Tag Archives: Willie Whittaker

Diary entries which mention Willie Whittaker, a friend of Arthur Linfoot from South Durham Street Chapel. Willie Whittaker enlisted in the 13th Battalion of the Yorkshire regiment in November 1915, rising to the rank of Second Lieutenant (by then serving with the Northumberland Fusiliers) by the time of his death, which is recorded in October 1917.

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 ↩

13 March 1915; Saturday

March 1915, , , ,

At work as usual. Finished in decent time. Was riding bicycle home and tyre burst in Hastings Street. Left bicycle at George Crawford’s until Monday. Played piano and suchlike. Went down to the Peter Benefit† boot shop and bought some new boots. Father hurt his arm a bit at work. Had long walk at night with Charlie and Willie Whittaker. Car-­red1 up *2 Street and then walked round by the Grindon Road. Bicycle punctured. New boots 12/6. Father hurt his arm slightly.

  1. “Car-red” meaning “we rode on the tram-car.”  ↩

  2. There is a St Mark’s Street off Hilton Road, not far from Eldon Street, though the shorthand does not exactly fit it. ↩

6 March 1915; Saturday

March 1915, , ,

At work as usual. Finished rather late, about 2 o’clock. Did fairly well in the shop. Put front room carpet down. Played a bit. Father completed his first week at work and received 26/3 altogether with the wages and compensation. Had walk with Willie Whittaker at night, and he told me Jack Robson and his Mrs had been separated. Received new war book from Hills’.

24 February 1915; Wednesday

February 1915, , , , , ,

At work as usual. Finished in good time, but fairly busy all day. Went to Elijah1 at night in the Victoria Hall2, performed by the Vocal Union. Principals, Mr Herbert Brown, Mr Matt Newton. Madam Catherine Vincent and Miss Lottie Beaumont, were all good. Was with Helen, Olive, Winnie and Willie Whittaker. Mother, Father and Gertie there and Charlie too. I went to Whittakers’ last thing for Charlie’s things3, because he had changed before at their house.

  1. “Elijah”: Mendelssohn’s very popular oratorio. ↩

  2. Victoria Hall: See 10 January 1914. ↩

  3. “Charlie’s things” – he was presumably in the choir. ↩