page 24 — February 1940

for Lent. It turned out, in the six o’clock news, that a man had found an escaped meteorological balloon and had dropped some cigarette ash on it. A very widespread and silly rumour. zro

Thursday 8^th

 … the head-master revised his statement of yesterday, saying that our Lent resolution must now be not to touch stray meteorological balloons with cigarettes in our mouths. … zsr zro

Baines had a wizard model of a Supermarine Spitfire. It was a Frog Penguin. It cost 4/-, was quite easily put together and looked much better than the Skybirds. I think I will get one if my bank-balance is favourable. … zmd

[See note (a)]

Friday 9^th

… In the evening Mr. Escott North came and gave a wizard lecture on ‘The trail of the Cowboy’. There were some wizard [film] reels showing broncos bucking, and at the end he roped someone up from a distance of 3 yards. zlu zfm

Sunday 11^th

… I wrote home and brought my diary up to date. … I have now to do Watkinsons black-out [preventing lights showing from the building], as he has got the disease and gone to the San. zdw zsu zil

[See note (b)]

Sunday 18^th

… Mr. Bagnell-Oakley took E, S and B (the 3 favourites) to Blakeney [known for the wildlife of its surrounding marshes] in the afternoon. They saw a cargo vessel which had been set on fire by enemy action a few days previously. They brought back a few trophies, E got half a zwl zar