Thomas James Richards, Diaries, Transcript Vol. 4, 9 November 1916 - 31 May 1918 - Part 19

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hampered now by the scarcity of sugar and the difficulty in
getting ships for oversea trade and also to bring the cocao
beans along.
At 11 a.m. I chatted with Conrade Fig who seemed quite
pleased. The with a box of the best chocolate I went to Comer's
and had some dinner with the family.
Raced back to "The Nook" changed into civilian cloths and
went by rail to Portishead and walked with the two women on to
Clevedon where we met Stan B.S. had dinner at the Walton Hotel
and back to The Nook by 10 p.m. It was a great day beautiful
walking and so pretty with Doris romping.
July 20th.   Friday.
Writing in the morning and then up into the City.
Lunch at the Club. Saw Annie Sims went to a Concert at
the Red Maids School Hospital and arrived back at The Nook
by 10 o'clock.
July 21st.   Saturday.
Went out riding with Doris at 10 o'clock this morning.
We cycled to Tessie Holmans place and Doris changed riding
costume with high boots and rode astride. We raced over the
Downs for a bet of two bottles of ginger beer and I lost as
her pony was minutes faster than my heavy footed horse.
We went out to Failand 4 miles and had a good ride. Back
to The Nook at 1.20 and tennis all the afternoon. I played
better than usual and enjoyed it immensely. Instead of going
to Dunlops for dinner I prefered to stay at tennis with the
party who seem to take possession of The Nook.
July 22nd.    Sunday.
I picked some raspberrys and wandered in the garden this
morning, finding an edgehog; such a funny little fellow rolled
up like a "porkupine" in Australia.
In the afternoon Elsie Ashman and Philis Lowther came
 

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over and the party was merry; four girls and Stan came to the
Station to see me off to Marshfield by the 6.p.m. I waited
over at Newport 1½ hours and then stayed with the Williams
over-night and they made me very welcome indeed.
July 23rd.   Monday.
I wandered around the garden and enjoyed the farm yard
etc. until with Mabel and Gertie I went into Cardiff and called
on Mrs. Tom Williams where we had tea and caught the 8.30 train
back to Marshfield, after quite a good day.
July 24th.     Tuesday.
I left Marshfield at 10 a.m. and caught the train for
Dowlais at 2.15. There, I met Aunt and Uncle in a painful way
both of whom had a jolly good cry and were a pathetic pair.
Later Uncle and I went to Maggies grave with the flowers I
brought up from Cardiff. Had tea with an awful little Welsh
family and went to bed by 10.30
After a sorrowfull kind of a day, as the folk were very
much distressed
July 25th.      Wednesday.
I left Dowlais at 10.20 and had lunch with Tom Williams
and family catching the 1.30 p.m. for Bristol, when I gathered
up a whole lot of photos etc. picking up the 4.45 for London.
My Sister Hickey met me at Paddington 7 o'clock and after tea
at the Italian Cafe, Soho Square we went onto Hampstead Heath,
and got back to London late. I stayed at the Australian Club.
July 26th.      Thursday.
At 10 a.m. I went before the Medical Board who passed me
for general duty and gave me 14 days furlough. I thought of
going to Scotland but thinking it might be a lonely trip I
decided upon Newquay and wrote Bert to that effect. In the
 

