Tag Archives: Chapel

Arthur Linfoot was a member of the South Durham Street United Methodist Free Church in Sunderland, and a regular church-goer elsewhere when not in Sunderland. He records his attendance at chapel and church services of many kinds throughout his diaries.

18 March 1916; Saturday

Up at 6 o’clock. Mopped out room. Paraded at 9 o’clock and had to drill my squad until 10. Missed the next parade as I was looking after chairs and coals. Went to Y.M. in the afternoon and wrote home and to Betty. Had tea with other 5 of our room at the Y.M. Returned to the barracks and then went to the Wesleyan church guild meeting. Met Mr Inwood there and he asked me up tomorrow.

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. 

30 January 1916; Sunday

At church as usual. Set Misses Mack a few yards in the morning. In the afternoon walked to the top of the bank with Black and met Sergeant Sharpley. At night went with Sergeant Sharpley to Clayport and afterwards set up the Misses Mack to the farm. Stayed and talked until late and didn’t get back to camp until after Last Post.

23 January 1916; Sunday

Church parade. Had a cold. At church in the morning and sat in the same pew as the Misses Mack and merely nodded. Didn’t overtake them coming back to camp owing to the man I was with stopping to speak to Mr Douglas. They didn’t turn out at night. Cold worse. Read all the afternoon and finished I will Repay1.


  1. I Will Repay”: novel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, author of The Scarlet Pimpernel, who lived at Acol (near Thanet in Kent). I Will Repay is the second Scarlet Pimpernel book written by Orczy although it comes chronologically third in the series, after Sir Percy Leads the Band and before The Elusive Pimpernel. See also I Will Repay and Arthur Linfoot’s Library