January 1915

Friday 1st   It was a beautiful day. George Davey returned from Ti Point early this morning and all of us went to the Claim for the Annual picnic, some of us drove and the others walked, we all had lunch and tea with Jim & Jane, we were a large party.  We spent a very enjoyable day and got home about 9 pm.

Saturday 2nd    It was a very fine day.  Willie was spraying in the morning and in the afternoon he went fishing to Ti Point and came home late at night with a few fish.
In the afternoon I went down to the Hall to straighten up for the service tomorrow.

Sunday 3rd   It was a fine day. In the morning I walked part of the way and Charlie Dunning gave me a lift in the cream cart to the Claim.   Revd Macdonald held service in the Hall. There were only 9 present.   Minnie & I went back with Jane to dinner, and in the afternoon Minnie & I walked across the creek to Ti Point, I went up to Harolds where Willie, Grace & Mrs Simpson were spending the day, we all drove home and after tea we went down to the Hall.
Revd Macdonald conducted service.  There was a good congregation and very good singing.  Collection 12/-

Monday 4th   It was a fine day.  I got firewood and the remainder of the day Mrs Simpson & I were picking Burbank Plums, there were 14 Cases picked.   Late in the afternoon I went down to the Steamer and got the mail.

Tuesday 5th   It was fine in the morning  ‘tho dull, wind NW.
After breakfast I went down to the village to post the Garden to Mrs Grindrod and to do some other business.  Got firewood.   George Davey returned from Ti Point bringing some fish that they caught in a net.  It came on to rain about 3.30 pm and rained heavily for about half an hour.  We caught a lot of water in tins.  Willie came home from work at 4 pm on account of the rain.

Wednesday 6th   It was a very hot day. George Davey & I were picking Burbank plums both morning and afternoon.  There were 18 Cases picked altogether.  In the afternoon I went down to the village to get the mail.

Thursday 7th   It was a very hot day. Mr Torkington was here for dinner, he came to fetch Harold’s library books.  Willie hauled the 18 Cases of Burbanks down to the wharf before breakfast.  In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.

Friday 8th   It was a very hot day.  I was making up the accounts of the Library and Ernest Wyatt audited them in the evening.  Grace went down to the Tennis in the afternoon & I went down to the Steamer in the evening and got the mail.  Willie, Mrs Simpson & George Davey drove over to Ti Point after an early lunch.

Saturday 9th   It was a very hot day. Willie was spraying in the morning and in the afternoon he walked over to Ti Point an hauled up 4 Sacks of fowl feed.  In the morning I went over to Jim Greenwoods and had lunch there.  In the afternoon I took some flowers down to the wharf to give to Miss Ellis to take up to Mr Grindrod.  Willie Pratt, & and his wife also went back to Auckland in the Steamer, Horace is my grandson and was married a few weeks ago.  Harold Torkington drove Mrs Simpson over here in the pm.  There was a Tennis match at Pakiri this afternoon between Pakiri & Leigh.

Sunday 10th    It was a very fine day.  It rained last night but it had cleared up by 4 am.  I got up then and watered the flower garden with the water that was caught at the back of the house.
In the afternoon I went down to the Hall, Revd Spiers (Methodist) conducted service and he preached a splendid sermon.

Monday 11th   It was a very hot day.  In the morning Mrs Simpson & I picked Burbank Plums.  In the afternoon I walked over to Ti Point to see the arrival of the Scout Boys, they came in the “Weka”.   There were 60 boys, Mr Rollinson, Mr Birss , Captain Rust (scoutmaster) & another man.  They are camping on Ti Point.
Jane & Jim were pic nicking on Lloyd’s point with some other people & I had tea with them.   Walked home after tea and was in time to mark the fruit cases for Willie.

Tuesday 12th    There was a slight rain this morning but I did not catch much water.   Willie hauled the fruit 31 cases of Burbanks down to the wharf before breakfast.
After breakfast I went down to the P.O to get the mail.  George Davey came in from Ti Point while we were at lunch.  The remainder of the day I took it easy.

