Monday 17th April 1939

After a day of April showers (the windscreen wipers, thank heavens, functioned occasionally) at Southend and Hullbridge, which should have been very good but was actually just fairly good, I went to Chelmsford in the evening. Called at no 5 Queens Road. Carter and Bisley came to the door. Littlefield, roaring with laughter, came out into the hall with a bunch of flowers to present to the distinguished visitor. Bradbury followed doubtfully. We all processed into the lounge and talked, as usual, about the bloody awfulness of these digs.

Eventually Carter, Bisley and Littlefield came to the flicks with me. Called at a pub for a foursome darts match. Being unable to secure the final double, we shot for the centre. In the qualifying round, Carter’s dart went “out of the parish” whilst Littlefield took a bull. Bisley’s dart went wide also, and then I took a bull. After this spectacular trial, the “final” paled into insignificance for both Littlefield and I shot just within the treble ring, my dart being slightly nearer the centre.

Littlefield left us, as he didn’t care for queuing but the three of us eventually got three 2/- seats in the Regent Cinema front balcony, for 1/6d each. Some mistake, doubtless but we kept quiet and saw two quite thrilling flicks with plenty of gun-play and all that!