My Granddad is Keeping Busy

Not bad. Some sun. Wind. On the cool side. Moving around the T courts. Nell had to take Jane to the docs. A bad cough. He said she was very healthy, thank God.

A nice day. Some sun. Not very hot. Jane seems happy so far but will be glad when Mum and Dad get back. Moved weeds from by the office and tidying up there.

Cooler today with heavy showers at times. Mowed in between other shed and cocked it up. Put most of the wood in the incinerator.

Leg better this morning, thank God. A nice sunny day. Mowing in between the houses. Dot and Ron brought Jane to stay while they go to Holland.*

(* One of my dad’s few – maybe even his only – work trips abroad.)

Trinity Sunday

Another nice day. Leg a bit easier today. Keith and his wife and daughter came to see us, as well as Dot, Ron and Jane. Quite nice. Children had a good time in the sand.

Other knee very bad this morning. A nice warm, sunny day. Did all the mowing. John Norman brought the bags of sand last night. Made a sand pit for Jane.

Cloudy today but very warm. Car cleaning. H, Doc, T1, B1 yesterday making 71 to date. Got 6 pints of juice 4.4½. Len starts his hols tonight. Cleared all the lab bins.

A lovely warm sunny day. Car washing. T, B1. Did a bit more mowing in the wood. Dot and Jane at home at noon. Jane very funny. Had us laughing. She sang.

Dull at first but fine and sunny later. Got moped back last night. New points. £1.3.6 so it ought to be ok that side for a bit. Cleaning boilers down for summer. Cheshire Show starts today.

Fine at first but rain the in afternoon. Took my bike to Cameron’s. Stayed to dinner. Saw Harry Welch while I was in Neston. Did some mowing up the drive. Lot in to burn.

Whit Monday, Bank Holiday

Another nice day. Did the small rose bed. Went to Dot’s in the afternoon. Jane was very amusing. Got home about 9 p.m.

Whit Sunday

A nice day again today. Cleaned the big rose bed and finished the mowing. Girl and Al came to see us. Also Dot, Ron and Jane. Went for a drink.

A nice warm day again. Finished digging the border. Made a small house for Jane. Her and Dot came for the day. Ron gone to the races at Doncaster.

Yet another lovely warm sunny day. Poor old Ron leaves tonight. I shall miss him. Car washing. H, G and T, B1 yesterday. A lot of stuff to burn from Hanns Hall and a pig from Joe. 67 cars to day.

Another lovely day, warm and sunny. Ladies Day at Neston. Car washing in the morn. T,B. Did some more mowing up the drive. A lot of stuff to burn. Pig off Rolly.

(I remember going to Ladies Day with my Grandma. An annual walk of the Ladies Club, I seem to remember a fair as well. The walk first took place in 1814, as part of the Ladies Club, with the 1817 regulations stipulating that “on the first day of June members meet at the Clubroom at ten o’clock in the morning and walk in orderly procession to the Church, where an appropriate sermon shall be preached, this to be followed by taking tea together.” https://www.nestonpast.com/neston-female-friendly-society/)

A lovely day today, warm and sunny. Got moped done at Fred Rowe’s last night. Sent for new points. Derby day. Moving up the drive. Big sow to burn. Dot and Jane at home.

Another cold wind today but some sunshine. Did some more mowing and gathered it up. Cleaned both the jets. A.F. brought a ton of coke. Bike not running right again.

Another cold day with no sunshine. Did the usual chores. Did some mowing by front lawn. Went for petrol. 4/5½. A lot of stuff in to burn again. Several sacks Mrs H.

Still a cold wind and no sun much. Dug the front borders. Went to the Port in the afternoon. Dot, Ron and Jane there as well. Joe brought bedding plants.

Still very cold wind and very little sun. Cleaned the moped and did all the mowing. Dot and Jane came for an hour in the afternoon. Very nice.

Another dull cloudy day with a cold east wind blowing. Car washing. H and Doc. Yesterday T, B1, G making 63 to date. Cleared all the lab bins out. Had boilers on again, so cold.

