August 1925

Saturday 1st   It was a fine day.  As my cough was no better I did not get up until dinner time.  Jim & Jane went in Bob’s lorry to Matakana to witness a hockey & football match, it was late when they got home in the evening.

Sunday 2nd   It was a fine day.  Revd Rouprecht held service in the morning,  on account of my cough I was not able to go,  there was only a small attendance. The parson came here for dinner.

Monday 3rd   Several showers.  My cough and cold still bad.  I did not get up until dinner time.

Tuesday 4th   It was a fine day.  I received a letter from Mr Wallace, he thought it was near my birthday so he sent me congratulations and a present of a pack of cards.

Wednesday 5th   Jane went in the butches lorry to Big Omaha to spend the day with Alma & Laurence, Bob had an accident with one of his trees and he was late in delivering his meat so it was late when Jane got home in the evening.

Thursday 6th   It was showery in the morning so Mildred did not go to school.
I wrote a letter to Mr Wallace thanking him for his present of a pack of cards.

Friday 7th   It was a fine day.  I sent to Eccles chemist for two bottles of medicine prescribed by Dr Bennett.  The butcher came today as tomorrow he is taking on his lorry a party of footballers to Kaipara Flats tomorrow en route for Whangarei to play a match on Saturday afternoon.

Saturday 8th   Jean was laid up with cold.  Hector & Mildred went to spend the day with Alma.  Dolly & Ina spent the day here as Pat is at Whangarei with the footballers.

Sunday 9th   There was no service here to day.  It was a very fine day. My cough and cold are still very bad.  I passed a very quiet day reading.

Monday 10th   It was a fine day.  Cold & cough still bad.  Was not able to do anything outside.

Tuesday 11th   It was a very fine day.  The American fleet went into Auckland.  Jim,  Jane & the children went on the hill and saw the ships passing Takatu Point.

Wednesday 12th   It was a showery day .  The steamer made a round trip to day, she would have a very rough trip returning to Auckland.

Thursday 13th    Terrible weather, blowing & raining.  On account of the weather none of the children went to school.  Mr Stewart went to the school and finding no children, he came along here, and very kindly brought my medicine which came to the Leigh P. O  –  he spent the day here.
I wrote a report of the Wallace Whitaker wedding for the Rodney Times and the Weekly News.

Friday 14th   It was a fine day, ‘tho windy.  I went down to meet Will Dunning  to give him two letters to post & also to get him to get me a bottle of Schnapps from Warkworth for me.  Afterwards I went up the cemetery hill to see Ted Gravatts new motor lorry which was stuck in the mud in the middle of the road.  Ted has got this lorry as he has the contract for carting cream from Pakiri to Matakana.

Saturday 15th   My 82nd birthday.   It was a fine day, sunny and calm. Minnie remembered my birthday and came to congratulate me.  Mrs Gravatt also wrote to congratulate me and sent me a present of a handkerchief.
I weeded one of the onion beds, it is the first work I have done in the garden since I returned from Auckland.  Jean went in the butchers lorry to see Alma & Laurence.

Sunday 16th   It was a fine day.  Mr Evans held service in the hall in the afternoon,  Jane and the children went, there was a very small congregation.  Jim went to see old Mr Bond in the afternoon as he has lately had a paralytic stroke.
I wrote a letters to Mrs Gravatt,  Lily  &  Henry  Willie

Monday 17th   It was a fine day.  The children are having holidays now.  I weeded the 2nd onion bed.  Jane went round to Mabels in the afternoon.
Minnie sent Teddy over with two prs of spectakles belonging to the late Mr Torkington to see if they would suit my sight , and as one pr did I kept them.  Teddy staid for dinner & was playing with Hector. Jim set his fishing line in the channel and caught a large schnapper.

Tuesday 18th   It was a very fine day.  I first weeded the row of carrots and then started to weed the flower garden .  Jim was digging near the garden gate .  Jane sowed a box of Tomatoes, the Peach & the Yellow variety.  Revd Parsons, the new Methodist minister called in the afternoon.