Wednesday 13th   It was fine in the morning.  Willie staid at home & he, George & I were picking fruit, we picked Burbanks, Jargonell Pears & Diamond plums.   In the afternoon I went down to the Steamer.  Revd & Mrs Kimberley & four girls were on board bound for Ti Point to join the Scouts party there.
The weather looked very threatening & black and as I was coming home it started to rain and after I got home it poured and we caught a lot of water.

Thursday 14th   The rain we had last evening has done a great deal of good and has sunk a good depth into the ground.  George went to Ti Point.  Mrs Simpson & Grace went to see Mrs Wm Dunning & Mrs Jas Greenwood.
In the evening I went down for the mail and attended the Library.
There was a meeting of the Show Committee.

Friday 15th   It was a fine day, wind blowing from SW and rather cold.  I was working in the flower garden.  Mrs Glass & Mrs Spedding & children called in the afternoon and we all went down to meet the steamer, Gertie (George’s wife) came up to stay with us.

Saturday 16th    It was a fine day but very blowey.   Willie drove Mrs Simpson, Grace & Gertie over to the Claim to play tennis and afterwards he & George went fishing to Ti Point.
In the morning I went down to the village to post a letter, also to the Steamer to say good bye to Mrs Spedding & family who  were returning to Auckland.   After I came home Mr Addison Senr  came for me to witness his signature.
In the afternoon I dug the piece of ground below the closet.

Sunday 17th   It was dull in the morning but it turned out a fine day. Mr Ramsay Jnr  son of the Postmaster at Warkworth (Presbyterian) held service in the Hall in the morning, I attended.   In the evening there was a Church parade in the Hall, the service was conducted by the Revd  O. J. Kimberley. Mr G. Rollison read the lessons & Mr Birss  read the latter part of the prayers, and Mr Kimberley preached a very good sermon, there were nearly 60 scouts present and also a large number of the general public, the Collection £1 . 2 . 4 ½ was given to the Foreign Missions.  All in this house attended.

Monday 18th   A very fine day.   After breakfast I walked up the hill to Dan Kempts to get him to sign the Library Declaration applying for a share in the Library subsidy.  I called at Arthur Greenwoods and had lunch there, after I returned home I picked 4 cases of Diamond plums, later in the afternoon I went down to the Steamer to meet Ken & Tillie who came up by her to stay with us and Jane.

Tuesday 19th   It was a very fine day.  George & Gertie walked over to Ti Point.  Willie hauled a load of fruit down to the wharf before he went to work.  In the afternoon Ken, Tillie & I went to Willie Dunnings to have a look at his orchard, they were picking.  In the evening we went down to Archie Dunnings.  Mr Dunning paid over to me the sum of £5, being the balance in his hands of money for the rent of the Public Hall.

Wednesday 20th   It was a fine day.  Willie staid at home and he, Ken & I were picking fruit, Jargonel Pears, Burbanks & October Purple plums.  Willie hauled them down to the wharf in the evening and he hauled up 2 bags of flour,  3 do Sugar,  Case of Kerosene &  a box of groceries that came by the steamer to day.  I was down to the steamer in the afternoon and got the mail.

Thursday 21st    It was a fine day. Ken and Tillie walked over to the Claim to stop at Jim & Janes, I sent their hamper by the mail carrier. George Davey got a wire from his brother Fred asking him to come back to Dargaville this week, so he and Mrs Simpson left by the Kawau to day, Grace, Gertie & I went to see her off.  The Scouts and all their party also returned to Auckland in the “Kawau”.
In the afternoon I went to Mrs G. Knaggs to make her will, had tea there and then I went down for the mail and attended the Library. The Annual Meeting of subscribers was held.  The old Trustees were re-elected, A. L. Greenwood was elected Chairman and I was elected Secretary, Treasurer & Librarian.

Friday 22nd   It was a very hot day.  I cut up a lot of firewood and did several odd jobs, but it was too hot to do much outside.
In the evening I went down to the village to get the mail that came by the steamer at 7.30pm.

