Reference
X928/1/3/1/19
Title
Walker's Year by Year book.
Date free text
1938-42
Production date
From: 1938 To: 1942
Scope and Content
Usual entries: Family and friends visits, race meetings, visits to the flat in London
Unusual entries:
1938
24th Mar 'Went to see "Idiot's Delight" very good'
25th May 'I went to see Brewerton as my shingle eye hurt. He changed my glasses and gave me drops to put in'
16th June 'Went to Humby had teeth X-rayed
18th June 'Humby says must have teeth out according to X-ray
19th July 'Garden party at St James Palace (League of Mercy) to meet Princess Mary'
22nd July 'My sherry party 103 came. All enjoyed it'
15th Aug 'Mr Armstrong passed my shingle eye and other (eye) sound. He says the pain is Neuritis in the eye. Dr Rutherford Tree took a blood test'
16th Aug 'Heard from Dr Rutherford Tree, result of test, that sugar in the blood is 220 instead of 150. Would like specimen once a week'
17th Aug 'Heard from Dr tree specimen 4 grains to the oz'
27th Aug 'All 5 servants go for their three weeks holiday'
30th Aug 'went to the "Academy" to see "The Last Night" Moscow on the eve of revolution'
3rd Sept 'Going to lunch at Criterion with Nini and matinee after "She too was Young" period play'
5th Sept 'Went to see "Rage of Paris" cinema not good'
9th Sept 'I took Alexandra Chrissoveloni & Nini to Cafe Royal for lunch & after cinema Three Men & a Girl (very bad)'
12th Sept 'Terrible tension about Hitler war'
14th Sept 'Chamberlain will fly to see Hitler. Tension great'
15th Sept Chamberlain arrives to see Hitler. Started 8.30 this morning arrives Munich 1.pm. Meets Hitler at Berchtesgaden today
27th Oct 'Won tote double £35.5.0 Sly Abbess & Legfuell(?)
16th Nov 'Dr Tree's blood examination for Boosey reveals a fairly severe degree of pernicious anaemia. He commands injections of concentrated liver extract'
1939
10th Jan 'Marigo, Boosey, Self, Anne, John & Andrew went to pantomime Aladin in Northampton. Very good'
22nd April 'Bob Booth drowned'
26th April '14 degrees frost (all pear blossom ruined)'
17th May 'I took Gina to see "Distant Hand" at Embassy. We dined at Cumberland & all 4 (M & V) went to "Me and My Girl" (Lupino Lane) at Victoria Palace
31st May 'Went to see "Dark Victory" cinema with Bette Davis'
1st June 'Went to "Carrefour & Trunk Murder" at The Curzon & dined with N & Babs & went to see "Love Affair" at The Carlton'
7th June 'Had 6 mteeth out at Humby. None left'
10th June 'Abrams (Surveyor) came to survey Salph End Farm Renhold for Nick & turned it down. Bitter disappointment'
20th June 'I went to His Majesty's to see Hamlet in modern Greek. It was wonderfully well acted'
21st june 'Invitation to meet Greek Co. of Theatre Royal Greece at His Majesty's Theatre after "Electra" 11.pm'
5th July Went with B to cinema "Goodbye Mr Chips". Dined Pagani's with N & Babs. Went to cinema "Peter the Great" Not good'
20th July 'Nick & Babs took posession of Salph End, Renhold near Bedford'
23rd Aug 'Serious war news'
24th Aug 'War imminent'
1st Sept '6 children evacuated from Islington & Mrs Mastoglio arrived Picts Hill Cottage (all Roman Catholics) 4 children are Healys, 1 John Sherlock & Mrs Mastoglio and child'
2nd Sept 'Out of 6 refugee children 4 had lice in their heads'
3rd Sept War declared 11 o'cl this morning'
4th Sept 'Marigo gone to Bromham House (hospital duty) 9-6 her first day'
6th Sept 'First air raid warning at Turvey'
18th Sept 'Courageous (air craft carrier) reported sunk by submarine'
