Sunday 9th April 1939

Glorious sunshine again. (Far away from Ealing Common, Italian troops had occupied the whole of Albania.)

Slinky B having had a whole day of inactivity was used this afternoon to take Lois, Father and Mother into the country. Rather a change for Father to be lounging in the back seat whilst I drove, but he seemed quite happy. Nevertheless, I guess he’ll miss his car awfully…

We left the car at Bishopsgate and strolled into Windsor Great Park. There were few people about. I lifted Lois up on to a pile of wood and sat down on the grass below. Mother sat down on a log and read the paper which we’d brought, whilst Father, beside her, mended a clip in her handbag which had become disconnected. We stood at the foot of the Cumberland Obelisk. I’d been here just once before.

Strolled back to Bishopsgate by garden-like paths through rhododendrons. Saw rabbits, and a squirrel climbing a tree. Lois and I reached the car first and poured out cups of tea from the thermos flasks. Took them to the Old Mill House for tea.

Afterwards we drove up the old Coach road and Lois and I walked to the top of the hill. Drove slowly, leisurely, through the dusk to Staines. I took Lois up to the brink of the great reservoir. The huge sheets of water seemed to stretch away into nothingness. Back in the car, Mother and Father had switched on the light and sat solemnly reading the paper.

(“Summer days and summer ways, and all to end in this…”)

The lovely, summer-in-Surrey, summer in London atmosphere! The blazing sun all day, and in the evening, hundreds of people who’d been in the sunshine, going home. Summer sights and summer smells and summer sounds.

Oh! Sweet!