Baker Street

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25.10.40 [George Orwell]

October 25, 2010 in Africa, Baker Street, Chancery Lane, France, Hitler, Jews, Paris Metro, Political, Spain, Syria, Tosco Fyvel, War-time, air-raids, oxford circus by orwelldiaries

The other night examined the crowds sheltering in Chancery Lane, Oxford Circus and Baker Street stations.  Not all Jews, but, I think, a higher proportion of Jews than one would normally see in a crowd of this size.  What is bad about Jews is that they are not only conspicuous, but go out of their way to make themselves so.  A fearful Jewish woman, a regular comic-paper cartoon of a Jewess, fought her way off the train at Oxford Circus, landing blows on anyone who stood in her way.  It took me back to old days on the Paris Métro.

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17.9.40 [George Orwell]

September 17, 2010 in Baker Street, East End, Marx, Political, St Petersburg, War-time, air-raids, barber, bombs, dogs, savoy, shrapnel, tube stations, unexploded bombs by orwelldiaries

Heavy bombing in this area last night till about 11 p.m……. I was talking in the hallway of this house to two young men and a girl who was with them. Psychological attitude of all 3 was interesting. They were quite openly and unashamedly frightened, talking about how their knees were knocking together, etc., and yet at the same time excited and interested, dodging out of doors between bombs to see what was happening and pick up shrapnel splinters. Afterwards in Mrs. C’s little reinforced room downstairs, with Mrs C. and her daughter, the maid, and three young girls who are also lodgers here. All the women, except the maid, screaming in unison, clasping each other, and hiding their faces, every time a bomb went past, but betweenwhiles quite happy and normal, with animated conversation proceeding, The dog subdued and obviously frightened, knowing something to be wrong. Marx [1] is also like this during raids, i.e. subdued and uneasy. Some dogs, however, go wild and savage during a raid and have had to be shot. They allege here, and E. says the same thing about Greenwich, that all the dogs in the park now bolt for home when they hear the siren.

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