February 1925

Sunday 1st   It was a very fine day.  No service so I spent a quiet day reading.  Wrote a report of the Cricket match yesterday for the Rodney Times and sent it by Revd Ruprecht who was returning to Warkworth in the afternoon.
Alf Dunning while climbing a Jargonell pear tree fell to the ground and broke his right arm.
I was down at Pats in the evening .  They took Alf to the Matakana Dr in Mr Dunnings car, so I saw them as they returned from Matakana, the Dr said it was a bad break in two places below the elbow.

Monday 2nd   It rained a lot last night and this morning.  I sent
A. Dunning Jnr in Auckland 2 Rodney Times containing reports of Omaha Cricket matches.  Also wrote a letter to Willie.
Mr stewart called just as we sat down to dinner, he had a look at my garden, he and his wife have just returned from their holiday which they have spent at Lyllenton    [sic:  Lyttelton ?]   where his parent live.  In the afternoon I commenced to trench the piece of ground that was in peas.

Tuesday 3rd   There were showers in the morning , the afternoon was fine.  I finished trenching the piece of ground I started yesterday.  I cleaned out the water hole, planted out some Red Beet.  Received a letter from Mr Wallace.

Wednesday 4th   It was a showery day.  I sowed some Lettuce seed in a box, also Radish in the border near the tub.  My back was bad so I staid in the house to rest it.

Thursday 5th  It rained last night and early in the morning, the remainder of the morning was fine.
It came on a misty rain about 2 pm.
I sowed 3 rows of Canadian Wonder Beans  where the peas grew.

Friday 6th   It was a fine day.  My back was pretty bad so I did not do much in the garden.

Saturday 7th   It was fine in the morning, but there was a pretty heavy shower in the afternoon.  I dug manure in trenches each side of the last row [?] Peas.  Finished weeding amongst the flowers.  Burnt the rubbish heap and started digging round the Choco.  Jane & Jim drove to Leigh in the evening to attend the Circus that is travelling round.

Sunday 8th   It was a very fine day.  Revd Addenbrooke held service in the hall in the pm,  4 pesons present, Collection 4/-

Monday 9th   It was a very fine day.  I took up the Paper White Narcissus bulbs. Continued digging round the Choko and up to the path.  Dug a strip next to the Cabbages..

Tuesday 10th   It was a very fine day.  When I was in the garden in the morning, Ted Brown came to ask me to read the burial service over Harvey Brown who died in the Auckland hospital last Saturday and was brought to Leigh in a launch last night.   Harvey Brown was a son of the late Willie Brown, he fourt  [sic: fought]  in the late war,  was gassed which turned to consumption.  Jim drove me over to Leigh in the afternoon, and the maories brought a boat to take across to the Pah.  The burial was in the beautiful maori cemetery.  Jim & I had tea at  Mr A. Dunnings,  I was shown their new house and garden.  We drove home in the evening.

Wednesday 11th   It was a very fine day.  I was preparing a strip of ground for planting.  In the afternoon I went down to Pat’s place to do some weeding, brought home the 2 Tomatoes that they had saved for me.

Thursday 12th   It was a very fine day.  Jim went to a Stock Sale at Warkworth.  I sowed a long row of White Dutch Beans.  Stuck the row of Stratagem Peas sown on the 13th Jany.  Dolly & Ina were here for dinner.

Friday 13th   It was a fine day.  I was not feeling very well so did not do much in the garden .  Did some watering , the beans I sowed on Feby 5th are just coming out of the ground.  Jim went to a meeting at Leigh in the evening to consider the advisability canceling the Omaha & Pakiri Show on account of the infantile paralysis scare. And it was decided to do so.

Saturday 14th   It was a fine day.  The Warkworth Show was held today.  Some of the cricketers were practicing in the Domain in the afternoon.  In the afternoon I went down to do some weeding for Dolly.  Mrs J. Greenwood returned from Warkworth Show in Mr D. Knaggs car where she had acted as judge, she reported that it was very poorly attended.  It rained in the evening.

Sunday 15th   It rained steadily all night and there was a misty rain when we got up.  Revd Rouprecht came over to have service in the morning , but no one turned up, he went away.  In the afternoon Jim Wyatt, Elva and Miss Magill drove over, they had a look at the garden and staid for tea.
We had for dinner a fine lot of Canadian Wonder Beans planted on the 18th Decr,  just over 8 weeks.

