7th March 1942

Terrible, bitter, cold, day. Biting north wind. Everything frozen solid, and no water in the Castle again.

Took Bob over to Fordham this morning. I have never been so cold for years, in fact it made me feel quite ill. Stabled Bob at Houd’s Farm. Got there in 1 and a half hours from Bourne Mill. Stable not very satisfactory, as it is really a two-stall cowshed with a channel across the middle. Old Mr. Findlay, the farmer, was very affable, although I could understand only very little of his Scottish dialect. Met the Roses in their little car and they brought me back to Colchester. Later we all had tea at Church Walk.

Hull has now retired completely from all museum firewatching (in fact from almost all museum duties of any kind). This is now causing a good deal of unpleasantness among the men, especially as they now have to put in duty on Saturday mornings as well.

There will come a time when something must be done about Castle watching. I really will not spend a third summer under the same conditions. I believe a good summer this year would pull me up tremendously.

It seems there is to be an exhibition in the Castle all next week in connection with the Borough “Navy Week”. I fear for the safety of the agricultural exhibits. It would certainly be ironical to have them broken by carelessness in our own building, after taking them all over Essex so many times in safety.

We got permission today from Writtle to buy the wagons.

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