My granddad died in 1983. For the previous 20 years, he kept a diary, recording his day as a farm worker and then through his retirement. We are lucky enough to have his notebooks, all the entries in block capitals, often in pencil. He always tells us about the weather, sometimes about what is going well at the allotment. We get updates of how Liverpool are doing and the occasional political thought. He suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, was always in pain, but you would never know from these entries. My mum once described him as a contented man. Who knows, really, but certainly, there is something soothing about these entries. So I thought I would share them with you. We have a few years to cover so buckle up.
Another lovely warm day. Frost first thing. Cleaned both jets. No.1 on red first thing. Did some hoeing by the rhodies. Budget day today*. Hope it’s a good one.
*(Delivered by Chancellor, James Challaghan. “Nineteen sixty-four was a year of reckoning for a decade of mistaken policies and false pride. The deficit amounted to £745 million, and would have been over £800 million if we had not been relieved from payment of interest and capital on our North American loan.” Very much, another time.)
Quite a nice day again but a little cooler. Did all the usual and car washing. T. Doc. K making 23 to date. Quite a lot of stuff in to burn mostly from Hans Hall.
Another nice day but a few showers. Some hail. Did other rose bed and pruned next door’s roses. Frank and Dora came. Also Dot, Ron and Jane. Fred Roe came. Went 7.30.
Off today. A beautiful, warm, sunny day. Dorothy Shapps got married. Cleaned the moped and weeded the big rose bed. Watched soccer school boy international. England v. Scotland, 3-0.
A simply wonderful, warm day. Car cleaning, H.G.B2. 3 on Monday, making 20 to date. Cleared out all the lab bins. Dot, Jane home noon. Harry Welch’s operation today. Good luck Harry.
A frost again at first but lovely sunshine later. Cleared the silage lab out. Did some hoeing by the rhodies. Dorothy finishes tonight. Gets wed on Saturday. Dot and Jane home today.
A fairly heavy frost this morning. Cold east wind. Stayed to dinner. Went for petrol and greased the moped. Did some hoeing on the herbaceous border. Cleaned the drains out.
Another lovely warm, sunny day. Cleaned T car and did all the usual chores. Cleaned both jets. Had to do No.1 twice. Knocked them off at noon. A lot of stuff to burn for H.
A slight frost at first but warm and sunny later. Car washing A and K. Switched the boilers off at dinner time, so warm a day. Len started mowing.
Got up at 9.30 am. A really lovely warm sunny day. 72 degrees in some places. Did a nice bit of gardening. Ron and Dot and Jane came for tea. Nothing of importance to report.
Day off again. Cleaned the moped and did a bit of gardening. Dot and Jane came for the day. Dot drove herself. Grand National run. Ron gone to B’ham to watch semi-final.*
(*FA Cup semi-final, at Villa Park. Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-0)
A lovely mild day. Got moped back from Cameron’s last night. 12/-. Seems ok now. Old Dot passed her test yesterday.* Car washing K, B2, H. making 14 to date. Did B1, A, G in the week.
(At aged 90, my mum had just turned in her license. As she frequently reminds us, she’s never had a fine or penalty in 61 years of driving.)
Lady Day (Quarter Day)
A nice day but started to rain about 4pm. Washed two cars. B1 and G. Cleaned the silage lab out. Came push bike again. Stayed dinner. It’s dammed hard work, peddling with one leg.
More rain again today but nice later on. Came to work on the push bike. Stayed dinner. John took moped to Cameron’s. Won £1 on the sweep on the St Ledger. Cleaned A’s car. Did all the usual chores.
Rain all day again but warmer. Jack Earle came to do moped last night but it conked again at dinner time. John going is going to take it to Cams*. Cleaned No.2 jet. Came back from dinner on bus.
(* Cams, garage in Neston)
Came to work on the bus this morning. F16. Got here about 10 to 8. Man came from Liverpool to see about boiler maintenance. Cleaned No.1 jet.
A heavy fall of snow in the night. Earle never came to do the moped. Still sleeting and snowing for most of the day. Dot, Ron and Jane came for tea. Went to see Jack.
Day off today. Tried to get the moped going but no luck. Heavy rain all day. Changed to snow at night. Went to the WSheaf for a bit. Nell went to bingo. She asked Earle to come and do moped.
Not a very nice day. Drizzling all the time. Did Gay’s car. Moped packed up. Getting a new plug for it. Best down here about the ventilation. Miss Robb got engaged Wednesday.
