Then came the offer from the Dymond Chemical Company, and I started as a City typist, one among the thousands who poured into and out of the City of London each day. Daily I tubed from Lancaster Gate to Monument, and I wandered around the City in my lunch hours as lunch itself never took very long; something like baked beans on toast and a glass of Horlicks or a chocolate trifle at a nearby ABC or Lyons. There was a very hot spell which I found more trying in the City than anything I�d experienced in Cape Town, and the odd thunderstorms were frightening.

In line with all employment at that time, payment was very low. I was lucky to get a job at all, and had got this one because of my German, and my pay was �2 a week. From this was deducted my Health Insurance and Income Tax, so that I received one �1 note and something like 16/- in silver. (I think the parents were still paying �5 a month for my Helena Club residence.)

I got on well with Mr Cubitt, who ran the office, and with the accountant but had little to do with him. The company was small, being a subsidiary of a Dusseldorf firm, and our main product was a detergent washing powder - Persil and Surf were our rivals. A Director, Herr Schuster, sometimes came from Dusseldorf and once took me to a pub for lunch. Shortly before I left, I was embarrassed to be asked by him what I thought about the accountant, and was told that he had been embezzling funds - I had, of course, noticed nothing.

By the new airmail service from South Africa Shena wrote to tell me that she�d sent me a money draft - I dashed round to Lancaster Gate Post Office and was disappointed to find that it hadn�t arrived, and didn�t for nearly two weeks - firms and banks were not yet used to using airmail!

When I had been with the Dymond Chemical Company about two months, I decided that I could now say I had some office experience, and I decided that if I didn�t go home then I might never return to South Africa, so I gave in my notice. They asked me to stay on, and offered a salary increase, but my mind was made up, and I left at the end of three months. Mr Cubitt�s testimonial said, in part: �She carried out her duties to our entire satisfaction and we can recommend her as a thoroughly efficient, reliable and conscientious worker. Miss Wells left us to return to South Africa and we wish her every success in the future.�

Dad�s brother Uncle Robert was planning to visit South Africa, so I arranged to travel with him. He offered me a present, and I chose a tennis racquet from Lillywhite�s. I think the best buy that I made in London was a leather-bound, gilt-edged paper, illustrated complete Shakespeare, which cost 5/- at Selfridge�s. I had a lovely farewell party at my room in the Helena Club.

On Friday 13th October 1933 we left England in the Winchester Castle, and had a lovely voyage. I made new friends and loved the shipboard life, but was glad to waken that Sunday morning in Table Bay and to see Table Mountain again.