Grandad – E went to Norwich. Bought 2 blades for lawn edger. Cost 15p each. Arthur came in the morning.
Mum – Very down at morning & aft then FR rang briefly & I felt better – someone had bothered about me. P helped me collect for CA in evening. Took S & L & H at night. Slept better.
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, some of the topics discussed and 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 herself in the third person as “E“.
Grandma Went to Norwich and Bought Blades for Their Lawn Edger
E refers to grandma Ethel May Cecilia Parkin. She went to Norwich and bought two blades for their lawn edger, see Chapter 125. They cost 15p each. The lawn edger was something grandma and grandad had bought the previous year to make cutting the edges of the lawns easier, see Chapter 108. Grandma and grandad had large lawns at the front and back of their house and cutting them was a big, weekly job in the summer, see Chapter 126.
Arthur Elsegood Visited Grandad
Arthur refers to grandad’s friend Arthur Elsegood. He visited grandad fairly frequently, see Chapter 122.
Mum Was Very Down in the Morning and Afternoon
During this period, mum had severe struggles with her mental health, suffering with depression and anxiety, see Chapter 116. She noted she was very down in the morning and afternoon.
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 briefly and mum felt better as a result. She said this was because “someone had bothered about me“.
Tricia Helped Mum Collect for Christian Aid
P refers to my older sister Tricia (Patricia). CA refers to Christian Aid. Mum was involved in collecting money for them, see Chapter 124.
Mum Was Taking Antidepressants and Sleeping Tablets
I think S, L and H refer to the tablets mum took at night. S refers to the antidepressant doxepin (Sinequan), L to long-acting amitryptilline (Lentizol) and H to the sleeping tablet clomethiazole (Heminevrin), see Chapter 116.. Mum felt she slept better.
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