December 1927

Thursday 1st   It was a very fine day.   Mrs Wallace and Alma came to spend the day .  Laurence came in the car to take them home in the afternoon.  I beat down some ground.

Friday 2nd   It was a very fine day.  I dug a strip of ground below the row of peas.

Saturday 3rd   It was a very fine day.  There was a Cricket match at Warkworth between Omaha and local club.  Jim and Hector went in Tom Ashton’s lorry and Harry very kindly took Jane, Mildred and me in his car.  Warkworth batted first and made 106 runs.  Omaha made only 56.  Ted Brown made top score,  E. Wyatt,  J. Torkington and others made 0s.  The cricketers had dinner at Bridge House and they invited us to join them, but we had brought our lunch ,  I met many old friends.  We got back at 6 pm having enjoyed a pleasant day.

Sunday 4th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Roke held service in the morning,  Jane & Mildred went.  Ken Wallace had come from Auckland in his car, he nd the Wallaces & Whitakers had a picnic at Lews bay.  Jane & Jim joined them in the pm.  I went down to Pats in the evening.

Monday 5th   It was a very fine day.  I beat down the strip of ground below the peas.  By the mail I received a letter from my niece Margaret Clarke, also a letter from Mrs Brockbank, formerly Miss Lizzie Anderson who used to live at Leigh nearly 60 years ago.

Tuesday 6th   It was a very fine day.  I did a lot of watering in my garden .  Mr & Mrs Whitaker went to Auckland in the steamer from Leigh this morning.  Laddie to  [sic: drove]  them to Leigh in the car, he came to ask Hector to help him to day.  In the afternoon Mrs Joe Harper and Mrs Joe Greenwood came to call, and we had a talk of old times.

Wednesday 7th   It was fine in the morning, but the weather looked threatening, and about dinner time it came on a slight rain, but it did not last long and it did not go more than an inch in to the ground.
I sowed a row of Canadian Wonder beans next the peas.  In the afternoon Jean gave us a surprize by coming in, she had come to Leigh on the steamer, and Whitakers brought her here in their car.

Thursday 8th   It was fine, but weather threatening, slight showers in afternoon .  Jane and I sowed 2 double rows of Lima Beans.  Jim sent away 10 head of last years calves.

Friday 9th   It was a fine day.  Jim went to the stock sale at Warkworth, his ten animals were sold.  I put sticks to my seed onions.  I received this evening’s mail a letter from Elliott & Holden containing cheque for £9 . 10 . 0  for interest up to date, also Xmas number of Illustrated London News from my niece.

Saturday 10th   It was a fine day, but windy.  I went with Henry and Mabel in their car to Warkworth. I went to see Mr Wilson’s vegetable garden, and was very much pleased with it.  I had dinner there and then went down to the bowling green, it was their opening day and there was a big crowd there, including some visitors from Auckland,  I met a lot of old friends.  I went up to the Vicarage to call of the new Parson, Revd & Mrs Hart where I had afternoon tea, returned to the bowling green and started for home, arriving at 6.15.
Cricket.     Omaha journeyed to Port Albert to play a match with the local team, the visitors batted first and made 121 runs.  Chief scores.
Jim Wyatt 17,  J. Torkington 15,  E. Wyatt 15,  Pat Dunning 10.
Port Albert replied with 67.  A. Reid 28 runs.  J. Dunning took 6 wickets for 19 runs.
Omaha 2nd Innings made 190 for 3 wickets.  P. Dunning 118 runs not out,  T. Gravatt 35 runs,  F. Burton 19 runs not out.

Sunday 11th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I went down to Pats to have a yarn.  An Anglican service in the afternoon . Mr & Mrs Brown brought Revd & Mrs Hart in their car to hold service here.  There were about 40 present.  Collection 16/7d.
Mr & Mrs Bromley came in their car to see us, but as we were all at church they went home again.

Monday 12th   It was a fine day.  I dug cow  [manure]  in between the beans and tomatoes.

Tuesday 13th   It was a fine day.  I dug cow manure in between the tomatoes & the path.

Wednesday 14th   The weather still keeps dry, rain is very much wanted as the ground is very dry.  I went to see Mr Whitaker in the afternoon, as he has been very unwell and been under several doctor’s treatment.  He lent me some books.   Received a letter from Mr Birss.

Thursday 15th   There were slight showers but not sufficient to do much good .  Jim and Jane went to Warkworth with Harry and Mabel in their car.  Hector was working with Murray Birdsall cutting grass seed.  I planted a Tomato near the water cask.

