April 24 Thurs 9.15 pm [1941]
# ALL HANDS HELP REDECORATE

Miss R and Mrs M went to Ulceby and Alford on Tues. Father got me two boxes Kelloggs Corn Flakes and Rene 2 lb porridge oats as we could not get them here. Halls have flakes again now. Miss R went to Mablethorpe to see Miss Bryant to-day and took Mrs Hip[kin] with her. I did a big wash Tues. and yesterday cleaned Jean’s bedroom. That is Jean and I turned it out and brought the beds down then I started to white wash ceiling and frieze after sweeping walls, ceiling and floor. Rene came and helped me finish and Eff came and papered it in the afternoon and between us we have scrubbed out and washed and polished. Floor still needs polishing but I am crocked up with asthma today. Rene and I ironed, Jean papered round the part of the pantry under the stairs which is our air raid shelter as the whitewash comes off on our clothes. She made a very good job of it too. She also papered a box quite nicely.

Had a tin of Symington’s soup (oxtail) for dinner and cold bacon with mashed potato. All our week’s meat ration finished yesterday and don’t want to open tins in case we can’t replace them. We might have to depend on them sometime. It came heavy hail squalls this morning and has been very cold all day tho’ the sun shone after dinner. Have a fire in room today. Have blacked-out temporarily. No very good war news again tonight.

Wrote to Ron after dinner, had a letter from him this morning. He had got settled down again, said he felt rather blue Monday night. Father bought me some Cass[ell’s] tablets yesterday. There are a lot of planes tonight. I can’t tell whether they are going out or coming in but they sound a bit like “wuffers”. Must fill kettle for bottles, it is cold enough to need them tonight. Father is on watch until 2 a.m. Think I shall have a cup of tea too, getting up so much phlegm seems to dry one up. Rene has bought me a bottle of “Lucozade” today. It is a tonic and most refreshing. E.L [electricity/ electric light] keeps “dipping”, was told the other day that it was when the sirens were sounded in our district. We have no siren here I am pleased to say.

Miss (believed actually Mrs) Bryant was a relative of Mrs Mason (see 8 Jan. 1941).
Mrs Hipkin (see 16 Dec. 1940) was meant here.
Cassell’s tablets are believed to have been yeast-based, probably taken as a vitamin or tonic.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?

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