Mar 24 Monday 9 pm [1941]
# MORE AIRCRAFT GUN ATTACKS – NARROW ESCAPES
Ron is still stiff and not very tall but very smart, his buttons were as smooth as glass. Emmie went home 12.20 Thurs and Father, Jean and I went in the car to take Ron to Binbrook. We went early not knowing the way, took the wrong turn twice as no signposts and houses miles apart. Still we did it in 1½ hours in spite of big hills. The ‘drome is on top of a hill about a mile out of Binbrook. On entering the village the furthest end from the camp we had to drive through a brook. It was much swollen by the rain and ran rather deeply over the road which was in a dreadful state, all granite stones and big holes. Jean said it hadn’t Bin-a-brook it was one. We left him at the entrance to ‘drome. When we set off back I felt as if I still stood beside him and watched myself and car go down the hill. But I was in the car and he was standing there alone. However he was quite cheerful and we had a letter to-day to say his room mates had made up his bed for him which he thought was very nice of them. He gave one or two of them some cakes, he took some back with him of course. He seemed to have settled down alright and is now looking forward to another leave. He hopes he will get on guard this week and get a day off after it. It was good to have him home and to find he was still the same boy as ever, not at all grown up but well able to hold his own in his new life.
# FALSE TEETH FOR RENE
# MAY REACHES FIFTY
Have been to Skegness today. Father took us in the car. Rene is having her teeth out. Mr M[oulton] says they must all come out. Poor Rene, I wonder if she will feel like I did when I had all mine out. I was older than her too but I nearly wept at my empty mouth and felt “the glory had departed”. Well I hope they will be as satisfactory as mine have been. I went because I had broken a front tooth off my top plate and had to leave it until Weds to get a satisfactory job made of it. 7/6 which I paid so he has teeth and money too. Let’s hope they don’t get bombed. Rene is getting hers through insurance so has to wait for papers before he starts on them. It was bitterly cold in Sk. and there were hundreds of RAF’s about.
On the 14th I stepped on to the bridge which parts the right side of 50 from the wrong side. For a year I can stay on it then the way will be down hill however gradual the slope. Had a nice letter from Edie and the usual P.O. [postal order]. They are in fresh rooms but still in Harrowgate. Got the silk for Jean’s blouse from Rene and bought enough for Rene one for her birthday.
It is 10 o’clock and as all seems quiet, think Jean and I will soon retire. Father said if we hear “wuffers” we had better stay up as it is safer downstairs. Jean’s bedroom especially seems very open to machine gun bullets. The window is so near the bed and Ron’s room is worse so it is no use putting her there. It came on to cold rain this afternoon, hope it’s fine tomorrow as I have a big wash this week. I have an anemone bud.
Mr Moulton, with practice in Skegness, the family dentist, was also a school dentist.
‘Harrowgate’ refers to Harrogate, Yorkshire, where May’s stepmother Edie was living.
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