Item 11: Miles Franklin pocket diary, 17 February-29 December 1918

AUGUST - 1918

15. Thursday Fine day. Pottered & went in afternoon with Miss Lay to a fête in aid of cot in Barnado Homes

16. Friday. Pottered in house all day - did a little shorthand. Miserably depressed. Clouds came up in the evening.

17. Saturday. Fine Showers. A Miss Fawkner came. Pottered around. Miserably depressed

Week-end. [no entry]

AUGUST - 1918

11. Sunday Mr & Mrs Arncliffe Sennett, Lt. Ross. The Bambacionis & young Brown came to tea. After which I met Claude at Marble Arch & went to movies & tea. Fine day.

12. Monday Lovely day. Left London for Hitchin at 1.35 to rest at Fairfield. Pottered & read a book of E. M. Dell's.

13. Tuesday. Pottered about garden & had a sleep & tried a little short hand. Lovely day

14. Wednesday. Lovely weather. Same routine. Miserably depressed.

AUGUST -1918.

8. Thursday. Cold & grey. Cooked all day at Minerva. Ankles bad by 5.30 but still got thru day and feeling much bucked thereby.

9. Friday. Fine day. Waited & cooked at Minerva & got thru all right - considerably bucked thereby. Heels & feet hurting

10. Saturday. Pottered & slept. In afternoon Mrs Holmes came & after supper we all went to call on Evelyn Isitt in Moscow court. No rain.

Week-end.

SEPTEMBER -1918.

5. Thursday. Fine day. Wrote & studied short hand. Bessie Allin, sister of Norman of Beecham Co. sang Beautifully for us in drawing room & a Miss Woledge accompanied.

6. Friday. Fine day spent hours on beach listening to band. Walked along sands before supper

7. Saturday Showery day. Stuck closely to writing & shorthand went for a walk with Nurse Grey & Bessie Allin before supper

Week-end. [no entry]

SEPTEMBER - 1918.

8. Sunday Showers & wind. Went to vile church in morning. Beastly old men sat in front in armchairs. Tired. Wrote & studied and walked on beach before supper. Leaves coming down

9. Monday. Worked on shorthand & story all day. Wild & showery

10. Tuesday. Fine day excepting short thunder shower. Similar routine to above Walked on London road for an hour

11. Wednesday. Wrote & studied shorthand. Tired and not very well. Food not sufficiently nourishing. Walked to Feltham [Felpham] with Miss Woledge