Wednesday 19th   It was a very fine day.  Jane & Jean walked to Big Omaha to spend the day with Alma & Laurence, they came back in the butchers lorry.  I was weeding in the flower garden , Hector helped me.  Jim was digging near the garden gate.

Thursday 20th   It was a fine day.  I finished weeding the flower garden.  Mabel & Charlie were here spending the day.  It rained in the evening.

Friday 21st   It rained early this morning , but it turned out a fine day. I dug up some Larkspur plants for Jack Walden, and went in W. Dunning‘s car to Jacks house.  Mrs Walden (Jack’s mother) made me a cup of tea.  I got some Stock plants, and then went to Jack’s store where I made a few purchases, and walked home just in time for dinner.  Jean had gone to Matakana with Willie to see the dentist. Jane & Mildred went with Dolly to Jack’s store in the afternoon.

Saturday 22nd   It was a fine day.  I weeded the row of Sweet Peas. Took some Larkspur plants down to Dolly in the afternoon.  Jane went round to see Mrs Evans.  Mildred spent the day at Mabels.

Sunday 23rd   It was a fine day.  Revd Addenbrooke held service in the hall in the morning, there were only 9 present counting Ina .
4 staid for communion.  Collection 5/- .  The parson came here for dinner.  I went down to Pats in the afternoon.

Monday 24th   It was fine in the morning.  I went down to Pats and fixed up the front gate which was hanging by only one hinge.
I wrote to my son Henry and it was posted in the afternoon .  It rained heavily in the afternoon.

Tuesday 25th   It was a fine day.  A slight shower in the afternoon. In the afternoon I went down to Pats and resowed the 3 rows of Stratagem Peas.  Hector went down with me to help me .  I sowed these peas on the 11th & 12th of June , but they were pulled up or eaten by birds or fowls .

Wednesday 26th   It was a showery day.  My back was pretty bad with digging yesterday.  I did not do any work outside.

Thursday 27th   It was a fine day.  Mr & Mrs Stewart came up from Auckland to Matakana in the steamer “Omana” they came along here in the cream lorry and staid here.

Friday 28th   It was a fine day.  Jim drove Mr Stewart over to Leigh in the morning.  Jean went to Almas in W. Dunnings car.  I took up 300 Onion plants for Mr Redwood .  I sowed seeds of Tomato Dolly’s variety and Burwood Prize.
There was community singing in the hall in the evening.  Mr Stewart was conductor and Mrs Laurence Whitaker (Alma) played the accompaniments , there was a good attendance, many came from Matakana in a lorry.  The collection was £1 . 14 . 6  –  after the singing there was a dance, the ladies provided an excellent supper – it was a very enjoyable evening and it was a beautiful moonlight night.  Mr & Mrs Stewart staid here.

Saturday 29th   It was a fine day.  I dug between the strawberries.  Mr & Mrs Stewart went home to Leigh this afternoon in the butchers lorry.  Revd Addenbrooke came here in the evening and staid the night.

Sunday 30th   It was a fine day.   Mr Addenbrooke left in the morning as he was planned to hold service at Leigh at 11 am.
The Revd N. O. White (Presbyterian) moderator from Helensville held service in the hall in the morning, during the service Mr Milligan was ordained Elder of the church,  Mr Milligan who had walked over from Leigh where he resides, he came here for dinner.  Mr White went back with Willie Dunning for dinner as he was going to hold service at Matakana in the afternoon.  Willie was going to take a party to Matakana for the service.

Monday 31st   It was a fine day.  I planted 2 rows of Shallots and prepared a trench for planting a row of cabbages.  Mr & Mrs Wallace were to come up by train to day to stay at Laurences.

The rainfall for August as recorded at Warkworth by the Postmaster totalled 6.16 inches , the maximum fall was on the 12th when 2.16 inches fell, rain fell on 16 days.