New Year’s day today. I hope it will be a better one for me than last year. Ossie came to see me at night. Cordon brought my wages with young Bill.

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.

New Year’s day today. I hope it will be a better one for me than last year. Ossie came to see me at night. Cordon brought my wages with young Bill.

Got up at 9.30 again. Last day of the old year today. Hope that ’65 will be a better one for us. Eric came to see me at dinner time and Bill Edwards and Charlie Birch at night.

Got up at 9.30 a.m. Leg feels a bit better today. No visitors today. A nice day but a bit on the cold side. A week today since I came out of hospital. Time does fly.
Got up at 9.30 again. Leg about the same. A week today since I had the clamps off so mustn’t be in too big of a hurry. No one came today. Paid for Xmas birds £3.11.3.
Got up at 9.30. Leg seems a bit better today. Howarth and Doc came to see me at dinner time, and brought six bottles of beer. Very nice of them.
Snowing, still the gang going home this morning. Jane’s cold much better but Dot still got her’s. Managed to get upstairs today. Quite an achievement.
Leg about the same today. Couldn’t get on it much yesterday. Started to snow in the afternoon. Lou and Les went straight home. Don’t blame them.
Christmas Day today. Able to walk a little bit better today. Lou and Les came for dinner. Nice to see them but a lot of work for Nell. Dot, Ron and Jane came.
Woke up at home this morning. First time for over five weeks. A bit rough walking on my leg as yet but early days, I suppose. I had a nice, quiet day in the chair.