Diary Entry: Biked to see Elaine & children & Martin there. Walked to see A[Aunt] Clara Diary notes: Elaine Dell, née Pitt, was another of KPD’s sisters-in-law, married to her eldest brother Martin Dell (1904-1958), KPD’s eldest brother; ‘Elaine’ was Martin’s first wife and mother of his two eldest children (Tessa & Michael). During the …
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Diary Date: 24th February [1945]
Diary Entry: Off early & went to stay Aunt Consie. 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 in or near Tunbridge Wells on many occasions.
Diary Date: 23rd February [1945]
Diary Entry: Met Nan for tea in town. She up for interviews. Diary notes: KPD refers to ‘Nan’, ‘Nanny’ and ‘Nancy’ in her diaries, so who this actually refers to is unclear.
Diary Date: 22nd February [1945]
Diary Entry: Took Capt. Batty out pm Went to “Mrs Parkington” Diary notes: KPD mentions both a ‘Lt Batty’ and a ‘Captain Batty’ in her diary – possibly the same person. “Mrs Parkington” is a 1944 American film drama starring Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson. For more information, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs._Parkington
Diary Date: 21st February [1945]
Diary Entry: V[Valerie] & I walked Cudham to Knockholt. Returned Wembley Diary notes: A round walk of about 13 miles or more before KPD’s leave ended.
Diary Date: 20th February [1945]
Diary Entry: Lunch & tea Lewis’ Valerie for night. Diary notes: ‘Valerie’ may well be ‘Valerie Evans’, who was a friend KPD had met after joining the A.T.S. KPD saw her very often during these years.
Diary Date: 19th February [1945]
Diary Entry: Home about 6pm. Diary notes: Back to Orpington again.
Diary Date: 17th February [1945]
Diary Entry: Went to Linton to stay Dulcie Diary notes: Dulcie was a former Nanny, and good friend of KPD, both before and after her marriage. Her son, Paul Rupert Leggett, was KPD’s godson.
Diary Date: 15th February [1945]
Diary Entry: Went to Dallinghoo. Jennifer broncitis (sic). Grahame cold. Diary notes: A trip of 150 or so miles, so one wonders how KPD managed to get there. Given the illnesses of her nephew and niece, she may have gone to help look after them.
Diary Date: 14th February [1945]
Diary Entry: Biked Wallingford to shop am Diary notes: A round trip of about 10 miles, so well within KPD’s cycling range! Wallingford in south Oxfordshire was actually a town with many links to KPD’s family history, as he grandfather’s wife, Catherine Dell (née Wells) was the daughter of a prominent businessman and politician from …
Aunt Pamela's War 