Got up about 9 o’clock. At chapel and School as usual. Managed all right. Mr Chadwick preached very well. Had usual walks. Fine day. Read and played a bit. Charlie sang at the men’s meeting.
2 May 1914; Saturday
At work as usual. Busy all day. Had short walk in the afternoon with Father. Went out with Willie and Charlie to Roker at night. Last walk with Willie on Saturday night. Played a bit.
1 May 1914; Friday
Got up about 7.45. Busy all day. Did a bit work at night. Played the piano. Went out last thing.
30 April 1914; Thursday
29 April 1914; Wednesday
Got up about 7.45. In good time for work. Mr Aitken in rather bad temper and Frank the same. Finished in good time. Aunt Mary to tea. Did a bit Pelman1. Played very little. Went down to meeting with Joe and Mr Chadwick called upon me to pray in the meeting. Walked round with Joe and talked about Pelman course. Had a bath. Went to bed shortly after 11 o’clock.
28 April 1914; Tuesday
Got up well before 8 o’clock. Busy all day. Finished about 6 o’clock. Read a little. Charlie got Toreador’s Song1 and I played it through. Did a bit Pelman2. Went to practice late. Decided on anthem “Send out thy light”. For the anniversary. Fine day.
Toreador’s Song: Possibly the aria “Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre” (“Your toast, I can return it to you”), popularly named The Toreador Song, from the opera Carmen, composed by Georges Bizet to a libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy.
This aria is for bass-baritone, which was Charlie’s singing register (see note on Charlie on the Family page). Presumably Charlie wished to sing it and had chosen ALL as accompanist on this occasion. ↩
27 April 1914; Monday
26 April 1914; Sunday
At chapel and Sunday School as usual. Mr Kilver† preached in the morning and Mr Lawson at night. Went to Whittakers’ to tea with Willie and Charlie. Went in to supper too, and talked until nearly 12 o’clock. Found out that the pastor’s† work is done. Grand day.
25 April 1914; Saturday
Got up in good time. Busy at work. Finished about 2 o’clock. Went to Roker in the afternoon. Saw a rocket fired from the North Pier to the South Pier. Played the piano a bit. Went out with Willie at night. Saw a man in Fawcett Street very ill. The ambulance took him away and we learned afterwards he had died through breaking a blood vessel. Went down to Roker.