Monday 13th March 1939

A talk with my Mother, sitting in the car on the Front at Southend. (She had been spending the weekend with the Rogers at Oakdene.) Apparently things aren’t too good at home. Father has lost his (always precarious) job and is beginning to realise that refrigeration and in fact, all speciality selling, is a racket. They had hoped to buy a business but find there is not enough capital. Meanwhile, expenses are heavy – the flat and the car. In fact, all my troubles, magnified many times..

Mother is very worried and very brave because when with other people she seems carefree. I would crawl about looking like death warmed up!