Category Archives: 1916

All diary entries written in 1916.

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.


  1. Spelk” is/was a dialect word meaning “splinter”. Spelks were a common hazard for timber workers – ALL said his father normally left them in until they festered, when the spelk could be got out more easily; he said this did no harm, because he had “good blood” – but maybe not this time. 

19 February 1916; Saturday

On fatigue with Ted† Copeland in the morning. Left off the job at 11 o’clock and got dressed. Got 12.8 train from Alnwick and arrived home shortly before 3 o’clock. Went down for Ernie at the shop1 with Joe. Called at Wiseman’s and then went over to Ernie’s nice house and saw Hilda and had tea. Called for Ernie at night again. Had walk out with Father, Joe and Ernie last thing. Went to bed late.

Weekend at Home.

Father got bad finger and Ernie too.


  1. “… at the shop”: presumably Hills’; see 21 January

18 February 1916; Friday

Received letter from Betty in reply to mine1. Wrote acknowledgement and said that I would be travelling through Morpeth. Out in the town at night and got one or two things. A bottle of scent for Gertie and a brooch for Dorothy.


  1. ALL wrote his letter to Miss Mack on the 15th February and received a reply from Betty on the 18th. ALL continues to use Miss Mack’s first name only from this point on.