page 175 — June 1942

a ? grasshopper warbler had been seen. He asked Max—Hah! Course not. Much too much to do. B can go, no one else. They did hear the bird. The important alternative proved to be a one hour’s fielding practice. The man has a blighted soul… zwl zsp

Thursday 11^th

[Truro schools’] festival is a show of talent by Cornwall’s schools. … we went and looked at the Art exhibition. Benenden, of the Bristol hotel, a girls’ public school from Kent (?) had some frightfully good portraits in, and so did another girls’ school. Really professional charcoal and pencil portraits (of very nice subjects!). One was painted in just over the face, frightfully good … Then we went to the Theatre; 1st item, nice music by combined Greshams and Benenden. Then Greshams ‘Glee’—Glorious Apollo—then the plays … us, scenes from Julius Ceasar. Good acting, but Shakespeare’s semi-circular stage scenes never seem very real to me. … zat zth zmu zcl

I was much impressed by the girls’ schools (not all the members, true) but then my standard isn’t high, as I’ve none to compare them with. … zso zse

[See note]

Friday 12^th

… In JTC we had a lecture on gas by Capt. Shand, with smell tests—phosgene [chemical weapon used in the First World War] don’t smell very nice. … zct zwp

Letter [from home, including] Sov[iet] War News and report on Parliamentary debate—Mr. Macniel [MP] “…to quote Prof. Ryle, who can hardly be called a Tyneside red—”. [The quote was] out of Daddy’s State medicine [paper]. zfl zru znw zpg zpl zhp