January 1921

Saturday 1st   It was a beautiful day. The usual New Year’s Picnic and Sports was held on the Whangateau Domain.  Mr Ashworth & Mr Ramsbottom of Warkworth ran a motor service from Leigh to the Domain , I went with Mr Ashworth in his first trip leaving Leigh at 10 am, when I got over there I went up to Jims, & had lunch with Jane and the children,  afterwards went to the Domain to see the sports, there was a big crowd which had come from the surrounding districts.   Jno Greenwood gave me a lift home in his waggon.

Sunday 2nd   It was a beautiful day.  I held service in the Church in the afternoon.  There were about 20 present .  Collection 13/4.

Monday 3rd   It was a fine day.  The boys were thrashing Danthonia.
I was working up in the garden .  I planted 1 row of Butter Beans.
I went down to the store in the afternoon.  There was a dance in the Hall in the evening, Jim went.

Tuesday 4th   It was a fine day.  Jim cut Oats for Mrs G. Wyatt and W. Harper with his reaper and binder.  I sowed 1 row of Butter Beans.
I took out the sticks of the Sweet Peas and tied them up in bundles.

Wednesday 5th  It was blowing very strong from the NE and threatening for rain.
Jim went to reap and bind at Mr Evans at the Claim.  I sowed a 3rd row of Butter Beans.  I went down to the steamer in the afternoon, she made a round trip, she did not arrive here until 5 pm.  Horace Hedges left here for good, having sold his place to Mr Hewett.

Thursday 6th   It was still blowing very hard.  Eddie went with Jim over to Evans’ to cut Oats, they finished there and brought the machine home.  Laurence Wyatt & I carried Danthonia and stacked it in the barley paddock.  In the afternoon I pulled up the sticks of the Sweet Peas and tied them in bundles.

Friday 7th   It was a fine day, but blowey.  I went down to the P.O in the morning to send by Arthur Greenwood our Church contribution to Mr Jourdain of Warkworth.  The boys were thrashing Danthonia on the farm .  They had lunch under a shady puriri tree on the edge of the bush, I joined them there.  I commenced to dig where the sweet peas came out burying the haulnis.  I went down for the mail in the evening, received a letter from my brother Henry who is living at Sydenham near London, he is in his 80th year.  Later on I went to the Library to change my books.

Saturday 8th   It was a fine day, ‘tho blowey.  I went down to the P.O after breakfast to draw £10 out of the Savings Bank.  A great many visitors who had been spending their holidays here returned to Auckland in the “Kawau“.  Jim commenced to reap the Oats on Collingwood farm across the road, he finished cutting it late in the evening, it is a very good crop.  I finished digging the piece of ground that was in sweet peas.

Sunday 9th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Grigg conducted service for Mr Poole in the Hall in the morning, I atttended.
I had dinner at Mr Arch Dunnings.

Monday 10th   It was a fine day.  I dug in manure round the Tomatoes, cut grass on the paths.  The boys finished thrashing the Danthonia  and they carted the seed up to our old house, it is stored in the dining room & my bed room.

Friday 11th   It was a fine day, but it threatens for rain especially in the evening.  I took up the sticks of the Peerless peas and tied them in bundles & in the afternoon I started to dig the ground.
Charlie & Eddie were picking Burbank plums in my old orchard .
There was a picnic on Mathesons beach got up by the W. C. T U.
I hear there was a crowd there.  I called up at Mr Griggs in the evening to take a cabbage & some beans.

Saturday 12th   It was a fine day, a misty rain in the evening.  Jim commenced and finished reaping their Wheat, I helped Eddie & Alf Dunning put it into stooks in the evening.  I cleaned out the summer house, went down to the village in the afternoon to get the mail, but the steamer was so late that I did not wait.  The steamer did not get here until 7.30 pm.

Thursday 13th   It was a fine day, no rain yet.  I was straightening up in the garden as I expecting visitors this afternoon.  Mr & Mrs Grigg son & daughter came about 3.30 pm to have a look at my garden,
I entertained them at afternoon tea in the summer house and we spent a very pleasant time chatting.  Mr Edwards, Govt Veteranary Surgeon came to examine settlers animals to see if they had any desease.
Jim took the reaper to cut for Morley & H. Torkington .

Friday 14th   It rained all day & evening and blew a gale from the E.
Was not able to go up to my garden.

Saturday 15th   It was a fine day after the rain and the wind has gone round to SW.
I went in the cream cart to Ti Point School and walked to Joes place calling at Harolds,  met Mr & Mrs Arthur Torkington  & Mrs Batty.
I walked home in the afternoon.

Sunday   16th   It was a very fine day.  Eddie had a bad back so he did not get up, so I helped Jim milk & seperate.  After breakfast I went up to the garden & picked a big bunch of flowers for Mrs Arthur Torkington.  After dinner I went down to the wharf to see Mr & Mrs A. Torkington off as they are returning to South Africa after a few weeks visit to their father & brothers.  The steamer which was returning from Mangawai did not arrive until 2 pm, there were several passengers going away and a lot of people were there to see their friends off.  Mr & Mrs Banks & 2 children who are up on a visit in a motor car were there, and after the steamer left I showed them into the Church & they were very pleased with it .  Revd Richards held service in the Hall at 2.30 and there was a large congregation . Mr Neeley was here for tea.

