Milder at last with drizzle at times. Got a bonus today. Goodie. Car washing again. H.S.Mc.B.A. making 60 to date. Got some jen on burners. Roy all a.m.*
(This could also say, Roy Allan)
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.

Milder at last with drizzle at times. Got a bonus today. Goodie. Car washing again. H.S.Mc.B.A. making 60 to date. Got some jen on burners. Roy all a.m.*
(This could also say, Roy Allan)
Still bitterly cold with snow at first, changing to rain. Put new 80° jet in No. 2 burner. Also cleaned No. 1 jet. Moved some stuff from calf pens. Painted both the vet lab bins. Swept the boiler room out.
A strong east wind colder than ever. No. 2 burner on red first thing. Got a new jet. 80° spread. Finished the fence round the new office. Cleared silage bins again.
(More from my mum on Roy Allen, my mum’s cousin. “When I was about 3 he shot me in the stomach with an air gun. Then they went to live in Crosby and when my Grandma died they all fell out about who should have what she left, particularly a piano. So Grandad walked out but not before punching Uncle John, so they didn’t speak until good old Aunty Girlie turned up at Mum’s about 40 years later.”)
Frost again last night but a lovely sunny day. Cleaned out both flues. Also No. 2 jet. Put wire round the new office block. Saw Jackie Iddon. Gave Moreen some more Argosys.
(I think Argosys are short story magazines.)
(Back tracking to yesterday, my mum tells me that Roy Allen was Granddad’s sister, Daisy’s son. “He was disliked by everyone except Grandad. One of the most posey people.”)
Keen frost again last night. Sunny during the day but not very warm. Car cleaning again. B.D.S. 55 to date. Burnt a calf today. Cleaned No 2 jet blockage. Roy Allen came to us today. First time since 1938.*
(*I don’t know.)
Another heavy frost last night. Cold all day. Got up at 10am. Not fit for any gardening. Did next door’s roses. Mr Crump has a son. Dot and Ron came for tea.

Much younger Lee, with his sister, Lil, about 1920.
A very heavy snow shower last night and a keen frost. Got up about 10am. Cleaned the windows. Went to P in the afternoon. Finished pruning the roses. Burnt some rubbish.
Still very cold wind now from the north. Heavy snow shower this a.m. No1 burner on red first thing. Both making carbon. Had to clear M out and clean both jets again. Car cleaning H.Mc.K. 52 to date.
Another cold day again with some slight snow showers. Some sunshine. Cleaned all lab grids out. 600 galls of oil came. X. Cleaned both jet and both cold filters. X. Carron left tonight. Gordon putting shed by the T pen.
(Just reminder, I have no idea what X means. It appears often. I think T pen is turkey pen.)
Another bitterly cold day with the wind still in the east. Some heavy snow showers. Went to Fern Bank to re stack the hay. It had fallen down. Cleaned the pumps and oiled them.