Drew Family Diaries

Grandad – Mr Baker came the bladder quite clean. E went to PO, butchers & doctors. Arthur came & stayed.

Mum – P went sailing with Laura. Roger went to work. Typed Chairman’s letters outside in am. A & E went swimming in aft. Typed & duplicated most of evening. Trying Heminevrin tonight.

Notes

Change in Handwriting

There had been a change in handwriting at the end of June. Based on this, it seems likely that this, and subsequent entries, were made by grandma even though this is not stated explicitly. If indeed the entry was made by grandma, she writes about herself in the third person as E.

Male Nurse

Mr Baker was a male nurse who came to see grandad to provide care relating to his indwelling urethral catheter, see Chapter 116. He may have carried out bladder washouts and this would explain the remark that the bladder was quite clean.

Arthur Elsegood

Arthur refers to grandad’s friend Arthur Elsegood. He came to sit with grandad, see Chapter 116, and this allowed grandma to run various errands.

Running Errands

E refers to my grandmother Ethel May Cecilia Parkin. She went to the post office (PO), possibly to collect their pension; to the butchers, presumabl;y to buy meat, see Chapter 125; and to the doctors, possibly to collect medicines.

Sailing

P refers to my older sister Tricia (Patricia). She went sailing with school friend Laura Holman, see Chapter 122.

Work

Roger refers to me. At that time, I was working at the Scientific Anglian bookshop, see Chapter 119.

Typing Outside

Chairman refers to Rev G T Eddy who was the Chairman of the Methodist District. Based on her CV, see Chapter 105, mum did some part-time secretarial work for him between 1973 and 1977, see Chapter 121. On this occasion, she typed his letters outside in the morning (am). I presume this means the weather was nice!

Swimming

A refers to my younger brother Alan and E to my younger sister Liz (Elizabeth). They went swimming in the afternoon (aft), see Chapter 122.

Typing and Duplicating

According to mum’s CV, see Chapter 105, she ran a typing and duplicating business from home until 1975. She also did typing and duplicating for church. On this occasion, she typed and duplicated most of the evening, see Chapter 121.

Sleeping Tablets

During this period, mum had severe struggles with her mental health, suffering with depression and anxiety, see Chapter 116. She had trouble sleeping and tried a wide range of sleeping tablets. I think she found clomethiazole (Heminevrin) the most effective.