Saturday 23rd    It rained a little early in the morning, but not enough to do any good, as it soon dried up and turned out a very fine day.
Ken & Tillie came here from Jims and had lunch here, Jane, Jim & the children also came over but they called in at old Mrs Dunnings.
Willie took Ken & Tillie a drive up the hill in the afternoon.
There was a Tennis Match on this court between Leigh & Dacres Clubs.  Leigh won all the events but one.  They had tea in the Hall and a dance in the evening.  All of us went, but Ken, Tillie, Jane, the children & I came home early.

Sunday 24th   It was a very hot day. Ken, Tillie, Jane & the children returned to the Claim in the morning.  Willie, Grace & Gertie went a drive to the Goat Island beach.
Revd Spiers held service in the afternoon.  There was a good congregation.
I went up to Jas Greenwoods for tea.  While I was there Alf Greenwood came in and told us that a drowning accident had occurred this afternoon on the Pakiri beach, the victim being Alice Came eldest daughter of Matthew Came of Whangaripo, who had been bathing.  Her body was floating about in the sea some distance from the rocks and Alf Greenwood who was passing on the beach, divested himself of his clothing and plunged in and rescued the body but life was extinct.

Monday 25th   It was a very fine day. Duncan Knaggs came in the morning for me to witness his signature.  I dug all the Daffodils in the diamond bed, put them in paper bags and stored them in the dairy under the house.  In the evening I helped Willie pick 7 cases of October Purple plums.

Tuesday 26th    It was a very fine day. After breakfast I went down for the mail, I received a letter from my brother Henry in England, he informed me that my brother Chris has died last November thus leaving Henry & I the only two remaining of a very large family.
There was a picnic at Lloyd’s point today, Grace & Gertie went over to be present and staid the night.  I staid at home and did odd jobs.

Wednesday 27th    It was a very hot day.  Grace returned home from Ti Point in the morning & Gertie returned home in the evening.
I was helping Willie pick fruit and Willie hauled it down to the Steamer in the afternoon.  Ken & Tillie who have been staying with Jim & Jane were on the Steamer returning home.  Dr Morrison attended at Harper’s today & I went down and consulted him.
I wrote a letter to my son Jack and I posted it this afternoon.

Thursday 28th   It was a very hot day.  I was picking in flower seeds, cleaning it and putting it up in packets.  Early in the afternoon I went down to get the mail as the steamer had just arrived from Auckland, she brought the Weekly news.  I also went down in the evening for the overland mail and to attend the Library.

Friday 29th   I woke up at 1.20 am and found it was raining and it was raining when we got up and it rained all day and also evening.
I caught a lot of water, I filled the bath tub and carried a lot into the garden, several inches must have fallen.  We could do nothing out of doors, so I mended my clothes.

Saturday 30th    It was a fine day.  The rain we had yesterday has done a great deal of good and has moistened the ground to a good depth where the ground has been worked fine. It must have rained for nearly 24 hours.
In the morning I was planting out young plants in a bed next the rhubarb, viz 28 Antirrhinums,  16 Wallflower,  3 Verbena &
1 Heliatrope.  In the afternoon I was working in the flower garden tidying up.  In the evening I went to Mrs Gravatts to take back some music.   Called in at the Library to get a book.
After an early lunch Willie, Grace and Gertie drove over to the Claim, there was a Tennis Match between the 2nd grade players of the Claim & Leigh clubs, the Claim won easily.  Willie got home about 10 pm, Grace and Gertie went to Ti Point to stay the night.

Sunday 31st   It was a very fine day.  In the morning I walked as far as Ti Point school and then Charlie Dunning gave me a lift in the cream cart to Jims.  Revd  R. A. Macdonald held service in the Claim Hall in the morning Jane & I attended, there were only 10 present, Minnie, who was present, & I returned with Jane & dined there & I also had an early tea there and afterwards walked home.   Mr Macdonald held service in this hall in the evening, all of us attended, there was a good congregation, collection 10/S  – 11/S