Saturday 1st April 1944
April and I have had several happy weekends together; it is difficult to single out one in particular but surely this was one of our happiest?
It could be summarised by a bald list of times, events and places:-
9:30a.m. Aphrodite and I crossed Woolwich Ferry.
12:30p.m. Met April and Monty at Half Way House.
2p.m. All at Terori.
10:45p.m. Bed.
Midnight Clocks moved forward one hour theoretically, and double summer time began.
Sunday 10a.m. Early morning tea.
12:30p.m. Breakfast.
2:30 “Elevenses” of sherry and cake.
3p.m. Got up.
6:20p.m. Left Terori
7:45 – 8:18p.m. Eating at Ward's Cafe, Brentwood.
8:20 – 8:45p.m. Coffee at Connie and Bill's home.
9p.m. Brentwood station.
9:01 Train departed.
9:10p.m. April alighted, at Romford station.
10:10p.m. Train left London Bridge.
10:38p.m. Arrived Woolwich.
Midnight Most of packing done, and in blankets.
After leaving North Woolwich, I cycled through East Ham and Ilford (where I paused for a cheese roll and two cups of tea) to Romford. I'd brought my greatcoat – very unwisely too, for it was a damply warm day and I felt weak with sweating, especially on the arterial road beyond Romford, where a strong head wind was noticeable.
I reached Half Way House at about 12:30p.m. There had been no sign of any barriers or police cordons and here I was, right into the banned zone. April cycled up soon after me – certainly not later than 12:45p.m. - and looked much too glamourous to be riding a bicycle. (Silk stockings too!) Her cheeks were flushed and she was laughing. altogether, she looked anything but frumpish, even on a bicycle!
Her “wifery” commenced very soon. When we'd had a cup of tea she tied my greatcoat on her handlebars whilst I took the rucksack. Very damply, hot and weary, I managed to complete the journey. It wasn't nearly so arduous with such a companion and much of it was along winding by-roads.
Violet and April both looked after me severely (anti-chill precautions!) when we reached Terori. I took off my blouse, two pullovers, shirt and vest and they were hung on the line in the garden. Then I had a good wash (my wife washed my back of course) at the kitchen sink. Afterwards, I wore makeshift garments until the rest had been dried at the fire. April rapidly prepared a savoury hot late lunch.
She really was a wonderful wife this weekend. It seemed very nice, at 4:30p.m. to think that we'd been together for hours, whereas on a normal weekend we'd only just have met.
My razor was broken, so April and I cycled into the village and I bought a new one (for which Violet paid). We called at the Police Station and heard that the ban was not strictly in force yet. Soldiers in uniform and in possession of a pass would be allowed in the district at anytime. Well, my days of “French Leave” will be ended now in any case, as I'm going to Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the far north.
At midnight the time changed to double summer time and became 1a.m. This seemed a sad blow when we realised it. Of all the hours which might have been lost, they had to steal an hour from our weekend, from our night.
It could be summarised by a bald list of times, events and places:-
9:30a.m. Aphrodite and I crossed Woolwich Ferry.
12:30p.m. Met April and Monty at Half Way House.
2p.m. All at Terori.
10:45p.m. Bed.
Midnight Clocks moved forward one hour theoretically, and double summer time began.
Sunday 10a.m. Early morning tea.
12:30p.m. Breakfast.
2:30 “Elevenses” of sherry and cake.
3p.m. Got up.
6:20p.m. Left Terori
7:45 – 8:18p.m. Eating at Ward's Cafe, Brentwood.
8:20 – 8:45p.m. Coffee at Connie and Bill's home.
9p.m. Brentwood station.
9:01 Train departed.
9:10p.m. April alighted, at Romford station.
10:10p.m. Train left London Bridge.
10:38p.m. Arrived Woolwich.
Midnight Most of packing done, and in blankets.
After leaving North Woolwich, I cycled through East Ham and Ilford (where I paused for a cheese roll and two cups of tea) to Romford. I'd brought my greatcoat – very unwisely too, for it was a damply warm day and I felt weak with sweating, especially on the arterial road beyond Romford, where a strong head wind was noticeable.
I reached Half Way House at about 12:30p.m. There had been no sign of any barriers or police cordons and here I was, right into the banned zone. April cycled up soon after me – certainly not later than 12:45p.m. - and looked much too glamourous to be riding a bicycle. (Silk stockings too!) Her cheeks were flushed and she was laughing. altogether, she looked anything but frumpish, even on a bicycle!
Her “wifery” commenced very soon. When we'd had a cup of tea she tied my greatcoat on her handlebars whilst I took the rucksack. Very damply, hot and weary, I managed to complete the journey. It wasn't nearly so arduous with such a companion and much of it was along winding by-roads.
Violet and April both looked after me severely (anti-chill precautions!) when we reached Terori. I took off my blouse, two pullovers, shirt and vest and they were hung on the line in the garden. Then I had a good wash (my wife washed my back of course) at the kitchen sink. Afterwards, I wore makeshift garments until the rest had been dried at the fire. April rapidly prepared a savoury hot late lunch.
She really was a wonderful wife this weekend. It seemed very nice, at 4:30p.m. to think that we'd been together for hours, whereas on a normal weekend we'd only just have met.
My razor was broken, so April and I cycled into the village and I bought a new one (for which Violet paid). We called at the Police Station and heard that the ban was not strictly in force yet. Soldiers in uniform and in possession of a pass would be allowed in the district at anytime. Well, my days of “French Leave” will be ended now in any case, as I'm going to Newcastle-on-Tyne, in the far north.
At midnight the time changed to double summer time and became 1a.m. This seemed a sad blow when we realised it. Of all the hours which might have been lost, they had to steal an hour from our weekend, from our night.
posted by Paul Wilson at 7:31 pm
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