there are three company commanders who five months ago were corporals. During the afternoon the men play football, run cross country races & pull tugs of war. Boxing too is practised & next week the inter brigade competitions take place. The people are beginning to complain of the damage done to their fields by the troops drilling over them & the military authorities have now rented a tract of country where all parades & manoeuvres are to take place. 22 February 1916 Snowed hard this afternoon & looks as if it were likely to continue – winter is coming at last perhaps – it froze hard again last night 23 February 1916 Snow is still lying on the ground and it is very cold.