Saturday 5th February 1938

Office work; calculating the turnover of a fairly satisfactory week.

The road London-wards at 12:30. Lunch at Hawthorn Court then on to Chertsey. Tea and supper at Mad Willy’s. He confirmed an unpleasant rumour I’d already heard about the Works. Four men have been sacked. Foreman Ellis, Jack Searle, Able Seaman Simkins, Bill Hewitt. Only Tinson left, of the old Making House Gang! Some trouble about timesheets. I can visualise it. A technical offence. The system should be blamed, not the men. The Works is different. So many of the familiar faces will be gone…
Driver White, “Dimmock”, Gunner... However, Dodger Jones is still there and Foreman Harris and Beach and Blay and Bolton.

Left Chertsey at 10:15. A snack at “Jack’s Box”, then the drive through London, from West to East. The broad empty roads beyond Dagenham. Sleepily – and dangerously – I set the throttle and let the car run steadily at 45. Home 1 o’clock.