Grandad – E&D went to Norwich. Couldn’t buy a Hat!! Arthur & Rose came at night.
Mum – Bought E anorak & trousers. Finished “classes” by myself in evening. Lonely as usual. Took S L & H tabs. Roger rang very briefly to say Simon isn’t coming back with them.
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, grandma is referred to in the third person as E. This is potentially a little confusing as grandad’s diary refers to grandma as E but mum uses E to refer to my younger sister Liz (Elizabeth).
Grandma and Auntie Dolly Went to Norwich
E refers to my grandmother Ethel May Cecilia Parkin. D 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 a few days earlier. They went shopping in Norwich, see Chapter 125.
They Couldn’t Buy a Hat
The diary simply states that they couldn’t buy a hat and this merits two exclamation marks. It appears from a later diary entry that the hat was for Auntie Dolly and they did manage to get one a second attempt, see Chapter 125. I don’t know why they were successful the second time and not the first. I imagine hats became harder to buy as demand declined as fewer people wore hats regularly.
Arthur and Rose Elsegood Visited
Arthur and Rose refers to grandma and grandad’s friends Arthur and Rose Elsegood. They came round at night, see Chapter 122.
Mum Bought Liz an Anorak and Trousers
E refers to my younger sister Liz (Elizabeth). Mum bought her an anorak and trouserst, see Chapter 125.
Mum Finished Sorting Out “Classes“
Previously, mum had attended two meetings with the Ministers of the Methodist church to “sort out classes”, see Chapter 124. Classes were an integral part of Methodism as a movement, comprising small groups. Over time, a wide range of such “classes” were introduced, e.g. for women, young people. I am not sure what sorting out they needed! It seems mum was asked to finalise whatever they discussed and she did that.
Loneliness
My parents had split up some two years previously, see Chapter 99, and, from that point, mum complained of loneliness, see Chapter 114. On this occasion, mum noted feeling “lonely as usual” .
Mum’s Tablets
During this period, mum had severe struggles with her mental health, suffering with depression and anxiety, see Chapter 116. She was taking antidepressants and sleeping tablets and I think this is what S, L and H refer to. S refers to the antidepressant doxepin (Sinequan), L to long-acting amitryptilline (Lentizol) and H to the sleeping tablet clomethiazole (Heminevrin).
Phone Call
Roger refers to me. I was in the Peak District on a youth hostelling holiday with two school friends Gary Wood and Simon Lefevre. It seems I phoned to say that Simon would not be coming back with us. I recall that there was some kind of argument between me and him and presumably we had decided to split up. However, it did not come to that and we all came back together with Simon’s dad, see Chapter 122.
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