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.
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.

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.