years later, I find a speech – clear, pure speech – more than ever important. So at last I’m doing something about it!

Am taking Elocution at the Southend Municipal College. On evening a week. The breathing and muscular control part of the course is frightfully funny. (“Keep your ribs out!”) The enunciation part will prove interesting, as we go on. Recitations, play reading and all that. Next week we are to read Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” (Act 2, the dagger scene.) About 20 in the class. One girl is quite easy to look at, incidentally.