Mum – Work all day. Mr A operating at St H in am did not arrive till 10.30. Typed some RWH & GTE work in aft. Mr Buxton came round to discuss the BB Day at Wymondham. FR rang in aft. 1S.
Roger – spent lunch-time working in the library. This evening I did my hwk and watched TV. Alan went out somewhere and got back about ½ an hour ago. The trip to Melton Mowbray had been called off as Aunty Olive won’t be there. Mum is going off somewhere on April the 4th or something.
Notes
Mum Worked for Mr Ashken and Mr Stephens
During this period, mum worked 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. On this occasion, as it was Wednesday, she worked all day. She commented that Mr Ashken (Mr A) was operating at St Helen’s Hospital (St H) in the morning so did not come in until 10.30.
St Helen’s Hospital
Initially, I was unsure what St H was referring to. However, later in her diary, mum noted more explicitly that Mr Ashken was operating at St Helen’s. I am grateful to contributors on Norwich Remembers Facebook Group for explaining that St Helen’s was a private hospital, possibly owned by the Norwich Union in the Bishopgate area of Norwich within the grounds of the Great Hospital. It was used for routine private surgery but closed when a new BUPA Hospital opened in Colney.
Typing
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 noted doing some typing in the afternoon (aft). I am not sure if she did this while she was at work for Mr Ashken and Mr Stephens or once she got home.
Work for Rev Hopper
RWH stands for retired Methodist Minister Rev R W Hopper. He had approached mum to do some shorthand and typing for him. She agreed that she could do this on Mondays as needed, see Chapter 121.
Work for Rev Eddy
GTE 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.
Boys’ Brigade Day at Wymondham
In the evening, Eric Buxton cam round to discuss the Boys’ Brigade (BB) day at Wymondham College. This was part of a Boys’ Brigade district weekend that was taking place the next month. Mum and Alan had been asked to give perspectives of the Boy’s Brigade from a boy and a parent under the title “As Others See Us“, see Chapter 124.
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 rang in the afternoon (aft).
Senokot
Mum noted taking one Senokot (S) presumably for constipation, see Chapter 116. Senokot is a senna-containing medicine for the treatment of constipation.
Work in the Library
I was at school and spent lunch-time working in the library, see Chapter 118.
Homework and TV
I noted that I spent my evening doing homework (hwk), see Chapter 118, and watching TV, see Chapter 122, but I did not specify what I watched. I also noted that my younger brother Alan had been out somewhere but I did not know where.
Planned Trip to Melton Mowbray
It appears that we had been planning a trip to Melton Mowbray but this had been cancelled/postponed as Aunty Olive would not have been there at the time we planned to visit. This is a reference to Olive Holland, my grandfather’s niece. So, although we referred to her as aunty, she was actually my mother’s first cousin so my first cousin once removed. This trip was rescheduled for May 1976. However, although mum, Alan and Liz went, Tricia and I did not, see Chapter 122.
Mum’s Other Planned Trip
I noted that mum was going to be away around April 4 but I did not know the details. In fact, mum went to Hengrave Hall for a District Women’s Fellowship Conference, see Chapter 124.
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