Tag Archives: Holiday

Diary entries written during Arthur Linfoot’s holidays in Bowes (1914) and St Andrews (1915), before he joined the RAMC.

30 June 1915; Wednesday

June 1915, , ,

Got up shortly after 6 o’clock and went for bathe in the sea baths with Ernie. We were first in and I swam pretty well. Had walk along North Sands in the morning and spent afternoon on the sea front reading. Read Barry Pain’s1 “De Omnibus”2. Grand day. Posted little Navy book to Uncle George. Walked round with Hilda at night and she bought a bathing costume for me. Had walk with Ernie later to the south side of the harbour. Had chips3 for supper.

  1. Barry Eric Odell Pain (28 September 1864 – 5 May 1928) was an English journalist, poet and writer. ↩

  2. De Omnibus has long been out of print but may be found at various on-line locations including at archive.org; a digitised (by Google) copy from New York Public Library. See also De Omnibus and Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩

  3. For the benefit of American readers, “chips” does not mean the food more usually known as “crisps” in the UK. However, contrary to popular belief, it is not correct to consider British chips analogous to French fries either. Wikipedia has an explanation of sorts on its French fries page. ↩

29 June 1915; Tuesday

June 1915, , , ,

Got up about 8 o’clock. Walked round town and sea front. Read a bit of Omar Khayyam1. Walked round The Braes 2 in the afternoon. Had walk with Hilda and Ernie at night. Saw Ernie’s shop and got a few things there. Spent a pleasant day. Had walk with Ernie at night.

  1. Omar Khayyám (1048-1131 A.D.) was a Persian mathematician, astronomer, philosopher, and poet. He also wrote treatises on mechanics, geography, mineralogy and music. It is not clear from this diary entry which of his writings had engaged ALL’s interest, but it may have been his most famous work, The Rubáiyát. See also Omar Khayyám at Arthur Linfoot’s Library. ↩

  2. “The Braes”: Kinkell Braes, near the site of a castle which was a noted venue for conventicles in the period following the restoration of the House of Stuart. The Braes are now occupied by modern structures including a caravan park and camp site (position of map marker).

    ALL evidently visited the Braes on several further occasions during his 1915 visit to St. Andrews.

    See also St Andrews map. ↩

28 June 1915; Monday

June 1915, , ,

Got up about 7 o’clock. Drew pound at the bank and wired to tell Ernie I was coming. Got the 10.30 train. Uncle George travelled with me as far as Newcastle. Edinburgh express late and I missed the connection at Edinburgh. Walked round centre of the town. Had a cup of tea. Went up Scott Memorial1. Fell in with a little chap who invited me to have a drink. Arrived at St Andrew’s2, at 6.20 and Hilda met me at the station. Had walk at night with Ernie. Very nice clean town.

Went to St Andrew’s.

  1. The Scott Memorial (B) is a Victorian Gothic monument to Scottish author Sir Walter Scott which stands in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh, near to Edinburgh Waverley Railway Station where ALL would have arrived from Sunderland (A) and caught his train to St. Andrews. ↩

  2. St. Andrews (C): a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, famous for its University, and for golf.

    See also St Andrews map. ↩

10 July 1914; Friday

July 1914, , ,

Got up about 9 o’clock. Got luggage packed. I called at station and arranged for it to go. Had dinners and went up to the moors and read until train time. Left Bowes at 3.18. Arrived Sunderland about 7.30. Met Mr Whittaker at Durham and came down with him in the train. Had short walk at night with Charlie. Father and Mother went down to see Grandmother. Charlie and I met Willie and Lily in the town at night.

9 July 1914; Thursday

July 1914, ,

Went nowhere particular. Walked over the moors to Bowes in the evening. Went down to Gilmonby in the afternoon and read there. Fine day after the storm. Had short walk about the village at night. Moors very fine last thing. I wrote long letter to Ernie and told him all the news.

Received postcard from Jack and letter from Joe (per bus-train†) telling us of the death of Uncle Ned. We altered our plans and arranged to leave tomorrow.

8 July 1914; Wednesday

July 1914, ,

Got up rather late again. Family went to Barnard Castle. Charlie and I walked over the moors to Cotherstone and train to Middleton. We went in the motor bus to High Force1 and stayed there a short time. It rained shortly before we left. Heavy thunder shower and some thunder as we crossed the moors. Rather an experience. Moors very wild and the clouds very low. We were drenched and had to change all our clothes. Had short walk about the village at night.

Uncle Ned2 died. He took very ill early Monday morning and had to be taken to the infirmary at once to be operated upon. He never recovered but gradually sank and was in terrible pain.

  1. High Force: A waterfall on the river Tees, location marked on map. See also Bowes map. ↩

  2. As noted earlier, Uncle Ned was Edward Beauman Linfoot, father of Charles Edward Linfoot. ↩

6 July 1914; Monday

July 1914, , ,

Got up about 6.20. Walked in to Barnard Castle with Joe. We mistimed ourselves and had to hurry. Joe left us near to Barnard Castle and ran to the station. We were terribly hot and tired. Sat in the Bowes Museum grounds and read a bit and then walked out to Egglestone Abbey1 and had lunch there. Fine day. Crossed Abbey Bridge and paid our toll. Had lemonades and a ginger beer. Got 3.45 train back to Bowes. Had short walk at night. Fine day.

Received flower books from Ernie and sat a bit at night.

  1. The map shows the location of Egglestone Abbey. See also Bowes map. ↩

5 July 1914; Sunday

July 1914, , ,

Got up late. Had walk by Spital Way with Father and Charlie. Stayed in in the afternoon and read and wrote up diary. Rather dull. Went to Wesleyan chapel at night. Better services but much smaller choir and congregation. Preacher not so talkative and apparently more sincere. Had short walk afterwards. Fine night.