More mist this a.m. Got up at 10 o’clock. Hoed the rose beds. Mucked the small one. Dot, Ron and Jane came in the afternoon. Ron gave me some whiffs.*
*A kind of small cigar. Maybe this…

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.

More mist this a.m. Got up at 10 o’clock. Hoed the rose beds. Mucked the small one. Dot, Ron and Jane came in the afternoon. Ron gave me some whiffs.*
*A kind of small cigar. Maybe this…

Day off today. A heavy mist at first but a lovely day later. Did the mowing. Went to P in the afternoon. Did the mowing and some weeding. Put some bulbs in wood.
Another wonderful day again. Car cleaning. H. polish making 160 to date. Cleared the silage lab out. John took Dot and Jane home. Alf here today. Did all the Ts again.
Not a bad day. Cloudy but no rain. Fairly warm. Hoed and raked gravel path and borders round the house. Cleaned all the Ts again. No one to brick Bs yet.*
*No idea
A change today. Rain and much cooler. Hoed the gravel path by the greenhouse and raked it off. Charles on his hols. Did all the Ts. Not much to report.
Yet another beautiful, warm, sunny day. Hoed under the currant bushes again. Got rid of four sacks of rubbish for Mrs Harris. Did all the Ts again. Saw Jack Thomas.
Another lovely, warm, sunny day again. Car washing. K. Mc. B. making 158 to date. Saw Val Starkey’s baby for the first time today. Mr Howarth back today. Did all the Ts.
Another lovely, warm, sunny day. Got up at 9 a.m. Cleared border along fence. Dot, Ron and Jane at home today. Lou and Les there. Nell went there on the 5 o’clock bus.
Day on today. Got done about ten. A lovely, warm, sunny day. Did mowing at home. Went to P in the afternoon. Did mowing and some weeding. Right ankle bad.
Not so nice today. Dull but no rain. Jane went home again today. Coming back Monday. Car washing . A. Polished and S making 155 to date. Got a new sponge. Did all the Ts.