Alec’s diary continues:
Caught 8.43 a.m. Finished off Tavistock Jun. summaries. Insall caught us for cup of coffee. Chas bought coffee I bought buns. Lunch at Club. Glasses not ready yet but they have invoice. Went out for tea at 3.30 p.m. John paid. Caught 5.5 p.m. home did not go out again. Finished off book. No sirens.
I’m wondering when he ever did any work!
Alec’s diary continued:
Caught 8.00 a.m. train by skin of my teeth. Bicycle front light out of action. Played solo to Bristol finished square. Found an empty in London train and was joined by David Muller and bandsmen who had been performing at Colston Hall over week end. They played cards on top of a guitar for 2/6d a game. One fellow lost 17/6d.
Train diverted via Bradford Jun. Holt Jun. and Kingley arrived Paddington 12.30 p.m. 1 hour late. Had lunch on my own at the Club. Whiteley’s say my glasses not arrived yet. Balanced the extracts for Tavistock Jun. in afternoon. Went over to Lyons I paid. Caught 5.05 p.m. for Hanwell and did not go out again. No sirens.
This is where we start, with Alec Donald William Atkins, born on 28 June 1922 in Keynsham. We meet him here as a young man of 22, skinny and bespectacled, kept out of military service by colour-blindness. He was an only child, and at the time of the first diary entry he was working at the Traffic Analysis Department, Traffic (E), Superintendent of the Line’s Division, Paddington, W2. He seems to have been lodging somewhere in London with a Mrs Stone – she turns up in later entries – during the week, and going home to his parents at Clevedon, near Bristol, at weekends. His diary isn’t very exciting, for the most part, but here and there he includes some fascinating details and insights into his life.
[I intend to retain his punctuation, or lack of it, unless I find it annoys me too much!]
February 6th 1944 – Sunday
Gordon called before I got up returning trumpet. Went to Home Guard in morning. Did not change or go out in afternoon. John called round at 2.30 p.m. and again at 7.00 p.m. Went to Salthouse and met our Yankee friend. Packed up at 9.30 p.m. place getting too crowded.
Since heard goods broke away in Box Tunnel.
On The Track 