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afternoon I had tea at 13 Geraldine Road and enjoyed it. I
looked up Mrs. MacKenzie 49 Brenand St. Russell Square, and
pleased her.
July 27th.      Friday.
Nothing much doing. I bought some cloths for knocking about at
Newquay went to see the Royal stables in the afternoon and found
most of the horses with swollen legs and many with bad hoofs.
This was I great surprise as the horses are splendidly attended
to and especially shod, many with rubber heel plates.
At 8 p.m. after a quaint dinner at "Ye Old Cheshire Cheese"
I met Lieut. Cob. Allsop, who is a stranger to me but a Brisbane
man and we spent the evening at the Theatre and had a good night,
July 28th.     Saturday.
I drew £15 at Horseferry Road and caught the 11 a.m. train
for Newquay arriving there at there at 7 p.m. after a trying
and lonely journey as I travelled in a 1st class carriage mostly
alone. The 3rd class fare is 49/- return, by a concession I got
a 1st return for 46/-.
I love Newquay as far as I have seen it. The field were
lovely coming down in the train.
July 29th.         Sunday.
Swim before breakfast and before lunch. Tennis and a walk
around the mejestic looking cliffs and rocks.
Newquay is a charming place and with a little more youth
about the Hotel all would be perfect. But alas the crowded
Hotel is like a Museum for antiques; all eyes and whispers
an awful crowd for youth people to mix with and almost certain
to lose their reputations to the edification of crabbed age.
The Hotel itself is splendid, a good first class house.
July 30th.      Monday.
At 11.30 last night as most people were going to bed and
 

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a party sitting behind me disbanding a young fluffy girl whom
I spoke to on the tennis court for a few moment, came to
apologise for the noise they were making while I was trying to
write. I stood up and in less than 2 minutes we were sitting
on a sofa like love sick school kids. I did not know what
was coming; it was all so sudden. All 12 o'clock Miss Helen
Wilson and I parted.
This morning "Fluffy" and I went in a "gingle" to Porth.
In walking back we went in for a swim and when we tried to
continue we could not go either forward or/back and up the
steps. As time went on 2 p.m. and the tide moving very
slowly Something had to happen as the girls parents would be
going quite wild about her absents, so I went over the cliffs
changed into a bathing suit and came back for the girl; she
done likewise and we got around and back to the Hotel by 4 p.m.
with wild gossip raging in the museum. I at once "Gingled"
out to the Watergate Hotel 2½ miles away where I found the
Olive family and Bostock-Shith. I had tea and later set off
on a walk home around on the lovely golden and firm sand. I
walked with one of the Olive girls and she kept pointing out the
delightful colouring of the cliffs and the green moss and
mussels that grew upon the big rocks. The blue sky and white
gray clouds with the clear combing breakers running in all made
a beautiful picture set off to fantastic perfection by the
steep cliffs so strangely coloured in straters rock.
Dinner at 7.30 p.m. and by the time coffee etc. with a
big cigar is consumed its about 10 o'clock which seems an
awfull waste of time.
July 31st.      Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Bostock-Smith Mrs. Lowther and myself left
the Victoria Hotel for the Headlands to-day. Our rooms could
not be held over any longer. The Headlands seems a much
brighter house and isolated from any houses on a point running
 

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into the sea. The people are mostly old here also and and I
dont like them at all, but being an inquisitive kind of fellow
I look upon these Hotels as an experience and probably an
adventure.
Afternoon tea at a very pretty place down on the coast.
August 1st.       Wednesday.
It is very windy to-day, and fairly cold but the afternoon
turned out perfectly and I enjoyed a wander around the rocks
and foreshore.
August 2nd.      Thursday
I have been in close touch with Bert for some time now.
He has sent me along his New Guinea photographs and they are
very fine indeed. It seems that he is in isolation on account
of mumps having broken out amongst them, and I will not have
a chance of seeing him or at least not of getting out and seeing 

the sights of London with him.
August 3rd.        Friday.
To-day has been a great day for me. With Stan, and Mrs.
Smith and Mrs. Lowther (4 and the driver) we started off at
10 a.m. for St. Ives going through Redruth and Cambourne
and Hayle. The old sights of 10 years recalled very pleasant
memories particularly "Carn Brea," which I climbed at that
time, with all my Winter cloths on and sweated severely. At
St. Ives we lunched at the Tregenna Castle Hotel, one of the
best I've seen: The old part of St. Ives is the most interesting. 

