Grandad – Ethel went to DLM, the speaker was Rev Eddy, the minister who has taken over from Rev Hayman.
Mum – P started school. Had ½ day. Sent off application for test & I also wrote to the head examiner at Jupiter Rd. Mr Rennie – her instructor rang & told me to ask for a copy of the examiner’s report when I sent in the application form – which I did. Started making tartan pinafore dress. Guild at Cooke’s at night. Good. 10 of us. Cookes, Culleys, Fergusons, Ken E, Avril, Pam & me. To arrange programme. FR rang in aft – posted reply to him.
Notes
Grandma Went to a Church Women’s Meeting
Ethel refers to my grandmother Ethel May Cecilia Parkin. She went to a weekly women’s meeting that she attended at Drayton Methodist Church which grandad referred to as DLM for Drayton Ladies’ Meeting. The speaker was Rev Graham Eddy who has taken over from Rev Hayman as Minister at Mile Cross Methodist Church, see Chapter 124.
Tricia Started School
P refers to my older sister Tricia (Patricia). She started back at school. This was over a week later than the rest of us had started back. Such differences were not unusual as Tricia attended a grant-aided private school whereas the rest of us attended state schools, see Chapter 118. On her first day back, she had a half day.
Fall Out from a Failed Driving Test
Tricia had turned 17 in May 1975. She had been learning to drive and took her test the previous day but failed, see Chapter 127. Apparently, both mum and Tricia were upset. Mum seems to have reacted by questioning how the examiner could fail a daughter of hers! It seems that mum reapplied for Tricia’s test and I am not quite sure why Tricia did not do this herself. Mum also wrote to the head examiner at the test centre. The way mum wrote her diary, it looks as if Tricia’s instructor, Mr Rennie, phoned mum to tell her to request a copy of the examiner’s report. While this is possible, I wonder if mum had not contacted him first and he was responding to her upset and disappointment.
I don’t know if Tricia had asked mum to do all this for her or even if Tricia had agreed that she should. I suspect not! Once mum was upset and disappointed, and had decided to do something about it, she was a pretty unstoppable force! Most people just went along with her and if you didn’t there was likely to be a huge conflict!
Driving Test Centre Jupiter Road
There appear to be two driving test centres in Norwich, see Chapter 127, one on Peachman Way and one on Jupiter Road in Hellesdon. I imagine I must have taken my test at Jupiter Road as Tricia did but I really do not recall it.
Mr Rennie
Mr Rennie was Tricia’s driving instructor, see Chapter 127. I have not yet found out anymore about him. As far as I can see, this is the only time he is mentioned in the diaries.
Tartan Pinafore Dress
Mum started to make a tartan pinafore dress which I assume was for her, see Chapter 126.
St Peter’s Guild
The Guild referred to here was St Peter’s Guild, a fellowship meeting that mum attended as part of belonging to St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church, see Chapter 124. This particular meeting was held at Gerald and Thelma Cooke’s. Others who attended included Tom and Margaret Culley; John and Heather Ferguson; Rev Ken Elworthy; Avril (possibly Butler); and Pam Ludlow. The meeting was to arrange the Guild’s forthcoming programme and mum considered that it had been a good meeting.
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) and mum posted a reply to him.
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