Friday 16th   It was a fine day.  I was working in the garden loosening the ground between the crops, Hector filled the cask for me and I did a lot of watering.  It rained heavily in the evening, but it did not last long.

Saturday 17th   It was a fine day. but a cold wind blowing.  The rain that fell last night has not gone very deeply into the ground.
There was a Cricket match at Pakiri, Omaha  V  the local club, Harry Ashton & Mabel very kindly took Jane and me in their car, Mabel, Jane and I went to Harpers and had a look at their beautiful flower and vegetable garden ,  I had dinner there and afterwards went to call on Mr & Mrs Rennie.  Jane & Mabel had dinner at the Renny’s.
The ladies gave us a beautiful tea in the Public Hall.
Omaha Cricketers got a three point win, Pat making 81 runs.

Sunday 18th   It was a fine day, but windy.  Revd Rouprecht held service in the morning.  Col  10/4.  Revd & Mrs Rouprecht came here for dinner and had a look at the garden afterwards.
In the evening I went to Pats to hear the service in St Mary’s Cathedral through the wireless.  I could her very plainly.

Monday 19th   It was a very fine day.  Hector was working at Len Meiklejohns.  I was doing a lot of watering in the garden, was digging the upper side of the broad beans preparing the ground to plant dwarf beans.

Tuesday 20th   It was a very fine hot day.  Willie & Laurence went fishing in Harry A’s  boat, so Raymond came here to spend the day.
I finished digging the piece of ground next the broad beans.

Wednesday 21st   It was a very hot day.  Jim & Jane went in Tom Ashton’s lorry to Leigh to attend Mr Stewart’s sale of furniture &c as he has sold his place to a widow lady with two little boys.  I was working in the garden all day, I dug out a trench and put about ten tins of cow manure in, filled it partly in and spread ashes & B&B manure, and filled the trench in.  I received a letter in the evening  from my nephew Elliott Clarke.

Thursday 22nd   It was a very fine day.  Several slight showers, but not enough to do any good.  I sowed a long row of Canadian Wonder Beans.  Willie, Grace & Raymond came to stay with us Laurence brought them in his car.

Friday 23rd   It was a very fine day.  Jim & Willie went fishing in the afternoon, but they only caught 2 kawhai.  I stuck the Challenge & Homestead beans.  All in this house but me went in Tom Ashton’s lorry to the Xmas tree at Leigh, they report a big crowd there.

Saturday 24th   It was a very fine day, no sign of rain.  I stuck the other row of Homestead beans.

Sunday 25th   Christmas Day.   Weather fine.  We had a good Xmas dinner.  In the afternoon all of us went to Lew’s bay, there were several people camped there, also a crowed of people picnicing,  Willie, Grace & Ray went to Ti Point.

Monday 26th   It was a very fine day.  I started to pull up the sweet peas and to dig the ground which was very hard.  There was a picnic at Lew’s bay, all of us went, the Whitakers and Wallaces were there, Gordon and family were staying at his fathers, and Ken and family had come up for the day.  We had lunch and tea there.

Tuesday 27th   It was a fine day, but indications of a change of weather.  I finished digging where the sweet peas were, watered the ground and then dug it over and broke the lumps.
Jane stuck one of the rows of Lima beans and then watered most of the growing crops.  Jim dipped the water out of the pool and kept filling the cask.  Afterwards Hector cleared the mud out of the bottom of the pool .  Willie, Grace & Raymond returned here form Ti Point.

Wednesday 28th   There were several slight showers.  I stuck the other row of Lima Beans.  Willie, Grace & Ray left in Trevor’s car to go to Laurence and Almas.

Thursday 29th   Slight misty showers, but not heavy enough to do the garden much good.  I was digging over the piece of ground next the cabbages.

Friday 30th   It was a fine day.  I sowed a row of Butter Beans , Mabel gave me the seed.

Saturday 31st   It was a fine day.  I sowed another row of Butter Beans next the others.
Jim went to a Cricket match at Matakana, Married  V  Single.  Jane and the children went to the domain in the afternoon, some were playing bowls, some tennis.
Mr Birss & 13 boys came yesterday to camp at Ti Point, they were at the domain & the boys played cricket.

The rainfall for December 1927 as registered at the Warkworth Post Office was 1.08 inches.  The Total Rainfall for the year was 73.37 inches.