1947 July

1947 Nothing but insults from Russians. Workers better off. Begger's Opera. Future as a beer bung maker? Observer 3d.

^{Monday, July 7th}

^{The Russians first of all announced their arguments to the world, refused to agree to the Franco-British proposals and then walked out after threatening the Western Powers. Next day the invitations went out in the name of France and Britain, but how many Russian protectorates will accept we don’t know. Finland the first to refuse. We have escaped the veto at last, but only by severing East and West. This make it more likely that Congress will agree to American aid. In any case we have given the Russians a fair and prolonged trial and got nothing from it but insults for our pains. France is now at the crossroads and she must choose. She can no longer act as point of balance between communism and social democracy…..}

    ^{Went down in Regatta Week to Maud and then to the Crown at Totnes to see Hilary. We spent Saturday at Paignton. Hilary well and seems to like Dartington, which he says is a lot like Long Dene.}

    ^{Came back by train yesterday and looked up at small station and saw the name “Challow”. Thought of an elderly clergyman with full white beard waiting for a train to Henley Regatta at the end of the last century and of a young woman driving a dogcart to meet the train in a little fur hat and dark, braided coat and skirt. Do the gentle shades of Grandpa and Mother live only in the memory of their descendants? I wonder.}

              ^{I found on my return that Nora had bought me a very smart pair of white overalls for the bees. Feel I am now a real professional.}

^{Thursday, July 10th}

^{Engagement of Elizabeth and Mr Mountbatten announced to-night.}

              ^{Another very gloomy talk on our position. In perhaps two or three years, with hard work and luck, we may be able to approach our imports for 1937, otherwise we must face a fall in our standard of life. Wages have risen 66%,the cost of living 35%, so it appears that the condition of the working class has improved, but once let inflation go and the apparent improvement will be lost. Our position is one of the weakest in the world because of our unbalanced urban population. We are forced to buy food at greatly inflated prices after fighting from first to last, helping our friends and finally our enemies. The population is full of ideas for social reform, but does not realise the desperate jam we are in, e.g., that we may have to cut our housing programme for lack of timber and steel. News in any case remains bad. Output has fallen since the five day week (another of our social reforms) and absenteeism in some areas is as bad as ever, some chaps seem to be working a three day week.}

^{Sunday, July 15th}

^{“Finally, as in the transformation scene, veil after veil is being drawn away from the condition of Britain…. The final scene is now beginning to emerge. But it is not the Palace of the Fairy King; it looks more like The Beggar’s Opera”. Leader in The Observer.}

^{Friday, July 18th}

^{A week of examinations and invigilation. The weather thundery, stuffy and wet, but went up on the Downs for supper on Wednesday. Went past German prisoners of war depot at Basildon. Mary said how depressed they were, nothing to go back to, and no possibility of saving anything from the miserable pittance they are given for their work – pretty near slave labour – and this two years after the war. People uneasy about them and keeping them here does not seem justified even though we so desperately need to grow food to keep down foreign purchases.}

              ^{Looks as though more cuts in imports coming and a general lowering of standard of living imminent. Wonder where we shall be in five years time – in 1952. Just heard that Stanley, one of my war time temporaries who has done nothing for a year or so, has now got a well paid job in a sawmill making the holes for the bungs in beer barrels. Feel at this rate no one need be out of a job, skilled or unskilled, and wonder whether I shall end up as bung maker. Might do worse.}

^{Sunday, July 27th.}

^{The end of two days of extracting and bottling honey with the help of Donald Heath and Hilary. … We are having a heat wave with high night temperatures and terrific sunshine. … Owing to the cut in newsprint, The Observer is to be smaller but to cost more, 3d instead 2d. (1968: Observer now 1/- with colour supplement).}