Grandad – Dolly, Smith went by taxi to Norwich to get the bus. Mr Healey gave his government budget.
Mum – Went to see Dr W about P’s eyes – told me to contact school health service – I did – appointment will be sent. A & E went swimming in a.m. P bought material for long skirt & blouse. Started decorating bathroom. Meeting of ex class leaders at night to discuss membership. FR rang in am – posted letter.
Notes
Auntie Dolly and Mrs Smith Went by Taxi to Norwich to Get the Bus
Dolly refers to Dorothy Rose who we knew as Auntie Dolly although she was my grandmother’s first cousin. Grandma’s father (Charles Cirket) and Auntie Dolly’s mother (Lois Rose née Cirket) were siblings. Auntie Dolly visited grandma and grandad often coming by bus from where she lived in Bedford to Norwich bus station, see Chapter 122. She had arrived on the 2nd.
I believe the next word says Smith and I think this refers to Mrs Smith. Mrs Smith or “Smithy” is referred to fairly often in the diaries. I think she and grandma were friends through the women’s meeting that grandma attended at Drayton Methodist Church, see Chapter 90. I think she was the mother of Barbara Carpenter who lived next-door to grandma and grandad at 166 Drayton High Road, see Chapter 88.
Auntie Dolly and Mrs Smith went by taxi to get the bus, In Auntie Dolly’s case, this would have been the bus to Bedford and I assume Mrs Smith got the same bus as she had friends in Bedford. In February 1969, when mum and grandma went to Bedford for Winnie Cirket’s funeral, Mrs Smith went with them to visit her friends, see Chapter 88.
Grandad Wrote About the Budget on the Wrong Day
It seems that grandad sometimes wrote diary entries a day or two later. On this occasion, he made an entry about the budget, see Chapter 129, on the wrong day and crossed it out.
Mum Saw Dr Welch About Tricia’s Eyes
Dr W refers to Dr Welch our GP. P refers to my sister Tricia (Patricia). Mum took Tricia to see Dr Welch about her eyes, see Chapter 116. He told mum to contact school health services. Mum did and noted that an appointment would be sent.
I am not sure if this appointment happened but mum took Tricia to see Mr Hunter, an ophthalmologist at the Norfolk and Norwich on 27 April 1975. It seems he must have seen her before because he told mum that the eyes were still the same. He said if she had glasses to correct [poor vision in] the right eye she would see double – he tried it. He said she could drive and they should “go and forget it“.
Alan and Liz Went Swimming
A refers to my younger brother Alan and E to my younger sister Liz (Elizabeth). They went swimming in the morning (a.m.), see Chapter 122.
Tricia Bought Material for Long Skirt and Blouse
My older sister Tricia (Patricia) bought material for a long skirt and a blouse, see Chapter 125. I am not sure if she was going to make them or mum was. Both were good at sewing from what I recall, see Chapter 126.
Mum Started Decorating the Bathroom
I recall that mum liked decorating, see Chapter 126, and, on this occasion, she started decorating the bathroom, see Chapter 117.
Mum Attended a Meeting to Discuss Church Membership
I confess I don’t fully understand this note but it was some kind of meeting related to St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church, see Chapter 124. I don’t know if it meant that the church was no longer having “classes” as such and the meeting was to discuss what church membership meant in the light of that change.
My understanding is that classes, as originally established, had over time morphed into the various groups that operated within a church, e.g. women’s group, Young Wives etc. However, there have been some efforts recently to get back to the original idea of classes blending this with an emphasis on cell churches.
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 morning (am) and mum posted him a letter.
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