Thursday 4th
[A visit to the Marine Biology station in Plymouth.]
[on the train] we passed through some lovely country—hills with tiny valleys criss-crossing, and all the slopes thick with either oak or larch or fir. When we got there, we bussed through the remains of the town to the Hoe, where we sat on grass and ate lunch. The damage was widespread and often severe, but I expect a fleabite compared to Cologne and Essen. We watched a Sunderland take off [from] the Sound. ztv zds zwc zpp zmh
After lunch … we went to the laboratory, which despite blitz damage and the fact that the bloke showing us round tried to breathe in his upper lip while talking, it was pretty interesting. I was drooping with heat and thirst. … zsa
News. Rec. commando raid, Boulogne-Le Touquet area. zlb
Sunday 7th
… After lunch I changed into the remains of my games clothes
and went to Kelsey head with B and T. T went down on the rope to a kestrel’s nest, containing 3 1-week-olds; I didn’t go, disliking vertical grass slopes and not wishing to strain the rope (I’m a hell of a funk climbing); and before B could A [a prefect] was sighted on the beach. Did he see us?? Anyhow, we quickly hid the rope (I twiddled 50ft. round my waist, Alex the other 50 ft. under his mac), and we visited an oyster catcher’s nest on the end of headland. … zwl zol zdg
Tuesday 9th
. … Crawshaw [teacher and assistant chaplain] wanted a few of the better birdwatchers to go with him to Ellenglaze in the afternoon where zwl ztc
