Friday 1st A very disagreable day, driving showers and strong SW wind. The usual New Years Sports were held in the Domain, and was largely attended despite the weather, but most people had overcoats on. J. C. Wyatt came up to see me in the morning and had a look at my garden and he and I went down to the Domain together and he had lunch with us. Jane had lunch & tea on the ground, joining Mabel and Harry and all the Mills crowd , also the Whitakers for tea. I was pleased to meet a lot of old friends I usually meet once a year . There were several old residents present who were visiting in the district. Jim, Jane, Hector & Jean staid for the dance in the evening, and May Dunning came home with them to stay.
Saturday 2nd There were a few showers in the morning, but it soon cleared up and was a very fine day. Strong wind blowing like yesterday. I took Dolly a cauliflower in the afternoon. A few men were playing Cricket and a few were playing bowls.
Sunday 3rd It was a very fine day. Revd Parsons held service in the hall in the afternoon, there were about 60 present including 32 Guide Girls. The parson came here for tea.
Monday 4th It was a very fine day. Jim went to work on the road today, first time after the holidays. Hector dipped me up a lot of water to give the Peerless Peas a good soaking. He afterwards took the eggs to the store. Jean went to Alma’s for her music lesson.
Mr Birss with about a doz scout & choir boys came up in the steamer to day to camp at Ti Point.
Tuesday 5th It was a very hot day. I dipped out all the water in the pool and cleared out the mud.
Mr Perks (the hawker) called & Jane bought a few articles.
Wednesday 6th It was a fine day. I wrote a long letter to Henry, also one to Revd Addenbrooke, also posted a Weekly News to my sister in law in England. Mabel, and Lizzie & Bella Mills came to spend the pm. I gave Mabel the correspondence to post.
Sent a Cabbage by Pat to Mrs Arc Dunning. Also a Cauliflower & 4 Phlox plants by the butcher to Alma Whitaker.
Thursday 7th It was a fine day. Jane went round to the store in the cream lorry and afterward she went to Whitakers where she had dinner, so that Hector and I were the only ones home for lunch. All the work in the garden now is to keep the plants watered and I am fortunate in having a good supply.
Laddie Whitaker came in the evening to give me information about the sports on new years day, so in the evening I wrote a report of them to the Rodney Times . Also wrote to Elliott & Holden.
Picked the first Peerless Peas , they were sown 15th Oct. In the evening Jim, Jane and Hector went round to Lew’s bay where the Redwoods are camping.
Friday 8th It was a fine day. After breakfast I went down to meet Will Dunning to give him my letter to post. Met Mr Birss and his 8 scout boys going to the store. Ike Mills came to see my garden. There was a cricket match at the domain in the pm between the Girl Guides & Mr Birss’ boys, the latter won. Mr Birss came up here in the afternoon and we had a good chat. Jane gave him afternoon tea, he had a look at my garden and I gave him a couple of cabbages.
Saturday 9th There was a misty rain in the morning , but it cleared up later on and turned out a fine day. There was a Cricket match at the Domain, Omaha V Port Albert, the visiting team came in several cars bringing ladies with them, they were all entertained to lunch and tea by the local ladies.
Port Albert batted first and made 157 runs, F. Reed making 53 and P. Treadwell 55. Omaha then went in and made 132 runs , highest scores A. R. Dunning 89, T. Gravatt14, J. C. E. Wyatt 10, so that Port Albert won by 25 runs.
Sunday 10th It was a fine day, but misty rain in the afternoon, but not enough to do any good. Mr Birss conducted service in the hall in the morning, there were about 55 present including 33 Girl Guides and 8 of the Mr Birss boys. It came on to rain in the evening and rained steadily for some time.
Monday 11th My son Jack’s birthday. It rained last night and nearly all this morning which was much wanted and which will do a great deal of good. I wrote a report of the Cricket match on Saturday for the Rodney Times. Also a long letter to my son Willie. Jim who rode to Leigh this morning will post these letters, he also will get P. Order for a year’s sub to the Weekly News.
Tuesday 12th It was a fine day. Laddie Whitaker came to cut the cockfoot seed. He had a look at my garden. The Girl Guides left by the “Kawau” this morning. Jim was working on the road.
Wednesday 13th It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers. I pulled up the sticks of the stratagem peas. I put sticks to the Homestead Beans, these were planted on the 26th December.
I sent a Vanguard Cabbage to Mrs A. Dunning by Pat, it weighed 20 lbs. The seed was sown on the 17th June, planted out 18th Sept.
Thursday 14th It was a fine day. I was tired with the work I did yesterday so I took it easy.
Friday 15th It was a fine day. I cut two cabbages for Will Dunning and went in his car to Whitakers corner, called at Whitakers, but found no one at home, left some peas for them and went to Birdsalls, only Mrs Birdsall was at home, she made me a cup of tea, and I returned to Whitakers where I had dinner. Laurence was there helping them carting in hay.
