At chapel and School as usual. Wet day. The Boy Scouts at church in the morning. Mr Chadwick †warned us† to sing the National Anthem and had to stop Blaikie playing his voluntary. A Mrs Collins sang at night. The anthem was postponed on account of Edie Hunter being unwell. Had short walk at night.
Tag Archives: Blaikie
7 February 1914; Saturday
Got up about 6.30. Finished work about 2 o’clock. Went up town and got papers. Went to lecture at Trinity1. Called at home and then went down to Uncle Jack’s. Mr Blaikie turned up and I tried the pieces through with him and Jack. Got home rather late. Went to bed pretty late. Aunt Esther up all night with Father.
“Trinity”: possibly Holy Trinity Church, Bishopwearmouth. ↩
3 February 1914; Tuesday
Got up about 8 o’clock. Father pretty bad1 in the morning. Read a bit and played a bit at night. Went down literary† meeting, but Mr Chadwick was not there. Came up with Blaikie and talked a bit. Jim Wilkinson went to talk to Misses Galloway and Hunter at the top of Vine Place. Father seriously ill.
“Bad” is North-Eastern English vernacular for “unwell”. ↩
27 January 1914; Tuesday
Got up about 8 o’clock. Rather dull. Fine cold day. Had a bit toothache. Finished in good time at night. Went down to class meeting at night1. Received club money and banked £1. Talked to Charlie, Willie, Jim Wilkinson2 and Blaikie after the choir practice. Went to bed about 11.30.
The “class meeting”: the regular congregation at Chapel were allocated to ‘classes’ which met at intervals, generally mid-week, for prayer and discussion. Each class had a respected ‘leader’ who was expected to exercise some level of general pastoral care. ↩
Jim Wilkinson: not identified, but possibly a relative of Mother (née Wilkinson.) ↩
24 January 1914; Saturday
Got up about 8 o’clock. Finished work about 2 o’clock. Hurried up with Father to see Dr Robinson and he was pretty reasonable1. Went to the Picture House [Picture House written beneath] and saw some decent pictures. We were in the 3d2. seats. Hurried up to Trinity3 and heard a good lecture on Zoroastrianism. Went to Roker with Willie. Finished off with a midnight meeting at the chapel and I played. Midnight Meeting. Joe Speed led and Blaikie and Dick sang. Nearly all the people drunk.
Dr Robinson was presumably advising (but which side?) about the workplace accident. Other names not identified. ↩
“3d.” is three old pence = 1¼p. For the post-decimalisation generations: there were 12d. to the shilling (s.), and 20s. to the £; thus 6d. = 2½p., 1s. = 5p., 2s. 6d. (written 2/6) = 12½p., 10/-‐ = 50p., 15/6 = 77½p., 30/-‐ = £1.50 etc. Decimal equivalents are not generally given hereinafter. ↩
Trinity: see note on 10 January. ↩
11 January 1914; Sunday
Got up about 9.30. At chapel and School as usual. Our turn for children’s service and had rather a rough time. Mr Hardy preaching in the morning and Mr Lawson at night1. I managed pretty well in Sunday School and had a big class. Mr Blaikie in trying the boys for the choir and we were in late. Had shorter walks than usual.
Messrs Hardy and Lawson: not identified, probably local (ie un-ordained amateur) preachers. ↩
5 January 1914; Monday
Got up about 7.30. Drilled a short time.1 Got on very well at work and finished about 5.30. Got hair cut. Cold night and some snow falling. Mr Aitken went to Edinburgh2. Finished about 5.30. Went to Mr Chadwick’s after I had done a bit homework and arranged about missionary business. Blaikie3 there. We stayed until pretty late.
“Drill” was probably as taught in Board School PT; ALL continued to do it until middle age. ↩
William Robertson Aitken, born in Dunbar on 19 March 1873, was manager and company secretary at the Hendon Paper Works. His trip to Edinburgh may have been in a personal capacity, not a business one, as he evidently had family there. His death is recorded on 20 September 1917 and his funeral took place in Edinburgh on 25 September. ↩
Blaikie occurs frequently, written with or without the final vowel – so it could be “Black”; but I have assumed “Blaikie.” (DL) ↩