Grandad – Ethel went to DLM. Decorator came. Weather cold & wet, it rains in my cabin.
Mum – Chairman’s in am. Hair set in aft. Guild at John & Heather’s – only Gerald & me went. Pulled St P’s to pieces. Very depressed – they’ve got “someone“. I’ve only got the church. FR rang to say not coming this weekend.
Notes
Grandma Went to 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 at Drayton Methodist Church which she attended, see Chapter 124.
Mr Larkins, the Decorator, Came
Grandma and grandad’s house had two bedrooms, see Chapter 117. Both were being decorated by Mr Larkins. He had started on Monday but had not come the previous day. I am not sure who he was. He is mentioned a few times in the diaries but only in relation to this job.
The Roof of Grandad’s Cabin Leaked
Grandad had a purpose-built cabin behind the house in which he did practical jobs, particularly woodworking, see Chapter 85. He was not using it as much as he had because of advancing age and poor health. It seems, at this point, that the roof was leaking, see Chapter 126.
Mum Went to Rev Eddy’s
The chairman is a reference to Rev G T Eddy who was Chairman of the Methodist District. Mum went to work for him in the morning (a.m.). Based on her CV, see Chapter 105, mum was his part-time secretary from 1973 to 1977, see Chapter 121.
St Peter’s Guild Met at the Fergusons
Guild is a reference to St Peter’s Guild which was a fellowship meeting associated with St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church (St P’s). John and Heather refers to mum’s friends John and Heather Ferguson and Gerald, to another firiend, Gerald Cooke. It seems they spent the meeting criticising the church, see Chapter 124.
Mum Felt Very Depressed
Mum noted that she felt “very depressed“. I suspect this was partly down to the meeting but she had a long history of struggling with depression, see Chapter 116. Another factor undoubtedly was her feelings of loneliness. She felt that everyone else had someone special but she did not, see Chapter 114.
As noted in that chapter, I struggle with the statement that she only had the church. I find it quite hurtful as, of course, mum had us her children. It could be argued that we could not provide the close, intimate, grown-up interaction that she perhaps craved. But, I still finding her “ranking” the church above us problematic!
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 rang and told mum he would not be coming this weekend.
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