Diary of Lindsay Robert Turner, 1919 (Vol. 7) - Part 2

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the exigencies of War no doubt

but one would think some

trouble would have been taken

to keep the place clean for hygienic

reasons. Zoos are not at any

time choice places to visit but it

would prefer our own to this at

any time. Regents Park is well

worth a visit and we have used

the whole length of it on our

walk from the Station.

18/1/19. I saw my Surgeon this morning

and endeavoured to induce him to

push on with my operation but

after a thorough examination

he decided to let me trail for a few

more days yet As I was improving

so much. I was due for dinner at

Bayswater at 7. so thought I'd tram 

trip the city sight seeing again. First

of all I went to the National Art

Gallery in Trafalgar Square enjoyed

the visit too but many of the

Galleries are still closed undergoing

alterations and having some

of the great Masterpieces replaced

after being safely hidden during the war

 

 

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as I had an hour or so to spare and

wanted to make a much more

extensive visit than before I set out

for the Temple. The archway Guns

under what was formerly Cardinal

Wolsey's Palace and one would 

hardly realise that such an historical

centre was tucked away there. The

Temple Church itself easily the

Centre of attraction having been

erected in 1185 by the Knights Templars

I was unable to see the Library or

the Middle and Inner Temple Halls

owing to its being Saturday afternoon

but I propose returning to the

fray some other day.

19/1/19 Sunday never is an

important day in Hospital not

like the old days in France if

we weren't moving to a new part

of the line we were Carrying out

an important stunt somewhere.

I had long been anxious to pay

a visit to Balhane and as it 

was only half an hours walk

from the Hospital and was just

the day for a bush walk I

managed to enlist the sympathy

of one of  the patients and we set

 

 

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off after lunch. On the way we

passed Wordsworth Common not

like the usual Common we have

but which seemed to me more like

a vacant allotment however this

is England.

20/1/19. Another cheerless day rain

commenced to fall early in the

morning and continued intermittently

all day. One did not mind facing

the rain in France but here a

land of Peace and Comfort one

does not favor the idea. I sallied

forth in the afternoon intent on

sending a cable home but beyond

carrying out some Commissions

for other patients who thought

better of the situation I didn't

remain out for long.

21/1/19 I had seen the Surgeon

yesterday and he arranged with

Capt Hastings the Hospital Specialist

in Nasal Organs to have me

examined with a view to operating

I didn't realise that the examination

would consist in more than an

 

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internal but comparatively Superficial

one but I was doomed to disappointment.

I have had some anxious

moments and painful too but this

"examination" Consisted in driving

a passage thro' both nostrils into

the [[?antrim]] and I was myself glad

when it was over It was a 'Nil'

result so that now I hope to have

the operation proceeded with.

22/1/19. I saw the Dr. this morning

and he immediately decided to

execute on Sunday so now Commences

the process of preparation First

massage treatment rather soothing

and comforting it is. That didn't

preclude me from visiting the City

in the afternoon First tea at the

Trocadero and afterwards a shopping

excursion to Knights bridge the home

of Harrods Ltd perhaps one of

the largest universal providers

in the world but I had been

thro' that space already.

23/1/19. I had long looked forward to

an opportunity of paying a visit

 

 

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to Windsor and when it was

publicly announced that the Royal

Mausoleum would be open to His

Majesty's Forces today and the two

succeeding days. I projected a visit

there as the same time to Windsor

Castle. It was a cold frosty morning

and a heavy fog blew up but it was

a promise of a fine day and so it

proved. We left Paddington Station

at 11.30 and after an hour's fun

drew into Windsor Station. The

country on either side looked ideal

and we had a fine view of the Castle

as the train drew into Windsor

We decided first to go and explore

Immediately on leaving the town

and as soon as the grounds are

reached a magnificent road

lined with trees is [[?cuplled]] [[?En?ing]]

head straight for 3 miles to an

eminence on which stands the

equestrian statue of George III.

barely visible in the haze. We left the

avenue some distance along and

turned into a beautiful garden

 

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in which the mausoleum a dome shaped

structure could be seen tro' the

trees. The building itself is small

and not very pretentious To all outward

appearance but the interior is most

beautiful and the architectural features

superb. The tomb of Queen Victoria

and her Consort stands in the Centre

with two Carved figures representing

them above the [[?ust]]. The walls

around contain memorial tablets of

members of the Royal Family and

every window [[?]] is beautifully

executed. The building itself was

erected by Queen Victoria as a

memorial to her Husband and

they are the only ones buried there.

