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[Page] 105
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it is said, a few incendiaries, which fell clear
of any buildings in the Abbey Hill district.
It was rather misty this afternoon and about
3.o'clock the siren sounded for the third day
in succession. There was a little activity by
our planes racing across the sky to the Forth,
but no sound of firing reached us. It was probably
a mine-laying adventure on the Forth. The
'all clear' was sounded about 1½ hours later.

26th. March 1941
We awoke this morning to find the country
white for the sixth time this winter under
2-3 inches of snow, but by 6.0 p.m. hardly a speck
remained so rapidly had it melted under the
combined action of rain and a South west wind.
I fear there will be flooding in some river valleys
from such a rapid thaw.
As is usual every 4 or 5 days the sirens
sounded, after lunch, but the alerte only
lasted for about 30 mins. [minutes]

30th. Mar. 1941
Is this winter never going to end? Last night we had
our seventh fall of snow and this morning it lay
to a depth of about 2 ins. [inches] By tea time under a
warm sun it has almost entirely disappeared.
To my surprise a few days ago I received a
letter from Sir William Bragg O.M. [Order of Merit] K.B. [Knight of the Order of the Bath] etc. etc.
inviting me to give a lecture at the Royal

Institution in Albermarle St. London on 13th May.

[Margin] (Sir [gap in text]
Principal of
Edinr. Univ. [Edinburgh University]
years after
told me that
he had given
my name) ---

on any of the subjects I have done so much work
on. How he ever came to have heard of me as a
lecturer I do not know, but I suspect his know;
:ledge has had some connection with my Glasgow
lecture, especially as I think he also was to be, or
had been a lecturer to the Philosophical Society.
However, it is to me a great compliment and I have
accepted. As I get an 'honorarium' of £10
I shall take the opportunity of prolonging my
journey to Dorset and see Cecil & little Christian.
We had the usual half hour alerte this afternoon
without guns or bombs! We are all greatly
elated by the sudden change of attitude in Yugoslavia
whereby the young king has ascended the throne and
defied Hitler, as well as by the fall of Kiren, and a
Naval victory in the Mediterranean.

1st. April 1941
This is to record the eighth considerable fall
of snow, which greeted our eyes yesterday morning
It lay to a depth of 3 inches. but began to thaw
at once. As the air is bitterly cold there are
still small patches lying in sheltered places,
we have had no alerte so far today (6.30 p.m.) but had
one yesterday of 10 mins. [minutes] duration & 2 the day before.

8th. April 1941
Last night we had the longest “blitz” since the war
began, and yet not a bomb seems to have fallen
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