Saturday 16th It was a fine day with the exception of a few slight showers, but it was raining elsewhere. There was a Cricket match on the Domain. Whangaripo V Omaha. Omaha batted first and made 286 runs. P. Dunning 44, E. Wyatt 104, J. Wyatt 38, T. Gravatt 24, Redwood 19, J. Dunning 17, T. Ashton 14.
Bowling An’ N. Vipond 0 w for 79. W. Armour 6 w for 119. L. Came 1 for 60. Woods 3 for 19.
Whangaripo. At 4 pm 8 w down for 134. Therefore a drawn game.
Kenealey 55. W. Came 28. N. Vipond 20. Bowling analysis. J. Dunning 2 for 35. P. Dunning 5 for 31. Burton 0 for 31. J. Wyatt 1 for 17.
Sunday 17th It was a fine day. Revd Rouprecht held service in the hall in the morning, there was a good congregation, Mr Birss and his 8 boys were present, one of the boys played for the hymns. After the service Mr Birss presented a beautiful Prayer Book and Hymnal to the Anglican congregation. I returned thanks. I went down to Pats in the evening to change my Library books.
Monday 18th It was fine and warm in the morning , but the afternoon was dull, thundering and looked like rain.
I sowed a long row of Canadian Beans.
Tuesday 19th It rained heavily in the morning, but cleared up and turned out a fine day. Laddie Whitaker brought a cart & carted home the cocksfoot he had cut here. I started trenching the piece of ground that was in stratagem peas.
Wednesday 20th It thundered, lightened and rained heavily during the night and early this morning. Jane & I went to Laurence’s in the butchers lorry. Mr & Mrs Wallace had come on a visit yesterday, they came by train to Kaipara Flats, and from there in Gubb’s buss to Laurence’s gate. Mr & Mrs Whitaker and Laddie were spending the day at Laurences so we were a large party, Bob was late in getting back with the lorry, so Jane and I did not get back until nearly 8 oclock.
Thursday 21st It was a fine day. I finished trenching the piece of ground I started on Tuesday.
Friday 22nd It was a thorough wet day and a gale of wind blowing. Nothing doing outside beside milking the cows and getting a bit of firewood. I shelled broad beans and peas & put them away.
Saturday 23rd The rain is all over and it has done a lot of good, but the wind has done damage to my garden by blowing over the staked runner beans. It proved a beautiful day. Mr & Mrs Wallace, Alma and Laurence came to see my garden, they had come to see the cricket match . It was between Omaha and Matakana, Matakana batted first and made 102 runs, chief scorers. E. Campbell 24.
Chitty 20. J. Matthew 13. W. Dunning 12. Omaha replied with 113. Chief scores E. Wyatt 38. J.Wyatt 18. T Gravatt 17. Thus Omaha won by 11 runs.
Sunday 24th It was a very fine day. Mr Milligan held service in the hall in the morning. Jane & Hector went. Eddie, Ivy & their three boys came to spend the day in Eddie’s new motor lorry, Arthur Torkington came with them to teach Eddie how to drive.
I went down to Pats in the evening to change Library book and to have a yarn.
Monday 25th It was a very fine day. Jane went to spend the day at Laurences, to see the Wallaces as they are going to the Helensville baths tomorrow. I was mending up the fence near the walnut tree.
Tuesday 26th It was a fine day. Hector went into camp with Mr Milligan’s boy scouts at L. Meiklejohn’s beach. Ellis Dyer and Mr & Mrs Finlayson called in the pm.
Wednesday 27th It was a fine day. Mr & Mrs Stewart came to spend the day, they came and returned home in the cream lorry.
Thursday 28th It was a fine day. I was watering and weeding in the garden.
Friday 29th Auckland Anniversary, and general holiday, and a very hot day. There was Cricket Match at Matakana between the Associations of Whangarei and Rodney. Harry Ashton kindly took Jane and I in his car, there were a great number of onlookers, and I met a lot of old friends, there were many picnics under the shade of trees.
Rodney batted first and made 339 runs. Scores as follows.
P. Dunning 112, E. Wyatt 2, W. Dunning 96, Geo Smith 37,
E. Munford 10, J. Matthew 35, A. Pickering 4, N. Vipond 2,
E. Y. Campbell 34 retired, L. Came 7, Bell 0
Whangarei replied with 152 runs
Thus Rodney had an easy victory.
Jim and Tom Ashton were working on the road.
Saturday 30th It was a fine day. I got some bean sticks in the afternoon.
Sunday 31st The Evans was planned to hold service in the hall in the afternoon, but it was a showery day and no one turned out. Spent a quiet day reading
The rainfall for January as recorded at the P.O Warkworth was 7.29 inches. Rain fell on 16 days, the maximum fall being on the 22nd when 1.78 in was recorded.