On leaving St. Ives we went towards Penzance, overlooked
it and turned up by the famous St. Micheal's Mount and onto
Helston calling at Mullion on the way to Lizzard Head. The
rocks at Mullion are the most mossy coloured and most beautiful,
It is a grand spot. The Lizard did not please me over much,
probably because we did not have time to look around, we
just had tea and returned hurriedly through Truro back to
 

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Newquay. On entering Newquay at 7 o'clock a policeman stuck
us up and took my name for "joy riding". But I don't expect
to hear any more about it.
August 4th.      Saturday.
I should have gone to Salisbury to meet Bro. Bert this
morning but I am still hanging onto Newquay.
We had an enchanting walk around the sand and lovely rocks
to Watergate. Two girls born in Australia but know very little
about it, came along with us and like myself grew quite romantic
about the beautiful colouring of the rocks sea and sand.
Helen Wilson made me take a pair of sleeve links, this
girl is most remarkable indeed; I wish, however, she would not
bother so much about me. I will no doubt see more of her yet.
August 5th.     Sunday.
The breakers this morning both before and after breakfast
were lovely. I got in some good surf shooting surprising
myself as well as the spectators on the headland.
At 11.35 a.m. with the two girls we set off for Plymouth
in a car picking up Helen on the way a distance of 54 miles.
I caught the 2.45 for London and the 3 women returned to
Newquay, the car costing me £5.0.0. for the journey. I arrived
at Paddington by 8.10 p.m. and went back to the Australian
Club for the night.
August 6th.      Monday.
I went out to Wandsworth met Sister Hickey and wandered
over Clapham Common until we caught a bus going to Crompton
Heath. We did not care much where we went but we certainly
did expect to see some trees and something to look like a
Heath but there was nothing but houses. We did, however, get
along to Purley and on to Kenley where there were thousands of
Jews enjoying a Bank holiday. I never saw so many Jews out
before, they were well dressed and well behaved. We got a
late train home.
 

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August 7th.    Tuesday.
I done some shopping drew £l5.-.-. at Horseferry Road and
after getting my valise from the 3rd London General Hospital
went to Frascati for lunch with Sister H. Costing me 16/-.
We called at the Queensland Offices saw some Gallipoli pictures
and went to Fischers Hotel, Clifford St. At 5.30 I left her
and went out to Belsize Park with Mrs. Dingle a fine old lady.
August 8th.      Wednesday.
I met Alex Neilson this morning had a walk a chat and three
whiskey getting to the Station Paddington without a second to
spare in catching the train for Bristol. I spent the evening
and night with Bostock Smith and had a nice quite time. I have
to be extremely grateful to these people for their goodness to
me. I feel sure that they have enjoyed my stay also. I hope
so at any rate.
August 9th.        Thursday.
I left Bristol at 9.35 and arrived in London at 12.30. I
met my Sister and we lunched at Princes' in Piccadilly. It is
laid down that men in uniform cannot spend more than 3/6 on
lunch excluding drinks cigars etc. but as long as there is a
person with you not in uniform it can be said that they are
entertaining and any price can be reached. We had the 3/6 lunch
but when I ordered fruit salad and cream it cost me 3/- each
for it extra.
I caught the 5.50 train for Perham Downs not the 2.10 as
instructed and expected trouble.
August 10th.    Friday.
There was nothing said about being late yesterday and I
lined up with the Battalion this morning at 9 a.m.
The 3rd. Battalion have only 20 or 30 men to work on so I
went away to see the Quarter Master for boots and other things.
In the afternoon on a bike I went 8 miles to Larkhill and
 

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saw Bro. Bert. He was looking splendid and seemed well satisfied 

