Tag Archives: Sunderland

Diary entries which mention places and events in and around the Sunderland area. See also Sunderland map.

5 April 1915; Easter Monday

April 1915, , , , ,

Got up about 8 o’clock. Went by train to South Shields, car1 to Tyne Dock, ferried to Albert Edward Dock, trammed to Wallsend, and then to Walker, ferried to Hebburn, walked to Bill Quay, and train from Pelaw home. Saw some light cruisers and destroyers, one submarine, and the Malaya. Walked to Penshaw Hill2 in the dark with Willie Whittaker. Charlie back at work. Had some music at dinnertime. Fine day.

The King proclaimed3 that alcoholic drinks are prohibited after today.

  1. “Car” means tram-car, as usual, although ALL uses “trammed” here too, meaning the same thing. ↩

  2. Penshaw Hill: See note on 2 April. ↩

  3. This was not a formal proclamation by King George V – in fact he publicly supported a campaign against the consumption of alcohol begun by Lloyd George by promising that no alcohol would be consumed in the Royal household until the war was over. This promise failed to influence even the Cabinet, let alone the public, but the King observed it himself. ↩

2 April 1915; Friday

April 1915, , , , ,

Went down town to meet Willie and went to Durham Road Wesleyan church. Didn’t care much for it. Went to Penshaw Hill1  2 in the afternoon with Willie Whittaker and Charlie and hurried back to go to the chapel tea. In time for the second sitting down. Mr Scroggie† preached in the afternoon but we didn’t hear him. Stayed to service. Reverend W. T Harding preached and was very good. Mr Hood spoke and was rotten. Had short walk round last thing.

Anniversary Services & Tea at Chapel.

  1. Penshaw Hill: landmark 4 miles from Sunderland on the Chester-­le-­Street road; referred to in the folk song “The Lambton Worm”; since 1844 crowned with a replica of the temple of Hephaestos in Athens, built as a tribute by his tenants to John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham and 1st Governor of Canada, known in his time as “Radical Jack.” It is said that it was to be completed with an equestrian statue of the Earl (a life-­size maquette which was formerly in the Baron’s Hall at Lumley Castle), but that the tenants changed their mind after the Earl’s agent put their rents up. ↩

  2. Some descriptions of Penshaw monument, for example that at Wikipedia, state that it is a half scale copy of the temple of Hephaestos and others, for example at the web site of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, that it is twice the size of the original. In fact neither is true, although the topological similarity between the two buildings is deliberate and undeniable. ↩

27 March 1915; Saturday

March 1915, , ,

Finished work about 2 o’clock. Went down to the north side of the river and saw the Hebe1 and†­ submarine and then walked on to Roker with Joe. Went to Roker again at night with Willie Whittaker and Charlie. Very cold and rather wild.

  1. H.M.S. Hebe was completed as a torpedo gunboat, but was converted along with her sister Onyx to submarine depot ship before the War. Hebe served with the Sixth Submarine Flotilla based on the Tyne, 10 or 12 miles north of Sunderland, from 1914 to 1916 ↩

20 March 1915; Saturday

March 1915,

At work as usual1. Finished about 1.30. Came up with the chemist’s assistant. Went into town in the afternoon, for my papers and called at John Wilson’s and got a file and a cord† from the shop. Went down to Dr. Blair’s and got a bottle. Had walk out to Grangetown2 at night with Willie. Felt a bit better but still off form.

  1. Saturday morning working was of course normal – as it remained until the 1960s. ↩

  2. Grangetown is a suburb of Sunderland two miles south of Sunderland City Centre. ↩

26 January 1915; Tuesday

January 1915, , ,

At work as usual. Went down to practice at night. Mother went to see about a shop in Eldon Street, Chester Road, and interviewed a woman about a [sic] shop. We decided to take it.

Decided to take shop & house in Eldon Street1.

  1. Eldon Street runs north from Chester Road (the road to Chester‐le­‐Street), just E. of the General Hospital, in Bishopwearmouth (what is now Sunderland consisted of Monkwearmouth and Sunderland, north and south respectively at the mouth of the Wear, and Bishopwearmouth on the S. side of the river, about 1 mile W. of Sunderland; see eg. Meikle & Newman Sunderland and its Origins, Victoria County History publications 2007.) At the start of the diaries, January 1914, C.W.Linfoot and his family had lived at 4 Salem Hill South, towards the SW. edge of Sunderland. ↩

2 January 1915; Saturday

January 1915, , , , ,

Got up at 7 o’clock and walked with Charlie to Seaham Harbour first thing. Had rain in torrents and we were wet through. I got the 9.20 train back and was home about 9.45. Played ping pong. Went up town in the afternoon with Father. Bought new cap for 3/6. Went to Concert in Victoria Hall1 and heard Radford & Miss Edith Evans, Miss Bland, Mr John Bull and Mr Arthur E Gover2 on the organ. A fine snow. Willie back and Edie, Jack and Hilda3 to supper at Marmie’s. Charlie back at night. Finished the party at about 12.30.

  1. Victoria Hall: See 10 January 1914. ↩

  2. The artistes’ names, except the two in longhand, are fairly speculative transcriptions. ↩

  3. See Hilda disambiguation page. ↩

1 January 1915; Friday

January 1915, , , , , ,

[written above printed date -­ ] Posted letter to N.Z.1

Got supper at Mrs Wiseman’s with Ernie and Joe Mummery after the Watch service. Shook hands with several at church, Ernie first and Mr Chadwick next. Went to bed about 2 o’clock. Charlie got up at 7 o’clock. I walked through to Seaham2 and walked back in the afternoon. Took 1¼ hours to go there and 65 minutes to come back. Strong south easterly gale blowing and very wet. I was drenched. All family but Charlie at dinner and tea and supper together. Played a few games, ping pong, etcetera at night and went to go <sic; “bed” intended?> about mid-­‐night. Charlie in shortly after 11 o’clock and had to start again at 8 o’clock in the morning. “Formidable”3 blown up with a loss of about 700 lives in the Channel.

  1. The letter to N.Z. was probably sent to ALL’s cousin, Hilda Tate Linfoot. See Hilda disambiguation page. ↩

  2. Seaham [Harbour]: small colliery town and sea-­port 4 miles S. of Sunderland. ↩

  3. HMS Formidable, built 1904, was a battleship stationed at Sheerness to guard against possible German invasion. On 31 December she was on gunnery practice off the Isle of Wight, and was hit during the night by two torpedoes from submarine U24. 547 officers and men were lost out of 780. ↩

29 December 1914; Tuesday

December 1914, , , ,

At work as usual. Not much to do. Ernie, Hilda and baby arrived in the afternoon from Boldon. Charlie received notice to go to Seaham Harbour and had to go in the afternoon. He arrived home at about 11.30 and had to be out again at 8 o’clock in the morning. He said the office was rotten and they were in an awful mess. I had a walk round the town by myself and was a good bit dissatisfied with Charlie having to go away now.

27 December 1914; Sunday

December 1914, ,

Missed chapel in the morning through being late and went to Roker instead. Saw the trenches and the new gun. At Sunday School in the afternoon and got on pretty well. My turn at children’s service and managed best I have done for a long time. Sang two carols at night. A Mr Joe Barnes sang solos. Had short walk round. Willie Carr and †Aunt Jimmy† to tea. Wet night, didn’t go far.