Springlike

Monday, February 22nd., Comarques, Thorpe-le-Soken.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday I corrected "These Twain" and cut it from 128,000 to 100,000 words. It is painful I find to expunge words one has sweated to produce, but necessary.

It has been remarkably mild today and I took a long walk down Golden Lane as far as the Beaumont Cut. There is still a little activity there but it is clear to see that the place is going to ruin. A chap I met there walking his dogs, who lives nearby, said there had been a canal of sorts there as early as Roman times, but the present cut was made in the nineteenth century in hope of exploiting the agricultural demand for lime. The lime kiln is still in good order. It would be worth preserving it for historic reasons, but that seems unlikely. In this country we generally only think about 'saving' things after they have fallen too far into disrepair. Two thames barges were employed to service the quay when it was in full operation but only the deteriorating remains of one is there now. Interesting to see even so. It is rather picturesque and would make a nice watercolour.

Hard to believe as I strolled back home in the spring-like sunshine that the country is at war and fighting is taking place only a hundred miles away as the crow flies. Thank god I am too old! I read on Saturday that Britain is now officially under 'blockade' by Germany. I expect that we shall all have to start tightening our belts.