Tag Archives: Gertie

Gertie was Arthur Linfoot’s younger sister. See the Family page for more details.

6 April 1914; Monday

April 1914, , , ,

Busy at work. Finished about 5.30. Got missionary money squared up. Sat with Joe with his pupil. A letter in the paper referring to George’s and saying that the baths were to be opened as usual. I went along to Chadwicks’ last thing. Talked with him until after 10 o’clock. Read an interesting article on Frederick the Great and Voltaire1. Father ill again. Gertie went for Dr Blair and he came down again.

  1. “Frederick the Great and Voltaire”: although – or perhaps because – he had had only very basic formal education, ALL made efforts throughout his life at ‘self-­improvement’; as shown in notes at the end of his diaries on his ‘progress’ in various studies and activities, and notes on authors to be read. ↩

1 April 1914; Wednesday

April 1914, , , , ,

At work as usual. Went to Philharmonic Concert in the Victoria Hall1. All the principals were good. The Leeds Symphony Orchestra played. They rendered Rossini’s Stabat Mater and a miscellaneous programme. Gertie and Marmie, Willie Marshall and I were to go. Heard Toreador’s Song. Called in at Mr Chadwick’s with missionary money on the way to the social.

  1. Victoria Hall: see note on 10 January. ↩

20 January 1914; Tuesday

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Got up about 8 o’clock. Got work well up to date. Mr Jesse Collings expressed his intention to retire from Parliament at next general election1.

Finished in good time. Mother, Father and Gertie at a * lecture on Canada. I finished off some Pelman 2 papers and took them to the post. Mr Chadwick called to see about Ernie’s reply to his letter. Willie Whittaker called in and we went up the town way. Played the piano a bit. Went to bed late. Had a bath last thing. Took 2 letters for Mr Lawson and didn’t get away to dinner until late.

  1. Jesse Collings was MP for Ipswich, later for Birmingham Bordesley; best known as mover of the “three acres and a cow” amendment to the Queen’s Speech, January 1886, following which Lord Salisbury’s government fell and Gladstone became Prime Minister. ↩

  2. Pelman: See footnote on 6 January and all diary entries tagged Pelman. ↩

6 January 1914; Tuesday

January 1914, , , , , , ,

Got up about 8 o’clock. Got work well up to date. Cold and frosty. Finished early. Read a bit. Did some Pelman1. Went down to meeting. Called at Furley’s and got to know that Mr Furley was at work again. Played2 for the class meeting. Had break for a few minutes. Mother, Father and Gertie3 at the pantomime. Said it was pretty decent but not of much account†. Went to bed about midnight.

  1. Pelmanism was a popular system of memory training, using association of things and ideas. ↩

  2. “Played” without a direct object generally means “played the piano” or according to context “-­ the organ”. Like many Victorian and Edwardian families of all classes, ALL’s family were ‘musical’. His father played the ‘cello, ALL and his two sisters were competent pianists, Ernie learned to play the violin, and Charlie was a popular bass-­baritone soloist and chorister. ALL also played church or chapel organs throughout his life. ↩

  3. Gertie was ALL’s younger sister. See also Family page. ↩