Monday 17th   It was a fine day.  Jim went to Ti Point to get the reaper & he took it to Matakana to cut the crop there.  Eddie was in bed with a bad back,  Charlie came up to help milk & he picked fruit.
I was working up in the garden, went to Mr Gozars  & Mrs D. Mathesons in the afternoon, to take them some young plants.  I also went to Mr Griggs in the evening to take some vegetables, spent a very pleasant evening.

Tuesday 18th   It was a fine day.  Charlie & Eddie were picking fruit.  I was working up in the garden.  In the afternoon I planted out some Pyrethrums, 1 Schizunthus & 1 Antirrhinum.  I took some Burbank plums & a cucumber up to Mr Griggs, but they were all out.

Wednesday 19th   It was a fine day.  Eddie carted the fruit & eggs down to the wharf.  I planted out 4 Antirrhinums and pricked out some small plants of Geum Coccineum in a shallow box.  This is the usual steamer day, but she is coming tomorrow.
I wrote a letter to my son Jack.

Thursday 20th   It was a very fine day.  They carried & stacked the Oats growing on my old place, it was a very good crop .  Mr Archie & Alf Dunning , C. Gravatt & E. J. Wyatt were helping.  I went down to meet the steamer in the afternoon and got the mail.

Friday 21st   It was a fine day at Leigh.  They took in the crops of Wheat and stacked it alongside the oat stack.  I went to Warkworth with Arthur Greenwood, I consulted Dr Shoesmith about my leg, he said it was exema and he gave me some stuff to dress it with , called at the vicarage and saw the Bishop,  at 1 pm it rained heavily at Warkworth, but there was not a drop at Leigh .  I called to see Joe Wyatt on my way over, he is very low and is near his last end.  In the evening there was a library meeting & the old committee were re-elected and the Librarian was authorised to purchase £9  worth of books.

Saturday 22nd   It was a fine in the morning, but there was a down pour of rain in the afternoon.  Joe Wyatt died early this morning ,
J. C. Wyatt & Alec Matheson made the coffin , he is going to be buried tomorrow at 4 pm.
In the morning I went up to the garden and got some flowers for the church.  In the pm I took them down to the church and arranged them, and I put some extra seats in to accommodate the congregation tomorrow when the bishop preaches.
Jim brought the reaper home having finished at Matakana

Sunday 23rd   It was a very fine day.  There was service in the Church in the afternoon.  The Vicar Revd Hawksworth read prayers & Bishop Averill preached a very earnest sermon, there were about 70 present, the collection was £1 . 19 . 0
Joe Wyatt was buried at 4 pm, the Vicar conducted the burial service, a large crowd attended the funeral, Mrs Gravatt entertained the Bishop and  the Vicar to afternoon tea.

Monday 24th   It was a fine day.  I was working up at the garden all day.  Jim went up to cut John Greenwood’s Oats.  I took a cabbage and some peas up to Mr Griggs in the evening.

Tuesday 25th   It was a fine day.  I was working up in the garden all day.

Wednesday 26th   It rained heavily in the morning and I did not go up to the garden.  Jim started with the reaper to go to Mr Evans to cut his wheat, but on account of the rain he left the reaper in the village and he came home.  They picked fruit in the afternoon.  I went up to the garden in the afternoon and got some young flower plants and took them down to the village to give to John Greenwood & Mrs Ashworth.  The steamer was late in arriving.  I got the mail, received a letter from Willie.

Thursday 27th   It was a fine day.  Jim took the reaper to Mr Evans to cut his wheat.  I was helping Eddie nail down cases of Lemons, he had two cartloads to take down to the steamer.  I finished digging the piece of ground that was in Peerless Peas.
I wrote a long letter to Willie, also a report from Leigh for the Rodney Times.

Friday 28th    It was a fine day.  I went down to the P.O in the morning to post the letter I wrote to Willie.  Jim finished cutting Mr Evans wheat and then her went to Morleys to cut a small patch of wheat.
Alwyn Meiklejohn, son of Mr & Mrs Edgar M was buried at the Claim Cemetery at 2 pm.  He was a bright intelligent boy of about 16, he contracted a cold after bathing which turned to pneumonia, he died yesterday morning.

Saturday 29th   Anniversary day.  It rained a little first thing in the morning, but it cleared up and turned out a fine day .  I did not go up to the garden until the afternoon,  I picked some flowers and took them to the Church afterwards called at Mrs Gravatts.
There was a Tennis Tournament at Warkworth, 4 Dunning boys went.
I went up to Mr Griggs in the evening to ask him to play for the service tomorrow.

Sunday 30th   It was a very fine day, but windy.  I held service in the Church in the afternoon.  There were 20 present, Collection 11/6.
Mr Grigg played the organ and the singing was very good.  I called at Willie Dunnings in the evening.

Monday 31st   It was a fine day, but windy.  Jim cut W. Harper & C. Gravatts Oats to day.  I went up to the garden in the morning, picked and brought down some beans & cabbage.
In the afternoon I went down to the wharf to bathe my legs in the salt water & brought some  [up]  in a billy.  Sent a wire to Revd Hawksworth saying that Mr John Greenwood will attend meeting of the Vestry.