Monday 16th   There was a misty rain in the morning and heavy showers in the afternoon .  I wrote a long letter to my son Henry , also to Charlina and Jean posted them in the afternoon.

Tuesday 17th   It was a fine day.  I dug up a strip next to the white dutch beans ready to plant something in.
In the afternoon we got a surprize, Mrs Wallace & Alma came in quite unexpectedly, they and Mr Wallace had come by train to Kaipara Flats, to Warkworth by coach, and by car to here.  Mr Wallace staid at Mr Joe Smith’s at Matakana.

Wednesday 18th   It was a fine day.  Jim took the eggs round to the store in the afternoon and Mr Wallace came back with him. Laurence Whitaker came in the evening bringing a case of Bon Chretien pears.  Alma went away with him to stay at Whitakers.

Thursday 19th   There was a heavy shower last night, but it was fine today.  I made out a Bank withdrawal slip & gave it to W. Dunning who was passing with the mail to post.  Mr & Mrs Wallace and Jane went to spend the day at Whitakers.

Friday 20th   It was fine during the day, but rained late in the afternoon.  I planted a big clump of Paper White Narcissus, also sowed a short row of Red Beet.  There was a cricket match at Warkworth.    Manganui   [NE of Kaitaia]  cricketers had challenged Rodney  for the possession of the Walker Shield which Rodney now hold.  Jim, Jane & Mr & Mrs Wallace went to Warkworth in Jack’s car to witness the match after lunch on the ground.   Mr & Mrs W  went by motor buss to Kaipara Flats on route to Helensville where they often stay for the sake of the baths.
                                 Manganui  V  Rodney
Manganui batted first and knocked up    129 runs
                    White making 44
Rodney                          followed with                139
Chief scores           P. Dunning      28             Kenealy       19
                                      J. Matthew      19        Jim Wyatt       17
                                      W. Dunning     17          N. Vipond     17
                                      E.  Brown             8       A. Rickering      2
                                      E.  Wyatt              1             Mumford     0
                                      Bell                         0

Saturday 21st    It was a fine day.  I weeded the carrots in the afternoon, I went down to weed Pats garden.
In the afternoon Jim drove Jane & Jean & Mildred over to Big Omaha to see Laurence W’s new house which is building.  Jim went on to Matakana to witness a Tennis match between Omaha & Matakana, the former won.  Minnie called here in the morning looked at my garden, had dinner here.

Sunday 22nd   It rained last night and early this morning.  There was no church here today.  It cleared up and was very fine in the afternoon.  I took my library books down to Pats in the afternoon and borrowed a book from him to read.

Monday 23rd   It was a fine day.  In the morning I sowed seeds of Cauliflower in a box .  In the afternoon I went down to Pats to do some weeding, while I was down there Jean came to tell me that Mr & Mrs Bromley had called to see me, so I had to leave my work and come home.  I was very pleased to see them as they came from my old English home (Leicester).
In the evening I picked for the first time Homestead Beans, they were sown on 12th  Dec.

Tuesday 24th   It was a very fine day.  I sowed seeds of cabbage Lettuce in a box.  Alma Wallace who is staying at Whitakers came to spend the day, Laurence came to take her back there in the evening. In the afternoon I was weeding down at Dollys,  Mrs Evans and her sister called there, Mrs E.  had her twin babies who are only two months old , they are very fine children,  Alma Smith came in the evening to get me to witness her signature.

Wednesday 25th   It was a fine day.  I sowed seeds of Enfield Market Cabbage in a box.  I picked a lot of beans, apple cucumbers & beet, put them in a bag and Jean took them down to ask Bob Wyatt to take them to Mrs Gravatt, however Mrs G was on the lorry going to Jack’s store.  Mrs Stewart & Miss Ross came up with Jean having come from Leigh in Bob’s lorry .  I was weeding down at Dollys in the afternoon.

Thursday 26th   It was a very fine day.  I was weeding down at Dollys in the afternoon.

Friday 27th   It was a fine day.  I planted 3 clumps of Dwarf Pink Gladioli.  In the afternoon I was weeding down at Dollys.  Pat got £10 . 10 . 0   P. O Bank at Leigh for me, also changed my Library Books.

Saturday 28th   It was a fine day.  Matakana cricketers should have come to play a match here today against Omaha, but Harry Ashton came before we were up to tell Jim that the match was off.  I planted a clump of Dwarf Pink Gladioli, also of Sparaxis.