At work as usual. Finished in good time. Father slightly better again. Went to Grangetown1 social at night. Charlie with me. George and the girl there but we stood apart. Pretty decent but too many children taking part in it. Got home very late. Read some “Defendant” by G.K.C[hesterton].
“Grangetown”: then the southernmost suburb of Sunderland, inland from Hendon Paper Mill. ↩
Got up about 8 o’clock. Father not at all well. I telephoned for Dr Blair and he said Father has influenza. Hurried over to the cup tie game and Sunderland won Plymouth Argyle 2 – 1. Went to lecture at Trinity1 by Mr Catto on Israel before the Exile. Had walk to Roker with Willie at night. Received birthday card2 from Hilda.
“Trinity”: possibly Holy Trinity Church, Bishopwearmouth. ↩
This card, especially as it was 14 days late (and see also the entries for 1 and 4 February), was presumably from Hilda Linfoot in New Zealand, the fourth daughter of ALL’s uncle Charles Poulter Linfoot, who with another uncle, William Gaylard Linfoot, and their families, had emigrated on 25 July 1912 ↩
Got up about 8 o’clock. Finished work about 2 o’clock. Hurried up with Father to see Dr Robinson and he was pretty reasonable1. Went to the Picture House [Picture House written beneath] and saw some decent pictures. We were in the 3d2. seats. Hurried up to Trinity3 and heard a good lecture on Zoroastrianism. Went to Roker with Willie. Finished off with a midnight meeting at the chapel and I played. Midnight Meeting. Joe Speed led and Blaikie and Dick sang. Nearly all the people drunk.
Dr Robinson was presumably advising (but which side?) about the workplace accident. Other names not identified. ↩
“3d.” is three old pence = 1¼p. For the post-decimalisation generations: there were 12d. to the shilling (s.), and 20s. to the £; thus 6d. = 2½p., 1s. = 5p., 2s. 6d. (written 2/6) = 12½p., 10/-‐ = 50p., 15/6 = 77½p., 30/-‐ = £1.50 etc. Decimal equivalents are not generally given hereinafter. ↩
Trinity: see note on 10 January. ↩
Finished about 2.15. Went up town in the afternoon. Shaved and went to Trinity1 and heard a good lecture on the Buddha. Met Willie and went to Memorial Hall2 and heard Mr Barnard† recite. He was not so good as before. Had walk round town last thing and looked closely at shops and considered dressing of windows.
“Trinity”: possibly Holy Trinity Church, Bishopwearmouth. ↩
“Memorial Hall” (also referred to as “Victoria Hall”): the Victoria Memorial Hall, where 183 children died in a stampede on 16.06.1883; demolished by a German bomb in 1941 ↩
At chapel1 as usual. Mr Chadwick preached. Charlie and Joe commenced in the School. The classes were merged. I managed pretty well. Had shorter walks than usual and were at Grandmother’s to tea and supper. Had a bit music and a pleasant time. Charlie and I saw a woman fall down in Christopher Street, and she broke a jug she was carrying. Got to bed about midnight after talking about Father and a shop2. Ernie and Hilda went to Boldon3 for the night. I said goodbye to Ernie and talked a bit about the prospects before them.
“Chapel” would have been the South Durham Street Methodist church, which closed at some date between the Wars; Mr Chadwick was of course the Minister. “School” was Sunday School. ↩
ALL’s father had lost two fingers in a work-place accident; many diary entries refer to his compensation claim and his re-employment, and to renting a shop to supplement income. ↩
Boldon, which may have meant East B. (A), West B. (B) or B. Colliery (C), would have been where Hilda’s parents lived. ↩
Got up late and was late for work1. Finished about 1.30. Met Ernie and we went to the match2. Went into the bob stand. Sunderland 1 v. Liverpool 2. A fair game. Liverpool goalie was very clever. He was laid out, and off for about 10 minutes. Ernie didn’t care much about it. Ernie and Hilda went to the pantomime at night. Willie, Charlie and I went round the town and afterwards Charlie and Joe and I played ping pong at home. Went to bed rather late.
Saturday morning working was of course normal – as it remained until the 1960s. ↩
The football match was at the old Roker Park; admission to the stand: one shilling (= 5p; a “bob”). ↩
Got up about 9 o’clock. Went to the infirmary with Father1. Had short walk round town and got papers and diaries. Called for Willie Marshall and arranged to go out with him in the afternoon. Went for him after dinner. Walked along to Whitburn2 and back. Went to pictures at night. A good number present. Played whist before supper. Had different games after supper and we left about 3 o’clock. Enjoyed ourselves pretty well.
Shook hands with Joe1 first. George Bagley2 second. Polly Abigales † 3rd. Had an invitation to Jenny Arkleby’s †3 but didn’t go. We all went to bed about 2 o’clock. Charlie4 slept the year out. He started at 5 in the morning. Ernie5 and Hilda arrived about 12 o’clock. We had turkey for dinner. Had short walk in the afternoon. Arranged a ping pong table down stairs and played a bit. Company arrived about 7 o’clock. The Whittaker family6. Willie Marshall. The Christopher Street people7, Ernie and Hilda. Had jolly time and supped about midnight.
Our Party.
Joe Wiseman was the husband of ALL’s elder sister Marmie; he had moved to Lincoln in 1905, date of return to Sunderland not recorded. ↩
There was an extensive Bagley family in the 1930-‐40’s, but their relationship with George B. is not recorded. ↩
P. Abigales and J. Arkleby (if correct) are unidentified; hereinafter, identified names are annotated (if at all) on first appearance, and names not identified receive no annotation. ↩
Charlie was ALL’s younger brother, working in the Post Office. ↩
Ernie was ALL’s elder brother, married to Hilda (née Tulip), at this time living in St Andrew’s. ↩
The Whittaker family were members of the South Durham Street Methodist Church, and included a son Willie, whom ALL quite often mentions; he mentions Willie Marshall probably more often, but as he commonly omits their surname, it is sometimes hard to be sure which of the two he means. Willie Whittaker shared his middle name Gaylard with All’s uncle William Gaylard Linfoot (who had emigrated to New Zealand in 1912), which suggests a possible family connection; all the people mentioned in the diary would have known (which is doubtless why ALL never refers to it) that Willie Marshall, mentioned in this 1 January entry, had visited New Zealand at some time in 1913, for reasons which will become apparent to readers by mid-1914. ↩
See the Family page for an explanation of “Christopher Street people”. Christopher Street is just W. of the S. end of Hendon Road. ↩