Windsor Castle itself could be seen

from the [[?Grounds]] standing out

quite majestically above the Thames

and surrounded most of the 

way by a high wall. Inside the

entrance gate is first seen St.

George's Chapel where Edward

VII and other members of the Royal

Family are buried. The state

apartments containing some

 

 

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priceless ornaments pictures and

furniture are well worth a visit

We were conducted thro them and

had most objects of interest explained

to us. The large banquetry hall

with the Reception Room annexed

are easily the most wonderful and

picturesque the former has its walls

hung with the shields of the Knights

of the Garter while the room where

installations of that Order are held is

furnished representative of the

order and presents a beautiful scene

Just as we were leaving we decided

to try and effect an entry into the

Chapel altho all doors appeared

to be locked. We were unsuccessful

but the door leading into what 

afterwards transpired to be the

Private Chapel was open and

being over curious We walked in

The attendant [[?re]] with us

but the transfer of a coin from

the rightful owner worked wonders

We had all that it contained

explained to us consisting of

splendidly executed tombs of various

members of the Royal family

 

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tho the Royal Vault itself can only

be entered thro' the main Chapel

itself. We left Windsor by the 

4.40 train catching a glimpse

of Eton College thro' the trees

away over on the Right as the

train sped on its way to Slough

24/1/19 We hadn't the opportunity to

do anything desperate today partly

owing to the reaction of the day before

It was moreover a very threatening

day tho' the rain held off. I waited

all the morning for the Dr. in case he

should decide not to carry out the

operation on Sunday but he didn't

turn up strange to say and this

afternoon tho' I had projected a

visit to the City. I found the "birds

of Chance" very much more entertaining

and read the whole afternoon

25/1/19. It was a bitterly cold day

today typical of Salisbury Plains

at its worst London was but I

knew I should be in all next week

so wended my way City wards

 

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a good brisk walk followed by

a run thro' Kensington Museum

decided would be a good way to 

fill in the afternoon so I mounted

the bus for Marble Arch intending 

to walk this Hyde Park out by the

Alexandra Gate and thence on to the

Museum. It was an interesting

inas much as I had not been that

way before and as I passed over the

Serpentine Bridge noted that the

ice lay thick on the water and

that part happens to be the favorite

haunt of skaters. I found the Sadean

Exhibits so interesting that by the

time I had been thro' the Science

Museum there was not any time

left to see the Natural History

Museum so left it for another

day. I was glad to get back to the

Hospital again and comparative

security.

26/1/19. I hadn't seen Dr. James as

yet but prepared for the inevitable

and the staff did the rest. I got

out of bed with my mind fully

made up that this was my "day of

fortune" but so anxious have I

 

 

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been to get this operation - the 

[[?A?ation]] of the scars on my face -

that I rather looked forward to it

and being a local operation rather

looked on it as a novelty. I was

in the chair at 10 and the whole

job was over by 11 so silently and

quickly did the operator do his

work. It was decidedly interesting

I found I could hear and feel

the knife going thro the flesh and

spend the time spurring the Dr.

on redouble his efforts to make

me presentable again. The double

effect of Cocaine and Morphia

makes one feel rather antagonistic

to the world in General so I slept

my d[[?]]ing off in Great fashion

until well on into the night.

27/1/19 - 31/1/19. As the week has passed

more or less with no great show

of energy or interest in the World

outside I'm running my narrative

of the day's events into single

blessedness. Monday I was beginning

to feel myself again but had to

spend a quiet day in my bed