Grandad – Mrs Cushing came for the afternoon. She has joined DLM & Ethel wanted to see her.
Mum – Locked out of surgery again! Dr Day knew & arrived at 2.15. No apologies! Went to Chairman’s in am. Coeliac AGM in evening. 8 (6 families) inc me turned up! Is it worth it? Had N/L & brief note from FR. Address of the 2 children’s funeral in it.
Notes
Grandma Met a New Member of Drayton Ladies’ Meeting
Ethel refers to my grandmother Ethel May Cecilia Parkin. DLM refers to Drayton Ladies’ Meeting which was a weekly women’s meeting based at Drayton Methodist Church, see Chapter 124. I think grandma probably led this. It seems that Mrs Cushing was a new member of the group and grandma wanted to meet her. She had been mentioned previously in the diaries as she had gone with grandma to the hospital on 27 January.
Locked Out of the Surgery… Again!
Based on her CV, see Chapter 105, mum worked as part-time receptionist for Drs Downes and Day, see Chapter 121. I assume this incident refers to that work. It seems this was not the first time this had happened but I do not recall mum mentioning it before in her diary. Of course, if it had happened before the start of 1975, mum was not keeping a diary at that time. It seems Dr Day knew that the staff would be locked out and, according to mum, seemed unconcerned about it. I am not sure what time the surgery should have opened, 2pm perhaps. From what I know of mum, this kind of incident would have really annoyed her!
Rev G T Eddy
The chairman is a reference to Rev G T Eddy who was Chairman of the Methodist District. Based on her CV, see Chapter 105, mum was his part-time secretary from 1973 to 1977. She worked there in the morning (a.m.).
Coeliac Society AGM
Mum was very involved with the Coeliac Society at this point including with a local group, see Chapter 116. I assume this AGM was for the local group. Mum had prepared by making biscuits the previous day. Mum’s involvement in the group was because my brother Alan had the disease, see Chapter 78. Mum was clearly disappointed with the turnout.
Rev Dowson
FR refers to Rev F R Dowson. Frederick Rodham Dowson entered the Methodist ministry in 1936. He was born in Haxby, York on 5 August 1912 and he died in Selsey on 4 September 2011, aged 99. I believe he was superintendent Minister for the Park Lane circuit from 1968 to 1974. He and mum were close and they spoke and corresponded frequently, see Chapter 114.
On this occasion, he sent her a brief note and a newsletter (N/L). I am not sure if the newsletter was just for information or for her to duplicate. The two children mum referred to were Richard and Victoria Davies who had belonged to the Methodist Sunday School in Selsey and who had been found dead on a beach in January, see Chapter 124.
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