E.J. Rudsdale -- 8 oktober 1944

• E.J. Rudsdale (1910-1951) was een Britse museumcurator die in de oorlog een dagboek bijhield. Het geeft een beeld van het leven in een klein stadje gedurende die jaren.

[8th October 1944 - Struan]
Sunday
Glorious morning. No breakfast. Across Grampians. Managed to get a loaf at Edendon, from a very slatterly ill mannered young woman!

Sheep. Herd of goats near Dalwhinnie. Top of Drumochter down into Invernessshire. Got cup of tea at lorry drivers’ place towards Newtonmore. Tea bad. First place I saw open since leaving Perth, over 60 miles back. By now just gone.

Clouds but no rain. Saw mill working on Sabbath.

Sometimes saw nothing in an hour. Mountains a wonderful indigo.

[9th October 1944 - Aviemore to Inverness]
Monday
Glorious sunny morning. Sun came creeping over the mountains straight into the window. The breakfast good. Left 10.30. Trees and gorse beginning to turn yellow, brown, grey. Wonderful colouring. To Carrbridge easily, magnificent arch of the ancient bridge still standing, a great semi-circle. Much forestry work along here mostly Newfoundlanders.

Saw the place where the fire was last year, near the Slochd. Then Tomatin, where I had left Meg MacDougall [wartime curator of Inverness Museum] last year, and so Slochd summit, then down swiftly easily pleasantly to Moy, the island burial ground never to be used again, still and silent in the water. Then Daviot, carting oats on little tumbrels, a girl loading, just below the church. Sound of machine gun firing away in the hills. Row of “fairy hills”, little tumuli near Culloden Moor. Then far and deep blue was Moray Firth. Long swift easy run down to Culcaback, past King David’s well and so to Inverness. Surprised to find it on 2pm. Had v. expensive lunch of sausages for 2/6, then to see Meg. Glad to see me, but wanted to talk politics all the time. Mad on Labour Party affairs. Yet she has no despondency and looks forward eagerly. Heard that a Jerry had been shot down off the Firth that morning, and that full blackout remains here.

Had tea, cinema for 2 hours then to ARP and Police station to see Meg on duty. Introduced to Insp. Chisholm. Heard that 3 Germans have escaped from a camp in N. Riding.

Got room through Mrs G. at top of high building in Church St. Felt rather ill tonight.

NB Cinema Attendant aged 60, German wife gave birth at 51 about 2 yrs ago.