06 Aug 1945, John Charter's wartime journal

Today is Yvonne’s birthday and Mother and Father’s wedding anniversary. We have had quite a nice day, celebrated as our limited circumstances allow. We had some egg yolk and oil on our congee in the morning and finished with a cigarette! For lunch I made two little steamed puddings with half our last tin of bully beef mixed with some sweet potatoes and onions from our garden. Then in the afternoon Anne Muir and Terrance Feltham had tea with us and played bridge. Maudie lent us her room for the occasion. Then in the evening we went again to block 10 where Maudie entertained us, with delicious coffee and cigarettes. Maudie gave Yvonne a packet of cigarettes; Anne had made her a very smart pair of underpants and I gave her a small cigarette holder which I made from a piece of guava wood. Isa gave her an ash tray to complete the smoking outfit and the Bidwells gave her some brinjals from their garden. Surely we shan’t have to celebrate any more birthdays in here!

The evacuees from the bungalows and St. Stephens were eventually rehabilitated on Thursday Aug 2nd, 8 days after they had been turned out. Terrance, who was one of them, said he never thought he would be glad to get back to his ‘home’ in Stanley, but he was!