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Diary Entry: Saw “Lady on a Train” at Kingsbury. Diary notes: “Lady on a Train” is a 1945 American crime ‘film noir’ starring Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy and David Bruce. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_on_a_Train 

Diary Entry: Took Maj. Crawford to look for billets. Maj McConnell & I went to “The Shouting Dies” at Hammersmith. Diary notes:  “The Shouting Dies” appears not to be a film, but a play by Ronda Keane performed at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith: Margaret Johnson’s obituary (in 2002) describes this as an “experimental” production, which …

Continue reading “Diary Date: 24th October [1945]”

Diary Entry: Started taxi service to Eastcote. Diary notes: Presumably a regular round trip to Eastcote (about 5 miles from Wembley). There was an RAF station at Eastcote, and Bletchely Park established an outstation there, which was a forerunner of GCHQ at Cheltenham. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Eastcote  

Diary Entry: Went to Putney with Madge & brought back 513. Diary notes: ‘Madge’ must have been an A.T.S. colleague who helped KPD collect her car after 11 days being repaired. 

Diary Entry: Church Parade. Very wet. Back by lorry. Tea & supper Dabbs. Diary notes: ‘Mrs Dabbs’ is mentioned several times in the diary, but who exactly she was is unclear.

Diary Entry: Got off 11.30. Went home evening. Diary notes: Home for KPD was still her Mother’s house in Orpington. A very quick home visit as KPD was back on duty the next morning. 

Diary Entry: Joyce, Farrance & I went to “Perfect Strangers”. Diary notes: For José, see yesterday’s diary notes. “Perfect Strangers” (called “Vacation from Marriage” in the USA)  is a 1945 British film starring Robert Donat and Deborah Kerr. SEE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Strangers_(1945_film) 

Diary Entry: Had supper José at Ealing. Diary notes: José [McLelland] was a friend of KPD, and probably also in the A.T.S. KPD socialised with her, and even went on holidays with her over some years. 

Diary Entry: Spent evening Cosgroves. Diary notes: For (limitied!) information on the ‘Cosgroves’, see the notes for 12th October. 

Diary Entry: Out in car afternoon. Left 7.30 bus. Diary notes: The Lewis family seem to have been well off – KPD learned to drive with their chauffeur and also drove their Bently in pre-war years!