Grandad – Ethel went for the evening with Mary & Tony to Arthur & Rose’s.
Mum – City this morning with Alan. Typing & dup in aft. FR rang in aft & I rang back & talked for a little. It’s been a difficult 2-3 weeks loneliness & longing wise. Bought E shoes £6.70. She didn’t go riding as Douglas’ car not going.
Notes
Grandma Went with Mary and Tony to the Elsegoods
Ethel refers to my grandmother Ethel May Cecilia Parkin. I am not sure who Mary and Tony were but I think Mary was someone that grandma knew through the women’s meeting she attended at Drayton Methodist Church, see Chapter 124. Arthur and Rose refers to Arthur and Rose Elsegood who were good friends of grandma and grandad’s. Rose Elsegood also attended the women’s meeting at Drayton Methodist Church.
Mum Went into Norwich with My Brother
Alan refers to my younger brother. He and mum went into Norwich. My mother always insisted that we referred to this as going “in the city” and never “into town“. It seems we were not the only ones!
Mum Did Typing and Duplicating
Mum did typing and duplicating (dup) in the afternoon (aft). According to her CV, see Chapter 105, mum ran her own typing/duplicating business from home between 1965 and 1975. This could have been part of that or it may have been typing and duplicating she did for church. The boundaries between typing as a paid business and typing she did voluntarily for church was not always clear in the diaries.
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. On this occasion, he phoned and mum phoned back. She noted that they talked for a little. She also noted that the last two to three weeks had been difficult in terms of loneliness and longings, see Chapter 114.
Mum Bought My Sister Shoes
E refers to my younger sister Liz (Elizabeth). Mum noted that she bought her some shoes and these cost £6.70, see Chapter 125. I am not sure if Liz with her as she only mentioned going into the city with Alan.
Liz Did Not Go Riding Because of Problems with the Douglases’ Car
At this point, Liz usually went riding on a Saturday morning with her friend Caroline Douglas who lived next-door to grandma and grandad at 168 Drayton High Road, see Chapter 122. Caroline’s father Ron usually took them in his car but could not on this occasion, see Chapter 127.
