Grandad – Mary Bettany came during the afternoon & brought her guitar.
Mum – RAE ½ term. P invested as Ranger in evening. High School choir & orchestra was televised in am. FR rang in aft to say I could ring at night. Went to YW at 9pm – speaker on “Child Psychology” which I didn’t want to hear! Rang FR at 10.30. He has to take funeral of woman who committed suicide next Monday. He said he is regarded as the person who will help by the village people. Lovely to talk to “someone”. Posted letter for 8am post. 1 Trip taken to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
Notes
Mary Bettany Came to Grandma and Grandad’s With Her Guitar
I am not exactly sure who Mary Bettany was or why she would come to grandma and grandad’s with a guitar. I suspect she was someone grandma knew through the women’s meeting at Drayton Methodist Church, see Chapter 124.
Liz, Alan and I Were on School Half-Term Holidays
R refers to me, A to my brother Alan and E to my younger sister Liz. My older sister, Tricia (Patricia) was not on holiday, it seems. Often, her holidays differed from ours as she went to a private school while we attended state schools, see Chapter 118.
Tricia Was Invested as a Ranger
P refers to my older sister Tricia (Patricia). She was quite involved in Guides, see Chapter 122. Rangers refers to the Guides’ age section for those aged 14-18. At this point, Tricia would have been 16. Rangers can be involved with Rainbows, Brownies and Guides as Young Leaders. From memory, I think this was the kind of role Tricia played. In her diary entry for 7 February 1975, mum referred to it as helping with a Guide Company. Mum was not particularly supportive of this involvement as she was concerned it would draw Tricia away from church activities, particularly choir.
Around this time, I had some involvement in Scouts, see Chapter 106. My recollection is that mum was not particularly interested in Scouts and this may have been one of the reasons I liked it. She far preferred Boys’ Brigade which Alan was involved in and which had direct links to St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church, see Chapter 124.
High School Choir and Orchestra Were Televised
Mum noted that the High School choir and orchestra were televised in the morning (a.m.). This was the school that Tricia attended, see Chapter 118. While mum does not say so explicitly, I assume Tricia was involved in one or both as I know she was in both the choir and orchestra during her time at school.
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 phoned in the afternoon (aft) to say mum could ring at night which she did. I am not sure if the letter she posted was to him but it probably was. The significance of the way mum used the term “someone” is explored in Chapter 114. When they spoke, Rev Dowson talked about aspects of his work including how he thought the people in the village saw him, as someone to go to when help was needed.
Mum Went to a Young Wives Meeting With a Speaker on Child Psychology
YW refers to Young Wives which was a group mum attended based at St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church, see Chapter 124. The speaker was on “Child Psychology” and mum noted that she did not want to hear it. I don’t really know why. Perhaps, she felt she would be criticised and judged for her broken relationship with dad.
Mum Took One Tryptizol Tablet
Mum sometimes noted taking Tryptizol (Trip) or Lentizol, which are both forms of amitryptilline. On this day, she noted she took one Tryptizol tablets to avoid experiencing a recurrence of withdrawal symptoms. I am not sure if she was meant to be taking them regularly or as required, see Chapter 116.
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