December 1925

Tuesday 1st   It rained last night which will freshen the garden.  It turned out a very fine day.  I started to take up the Daffodils.  I took up all those on the upper side of the path, the bulbs have increased greatly.
Jim was working on the road.

Wednesday 2nd   It was a fine day.  I finished taking up the Daffodil bulbs.  Jim was working on the road.
Miss Muriel Gravatt was married to Mr T. H. Walden   Storekeeper in the Leigh Anglican Church at 7.30 this evening.  Revd Addenbrooke being the officiating minister.  After the ceremony Mr & Mrs Gravatt held a reception in the Public Hall, crowds of people attended coming from distances.  Shollums orchestra supplied the music for dancing, Mr Stewart & Mr Dunbar contributed songs &c.  Supper was served at midnight.  Jim & Jane went, the children and I staid home.

Thursday 3rd   It was a fine day.  I did not do much in the garden.

Friday 4th   There was a heavy shower in the pm, also in the evening.
Mr Perks was here with drapery.

Saturday 5th   It was a fine day, a cold wind blowing .  There was a Cricket Match at Matakana between Northern  Wairoa and Rodney Association Clubs.  Pat, Eddie, & Jim represented Omaha Club.  Jim, Jane, Mildred and I drove over to watch the match.  We had a pic-nic with Harry Ashtons & Mrs W. Dunning.  Wairoa batted first and made 126 runs,  Rodney followed with 240 runs.  W. Dunning  90  retired,  P. Dunning 33,  Eddie 50.  The Wairoa cricketers came in a beautiful large motor bus, it took them nearly 12 hours coming to Matakana as they lost their way and only arrived at their destination at 4 oclock this morning.

Sunday 6th   It was a fine day ‘tho windy.  The Wairoa cricketers bus passed through here this morning on their way home, they came Warkworth way and were returning through Leigh, Pakiri & Whangaripo – by this way they would see the beauties of the sea on the East Coast of the Island.
Mr Evans was to have held service in the hall in the afternoon , but Jane was the only one who turned up .  I went down to Pats to change my Library books.  Hector went to the scout meeting at Ti Point school.

Monday 7th   It was a very fine day, but we want rain badly.  I went down to the Domain and cut 62 bean poles , tied them in 5 bundles and carried them to the Domain gate and Jim carried some home when he came from his work.  Jane was planting Kumera plants between the rows of potatoes.

Tuesday 8th   A fine day, dull in the morning, sunshine in the afternoon.  Jim carried home the remainder of the bean poles, and I sharpened the lot.  Alma Smith and a friend of hers (Miss Holmes) came to spend the day.  Jane continued planting Kumeras.  In the evening I planted out 13 Vanguard Cabbages.

Vanguard Cabbages planted

Sept         18th               15 plants
Oct              1st                14     ”
    ”               20th               16     ”
Dec              8th               13     ”

Wednesday 9th   It was a fine day.  No rain.  Badly wanted.  The steamer made a round trip to day.  As Jim was working on the road Jane sent the eggs by Pat to the store.  I sowed a double row of White Dutch Beans.
Dolly came to see my garden in the pm

Thursday 10th   It was fine in the morning, but we had slight rain in the afternoon, but not enough to do any good.  I wrote a long letter to my sister in law Mrs Henry Clarke of 20 Charleville Circus, Sydenham, London, also sent her an Auckland Weekly News.  These will be posted tomorrow.

Friday 11th   It was fine in the morning, but early in the afternoon it came on to rain and it kept on steadily all afternoon , a good deal of rain fell as the tank is running over.

Saturday 12th   The rain that fell yesterday has done a lot of good, it has sunk deep into the ground and freshened up all vegetation.  It was a fine day with the exception of a slight shower in the morning. There was a Cricket Match at Whangaripo between the local club and Omaha,  Ellis Jones lorry took the Omaha cricketers,  Jane went with them to see her old friends who live there.  Omaha won the match, Jim Wyatt making over 60.  In the afternoon I went down to Pats and picked the first lot of Peas from the 1st row I plated there.
3 rows were sown on 19 August, but being thinned out by birds.
I transplanted what were left to make 1 row on the 24th Sept and stuck them on 25th Sept.  Resowed the other 2 rows on 24th Sept.

Sunday 13th   It was a fine day.  Revd Addenbrooke held service and H. C in the hall in the morning.  There were present 3 men,  4 ladies  & 2 children,  Collection 5/10.
We had peas for dinner to day for the first time.  May Dunning came here in the evening.

Monday 14th   It was a fine day.  May Dunning went up to W. Dunning’s in the morning returning here in the evening.  I went down to Dolly in the afternoon to pick some peas and I weeded an onion bed for her.  I received a letter from Willie in the evening , they are coming down her by train this Christmas.  The steamer has altered her timetable , the Omaha trip is now on Monday instead of Wednesday as formally.  She made her first trip to day.

