Diary Entry: Dr again. Diary notes: Obviously the doctor had come to see ‘Aunt Consie’. In these pre-NHS days such a visit was not free, of course, and so calling a doctor was a step not undertaken lightly. However Aunt Consie was quite unwell, as the next entry reveals.
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Diary Date: 8th September [1940]
Diary Entry: A[Aunt] Consie in bed all day. Diary notes: Aunt Consie, KPD’s elderly (she was 72, relatively old in the 1940s) spinster Aunt, was one of KPD’s closest relatives. KPD continued to visit, and sometimes stay with her, until her death.
Diary Date: 6th September [1940]
Diary Entry: Went up to Forest House. Dr to Aunt Consie. Diary notes: KPD mentions visiting Forest House (Tunbridge Wells) a number of times in her diaries, from the 1930s to the mid-1960s. But it isn’t exactly clear who lived there. On one occasion she mentions meeting Martin there, so the house may have belonged …
Diary Date: 5th September [1940]
Diary Entry: Aunt Consie not at all well. Diary notes: Aunt Consie’ is Edith Constance Beckwith Evershed (1868-1951), unmarried elder sister of Nellie Dell, and perhaps the closest of her Aunts to KPD, who visited and stayed with her on many occasions. Fortunately she seems to have recovered from her illness at this time. Aunt …
Diary Date: 4th September [1940]
Diary Entry: Paul Rupert christened at last. Went by Green Line to Tun. Wells. Diary notes: Paul Rupert Leggett, KPD’s godson, was the son of Dulcie & Peter Leggett. Dulcie was a former Nanny, and good friend of KPD, both before and after her marriage. KPD was still seeing her, and occasionally her godson, in …
Diary Date: 3rd September [1940]
Diary Entry: Went to Hampton for night. Diary notes: On the first anniversary of the start of the War, it can be said that KPD’s life hadn’t been much affected by the hostilities – so far! KPD’s friends Dulcie & Peter Leggett lived in Hampton, with their son, Paul – soon to be KPD’s godson …
Diary Date: 2nd September [1940]
Diary Entry: Tea Orc[hard] Cot[tage] Saw three planes shot down in two minutes. Diary notes: One of the first, and one of the relatively few, mentions of war action in KPD’s diary. What actually happened on that day can be seen here (nearby Biggin Hill was one of the RAF aerodromes hit that day): https://www.battleofbritainmemorial.org/learn/the-battle-of-britain/day-by-day/#2-september-1940 …
Diary Date: 31st August [1940]
Diary Entry: Went up to town to Truman & K. Met Gertrude, had lunch & saw “Rebecca”. Sirens in full force. Guns etc. Diary notes: This visit to London was, perhaps, for KPD when the impact of the war really hit home. Gertrude was a friend KPD saw frequently – being mentioned in the diaries …
Diary Date: 30th August [1940]
Diary Entry: Went home. Diary notes: After 3 weeks in Devon, very much isolated from the War (and especially from the Battle of Britain), returning to Orpington close to London and crucial airfields such as Biggin Hill, may have come as something of a shock.
Diary Date: 29th August [1940]
Diary Entry: John took me to Winkleigh, Monk, Oakhampton (sic) [‘Okehampton‘], Shebbear & Torrington. Diary notes: Elsewhere in her diary it seems John had a car (and, crucially, access to petrol!) so he may have actually taken her to these places. Private cars were, of course, rare during WW2 due to the restrictions on the …
Aunt Pamela's War 