22nd Sept 'Anne gone to school Benenden, Andre gone to Bradfield, John gone to Charterhouse for his first term'
23rd Sept Petrol rationed owing to war (1st day)'
25th Sept 'Marigo & Stasi came to stay for duration of war'
26th Sept 'Mina and John came for duration of war'
2nd Oct 'Mrs Mastoglio & child left and went back to London. Mrs Bishop & child came in her place'
3rd Oct 'Mrs Bishop & child left the cottage'
4th Oct 'Pat, Joyce, Terence & Shirley Healy left the cottage & went to be billeted at Turvey'
31st Oct 'Jean Hartwell from cottage taken to scarlet fever isolation hospital'
29th Nov 'Marigo and I went to London for tea. I went to flat 1st time since end of July (owing to war). Black out in London very severe'
1st Dec 'Sister Marigo & I & little Marigo went to Bromham Hospital to see the women'
1940
7th Jan 'At last thaw set in & water coming through pleilter[?] & tanks filling up'
8th Jan 'Rationed 1st day for butter, sugar, ham & bacon'
17th Jan 'Terrible frost (burst pipe at windmill) hardley any water. Frost going on since about 30th Dec. 80 degrees of frost in Russia'
20th Jan '22 degrees of frost at our dressing room window. No water. Windmill pipes cracked (serious)'
27th Jan 'Bitterly cold. Had to go to bed with thorough chill. Did not get up until Monday 5th Feb. Feeling rotten'
12th Apr 'Went to village dance with Marigo in aid of Turvey men serving in forces'
10th May 'Holland, Belgium invaded & Luxembourg. Neville Chamberlain resigned Churchill Prime Minister'
15th May 'Holland given up'
2nd Sept 'In the night 120 incendiary bombs dropped on Renhold & 10 high explosives. We heard for the first time bombs drop in the distance (in the night)'
22nd Sept 'I fell in the bathroom& hurt my head against bath & my leg'
8th Nov 'Nick reports at Loughborough Pilot officer NA The Grove RAF Station Loughborough. Saw Letters. Terrible blow to me.'
29th Nov 'Nick left Loughborough College. He was addressed there as Pilot Officer N Argenti, RAF Station Loughborough'
2nd Dec 'Nick motored to Grantham & was sent to RAF Station Scampton Lincoln'
1941
Daily inventory of eggs
25th March 'Yugoslav joined Axis today'
27th Mar 'King Peter of Yugoslavia came to the throne. Paul fled with his children to Greece.'
30th Mar 2 Italian Destroyers sunk.'
6th April 'Germany declaired war on Yugoslavia & Greece.'
27th Apr 'Athens occupied by Germans'
20th May 'Crete invaded by paratroops'
22nd June 'Germany declared war on Russia with Rumania'
2nd July '1st massage & infra ray Miss Thomas 8 Kimbolton Rd recommended by Dr Tree for my hip (accidental fall)' 5 more massages (self) recorded
31st July 'Stasi has shingles in his left arm and shoulder'
17th Aug 'Stasi walked down to M & V's sitting room, 1st time since shingles'
26th Aug 'Stasi came down to tea in his dressing gown 1st time' (since shingles)
16th Sept 'Gave Anne her first cheque book Westminster Bank Bedford & paid in £50'
30th Sept 'Army manouveres here officer's mess smoking room, housekeeper's room & pump room (mess officers)'
8th Oct 'Pain & noticed lump'
11th Oct 'Went to see Tree about lump'
19th Oct 'showed lump to Tree'27th Oct 'Stasi went to nursing home in Bedford'
19th Nov 'Went to see Mr Handley London who suggested radium'
24th Nov 'Insulin 1st time evening'
29th Nov 'I went to Kimbolton House Nursing Home'
1st Dec 'Operation at Kimbolton House block glands chest & right armpit'
20th Dec 'I went back to Picts Hill from nursing home'
1942
No notable entries [Henrietta died in October 1942]
Level of description
item