Wednesday 10th May 1939

12 calls in the Southend area. 5 orders, £7-15-0.

At St. Helens Garage I learnt that Mr Burch, representative for Essex before I came, and latterly rep for NW Essex and parts of London, had become a traveller for JT Keep and Co, a rival firm. Apparently he had been dismissed… I heard from Mad Willy that our Kent rep left recently, too…

“East coast men are gradually cracking under the depression,” I told Lois gloomily as we sat alone at tea, on the lawn of Oakdene. I remembered I’d recently had an order copy concerning an Epping firm but ignored it as that was supposed to be old Burch’s district.
So I wrote Mr Reddall giving the news re Burchs’ new job – just in case he didn’t know – and inquired if he now wished me to make calls in Epping?

Lois and I sat on the lawn among the tea cups until the sun drooped low. Then she washed up, I did office work and we went out.We walked lazily in the woods beyond Nobles Green. And remembered this field, and that fence, and the bank upon which I placed her to kiss her and lay a ghost!