Sunday 8th May 1938

John came to tea. Marjorie had left her Wolseley 14 at Hawthorn Court so father told me to drive it along to Westbourne Terrace on my way to the station. Then they all went out… This was too splendid opportunity to be missed! John and I swaggered down to the car and sat inside. What a lovely purr the engine had! What a huge bonnet! I drove him down to Staines. (A lovely knowledge of power, smooth power, underneath my right foot!) Traffic was thick on the Great West Road, but I touched sixty-nine once.
Afterwards I returned to Ealing, then drove cautiously to Marjorie’s flat and handed over the car.

Caught the 9:27 at Liverpool Street. Dingy station, dingy train, dingy people. Always like that on the Essex side of London. I smoked, I dozed, I read a book, I put my feet on the seat. Reached Southend at 11 o’clock. Found a note stuck in the door of the B and AV on the waste ground. From Pat; quite a nice one it seemed, as I read it, leaning over the dashboard light: “Will you call for me at 7:30 tomorrow?” Nice chatter followed and then – “I do hope I shall see you tomorrow. It seems ages since we went out together, doesn’t it." Pat xxx”