January 1919

Wednesday 1st   Wind blowing strong from SW and several showers.  Willie, Grace, Mrs Entwhisle and the children drove over to the Claim to the annual New Years picnic, returning early in the evening,  Mrs Entwhisle & Jessie remained over there with Jane. Mrs Simpson & I staid at home.  I finished digging the piece I was at,  I made a manure heap in the garden & planted some Portulaca in the punga in the round bed and some in the long bed.

Thursday 2nd   It rained last night and there were a few slight showers in the morning, but the afternoon was very fine although very windy.  After breakfast I went down to the village to post some letters and in the evening I went down again to get the overland mail.  Willie was staking and lying up the Tomatoes above the WC.
I dug up the triangle bed near the long bed,  it has not been dug for years, and I dug out a lot of bulbs of Paper White Narcissus and Daffodils, the kerbing is very delapidated and requires renewing.
Ivy came in the afternoon and staid for tea & Eddie Wyatt came in the evening to fetch her home.

Friday 3rd   It was a very fine day and calm for a wonder.  Ernest Wyatt was taking in and stacking his oaten hay, he has been interrupted in doing so by the late showery weather.
Grace took the sulky over to the Claim and brought back Mrs Entwisle & Jessie who have been staying at Janes since new years day.
Willie was picking plums to send away tomorrow.  I was preparing kerbing for the triangle bed.

Saturday 4th   It was a very fine day.   Ernest Wyatt finished taking in his Oaten hay.  Mrs Entwisle & Jessie returned to Auckland in the “Kawau“.  Willie carted his fruit, eggs & butter down to the wharf and brought up 1 sack of wheat.  Grace drove to the Claim to a cricket match taking Freda Tucker with her, & Mrs Simpson as far as Ti Point school as she is going to Harold Torkingtons.  The Cricket match at the Claim is between the boys & the girls, the boys to use broom handles for bats and only to catch with the left hand.
Willie brought in all the danthonia he has cut and put it into the shed.
I took some flowers down to the Church in the pm.

Sunday 5th   It was a very fine day, although it rained in the early morning and overflowed our tank.  I conducted service in the Church in the afternoon, number present 32.  Collection 12/-

Monday 6th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was spraying his trees with asenic of lead.  I prepared kerbing and finished fixing it round the triangle bed.  In the evening I called at Arthur Greenwoods to get the keys of the Library then went to A. Dunning and spent a very pleasant evening, we were playing 500.  Charlie Young was there, I did not get home until 1 am.

Tuesday 7th   It was a very fine day.  Willie was digging out potatoes in the new garden .  I picked all the seed pods off the Peerless Peas, pulled up the plants & sticks, manured a trench next the silver beet and planted out 31 lettuce plants  My head became very bad so I went and lay down.  Mr H. B. Moore & Revd Gould called in the afternoon and partook of afternoon tea, they held a meeting in the Library in the evening to appoint a working committee to get people on the Electoral Roll and induce people to vote for National Prohibition, at the Licensing Election which is to be held next April, the question being National Continuance or National Prohibition.  If the latter is carried, the Licor Trade will receive 4½ million pounds as compensation.

Wednesday 8th   It was fine in the morning, but there were some showers in the afternoon.  Willie dug out the Northern Star potatoes, they turned out very well, I went down to meet the Steamer in the afternoon, it was nearly 7 pm before she arrived, I got the mail.

Thursday 9th   It was dull all day.  I was helping Willie pick Burbank plums, we picked 13 cases.  Willie carted them down to the wharf with his butter & eggs.  It was the “Gael” this week.  Willie got the loan of a boat and got two bags for sand for me and hauled it home.
I went down for the overland mail in the evening.

Friday 10th   Wind SW.  Very dull all day, the sun shone out late in the afternoon.  I planted 7 Zinnias, these are the last.  In the afternoon I helped Willie dig potatoes, he has a fairly good crop.
The Bible Class picnic was held at Mrs R. Matheson’s beach, and the distribution of prizes was in the Public Hall.
The S S “Gael” arrived from Auckland at 8 pm bringing Alma Wallace & Leila Entwisle to stay with us,  Willie & Grace went down with the sulky to meet them.  Raymond and I went to the Hall in the evening to the distribution of Prizes to the pupils of the Bible Class.  Revd Gould presided he gave two comic recitations.  Mrs Patterson sang 2 Scotch songs, her son played the violin and her daughter played a piano piece, there was a native of Tahiti named Rawei present and he gave us some native songs accompanied by a guitar.

