At work as usual. Went up to the Ford Estate with Joe, and watched them drilling a short time. Met Blaikie on the way back and talked a short time. Called at the Echo office but no replies. Read and played a bit. Called for Willie Whittaker. Went to the Memorial Hall1. Mr Newrick’s choir there and Willie Whittaker and I were in the audience. Charlie on the platform. Willie got toothache.
Memorial Hall: See 10 January 1914. ↩
At work as usual. Went up to Recruiting Office and made enquiries. They advised me first to “Go home lad”, then to fill in the registration form. Read and played a bit.
At work as usual. Busy all day. Went down to meeting at night and played for two hymns. Squared up monthly account.
At work as usual. Fathers advert appeared in Echo. Finished rather late. Went down to drill but the key was missing and we got no drill. Went round with Charlie and talked over joining the A.S.C.1
The “A.S.C.”: the Army Service Corps (later the Royal Army Service Corps), which provided a wide range of support, such as clerical services and transport, to infantry and other branches of the Army. ↩
At work as usual. Directors’ meeting. No dictated letters off Mr Lawson. Busy all day. The army open again for clerks. I thought about joining. Decided to put advert in the Echo for Father. Hilda & baby went away in the morning. Finished reading “The Manxman”1.
The Manxman: See 21 December 1914, The Manxman and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩
At work as usual. Busy all day. Went up to Athlete hall at night for drill. I took a turn at drilling the squad. Read a bit. Played a bit.
At chapel and Sunday School as usual. Dry sermons. Bad weather and didn’t get usual walks. Managed pretty well at School. Wrote a bit. Nothing startling from the war. Hilda got bit better and we were in the front room.
At work as usual. Busy all day. Didn’t get sales-book written up. Read a bit. Went round with Joe last thing. Hilda & Marmie still in bed.
Got up shortly before 8 o’clock. Ernie went back to St. Andrew’s, Charlie to Seaham. Mr Scott discovered a mistake of thousand pounds in my total and in the sales-book. Received account of Lord Kitchener’s speech in the House of Lords and it was satisfactory. Marmie & Hilda both in bed all day. My cold a lot better. Charlie arrived at night from Seaham & said he was finished there. Dr. Scott down to Hilda.