Got up about 9 o’clock. Read and played first thing. Shaved and went to Roker in the afternoon. Had a bit trouble with sore foot. Stayed in at night. Edie and Nelly Frere came up to see Mother while I was in. Charlie and I spoke to them in the town in the afternoon. They were with Jack and Hilda1 and the baby. We saw them at Roker too. I read a good bit.
Tag Archives: Sunderland
23 May 1914; Saturday
Wet day. Wild and stormy. Went over with Charlie to Roker in the afternoon but the airman1 was not flying. Had short walk with Father, and later on had a short walk by myself. Read a bit Pelman2. Read some of Anna Karenina.
The airman: Presumably M. Salmet; see yesterday’s entry. ↩
22 May 1914; Friday
Busy all day. The family at Roker in the afternoon seeing M. Salmet1 the Daily Mail man flying. I waited in the library for them. Joe, Charlie and I went over at night but he had finished flying then. Grand night.
Henri Salmet had Royal Aero Club licence No. 99, awarded in June 1911. He had a Bleriot monoplane, and took part in Daily Mail-sponsored UK touring exhibitions in 1912 and 1913, when various mishaps are on record. As ALL refers to the Daily Mail, this 1914 exhibition too may have been sponsored by the newspaper. ↩
16 May 1914; Saturday
Got up at 6 o’clock and went down to Roker on bicycles with Alf. Beautiful day. Finished about 2 o’clock. Played the piano a bit. Had short walk with Father†. Went down to Roker after tea with Joe.
15 May 1914; Friday
Got up at 6 o’clock. Went with George Crawford to the Tunstall Hill<s>1 first thing and took some photos. Had walk at night. Got to know of disaster to aeroplanes which had passed over here2. Some of them wrecked at Northallerton and 2 men killed, Lieutenant Empson and Private Cudmore3 4 5.
Tunstall Hills is an area of open space in Sunderland, now both a Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest both for its geological and biological importance. The area consists of Green Hill and Rocky Hill and surrounding land. Locally these two hills have been also known as the Maidens Paps because of their shape. See also Sunderland map. ↩
Lieutenant Empson and Private Cudmore: these were Army ranks, not RAF, because the Royal Flying Corps remained a corps within the Army until it was transformed into the RAF in 1918. ↩
This page at the History Network appears to refer to the same incident, and names the dead men as Lieut. John Empson of the 4th Royal Fusiliers and Air-Mechanic George Cudmore of No. 2 Squadron Military Wing R.F.C. ↩
See also John Empson and George Cudmore, both at Grace’s Guide. ↩
11 May 1914; Monday
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. ↩
10 May 1914; Sunday
Charlie off chapel and School all day. Lily at Chapel both morning and night. Had very short lesson at School. Walked out with Charlie, Jim Wilkinson and Willie Whittaker in the afternoon. Walked up Durham Road with Willie on Sunday night. Mr and Mrs Wiseman in after chapel. Father at Chapel in the morning. Fine day. Mr Best preaching, and preached particularly well in the morning. I read some “Anna Karenina.”
2 May 1914; Saturday
At work as usual. Busy all day. Had short walk in the afternoon with Father. Went out with Willie and Charlie to Roker at night. Last walk with Willie on Saturday night. Played a bit.
25 April 1914; Saturday
Got up in good time. Busy at work. Finished about 2 o’clock. Went to Roker in the afternoon. Saw a rocket fired from the North Pier to the South Pier. Played the piano a bit. Went out with Willie at night. Saw a man in Fawcett Street very ill. The ambulance took him away and we learned afterwards he had died through breaking a blood vessel. Went down to Roker.
22 April 1914; Wednesday
Got up about 7.45. Not much to do at work first thing. Fine day. Finished in good time. Played a little. Wrote for job at a Pallion engineering office1. Walked out last thing. Sent away football coupons2.
Pallion (if correct): district at W. edge of town, on S. bank of Wear; Short Bros. shipyard was there. ↩
“Football coupons” seems fairly clear in the shorthand, but I don’t know what it means; it would not have been football pools. (DL) ↩