On parade as usual. At the pictures at night with Sharpley.
Category Archives: February 1916
28 February 1916; Monday
On parade as usual. Detailed off with some Engineers† for road making. Stayed in at night. Black arrived back.
27 February 1916; Sunday
Snow lying pretty thickly. At church in the morning. Walked up the road with Sharpley in the afternoon and at church at night. Mr Don preaching in the morning but another chap at night. Walked up to High† House at night with Sharpley, and the two sisters.
26 February 1916; Saturday
On parade as usual in the morning. Read a bit in the afternoon. Met Betty at 5.30 on the High† Road. Snowed pretty heavily both when I was waiting and when we were together. Sheltered behind a tree in the High† Road, and then again in the plantation at the foot of the High† House Road. Talked a good many things. I told her about our family and she told me about her people too. Elder sister married and in Glasgow, brother at the front. Other sister school teacher and younger sister at home. Brother younger too. Grandmother died recently. Told me that she had knocked about with a chap for 3 years and he went to the front. I said was he gone 1 and she said yes. Left her at 9 o’clock. Had a pleasant night.
“Gone”: Possibly a euphemism for “dead”, presumably having been killed in action? ↩
25 February 1916; Friday
On parade as usual. Met Betty at night on the HH House Road1 and stayed out with her until after 9 o’clock. Talked a fair amount of rot and a bit sense. She said she knew I was imaginative. Spent a pleasant night. Arranged to meet early tomorrow night. Late pass stopped.
Black went on pass for the weekend.
“HH House Road”: has not been definitively identified. However there is a Heckley High House (marked on map) to the north-west of Alnwick, the location of which which would appear to be consistent with the diary record.
24 February 1916; Thursday
On parade as usual. Went to pictures at night with Sergeant Sharpley.
23 February 1916; Wednesday
On parade as usual. Lecture in the B recreation room by a chap called Millet. Went into town to the post office.
22 February 1916; Tuesday
On parade as usual. At pictures concert in the Y.M.C.A. at night.
21 February 1916; Monday
Up at 7.45. Got 9.30 train. Mr and Mrs Whittaker and Lizzie and Daisy to see me off besides Mother, Gertie and Dorothy. Father out first thing. Arrived at Alnwick about 12.30. At lecture in the afternoon.
20 February 1916; Sunday
Got up late. At chapel late with Father in the morning. Went with Ernie at night and sat in Tulips’pew. Went down in the car and saw Gertie in it. Called at Grandmother’s in the afternoon and saw her, Aunt Esther and Uncle Jack. Spoke to a few chapel friends. Ernie and Hilda and Moira to dinner and tea and we had two chickens and pork for dinner. Played piano a bit. Sent postcard to Betty.
At Home.
Ernie’s finger better, Father’s not much. I got out a spelk1. Shook hands with Father.