Drew Family Diaries

Drew Family Diaries provides details of the Drew and Parkin families by providing notes on diaries kept by Sheila Drew nee Parkin and her father Charles Gordon Parkin

Monday 5 May 1975

Grandad – Sheila took Ethel to A Bertha’s funeral, weather good.

Mum – Went to Mansfield with mum to A Bertha’s funeral. V nice service. Car broke down on way there. AA man fixed it temporarily. Not right when I got home. Went to BB Parents evening- Band v good. Very depressed at night. Took extra Sinequan – 4 in all.

Notes

Grandma Was Keeping Grandad’s Diary at This Point

Grandad had not been very well, see Chapter 116. I think this means that grandma filled in his diary for him although he may have made the odd entry. The evidence that grandma was mostly keeping his diary 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, grandma is referred to in the third person as Ethel.

Mum and Grandma Went to Auntie Bertha’s Funeral in Mansfield

Sheila refers to my mother Sheila May Drew née Parkin. Ethel/mum refer to my grandmother Ethel May Cecilia Parkin. A Bertha refers to Auntie Bertha, Bertha Seville. She was grandma’s maternal aunt, the younger sister of my maternal grandmother. So, she was my mother’s great aunt and my great great aunt. As grandma’s mother died in 1937, see Chapter 23, Bertha had become a kind of mother figure for grandma. She had died on 29 April 1975, see Chapter 116.

Mum and grandma went to her funeral in Mansfield. Mum commented that it was a very nice service.

This photo was taken in June 1974 in grandma and grandad’s back garden while Auntie Bertha was staying with them. It is labelled on the back stating that this was the first “*snap*” Alan took with his new camera. Presumably, he had got this for his birthday. The note also says that it shows four generations, namely Tricia and me, mum, grandma and Auntie Bertha. This perhaps emphasises the role Auntie Bertha played for grandma since her own mother had died

Comment on the Weather

Grandad’s diary included a comment that the weather was good.

Problems With the Car

Mum noted that they had problems with the car on the way to the funeral, see Chapter 127. Although the AA came and fixed it temporarily, mum felt it was not completely right when she got home. She did not elaborate on what the problem was. At this point, I think mum had a Simca, see Chapter 110.

Mum was a big fan of the AA and strongly advised me to join as soon as I was able to drive which I did, probably initially on her membership. I have been a member ever since, apart from when we were living overseas, see Chapter 95.

Selection of AA badges – the numbers indicate age. The one on the left (7A) is from 1957-59. The central one (7B) is from 1960-61 and the one on the right (5E) is from 1966-67

Boys’ Brigade Parents’Evening

When mum got back from the funeral, she went to a Boys’ Brigade (BB) parents’ evening, see Chapter 124. My younger brother Alan was part of the Boys’ Brigade and played in the band. Mum noted that they were very good.

Mum Was Very Depressed at Night

During this period, mum had severe struggles with her mental health, suffering with depression and anxiety, see Chapter 116. She noted she was very depressed at night but does not say if anything had triggered this. At this time, she was taking the tricyclic antidepressant doxepin (Sinequan). She was trying to reduce to two tablets per day having previously taken three. However, on this occasions, she felt the need to take four tablets.

May 5, 2025