Saturday 11th   It was a fine day.  I was helping Willie in the morning dig out Potatoes and we finished them before dinner.  The Northern Star potatoes turned out very well but what we dug this morning supposed to be Up to Dates, but were more like Kidneys did not turn out at all well.
In the afternoon I walked over to the Claim to spend the week end with Jim & Jane,  I found Mrs Simpson staying there, and Minnie was also there for tea.

Sunday 12th   It was a fine day, all of us went to Church in the afternoon, Revd Gould officiated.  I returned to Jim’s for tea and then I walked back to Leigh calling in at Mr Ashworths.  There was a evangalistic service in the Hall in the evening conducted by Rawei the Tahitian native which I attended, there was a large congregation, he gave a very interesting and impressive address.
Willie, Grace and Alma & Leila had spent the day at the Goat Island beach.

Monday 13th   It was a fine day.  Rawei the native Tahitian gave a very interesting lecture in the Hall in the evening, all of us went and enjoyed it very much, there was a dance afterwards.  Jane and Mrs Simpson came over for it in Mr Ashworths motor car – and after the lecture they came up here and staid the night.

Tuesday 14th   It was a fine day.  Jane and Mrs Simpson returned to the Claim in the cream cart.  Rawei also went by it and his paraphanalia to Matakana on his way to Streamlands where he has been invited to lecture.  Willie, Grace and Alma & Leila went to Mathesons  beach for a picnic.  I staid at home.

Wednesday 15th   It was a very fine day.  I planted out 2 Verbenas that I had raised from cuttings.  Grace, Alma & Leila went to Mrs Ashworths in the morning.  Willie took the girls baggage with his eggs down to the wharf in the afternoon, and the girls went round in the steamer to stay with Jim & Jane.  After the steamer went away I rode up with Wm Dunning to his place and had tea there.

Thursday 16th   It was a fine day, wind NW threatening for rain.
A Mr Wilson  travelling for Radley & Co,  fruit Auctioneers, arrived from Auckland by the Steamer yesterday, he is canvassing for his firm, so Willie drove him round in the sulky, he took him as far as Matthew Bros and to Ti Point, Willie did not get home until 9 pm.
I cut all the docks at the back of the house  and made a heap of them in the back yard, also all the docks round the rubbish heap in the pigs paddock, also all the ink weed, and cut branches of a pine tree.
I went down for the mail in the evening.

Friday 17th   It rained last night and most of this morning, a nice steady rain that has sunk into the ground where the soil has been made fine.  Mr Wilson came up here in the morning and Willie went with him to W Dunnings & Ernie Greenwoods, they returned here for lunch and they went out again in the afternoon.
Arthur Greenwood came in the afternoon to get my signature in connection with the Library, and he audited the Church Acts for the last Half Year.

Saturday 18th    It was a very fine day.  In the morning Willie picked 4 Cases Diamond plums and carted them down to the Steamer .
There was a return Tennis match at the Claim between Leigh and Whangateau Clubs .  Willie & Grace drove over in the afternoon bringing Mrs Simpson home with them.
I have not been feeling very well lately,  I have a breaking out on my head caused I think by my blood being out of order.

Sunday 19th   It was a very fine day.  Willie, Grace, Raymond & Mrs Simpson drove over to the Claim to spend the day with Jim & Jane, they returned in the evening leaving Mrs Simpsons at Jim’s.  They report that Jean was badly scalded on the arm by the upsetting of a sausepan of hot water.

Monday 20th   It was a very hot day.  There was a large picnic at Ti Point of the Dunning, Clarke & Torkington families,  Grace & Raymond went, Willie & I staid at home.  Willie commenced cutting the Western Wolts  [sic: Wolths] seed.

Tuesday 21st   It was a fine day, but not so hot as yesterday as there was a nice cool breeze.  I was helping Willie cut Western Wolts
[sic: Wolths]  seed in the front both morning and afternoon.  I felt rather stiff in the evening as I had not done any work of that kind for a long time.

