Keeping to time

Saturday, January 16th., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

London today to see the work of the Queen's Fund. I took my niece Mary and my nephew Richard with me and Tertia met us at Liverpool Street. They all went off to do their own things and we met later for the return trip. Needless to say the 10.7 was late. I have never known it not to be late. I mentioned it to the ticket inspector and he said: "It's because of the war." Unbelievable! I was so surprised by the sheer effrontery of that reply that I failed to make a rejoinder.

36 Smith Square

Lunch at Mrs. McKenna's, wife of Reginald. Largeish house in Smith Square, designed by Lutyens. Very bare and lacking in furniture. I don't think they have been there long. What furniture there was was good though. Oresent: Masterman, full of good humour; Brock, Secretary of National Relief Fund; and Mary Mc Arthur, stoutish matron with a marked Scotch accent. I met her on doorstep and introduced myself. I liked her.

Mrs. McArthur had prepared a timed programme of our pilgrimage, with times in it for leaving like 2.48. Definitely a woman after my own heart. And we kept to it fairly well.