A dull cloudy day with a cold wind. Put boilers on. Car washing. T, B1, G. Saw Mr Kelly. Dot and Jane home at noon. Men digging a trench for electric cable outside our house. Very noisy.

Not a bad day. Some sunshine and cloud. Finished one side of the drive. Started the other. Got up 2.30am to watch Clay Liston fight. All over 1 minute of round 1. A farce.

(“Some speculated Liston wanted an early exit for fear of being killed by an errant bullet if a follower of Malcolm X tried to assassinate Ali. Others concluded the fight had to be fixed, though it’s difficult to imagine a more clumsy way to execute a dive. And if that was Liston’s intention, why would he get up and then try to resume fighting? To this day some believe Liston, an ex-con and former mob enforcer, threw both fights with Ali, though hard evidence to bolster that idea has never surfaced. The bottom line is the mysterious and bizarre Ali vs Liston rematch has never not been controversial in all the years since, and it will forever stand as a surreal episode of infinite weirdness, indeed, the most controversial match in the long history of the prize ring.” [The Fight City])

Another day of sunshine and showers. Mowed all the field side of the drive and did some more hoeing up there. A lot of fowl to burn from the farm.

Commonwealth Day

Not a very nice day. A bit cool and showery. Did usual chores and some hoeing down the drive. Quite a bit of rubbish to burn. Put boilers on when I got here this am.

Got up at 9.30am,. Not a very nice day. Did some more digging on borders. The gang came for dinner. Went home 7pm. Never went out. Watched telly.

Got up at 9.30am. A nasty, wet morning. Did the mowing and dug some of the borders. The gang came for a short time in the p.m. Went to pub at night. got some cabbage from H Ford.

Cold wind again. Some sunshine. Boilers on. Car washing. H.G.Doc. Three in the week, T and B1, B2 making 58 to date. Did usual chores. Cleaned bins out of workshop in lab.

A frost at first but a lovely sunny day after. Cleaned B1 and B2 cars. Cut all the nettles in the field. Also did some hoeing up the drive. Did all the other chores.

A cold win still but sunny. A slight frost last night. Went for petrol. 4/5½. 528 miles on clock. Did some scything up the drive and the usual chores. N gone to Dot’s.

A very cold day with some showers. Had to put the boilers back on again. So cold. Cleaned both of the jets. A pig in to burn and a lot of other stuff. Put some wood in the incin place.

Fine at first but rain later lasting all day. Washed T car. Did the usual. A lot to burn. Maintenance man paid a visit. Opened flue doors on boiler ready for cleaning.

Got up at 10am. Dug the vegetable patch and put three rows of spuds in. The gang came in the afternoon. Played in the garden with Jane. Never went out at night.

Nice and sunny at first but dull later. Went to see Harry Welch. He doesn’t look too bad. Did all the mowing when I got back. Went to pub at night. Put new shirt on for the first time.

Not quite so nice today. Some showers and some sunshine. Car cleaning. H and Doc. K yesterday making 52 to date. Cleaned all lab bins out and a lot to burn.

Yet another wonderful day. All sunshine. [something I can’t read] a bit of scrap. Cleaned K car and hoeing down the drive. Key to the office missing. Talking to Dumpy. Not working yet.

Another wonderful day. Sunshine all day. Hoeing nearly all day. Had break in the mill. Ron having one of his days hols. Liverpool play Milan tonight. Hope they win.

(Bill Shankly in his autobiography: “There was no joy at the match in Milan’s San Siro stadium. The Milan supporters had been told the fans at Anfield had been like animals because of the noise they had made when Milan had been sent out first and we then brought out the FA Cup. But what did they expect? We had got the cup for the first time and it was the greatest night of their lives. The crowd in the San Siro was really hostile. They even had smoke bombs, purple things in jars that went up in smoke when they burst. One of these landed on the steps and Bob Paisley’s clothes were covered in the stuff. Inter beat us 3-0 but not even their players enjoyed the game, and we didn’t think two of the goals were legal. They put an indirect free-kick straight into the net for the first, and the ball was kicked out of Tommy Lawrence’s hand for the second.”)