Wednesday 22nd   It was a fine day.  I was helping Willie cut Western Wolts  [sic: Wolths]  seed in the morning.  In the afternoon I picked 6 Cases of Burbank plums, Willie was cutting seed in the pm  until about 4 pm & then he came and picked fruit.  Grace went down to the village to meet the butcher, and staid until the steamer came in to get the mail.

Thursday 23rd   It was a very hot day.  Willie & I were picking fruit until it was time to load up and go down to the steamer.  We had picked 12 half cases of Burbanks & 8 do of Diamond plums.
After an early lunch we all went down to the steamer which left here soon after 1 pm, Alma Wallace and Leila Entwisle who have been staying at Janes went away, their holiday having come to an end.
Willie had 4 doz  ½ cases up & he carted a load home.  I went down for the mail in the evening and staid for the Annual Meeting of Subscribers to the Library.  I was elected one of the Trustees also Chairman of de.   [?]

Friday 24th   It was a very fine day.  I was helping Willie cut Western Wolts  [sic: Wolths]  seed all day.

Saturday 25th   It was a very hot day.  In the morning I was helping Willie pick Burbank plums, Willie carted them down to the wharf before dinner, I went down to the village to get some postal notes, also put some flowers into the Church.  After Willie came home Grace drove over to Ti Point and brought her mother home.  Willie cut Western Wolts  [sic: Wolths]  in the afternoon.

Sunday 26th   It was a very fine day.  The wind has gone round to N.
I went to 8 am communion, Revd Macdonald held service in the Church at 2.30 pm.  All of us attended,  Collection H.C.  3/6.  at 2.30  11/-  Tet  13/6.
Alma Wallace was here for dinner & tea & Mrs Gozor was here for tea.  Mr Shultz a young man who is staying at Mrs R. Mathesons held service in the Hall in the evening which was well attended, the young man gave a very good address – the collection was for the Omaha Bible Class and realized about 14/-

Monday 27th   It was a fine day, wind N and threatening for rain.  The Miss Dyers of Pakiri came for me to witness their signatures as they are going to take over the duties of the Post Office at Pakiri formerly carried on by Mrs A. T. Woodcock.
I was helping Willie cut Western Wolts  [sic: Wolths]  seed both morning and afternoon.
There was a meeting of the Ratepayers Association in the Hall in the evening, Willie & I attended.  Mr Ashworth presided.  The subjects discussed were, the Rating on the Unimproved value,  Ti Point wharf, Mettling  [sic: metalling]  Haskells hill,  Steamer charges  &c.  We did not get home until 12.30 am.

Tuesday 28th   It rained very heavily early this morning, it filled the tank to overflowing and penetrated deeply into the ground where it had been worked fine, and it has freshened up everything.  In the morning I was doing some mending.  Willie was cutting Western Woltks  [sic: Wolths].
Grace & Mrs Simpson went to Mrs A. Dunnings in the afternoon.
Mr A. Matheson came in the pm to consult me about the gates at the hall he has the contract for making and erecting.   Revd Macdonald who is camping in the district called here with a boy named Buckton  who is with him, I showed him my Uncle John’s pictures and they had afternoon tea.  It rained heavily again in the evening.

Wednesday 29th   Auckland Anniversary and a general holiday, although not kept as a holiday down here.  It was fine during the day but it rained in the evening,  I was helping Willie cut Western Wolths in the morning.  In the afternoon I wrote a letter to my son Henry and it will be posted tomorrow.  Ella Matheson came in the evening to practice a xxup  [possibly ‘getup’]  with Grace.

Thursday 30th   Jim Wyatt was cutting Western Wolths for Willie all day.
We had to pick fruit for the steamer today, but there were some showers early in the morning which wetted the leaves & fruit, so Willie cut grass for a while until the trees dried.  Mrs Simpson & I helped Willie pick, we picked 13 Cases Burbanks & 5 Do Peaches,  5 Octoba Purple.
The Steamer made a round trip today , she came in here first to land cargo  and mails and then went round to Big Omaha leaving here again for Auckland at 7 pm.
Revd Macdonald and young Buckton broke up camp and returned to Warkworth.

Friday 31st   It was a fine day.  Wind N.   Jim Wyatt was cutting Western Wolths for Willie, I was also helping Willie both morning and afternoon.
I took up the Shallots and put them on the front verandah.