Grandad – Barbara took E to see the flowers. I was far from well but E could not get the doctor.
Mum – Up at 5.45. Roger went with Mascot coaches to Portsmouth to see Norwich play. I went & watered flowers at 6.15am. Work at 8am. Then into city to buy Alan some denim trousers. Typing all afternoon. P & A creosoted fence in aft. P painted some of the kitchen at night. Neck not so good. FR rang in aft – I rang back – had brief chat. Very depressed at night.
Notes
Grandma Was Keeping Grandad’s Diary at This Point
Grandad (Gordon) was not very well at this time, see Chapter 116. I think this means that grandma filled in his diary for him. The evidence for this is the change of handwriting but also that, sometimes, she referred to him as Gordon and not as “I“. Grandma completed grandad’s diary quite a lot when he was sick, see Chapter 113. However, she was not always consistent. Sometimes, she referred to herself in the first person and grandad in the third person while, at other times, it was vice versa. On this occasion she referred to grandad in the first person and to herself in the third person (as E).
There was a Flower Festival at St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church as Part of a Wider Methodist Festival
Barbara refers to grandma and grandad’s next-door neighbour Barbara Carpenter. She lived at 164 Drayton High Road. E refers to my grandmother Ethel May Cecilia Parkin. Barbara took grandma to see the flowers which I believe were part of a flower festival at St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church, see Chapter 124. Mum noted that she went to water the flowers at 6.15a.m. before she went to work. I think, in turn, that this flower festival was part of a wider Methodist Festival.
Methodist Festival
I believe the festival in question was Norwich Methodist Festival 75. Mum had produced 400 brochures for this the previous month. St Peter’s Choir and Spotsoc had performed in the Festival the previous Wednesday. I don’t have any more details. However, among mum’s papers was a certificate of award for knitting from that festival. It sounds as if it was similar to a festival held in 1972 about which I do have a little more detail, see Chapter 107. Various kinds of skills and talents were presented in the festival and it appears these were judged and graded.
Grandad Was Not Very Well
Grandad was far from well but grandma (E) was unable to get the doctor, see Chapter 116.
I Went to See Norwich City Play in Portsmouth
Roger refers to me. Mum noted that I went by Mascot coaches to Portsmouth to see Norwich play. It seems I went on my own, although with a wider group. I would have been nearly 15 at this point.
Mascot Coaches
Mascot coaches was a coach company in Norwich that was run by the Votier family. Jill Howard has written a history of Mascot Coaches and the Votier family. Mascot coaches was formed based on a business started by Leonard Votier in 1924 although it only acquired the Mascot name in 1931, initially known as Mascot Comfort Coaches. It traded until 1975 when it merged with Eastern Counties, see Chapter 110.
Norwich Gained Promotion Back to the First Division
I recall this game well. I believe it was the first Norwich away game I had been to on my own and, as mentioned above, I was not quite 15. This was at a time when football hooliganism was rife and I remember being among Norwich fans who vandalised property and spray-painted graffiti. I found it quite shocking but also exciting! There was also trouble inside the ground although I do not recall this. However, it was pretty commonplace at that time. I recall that it was possible that Norwich could gain promotion that day, which we did. But, I also recall that it required other results to go our way which they did. I did not recall the details which were that Norwich won 3-0 and Aston Villa beat fourth-placed Sunderland 2-0. Highlights of the Norwich game are available on YouTube. This meant that Sunderland had played all their matches and could not catch us. We had one game left against Aston Villa who were also already promoted along with Manchester United, see Chapter 123. Norwich lost that game 4-1 but it did not affect promotion.
Mum Worked for Dr Downes and Dr Day
Based on her CV, see Chapter 105, mum worked as part-time receptionist for Drs Downes and Day, see Chapter 121. She noted that she went to work there at 8am. Mum also noted that she typed in the afternoon. I am not sure if this was for the church or was part of the typing and duplicating business she ran at that time.
Mum Went into Norwich to Buy Alan Some Jeans
Alan refers to my younger brother. Mum went into Norwich to buy him some “denim trousers” which I assume were jeans, see Chapter 125.
Tricia and Alan Did Some DIY
P refers to my older sister Tricia (Patricia). She and Alan creosoted the fence, see Chapter 126 at 192 College Road in the afternoon (aft), see Chapter 117. Tricia also painted some of the kitchen at night.
Mum Had a Painful Neck
Mum had been complaiing of neck pain for a few days. Although it had got better, it was worse again, see Chapter 116.
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, Rev Dowson phoned in the afternoon (aft) and mum phoned back.
Mum Was Very Depressed at Night
Mum had severe struggles with her mental health during this period, suffering with depression and anxiety, see Chapter 116. I believe she was on the tricyclic antidepressant doxepin (Sinequan) at this point. On this occasion, she was very depressed at night but I am not sure what, if anything, triggered this.