CONTINUED: This diary is authentic and was written between 10th June 1940 and 1st April 1942. The eyewitness was the Reverend Reginald M. Nicholls, Chancellor of St.Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Valletta, from 1931 to 1942. 20th March 1941. St. Anton Palace. We have been here for 8 days of glorious rest and change. We could not come until we had made the house at least roughly burglar-proof. The work was more or less done by the 12th and as we had two very unhappy nights of bombing, we decided to accept the Governor’s kind invitation at once. It is perfectly lovely here. We have played tennis one day, and have had billiards on most days with the Aide-de-Camp. The gardens are ablaze with stocks, and there is one long bed of cinerarias 3 ft wide and 160 yards long. I have gone into Valletta on every day save one, and yesterday I left at 06.50 and stayed all day in town for the Devotional Service at 17.00. On Saturday we must return to our own home. It will not be too pleasant, for we have had some heavy rain, which has brought down the cement which was above the fallen roof stones, and now there is a huge gaping hole in the bedroom roof; probably when I go back tomorrow I shall find a hole also in the drawing room. But the whole roof leaks and not only where the stones have fallen. There have been a huge number of Alerts lately, but no raids. I surmise that the Huns are strewing the sea with mines. Several of these dropped on the 28th have gone up - one of them just below our house in Marsamuscetto Creek fired by a sweep; but a Gozo boat caught one, and 3 men were killed and 6 wounded. 28th March 1941. H.E. and his lady have pressed us to remain longer, so our stay has been prolonged. But tomorrow we must leave or we shall outstay our welcome. The house is lovely; glorious great rooms and a galaxy of exquisite Persian rugs. The family are Plymouth Brethren “ as near Quakers as doesn’t matter ” as Miss Dobbie said to me. They have always been so, for three generations on both sides. Every night, immediately after dinner, as the men join the ladies H.E. standing before the fire, offers an extempore prayer. With all, he is not nearly so narrow-minded as some of that ilk whom I have known. He has a tremendous sense of humour, which he himself admitted to me is unusual. We are offered sherry before dinner, and wine with the meal, and last Sunday after a heavy day I met him on my return to his house. Hearing that I was tired, he said “Ring the bell and ask the footman to bring you a glass of sherry”. From a man of his views who is really a teetotaller, I thought this a very striking example of broad mindedness. When we leave on Saturday morning, we shall have spent 16 happy days as their guests.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 11:16:03 +0000
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