Tag Archives: Charlie

Charlie was Arthur Linfoot’s younger brother. See the Family page for more details.

7 July 1915; Wednesday

July 1915, , , ,

Got up about 6 o’clock and went down to bathe. I went in but Ernie didn’t. Turned out a wild wet day. Read “Sky Pilot”1, had short walk in the morning, afternoon and at night with Hilda and Moira. Read a bit of Gardiner’s Prophets, Priests & Kings2. Went to pictures at night with Ernie and saw Charlie Chaplin amongst other pictures.

  1. “Sky Pilot”: probably the frontier adventure novel, The Sky Pilot, publ. 1899, by Ralph Connor, nom de plume of Rev. Dr. Charles William Gordon, 1860 – 1937, leader in Presbyterian then United Churches in Canada. ’Sky pilot’ was also Forces slang for ‘padre.’ See also The Sky Pilot and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩

  2. “Prophets, Priests & Kings”: collection of short biographies, publ. 1908, by Alfred George Gardiner, 1865 – 1946, who also wrote “Pillars of Society”; and “The War Lords”, publ. June 1915, comprising 20 short biographical essays on kings, emperors, politicians, generals & admirals of some 10 combatant nations. See also Prophets, Priests and Kings and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩

26 June 1915; Saturday

June 1915, , ,

At work as usual. Finished about 2 o’clock. Saw funeral of soldier from infirmary. Went down to Jenny Mason’s with Joe at night and took refrigerator1 to Wanless’s. Met Charlie and Willie Whittaker afterwards. Rather wet and unsettled.

  1. Refrigerator looks a straightforward interpretation of the shorthand outline, though it is not the form given in New Era Pitman’s dictionaries; but it would have been a new word in 1915 -­ ALL himself had two shots at the outline in this entry. If correct, it would refer to some kind of commercial equipment, not a domestic fridge as we know them. ↩

22 June 1915; Tuesday

Abridged, June 1915, , , , , ,

At work as usual. Called in the town at dinner time at Hills’ to see about a new typewriter ribbon. Called at Stewarts’ at night to get jacket altered. Played, and Charlie sang. Wrote up diary and shop books. Had walk with Joe.

Father bought some chickens. Mr McKenna1 introduced his new finance bill. Lemberg2 in danger.

  1. “Mr McKenna”: Reginald McKenna, 1863 – 1953, MP 1895 – 1918, Home Sec. 1911 – 15, Ch. Of Exch. 1915 – 16; issued second War Loan June 1915, at higher rate of interest than first (which was made convertible to second); this is said to have committed the UK to higher rates of interest than elsewhere, not only throughout WW1 but during the inter-­war Depression. The “McKenna Duties” of 33⅓% on luxury imports, “to finance WW1”, lasted until 1953. McKenna married a niece of Gertrude Jekyll. He was Chairman of the Midland Bank (now owned by HSBC) after 1918. ↩

  2. Lemberg: the Ukrainian city of Lviv (Ukrainian: Львів, Polish: Lwów, Russian: Lvov, Latin: Leopolis, or German: Lemberg). The battle of Lemberg, 20-22 June 1915, was a short-lived Russian attempt to defend the great fortress of Lemberg against advancing German and Austrian troops during the aftermath of the great German victory at Gorlice-Tarnow. ↩