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A life in the Day

Sutton Oak CDE (Chemical Defence Establishment)

St. Helens

19. 1. 44.
Woke at 7.5 got up 7.25 dressed, and went downstairs put kettle on, lit gas for frying pan, cleared table, put out corn flakes. Ate some, fried egg. Kathleen came down (7.50) switched on wireless. Fried K’s egg, made coffee cut bread, crossword with K. Marmalade — nearly finished. 2 slices. wanted to go with K but not ready — (8.7) finished dressing. K. missed bus, still not ready and too full to run with K. cleared table, took paper. walked to town looked for Sutton bus — no queue — caught Junction bus immediately. Read paper smoked remains of cigarette started at breakfast. walked rest of way to work. went straight to lab — door locked. no one in. Thornton left no note — data of S dim finished at 1.00 am. rang up porter & found that he left at 1.10 am. Tried motor — stuck. looked into inner tube after taking reading — dimer formed. Plotted results. got deltaH, and deltaH — time curve. Brookfield arrived, Whiting arrived — told him of run. Went to change room asked Thornton about run. Took off socks, & and went to clothing store. Changed socks, coat and pants. Changed fully arrived in lab at 9.30 talked to Dukes about run — glad I didn’t ring him up. Kendrick arrived, began preparations for estimating S. Dried wash bottle, filled with ether, took calorimeter from ice bath. Ice melted at bottom of tube. Put on cape & goggles & filtered S. dimer washed with ether forgot to weigh filter. left to dry. told Kendrick to see to decontamination. Put dimer in oven and turned on. Whiting asked about Cook’s Fp’s. Talked to Thornton about surf. tensions. Agreed to let Dukes do run on dimer to get Friday off. discussed making smaller app. using mercury — could avoid having to stay and watch. Asked Brookfield about work. Started to make bunsen coil — from large test tube and smaller one.

(See sketch in copy photo)

Made good job of seals — a bit wobbly in parts. Decided not to go to lunch at 12. Whiting gave me report for Fp’s — told him I would be going after lunch — asked for report back. Filled cal with water — by evac. Then by cooling and warming. jokes about emptying it. went to lunch. Asked Wood about book on photography. Soup — liver onions chips carrots rice pudding. no tea. went for bridge. good hands — bid six spades — made 6, 2 clubs — made 5 - 3 no trumps — made 3. they made 4 hearts. Went to lab and told Kendrick to see to weighing of dimer — left — washed and changed. waited for Sutton bus 20 mins. looked round shops for Camp or present for bath. no success. Arrived home. had left kitchen light on. Made tea andmade fire.

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