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.
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.
“… at the shop”: presumably Hills’; see 21 January. ↩
Received postcard from Ernie to say he would not be stopping at Alnmouth. Walked into town. Heard that the Misses Mack were in town again.
Ernie & Hilda left St. Andrews1 & returned to Sunderland.
“.. left St Andrews” appears to mean permanent return to Sunderland; Ernie is “at the shop”, sc. Hills’, on 19 February 1916. See also Family page. ↩
On parade as usual. On fatigue at 8.30. Got money from Sergeant-Major and squared up accounts. Went out to Barton’s Farm and paid his bill, and drove to the town in his trap with him and Mr David Mack. Lecture in the afternoon. At the pictures at night with Black and they were so rotten we came out. Drew £10 from bank and sent it on to Ernie.
Ernie’s Birthday. Up at 7.30. All men paraded before the adjutant. I didn’t turn up and was told to do so in future. Went to the pictures at night with Black. Pretty good pictures. Saw the Misses Mack again and Black and I set them up. Got back just at 10 o’clock.
Usual work. Drew rations. Busy all day. Stayed in at night. Received word from home that Ernie had taken the King’s 1/-1.
‘Taking the King’s shilling’ was an 18th/19th century expression meaning ‘enlisting in the Army (or Navy)’ – completing the contract by accepting a token payment; by 1915, a semi-jocular expression except in boys’ adventure stories. ↩
Up at 5.30. Drill and lectures as usual. Received letter from Charlie in the morning, and also books from Ernie at dinner-time.
News of a German Destroyer being sunk by French torpedo boats.
Had drill as usual. Bathing parade in the morning, and it was fine. Didn’t go out until last thing, when I went to the Soldiers’ Home. Wrote to Ernie and home.
Got up about 6 o’clock and had a bathe. Enjoyed it immensely. Got 11.30, after a walk round the town. Ernie saw me off. Changed at Edinburgh, and arrived at Newcastle 4.50. Got late train to Sunderland and arrived 5.30. Had walk in the town at night with Willie Whittaker and Charlie.
Returned home from St Andrews.
Slept in. Went out about 9.30. Walked along pier and afterwards along the sands to the River Eden. In the afternoon went with Ernie down the subterranean tunnel and the bottle dungeon1 and up St Rule’s† Tower2. A girl spoke to us on the tower. Had a walk at night by myself while Hilda went to the pictures and Ernie minded Moira. Fine day again.
The bottle dungeon is located in St Andrews Castle (A). ↩
St Rule’s tower: St Rule’s tower (B) is located in the grounds of St Andrews Cathedral but predates it. The tower was originally ascended using ladders between wooden floors, but a stone spiral staircase was inserted in the 18th century.
See also St Andrews map. ↩