
Another year starts today. Please God it will be a good one. Still very cold. Len off sick. New girl learning Maureen’s job. Whitewashing in the boiler room again. Not much to burn.
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.


Another year starts today. Please God it will be a good one. Still very cold. Len off sick. New girl learning Maureen’s job. Whitewashing in the boiler room again. Not much to burn.
Another bitterly cold day with east wind. Road bad in the morning. A lot of fowl to burn. 600 galls oil came. White washing B room. O.
TOTAL CARS FOR 1962: 280.
A little bit warmer today but heavy snow at times. Sat by the first all day. Not fit for Dot and Ron to come. Never went out, nor Saturday night.
Day off today. Very keen frost again. Dot had to stay the night. Buses off because of fog. Dance at Lydiate last night. Nearly all the football put off. Not fit.
Another bitterly cold day with heavy frost. Roads bad. No cars today. White washing down boiler room in the warm. Knee not too good. Did razors again.
Back to work today. Roads in a shocking state with the frost and snow. A hell of a lot of stuff to burn today collected over the hols. Cleaned both the jets. Sharpened razors.
Still cold with heavy frost again. Started to snow in the morning very heavily. Lou and Les went home after dinner. Roads bad. Ron and Dot came in the p.m.
Still very cold with heavy frost. Got up about 9.30. Came to see the boilers. Went in the car with Les to see Dot. Never went out at night.
Still very cold. Severe frost. Got up at 10. Lou and Les came for Xmas about 7.30. Put car in the garage belonging to Williams the shop.
A very heavy frost last night. Good job the boilers were on. Ron and Dot came. Stayed the night. Also Allan and Jame in the afternoon.