1949 May

May. Labour at 1/3 an hour. Wilk propositioned. Row with Miss H. Berlin blockade lifted. Shanghai falls to Mao.

Saturday, May 7th
Fetched five colonies of bees from Benson, £35. Very busy with bees and garden.

Wednesday, May 11th
Returned boxes to Ewelme [Benson?] with Mary and had first picnic of year at Long Grasses, but cowslips nearly over.
Had thought of buying caravan but gave up idea after two visits to nasty rogues in Bucks.

Saturday, May 21st
Working on bees with boy to help, but at 1/3 an hour it becomes expensive. Usual summer rheumatism. Had to pay for visit to masseur in Reading.

Sunday, May 22nd
Spent day with Mary. We drove up to Kingsclere and went up on Downs. Took lunch and tea. After tea were both filled with desire, but the wind was strong, the weather doubtful and the ground a hard bed, so we went back and after the cowslips had been put in water she came out of the bathroom, put her arms round me and said ”Now!”

Monday, May 24th
Wilk has our temporary master and ex-RAF pilot in flat over her and he has made proposals (query of matrimony) to her. She is 15 years older than him and in bad health, so she is much puzzled what to do, poor dear. Miss H to-day had a row with me; difficult at best of times, but now worse than ever. Says she regrets having come back. Same here.

Wednesday, May 25th
Sports day – went on half an hour too long at least. Rather cold wind but the rain held off till we had finished. Quite a number of records broken. Always find the relay races get me, the handing on of the baton from summer to summer, the touch of life and so on.
(The Russians) having raised the blockade of Berlin because defeated by the airlift, they are now delaying and holding up traffic, so to-day only two trains got through.
Shanghai has fallen to the Communists. Fresh forces being sent to Hong Kong