Grandad – Hottest day this year 88FAR too hot for work. Ethel did a bit and then had a rest. Elizabeth went home. Irene, K & L came home from their holiday in Derbyshire.
Mum – Work all day. FR rang in aft. Went to St Augustines at 5pm with R & A. Very nice. Mr R came round in evening to check Community Roll. E came home. One of the Drewry’s canaries was dead in the evening when E went round. Must have been too hot for it. They’d left them in sunhouse facing south. V v hot all day.
Notes
Grandad Started Writing His Diary Again
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. On this day, the handwriting changed again. I think this means grandad resumed writing his own diary as his health had improved considerably, see Chapter 116.
Comments on Weather
Grandad noted that it had been the hottest day of the year and that the temperature had been 88°F (31°C). Mum noted that it had been very very hot.
Too Hot for Work
Grandad noted that it had been too hot for work and, by this, he was probably referring to work in their gardens, see Chapter 126. Ethel refers to my grandmother Ethel May Cecilia Parkin. Grandad noted that she did a bit of work but then had a rest.
Liz Came Home
Elizabeth refers to my younger sister, Liz. She had been visiting her friend Caroline Douglas who lived next-door to grandma and grandad at 168 Drayton High Road, see Chapter 122. Grandad noted that she went home and mum also noted that she (E) came home.
The Bells
Irene, K & L refers to Irene, Ken and Linda Bell. They lived next-door-but-one to grandma and grandad at 162 Drayton High Road. They had been away on holiday in Ashbourne Derbyshire, see Chapter 122. Grandad noted that they came home.
Mum Worked for Mr Ashken and Mr Stephens
A few weeks earlier, mum had started a new job as part-time medical secretary for the private practice of two surgeons, Mr Ashken and Mr Stephens, see Chapter 121. This practice was based at 41 Newmarket Road. She worked all day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and half day on Fridays. As this was Wednesday, she worked all day.
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 phoned in the afternoon (aft).
Swimming
R refers to me and A to my younger brother Alan. At 5pm, mum went with us to St Augustine’s presumably for swimming, see Chapter 122. She considered it very nice.
St Augustine’s
This swimming pool opened in 1961 and was closed in 1997, see Chapter 92. The building was later demolished. For some more great photos of St Augustine’s see here.
Rev Ream
Mr R refers to Rev Ream who was the senior Minister at St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church at this time, see Chapter 124. He came round in the evening to check the community roll. Apparently, the community roll is a list of names of names of all those who are within the pastoral care of the local church including baptized children, children in family church or Sunday school and adolescent or adult adherents and members. I am not sure if mum maintained this for St Peter’s but I think she could have.
The Drurys’ Canaries
Mum had noted the previous day that my younger sister Liz had apparently offered to feed our neighbours’ cat while they were away, see Chapter 122. Mum was not best pleased about this. It seems Liz had made this offer although she was away some of the time herself. However, in her defence, she was only ten at the time.
Mum noted that, when Liz went round in the evening, she found that one of the canaries was dead. Mum noted that it had been very hot and that the canaries had been left in a sunhouse facing south. She seems to clearly blame the Drurys and does not appear to consider that she was at fault at all given that she was the adult who was supposedly looking after the canaries for them! I imagine Liz might have been quite upset finding the dead canary but mum does not mention this.
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