Grandad – Dolly went to chapel at 11AM. E stayed with me. Arthur shaved me. E went in the aft. P, S came for tea. The others were at Bacton.
Mum – BB Nfk Batallion parade to service in St Peters. Very impressive parade. Good service too. Alan played in BB band for hymns. Took R & A to Bacton in aft. A man hit P & R on the beach for no reason – he’d been drinking. P & I went to Drayton for tea. Dad not very well. Service at UEA at night. All St P went. Annual Univ Service. Preacher Prof John Ferguson. Lonely at night. Wrote to Cecil tore it up on Tues. Tom Meakin died 7am.
Notes
Grandma Was Keeping Grandad’s Diary
A few days earlier, the handwriting had changed meaning, I think, that grandad was not well enough to keep his own diary and grandma did this for him, see Chapter 113. She referred to grandad in the first person as “me” and to herself in the third person as E.
Grandad Was Not Very Well
It seems that grandad was quite unwell having had a stroke a few days earlier, see Chapter 116. Mum commented that he was “not very well“.
Taking Turns to Go to Chapel
Dolly refers to grandma’s first cousin, Dorothy Rose, who we knew as Auntie Dolly. She was staying with grandma and grandad, see Chapter 122. She and grandma took it in turns to go to chapel at Drayton Methodist Church, presumably so the other one could stay with grandad. There were two services, morning and afternoon, see Chapter 124. Auntie Dolly went in the morning and grandma (E) went in the afternoon (aft).
A Shave
Arthur refers to Arthur Elsegood, grandad’s friend. He shaved grandad, presumably because grandad was too ill to do it himself, see Chapter 116.
Mum and Tricia Went to Grandma and Grandad’s for Tea
It was our usual practice to go to Grandma and Grandad’s for tea on Sunday afternoon, see Chapter 122. S refers to my mother Sheila May Drew née Parkin. P refers to my older sister Tricia (Patricia). They were the only ones who went on this occasion as the rest of us were with dad in Bacton.
Boys’ Brigade Norfolk Batallion Parade
Mum noted that, in the morning, there was a Boys’ Brigade (BB) Norfolk (Nfk) Batallion parade to St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church, see Chapter 124. She commented that the parade was very impressive and the service was good too. She noted that Alan played in the Boys’ Brigade band for hymns.
Holiday With Dad in Bacton
Mum took Alan (A) and I (R) to Bacton to join Liz and dad where they were on holiday staying in a chalet owned by dad’s boss, see Chapter 122. I recall that holiday fondly. It was my first beach holiday in the autumn/winter and dad was much more relaxed about what we were allowed to do on the beach than mum would ever have been, e.g. walking into the sea with our shoes on!
Tricia (P, Patricia) must have gone with us to Bacton as mum noted that a man hit me and Tricia on the beach for no reason. I really do not recall this or ever being told about this incident. He had been drinking.
Evening Service at UEA
Mum noted that the evening service of St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church was held at the UEA as it was the church’s Annual University Service, see Chapter 124. I think this was a date set locally by the church because a number of students came to the church. As far as I know, there is not an annual university service celebrated across all Methodist churches.
Professor John Ferguson
The preacher was Professor John Ferguson, see Chapter 124. Based on a review of newspaper archives, I think he was Dean and Director of Studies in the Arts at the Open University. Apparently, he was a lay preacher in the Congregational, later United Reformed, Church. He was a committed pacifist. I found a photo of him here.
Lonely at Night
Mum had been troubled with loneliness since she and dad split up in 1973, see Chapter 114. On this occasion, she noted feeling lonely at night.
Letter to Cecil
Mum wrote to Cecil but then tore the letter up two days later. While I am not exactly sure who Cecil was, he and mum seemed close in the late seventies writing to each other frequently. My impression is that they had met on a Methodist Guild Holiday prior to 1975. Their correspondence gradually reduced and the last letter mum noted receiving from him was in July 1977. In June 1978, mum heard from Joyce Boxall that Cecil was remarrying and this upset her, see Chapter 114.
Tom Meakin Died
Mum noted that Tom Meakin died, see Chapter 116. Tom Meakin was born on 28 May 1903. According to probate, his date of death was 26 October 1975. He had been living at 15 Kingston Square Norwich. In addition, he could have been the Thomas Meakin who was based in Shetland from September 1952. He was there until at least 1957. He may have been in Staffordshire in 1933. I found a reference to him being in Thetford in 1973. From 1964, he was Superintendent Minister for the Teignmouth Circuit.
I found quite a detailed article about him including a photo. Based on that, he was born at Ashton-under-Lyme and he left school at 13. He worked for 14 years in the cotton mills. He then went to theological college for three years. By my calculations, that would bring us to 1933. He then spent three years in Cannock in Staffordshire and eight years in Birstall in Yorkshire. Immediately before moving to Teignmouth, he was in Hemel Hempstead.
He was originally a Minister in the United Methodist Church. The My United Methodists website gives his place of birth as Dukinfield, Cheshire on 28 May 1903. Dukinfield is now part of Greater Manchester and is very close to Ashton-under-Lyme. Apparently, he was ordained in 1933 but this is odd as this was after Methodist Union had happened yet he is recorded as having been ordained as a United Methodist Minister.
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