A nice mild day again. Dot and Jane at home. Cleaned the lab bins out and a lot of rubbish from glass room. Moped missing bit. Have to get it seen to.
A nice mild day with some slight rain. Ron put a new door on the boiler room. Chopped old one up. Cleaned the incin. stump out. 600 galls of oil.
A nice mild day but a strong wind blowing. Did Atfield’s car and cleaned both the jets. A heavy shower round about 4pm. Cleaned the plug on my moped.
A mild day again with slight rain in the afternoon. Stayed for dinner and went for petrol 5/8. Did the flues. No.2 very dirty. Len on two days holiday.
Got up at 9.30am. A nice mild day again. Finished pruning the roses. Went for a kip after dinner. Dot, Ron and Jane came for tea. Saw Ron’s new watch. Very nice.
Day off today. Got up about 9.15am. A nice mild day. Cleaned my moped. Went to Sheaf at night. Saw Mick. Paid him for the tickets 7/-. All square now again.
A lovely mild day with sunshine. Car washing G.B.H.T. and B2 in the week making 8 to date. Had half a week’s pay bonus today. Bert did electric blanket for me.
A frost at first but nice and sunny later. Dot and Jane home today. Washed Bill Barnes’ car. Did outside Ts. Leg fairly good today. Lpool beat Leicester 1 none last night. Ron got (drawing of a football).*
(*FA Cup 6th round replay. I have conferred with my dad, who has no memory) of getting the football after that match, which seems unlikely. So, no idea what that means.)
A dull day with a cold, east wind. No.2 on red this morning. Centre frugal switch sticking. Bert and I cleaned them on both motors. Cleaned silage lab out.
A slight frost at first but lovely and sunny later. Cleaned TS car. Very dirty. Cleaned both jets. Rolly came to see me. He looks well. Got a new leather off Mrs. H. L
Work again today. Came on moped. Roads ok now. Did some car washing. K.A. making 3 to date. A lovely warm sunny day. Real spring. So different from last week.
Got up 9.30 am. Went to Cyril’s to see Billy about my moped. It was ok. Frank and Dora came in the afternoon. Went at 5. The gang came for tea.
Day off today. Got up at 9.15. Ron brought Jane at 9am. Going to match at Leicester. Dot came after dinner. Went back on 6 bus. Went to the Sheaf at night.
Frost again last night. Weather a bloody (something I can’t read). John brought me in. No.2 went on red. Did H car and cleared all lab bins. Ted taking me home tonight.
Heavy snow last night. Old Road blocked again. Not fit for moped. John came for me. Power cut. Both XH off. No.1 on red. Had a big pig to burn. Terry taken me home tonight.
A very cold wind today. Knee not so bad. Had a load of oil. Cleared the silage lab out. Stayed dinner today. N gone to Dot’s.
Second day at work today. Leg not so bad when I got up and ok all the morning. Went and got half a gallon of gas at dinner time from the Shrew garage, 2/-11d.
Started work again today. Leg not too bad but plenty of room for improvement. Did the incinerator work and some cleaning in the boiler room.
Not a bad morning. Got up at 9.30. Little Jane stayed the night with us. She was very good. Ron and Dot went to a dinner at Lever’s last night. Came to us for dinner today.
(Mum and Dad failing to remember what that dinner was. “Not the managers’ dinner.”)
Got up at 8.30 and went to Selby for the final note. Harry Welsh came to see me. We went for a drink to the Wheatsheaf. Stayed until 1pm. Horace came at night.
Got up at 7.30 and went to Weatherstone’s to see the work’s doctor. Got OK but take it easy. Run came to measure steps for amps.
Got up at 9am. A nice day out of the wind. Still cold. Dot and Jane came on the10.30 bus. Went home on the 3.45. Nice to have them come again on Sat.
Got up 9am. Not a bad sort of day but a cool wind. Went to Dot’s on the moped. Jane pleased to see me. Someone pinched £400 out of the safe at work last night.
A dull rather cool day. Went to Selby for a sick note first. Then went to C’Bridge to see Mr Partridge. Went on moped. He said I could start work Monday.
A dull cloudy day. Rather cold. Went to therapy in ambulance. Got home 11.45. Went on moped to W’stones in afternoon. They seemed glad to see me.
My Granddad is Keeping Busy 