East End

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15.10.40 [George Orwell]

October 15, 2010 in Baldock, East End, Jews, Political, Stepney, Wallington, War-time, bedwetting, evacuees, potato by orwelldiaries

Writing this at Wallington, having been more or less ill for about a fortnight with a poisoned arm.  Not much news – i.e only events of worldwide importance; nothing that has much affected me personally

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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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12.9.40 [George Orwell]

September 12, 2010 in Churchill, East End, Elephant and Castle, Hitler, Ireland, Political, Scotland, South Coast, War-time, Warsaw, West End, air force, air-raids, bombs, destruction, garage hand, homeless, invasion, patriotism, pessimism, profit, revolution, rich, south London, stephen spender, war by orwelldiaries

As soon as the air-raids began seriously it was noticeable that people were much readier than before to talk to strangers in the street. . . . . This morning met a youth of about 20, in dirty overalls, perhaps a garage hand.  Very embittered and defeatist about the war, and horrified by the destruction he had seen in South London.  He said that Churchill had visited the bombed area near the Elephant[1] and at a spot where 20 out of 22 houses had been destroyed, remarked that it was “not so bad”.  The youth: “I’d have wrung his bloody neck if he’d said it to me.” He was pessimistic about the war, considered Hitler was sure to win and would reduce London to much the same state as Warsaw.  He spoke bitterly about the people rendered homeless in South London and eagerly took up my point when I said the empty houses in the West End should be requisitioned for them.  He considered that all wars were fought for the profit of the rich, but agreed with me that this one would probably end in revolution.  With all this he was not unpatriotic.  Part of his grouch was that he had tried to join the Air Force 4 times in the last 6 months, and always been put off.

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