Sun at last. Blue sky & white clouds. Lovely day. Paper Western Morning news. Very reduced only one sheet. We read of another defeat to Germany. This time by the French in Alsac [tk]. Dorothea went down to Plymouth to see Mr Britton [the family dentist]. Mary & Stella practised bandaging all the morning. Frank Drewe came over from St Stephens to fetch Ursula, and it was settled that they leave Baby here for a week so that Ursula should have a rest.

At 1.15 Mary & I set off for Tavistock in four wheel dogcart, drawn by the Admiral the 2 cylinders of the car under the Back seat. The old horse went like a bird, we reached Tavistock at 2.45. Attended drill at the Depot. Absurd waste of time. 15 Minutes talk & 15 minutes drill, mostly around the room. How is that going to help us nurse soldiers. To think of it being drilled by Mrs Boggis it was too funny for words. Then came a dull lecture by a very stupid doctor. He [illegible droned] on about how operations used to be done 40 years ago. When at last a boy scout was put on to the bed with a supposed wound in the shoulder, he did not know without looking at the book what way to do it.

If only there was an efficient Teacher.

We had tea at Terrators with Phyllis’ niece Dorothea there, who was full of stories about the number of soldiers she had seen in Plymouth. We had a perfectly lovely drive home. At Meadwell I stopped for a Com[mittee] meeting of the Technical Education.

We settled to ask for lessons in Home Nursing. Walked home with Mrs Smith [Vicar’s wife].