Tuesday 15th   It was a fine day.  After lunch May Dunning left here to walk to Leigh making calls on the way.  I did odd jobs in the garden. I picked some peas for the first time from this garden, these were sown on 19 Sept and stuck on 17th Oct.  First picking Dec 15th.

Wednesday 16th   It was a very fine day.  As I have most of the planting done, I have an easier time now, only watering and weeding. Jim was home to day, as his mate T. Ashton had to attend a Factory   meeting,  Mrs Stewart and her mother in law came in the morning in the cream lorry and Mr Stewart drove over after school and took them home in the evening.

Thursday 17th   It was a fine day.  I sowed a long row  (35 ft) with Canadian Wonder Beans.
There was a send off at Big Omaha this afternoon for Mrs Edgar Meiklejohn who has sold his place to Mr Wallace and is removing to Warkworth.  Jane drove Dolly over, there was a large company assembled, the gents played cricket and the ladies played tennis.  The ladies provided afternoon tea and Mr Redwood made the presentation.  I picked a few peas down at Pats and got some sand.
It came on a misty rain in the evening.

Friday 18th   It rained last night and early this morning.
I went over to Leigh with Wil Dunning.  I drew £12 out of the P. O. Savings Bank, called at Mr A. Dunnings, also at Mr Milligans, and had a look at his garden  – he has made great improvements.  I returned home by Willie arriving at 10 am.
By to night’s mail I received a pictorial calenday for next year also a History of Devonport from Mr Wallace.

Saturday 19th    It was a beautiful day.  There was a Cricket Match at Matakana between the local club and Omaha,  Matakana had an easy win.  Jim drove Jean over & Jane & Mildred went in Harry Ashton’s new car.  Hector went over to Leigh to a scout meeting and the scouts were entertained to dinner at the pah.
I staid at home and worked in the garden,  I manured all my Tomatoes and dug round them.

Sunday 20th   It was a fine day.  Revd  Rouprecht held service in the hall in the evening, there were only 15 present.  I did not go as I was not very well.  The Parson went to Birdsalls for dinner.  Jean & Hector went to Sunday school at Leigh,  Jean came home for dinner, Hector staid for scout meeting in the afternoon.

Monday 21st   It was a fine day.  I wrote a letter to Mr Wallace thanking him for the Calendar and History of Devonport he sent me, In the evening by post I received a nice shirt from Willie & Grace.  I started to bag up the Daffodil bulbs.

Tuesday 22nd   It was a fine day.  I finished bagging up the Daffodil bulbs.  I stuck the long row of White Dutch Beans.

Wednesday 23rd   It was a fine day.  I sent by Pat a bag of vegetables to Mrs Gravatt containing 2 Vanguard Cabbages  and a lot of Peas.  I broke the handle of my spade that Joe T gave me, so Jim put a handle in the grafting tool

Thursday 24th   There was a misty rain in the morning, but it cleared and turned out a fine day.  There was a Xmas tree at Leigh in the evening.  Jim, Jane & the children went to it.  I cut my big Vanguard Cabbage, it weighed 17 lb.  I sent it over and it was raffled for and it made 7/6.  Roddie Matheson won it.  I staid at home.  By tonight’s mail I got several Xmas cards and a letter from Grace sending me a present of a nice black striped shirt.

Friday 25th   Christmas Day.  Weather fine.  We had a good Xmas dinner , Roast mutton , mint sauce, new potatoes, plenty of peas and fruit salad.  In the afternoon all of us went down to the Domain, the men were playing bowls, the ladies tennis.  The Whitaker family had a pic nic, we had tea with them.

Saturday 26th   Boxing Day.  Weather fine.  There was a Tennis Tournament at Leigh.  Jim, Jane and Mildred went over to it.  Hector, Jean & I staid at home.
I planted a double row of Homestead Beans part of the row next the calf paddock was sown with extra special seed.

Sunday 27th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Milligan held service in the hall in the morning and gave a very good Xmas service, but unfortunately being deaf I could not hear it,  there was a very good congregation  including 8 Girl Guides under the Captain Miss Burgen, the remainder of the girls are coming tomorrow in the Steamer, they are camped on Lew Meiklejohn’s flat  near the beach.

Monday 28th   It was a very fine day.  The Tennis Tournament at Leigh was continued and  finished today.  Jim, Jane & Mildred drove over to it.  Hector, Jean and I stayed at home,  I prepared some ground and planted 5 Zinnias and 10 Phlox.

Tuesday 29th   A fine day.  Rain very much wanted, everything very dry.  Hector dipped me up a lot of water & I gave the Peerless Peas a good watering.

Wednesday 30th   It was a fine day.  Mildred’s 6th birthday.

Thursday 31st   It was a fine day.  Jim was helping Pat  [put]  up a tent at the Domain for Jack for the sports tomorrow.  The weather looked threatening to night.

Rainfall for December recorded at Warkworth was 1.36 inches.
Rain fell on 11 days, maximus fall on the 11th.