Wind still cold and strong. Some showers. Mrs Harris started today. Car cleaning. S.B. making 96 to date. Did all the toilets. Fred Evans from Pud started here.
(Pud is Puddington, a village)
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.

Wind still cold and strong. Some showers. Mrs Harris started today. Car cleaning. S.B. making 96 to date. Did all the toilets. Fred Evans from Pud started here.
(Pud is Puddington, a village)
Still very cold. Got up at 9.30. Finished borders and did the mowing. Ron, Dot and Jane came at 12.30. Jane is lovely. Frank and Dora came in the afternoon. Went at 8.
(Frank was my grandma’s brother.)
Day off today. A bitterly cold wind blowing. Dug the border in front of the house. Went to P in the afternoon. Tough going. Got money for plants for B. Edwards.
Wind rather cold bu a lovely day nevertheless. Car washing H.A. making 94 cars to date. Did all the toilets. Machine back at P yesterday so do some mowing tonight.
A lovely warm day with no cold wind. Dug some more of the border and loaded trailer with rubbish. Did all the toilets. Gordon and Ted gone on trip to Ireland. Did Howarth’s axe.
Cold wind at first bu nice and sunny later. Swept part of the drive and started to dig borders in front of lab doors. Went to Neston with John and got a new set of draining rods. 15.
A few showers but warmer today. Cleaned both the jets. Swept up round the bins and did all the toilets. Put some late spuds in last night. The yanks sending up a space man today.
(Mercury Atlas 9 (MA-9, designated also Faith 7) was the fourth and final manned orbital flight of the Mercury program. The pilot was L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.)
Not a bad day but the wind still cold. Mr Green got beat by 6 votes. Jack Elliss passed away. Car washing again. S.B.Mc.K. making 92 to date. Only time to do outside toilet.
Not a bad day but wind very cold. Did the mowing and dug some of the borders. Went and had a chat with Mr Reeves. Went to E Port with Nell, D,R, and Jane. Got home 9p.m.
Day on today. Showers and very rough. Got done about 10. Not fit for any work at home. Went to P. Planted the bedding plants. Voting in the local election.