Day on today. Got done early. Very cold again. Wind still east. Went to P in the afternoon. Rose pruning. Paid HIM 16/- for the knives. Nothing unusual to report. 3/- Bill Edwards sweep.

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.

Day on today. Got done early. Very cold again. Wind still east. Went to P in the afternoon. Rose pruning. Paid HIM 16/- for the knives. Nothing unusual to report. 3/- Bill Edwards sweep.

A bitterly cold east wind still blowing. Car washing again H.A.Mc.S. making 47 to date. 1 ton of coke off A.P. X Cleaned the copper in the boiler room. Mulrey off sick.
A sharp frost this morning and a bitter east wind blowing all ay. Got 16/ off Howarth for the knives. Painted four boards for Gordon Robinson. Two coats each. Cleaned both jets.
The wind cold out of the east again today. Sawing up old turkey pen doors. Swilled round the bins. Put new gasket on No.1 hot oil filter. Also a new olive on short oil pipe.
A nice mild day again. Did some forking in different places. The Yanks put a man in orbit. One of the rhodies down the drive coming into flower. Cleared the silage bins again.
(John Glenn became the first American to orbit the earth on this day.)
A lovely mild day, cloudy but very little wind. Car washing again. K.D.S. 49 to date. Took a bundle of papers for Mrs P. The crocus are in full blow now. A welcome sight.
Got up about 10a.m. A nice morning. Started to dig the garden. Allan and Girl came in the afternoon. Stayed for tea. Also Dot and Ron. Went to the Wheat at night.
(Girl , or Girlie, was my granddad’s youngest sister. Allan was her husband.)
Saturday off today. Wind dropped and not so cold. Put muck round the roses. Went to P in the afternoon. Rose pruning. Raked the drive. Washed the car. A nice afternoon sunshine.
Very strong gale blowing and quite cold. Went for a haircut. Got two new cloths off Mrs Starkey. Car washing again. H.S.D. makes 39 to date. Cleaned both the jets. Gale still blowing. Colder.
Milder today with showers and strong winds. Cleared silage bins again. No.2 burner on red first thing. Digging among the rhododenrons. Paid 3.9 3 weeks canteen yesterday. X