Got up 7.45. Fine morning. Busy all day. Went to practice at night after playing for Mr Lawson’s class. Decided, after a lot of discussion to go to Haydon Bridge and get our teas there. Called up station at night and tried to get to know something about the trip. Mother in bed bad1.
“Bad” is North-Eastern English vernacular for “ill”. ALL’s mother suffered from angina. ↩
At work as usual. Charlie called in and we talked over the trip. Played a little bit. Went to the Theâtre des Lunes and saw the picture David Copperfield. It was very good and raised some of my old idols. Went to bed about mid-night. The Lodge money didn’t turn up1. Father rather low about it. Mother in bed all day.
“Lodge” may refer to the Rechabites: see footnote for 15 January 1914. ↩
Father, Gertie, mother and I troubled with diarrhoea, Father in bed all day. I stayed in in the morning and washed my head. Used some hair tonic too. Went out as usual in the afternoon and at night. Fine day. Talked with Charlie about choir trip. Held meeting at night and decided to go to Durham instead of Richmond. Read a bit of Anna Karenina.
Got up about 8 o’clock. Felt a bit off first thing. Lily paid a visit to our house in the afternoon. Not very well. Charlie sang at Williamson Terrace anniversary1. Mother and Gertie at the tea and I went over last thing. Read very little. Played a bit.
“Williamson Terrace”: north of the river, between North Bridge Street and Monkwearmouth (St. Peter’s) Saxon Church; probably a Methodist chapel there. ↩
Got up about 7 o’clock. Drilled. Finished in good time. Played piano then went to the practice. Fairly good practice. Another quartet to be taken by Charlie, Willie, Harriet Hand† and Edie Hunter. I played one game at ping-pong and lost. Mother up at Millfield1 seeing about a business2. They want £40 now for it and only make about £1 profit. Dr Blair paid his last visit.
Millfield: a district in Sunderland, between Chester Road and the Wear, just N. of Eldon Street. ↩
“Seeing about a business”: ALL’s family planned to buy a shop; cf footnote on 13 February 1914, and diary entry of 26 January 1915. ↩
Got up late after lying awake a good lot. At work late. Tried to write out story at night, but got on rather poorly. Went out for walk last thing. Charlie and Mother at the King’s Theatre seeing “Samson & Delilah”1.
Samson & Delilah: Possibly the opera by Saint-Saëns, which was first performed in Weimar in 1877. ↩
Got up about 8 o’clock. Fine morning. Busy at work. Finished in good time. Walked over to Roker with Joe. Big tide on the sea washing up. Road at seaside last†. I went down to Briggs’ and practised a bit. Had short walk with Charlie afterwards. Mother got wash-leather for the boxing gloves.
[In shorthand above printed date - ] Wrote to New Zealand.
Got <up> at 4 o’clock and watched Father while Mother rested a bit. Dr Blair admits it to be pneumonia. Went to Band of Hope1 meeting at night and stayed to Mr Chadwick’s meeting. Mr Chadwick down. I played for the meeting. Felt pretty jaded at night. Joe got a reply from a Leeds firm asking him to go and see them. A good deal of anxiety caused by Father’s illness. Pneumonia. Wrote to New Zealand first thing and posted it.
Band of Hope: See footnote on 13 January. ↩
Got up about 9 o’clock. At chapel and School. Mr Chadwick off and Mr Mullens preached in the morning and Mr Lawson at night. I had Esther Mullens’s class as well as my own and managed all right. Didn’t stay to the sacrament at night. Had usual walks. Willie stayed off at night on account of Lawson preaching. Father about the same. Dr Blair had talk with Mother with regard to compensation1. Commenced to write to New Zealand.
“Compensation” refers to ALL’s father’s loss of the first two fingers of his right hand in a workplace accident on an unrecorded date, probably in late 1913. ↩
Got up about 7.45. Mother up soon and went to Ashington to Jack Cook’s funeral. Got work up to date. Drilled a short time. At the Mission1 at night. Mr Chadwick spoke and was not so bad. Had short walk round afterwards.
“The Mission”: venue for local missionary/evangelical work; also organisation for funding home and overseas missionary and charitable work. ↩