with his little lot.
It was good to see him again and to chat about Home and
friends once again. I was tired on getting back to camp as the
roads were hilly and the wind blew fairly strong. Salisbury
Plains has deceived me in name, as there is very little to
resemble a Plain about it; hills, and more hills all the time.
It seems a very windy and bleak spot as it is much colder now
than anywhere else in England. The camps seem well fitted out
and comfortable. Our mess is very good but a hard bunk is
pretty hard to settle in just now after spring beds and white
sheets. But then I hope to be in France shortly. I can see
that this camp life will be the death of me, I am so incompetent
and easily worried.
August 11th.   Saturday.
I find myself in charge of a Company and took over 117 men
from No. 2 Battalion so there is going to be trouble. This
afternoon, instead of being a holiday was one of much work as
311 men reported in and were taken over by 3rd Bn. We had a
busy afternoon of it and at night instead of going to one of
the several shows about I went to bed.
August 12th.       Sunday.
Up at 6.25 a.m. to-day taking over a strange 260 men. But
saw the men away to Church but I did not go along.
I have been busy fixing up and despatching photos of self.
I will post the whole 2 doz. of them at once, the bulk of cause
going to Australia in one parcel for Ralph Hill to despatch as
follows:--Uncle Ned, Rocke, M. Richards, Sponza R. B. Hill,
Rollston, Hunter Ruth Richards, M. Davies, Miller Brice:
Mother, Gregory Bostock Smith, Powell, Dingle Powell, Wilson,
Mrs. Perry, Williams (2).
This afternoon I borrowed a bike and went to the Y.M.C.A.
 

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at Bulford expecting to meet Bert but he did not turn up. The
Bristol concert party with the Lord Mayor were there doing a
three days tour of Salisbury Plains stopping at Salisbury Hotel.
They gave two performances to-day and they were both very fine
shows. I saw them both one at Bulford and 6 miles away at
Perham Downs the three girls were fine artists, and with the
genial Mayor, made a brilliant success of their two shows.
Archie Powell was with the party; who filled three cars.
August 13th.        Monday.
Up at 6 a.m. bustling around with the equiptment of the
6th Division men who are breaking away from the 6th to rejoin
their own and old units.
There was Battalion parade at 8.20 and Brigade at 9 a.m.
with "Bullring" work to fill up the morning into 12.30. Parade
again at 2 p.m. and more bayonet and bombing work, with a
lecture at 7.30 and a night march at 9 p.m. we got off at 11.20
p.m. A long days work.
August 14th.      Tuesday.
We were allowed to sleep in this morning. At 9 a.m. with
lunch in haversacks we set off towards Andover for a route
march with a full Battalion of men.
The day was very good no heavy showers falling as is now
very common. We returned at 5.30 to camp.
My application for 2 days leave has been returned "not
approved". This is very annoying but all in the game I expect.
August 15th.        Wednesday.
All Bull-ring work to-day and I have sore feet and a back
ache just loafing around watching the men at work.
I intended going to Larkhill to see Bro. Bert but it has
been raining in heavy showers all the afternoon and I could
not go.
 

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There are about 60 Cadets came into Camp yesterday and
leave for France on Saturday. It would surprise everybody to
see where they all are in three months time, half dead, some
prisoners and many wounded. It is sad when one sees it in this
light. But it came very plain at the Devisional School. In
March I knew the 48 officers. By the first week in May there
was more than half out of action in some way or other.
August 16th.        Thursday.
I went in a car with 2 Cadets to No. 1 Battalion T Camp
Larkhill this evening and onto see Bert, we then went over
to the hugh stones at Stonehenge. They are truly remarkable
and abound with mystery and interest.
I left Bert at 10 p.m. and we got back to Camp by 11.30.
August 17th.      Friday.
Just a day of parade ground work and Bullring afflictions
for the men. Up at 6 a.m. but there is no lecture to-night.
August 18th.      Saturday.
I was innoculated this morning; which entitles me to 48
hours no duty.
I arranged to meet Bert at the Stonehenge Inn at 2 o'clock,
he understood it to be Salisbury so we did not meet until 7.30
p.m. at Salisbury. This meeting Bert has been most disappointing

 we have failed many many times to get into touch. I left
him at 9 p.m. he going to Larkhill and I coming to Perham Down.
August 19th.        Sunday.
Practice march past for the Duke of Connaughts review
tomorrow. I got a bike in the afternoon and went to Andover
Junction to meet Helen Wilson who is coming from London to
see me. She came and we had a decent enough afternoon thought
I wish this girl was not so serious.