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[Page 14]
After dinner off to bed again. We needed lots of sleep as we looked a white faced miserable lot.
Matron Bolter gave us our next orders. The two Mac's are to go tp Basingstoke and myself to Brighton. I arrived at the Kitchener Hospital at 5 p.m. It was not busy but there were such a lot of limbless boys, who spent most of their time in wheel chairs on the pier. They were happy in spite of everything.
Met more Australian nurses, but none I had known. We palled up and went to Arundel Castle - a wonderfully preserved old estate belonging to the Duke of Norfolk.
At the end of Sept. I was boarded in London and got six weeks leave.
Several nurses and myself decided to visit Scotland. Firstly we went to Winchester, saw the town and Cathedral, had tea at the God Begot Inn - the quaintest place which was built in 1057. We then returned to London where we went to the theatre and saw Irene Vanbrugh in "Trelawney of the Wilds". There was an air raid during the performance and the noise was terrific. Several bombs were dropped on Tottenhan Court Rd. and we had a time getting back to Kenilworth Hotel in the black out. There was
another raid the next night, also very frightening but thank goodness there were no casualities.
The following day five of us left St. Pancreas Station for Scotland. Passed through some lovely country to Melrose where we stayed at the George Hotel. We were the only guests and the food and service were both excellent. We visited Melrose Abbey and then on to Edinburgh where we had a sightseeing spree. Later we visited Tarvet and went walking in the Scotch drizzle, well wrapped in coats, sou "westers and gum boots. Enjoyed it all especially around Lock Lomond. There were some lovely drives around these parts. On our return we saw the Preachers Rock, where the congregation used to drink whiskey. It was still raining when we got the boat for Inverswald.
After walking to Rob Roy's cave, the two Macs, myself and some other nurses took the train for Glasgow. Saw all of Loch Long and the head of Loch Goyle (where torpedoes were tested). Rowan berries appeared to be growing all over Scotland, but unfortunately the heather was about finished. We managed to pick a little to send home.
In October we left for Ayr. Went to the Station Hotel where Mac gave the wrong number for our room. She was really insisting it was correct when an officer walked over to our table and said he had room 45, but if we wished he would move out and let us move in. We were all amused.