25 Feb 1943, John Charter's wartime journal

To finish the story of our wedding anniversary with Mrs Minn: Marjorie Begden and Mrs Hyde-Lay, the two ladies who met Y at the church and saw everything about her was in order before she set sail up the aisle, Y and I were the guests. It was a very cold day, too cold to have the party on the verandah, so we had it in the small servants’ kitchen in which ‘C’ bungalow now cooks its rice. We could just squeeze ourselves into the room round a small table and literally had to shut the door before the last person could sit down! Maudie had made a lovely meat and veg tart, followed by a Cross and Blackwell plum pudding and custard, coffee, cigarette and sweets. It was very good fun. We wished Capt. Minn had been with us, not to mention of course, our own families.

Since stating we have received MY15 each from the British Govt, we have each received a further MY5, making a total of MY20 each (pdv £225). This has been an absolute Godsend. We hear incidentally, that we shall not have to repay this after the war, which is cheering! This constitutes our second gift from home – the first being all the food.