Mum’s Diary
Had card from Gerald & Thelma. E went for day to Carolines. A & I went out in car in am – Unthank Rd – Colman Rd + home. GTE, Andrew & Mrs C Harvey came to see me. A stayed until 10.45 or so. P had letter re ‘A’ levels – 3 ‘A’ &1 in Chem Special paper, & 1 in Maths Special paper & A in Civics A/O level. R rang in evening.
Roger’s/My Diary
I think that the West Indies have won the fifth test match but I’m not sure. This morning after not sleeping very well I cooked my breakfast then I had to get a job from the warden. I was going to have to clean out our room but someone else had done it so I got an easy job sweeping some stairs.
I left at 9.00 cutting through some fields to reach the beginning of Dovedale. I walked up there and reached Milldale. Unfortunately the only shop in Milldale doesn’t sell bread so I had to go to Alstonefield, a mile away. As I was walking along the road I saw a sign saying Public Footpath Alstonefield so I went up there but it was very steep and took me a long time. I got there at 12.00 bought some rolls & milk. I spilt the milk & cut my finger in the process. However I found a pub and had some drinks.
I cut across the fields to rejoin the river but not where I thought I would. So I had to descend a very steep slope & then had difficulty in crossing the river. On the way down I frightened a hare. Followed the river very slowly to Hartington but still got here at 3. Booked in O.K. & now waiting for shop to open. Had tomato soup for dinner & spent the evening talking to 4 girls from Sheffield. I am going to Ravenstor tomorrow.
Notes
Card from the Cookes
Mum noted that she received a card from Gerald and Thelma Cooke who were friends of hers from S-t Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church, see Chapter 124. It was just over two weeks since mum had had surgery for a renal stone and she had only been out of hospital a few days, see Chapter 116. Hence the card and subsequent visitors.
Liz Went to Caroline’s
E refers to my younger sister Liz (Elizabeth). She went for the day to visit her friend Caroline Douglas. Caroline lived next-door to grandma at 168 Drayton High Road, see Chapter 122.
A Run in the Car
A refers to my younger brother Alan. He and mum went for a short run in the car. The car mum had was a Simca that she and dad had bought in February 1972 before they split up, see Chapter 110. I think mum must have driven as Alan was only 14. We were living at 192 College Road, see Chapter 117. I assume they drove down College Road to Unthank Road and then turned along Colman Road which forms the ring road at this point. They could have then returned to ours along Jessopp Road, the Avenues or Earlham Road. Assuming the latter, it would have been a drive of just over two miles.
I think this drive probably had two purposes. It was the first time mum had driven the car since her surgery. Second, it was also probably the first time mum had driven the car since it had broken down on them in Glasgow on their way home from holiday in Dunoon, see Chapter 116. AA Relay had brought the car home as it had a burned out clutch. The car had been at the Reliance Garage but, following initial repair, it had broken down again! The last note mum had made in her diary about the car was some two days earlier. At that time, the car was still in the garage. Presumably, it had come out some time since then, see Chapter 127.
Visitors
Mum had a number of visitors at home on this day. These included:
- Rev G T Eddy (GTE) who was the Chairman of the East Anglia District of the MEthodist Church. Mum worked for him as his part-time secretary from 1973 to 1977, see Chapter 121.
- Andrew Wright who mum and Tricia knew through St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church. Given the context, I think the next reference to A is to Andrew, and not my brother Alan. He stayed until 10.45 or so. I assume this is pm.
- Connie Harvey who was a friend of mum’s from St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church.
Tricia’s A Level Results
P refers to my older sister Tricia (Patricia). She received official confirmation of her A level and other exam results by letter, see Chapter 118. One of her teachers had phoned her a few days earlier to tell her the results verbally. She did exceptionally well gaining three As at A level and two 1s at S level. For good measure, she also got an A in her civics A/O level! As explained elsewhere, she had already gained a place at Newnham College, Cambridge to study natural sciences, see Chapter 120.
I Phoned
R refers to me (Roger). Mum noted that I phoned in the evening. I had just started a youth hostelling holiday in the Peak District on my own, see Chapter 122. My suspicion is that the price I paid for being allowed to do this was agreeing to phone home regularly, probably every day! It is interesting to note perhaps that, in my detailed notes of the day, I did not mention making this call!
Fifth Test
I opened my diary entry for the day by noting that I thought the West Indies had won the fifth test match but I was not sure. In those days, before the Internet and Google, there was no quick and easy way of checking sports results. Someone might know or you might catch a TV or radio broadcast/ update. However, often it required reading a newspaper the next day. In fact, I was correct. England had been all out for 203 in their second innings meaning that the West Indies won by 231 runs, see Chapter 123.
Ilam Hall
I had started my youth hostelling holiday staying at Ilam Hall, see Chapter 122. This first became a youth hostel in 1932. It continues to operate as one. I stayed there with my dad in the late sixties, see Chapter 92.
Leaving the Hostel
The next day, on Tuesday 17 August 1976, I woke after not sleeping very well and cooked breakfast. After breakfast, I got a job from the warden. I was going to have to clean out our room but someone else had done it so I got an easy job sweeping some stairs, see Chapter 122.
Chores
This requirement, of guests doing a job or a chore, was one of the things I recall from our early youth hostelling experience, see Chapter 92. Apparently, they were phased out in the eighties.
Milldale
I left at 9 am cutting through some fields to reach the beginning of Dovedale. I walked up there and reached Milldale. Unfortunately the only shop in Milldale didn’t sell bread so I had to walk to Alstonefield, a mile away.
There no longer seems to be a shop in Milldale. There is however a takeaway café/coffee shop called Polly’s Cottage which apparently does sell postcards and walking leaflets. Apparently, there was a shop there from 1963 to 1990 run by Len Hambleton in what is now Duck Cottage.
Footpath to Alstonefield
As I was walking along the road I saw a sign saying Public Footpath Alstonfield so I went up there but it was very steep and took me a long time. I may have identified the start and end of this path.
Alstonefield
I got to Alstonefield at 12 noon and bought some rolls and milk. I am not sure if there is currently a shop in Alstonefield. Lower Hurst Farm Shop is in Alstonefield but only opens once per week on Fridays. There may also be/have been a place called Frank’s café and shop but the Facebook page relating to this is no longer available. In the seventies, it seems there was a post office and also a general store run by E S Arme. There is a great photo of this shop here. The shop closed when Robert Arme retired in 1981.
However, I spilled the milk and cut my finger in the process! So, I found a pub and had some drinks! Assuming this was still in Alstonefield, I believe this would have been The George. Despite its long history, the pub recently closed but was reopened with the community hoping to buy it from Marston’s.
Going Cross-Country
From Alstonefield, I cut across the fields to rejoin the river but not where I thought I would so had to descend a very steep slope and then had difficulty in crossing the river. From Alstonefield, there seem to be at least two footpaths leading back to Dovedale. One of these may have may have been where I was aiming for. It sounds like I ended up north of this possibly in the area known as Wolfscote Dale which is known for its steep craggy edges!.
Hartington
On the way down I frightened a hare. I then followed the river very slowly to Hartington but still got there by 3pm. This walk from Ilam to Hartington was one I had done with my dad in the late sixties and which I estimate was about eight miles. For more detail of this walk and Hartington youth hostel, see Chapter 92,
I booked in OK and noted that I was writing my diary while waiting for the shop to open. It appears that Hartington youth hostel still has a shop but this has evolved from the basic tuck shop of the seventies. I had tomato soup for dinner and spent the evening talking to four girls from Sheffield. However, I don’t know anything more about them, such as names. I noted that I was going to Ravenstor the next day.
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