January 1927

Saturday 1st   It was a very dull day and rather windy.  Mr & Mrs Stewart had come over in a car, came up here for lunch and all of us went down to the Domain to witness the Annual Sports which are always held here.   A number of people were present having come long distances in cars.  Some of the sports were very interesting to witness, such as chopping competitions, tug of war &c.
I met many old friends that I meet every New Years day.  We all returned home for tea, Jim went down in the evening to the dance. Maori men provided the music.  Mr Birss and his 10 boys were on the ground and I had a good talk to him.  Mr Bach had taken his boys out so I did not see him.

Sunday 2nd   It rained in the night, but it was fairly fine to day.  Revd Parsons held service in tha hall in the morning.  Mr Birss and his 10 boys and Mr Bach with his boys attended,  all of us and several others – tho collection was 18/2 – which the parson took.
Eddie, Ivy and their 4 boys came over in their lorry, they had a look at the garden and had tea here and then they returned home.  I returned with them, went to Arch Dunnings and then to Mrs Gravatts, went down to the church with her, Mr Birss conducted the service, there were not many beside his boys.  I went home with Mr & Mrs Stewart  and staid the night at their place.

Monday 3rd   It rained nearly all last night and was very misty and showery today.  I left Mr Stewarts after breakfast, called at Eddies, had a look at their garden and partook of morning tea, then called at Gravatts and returned home in the mail car.

Tuesday 4th   It was a very dull showery day.  In the morning I went down to the Domain to have a talk to Mr Bach the scout master of these 30 boys who are camping there.  I went up to the garden & tied up the Tomatoes.

Wednesday 5th   It was a very fine day.  It was a pleasure to see the sun shining again.
I did some weeding in the garden, went to get some flax.

Thursday 6th   It was fine in the morning, but it commenced to rain about dinner time and continued to rain for the remainder of the pm. Mr Bach and his boy scouts left by steamer from the top wharf to return to Auckland.  Hector & I went up to the domain and  [cut]  over 50 bean sticks.  Mr Schollum was working here to day, but had to leave in the afternoon on account of the rain.

Friday 7th   It was a showery day.  I took my library books down to Pats to change.  Sent a bag of vegetables to Mr Stewart by Pat.

Saturday 8th   It was a very fine hot day.  Mr Schollum was working here all day, Jane had to stay at home to make dinner and afternoon tea for him.  There was a cricket match in the domain, Matakana  V Omaha.  Matakana batted first and scored 116 runs.  W. Dunning contributing 42,  E. Munford 23,  and D. Knaggs 18.  Bowling Analysis,  J. Dunning took 4 wickets for 30.  P. Dunning 5 w for 45 r
J. Wyatt 0 w for 31 runs.  J. Torkington 0 for 2 runs.
Omaha then went to the wicket, but the innings was not closed when the stumps were drawn at 4 oclock, the score then being 71 runs with 2 wickets to fall.  J. Wyatt making 21 runs not out, J. Torkington 16 runs and P. Dunning 10 runs.
Bowling   J. Matthew 1 w for 20 r,   W. Dunning 1 for 26,   E.Munford 4 w for 12 r.   The local club entertained the visitors at lunch & pm tea in the hall.  There were a good many onlookers , some of the older men were playing bowls.  Mr Birss and his 10 boys were on the ground and I had a good chat with him.

Sunday 9th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Birss held service in the hall in the morning. There was a very fair congregation (37) Collection 13/2.  Before commencing the service Mr Birss unveiled a beautiful rimu reading desk in memory of the late Gilbert Rollinson who made the great sacrifice in France during the great war, he was the first to bring boys up to camp at Ti Point – Mr Birss joined him afterwards. After the service all adjourned to Lew’s flat and seven ladies joined in entertaining Mr Birss & boys to lunch and tea under the shade of the beautiful Pohutukawa’s.
The families,    J. Dunning, wife, 3 children,   Pat, Dolly & 2 children, Mr & Mrs Eaur [?] & 4 children,  Mr & Mrs Whitaker & Laddie,
Mr & Mrs Birdsall & 2 sons,   Mr & Mrs Wallace & boy,
Laurence & Alma,   Johny & Winnie Greenwood & son,
Mr Milligan,   Mr Birss & 10 boys.
We had tea early as the men folk had to go home to milk and Mr Birss & boys had to walk to Leigh as he is having service there this evening.

Monday 10th   It was a fine day.  Mr Schollum was working here, and Duncan Knaggs came to help him and so they took the roof off the house and started to put the new rafters on which project over the eves bungalow fashion.  I wrote a report of the cricket match last Saturday also a report of the district.  I took it down to Trevor to post also sent by him a bag of vegetables to Mrs Gravatt.     Mr & Mrs Alf Raynor, their son & her sister and daughter called in the afternoon.

Tuesday 11th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Schollum and D. Knaggs came again to day, and when they knocked off work the iron was on the roof except over the porch.  Mr Birss and boys spent the day at Birdsalls,  I met them on the road as they were going back to camp to say good bye as they are leaving tomorrow by steamer.

Wednesday 12th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Schollum & Duncan Knaggs were working here to day.  The put the remainder of the iron on the roof, fixed the ridging on also slashing  [sic: flashing]  round the chimney, and weatherbourded  [sic: weather boarded]  the back gable.
Jane and Jean went to the top wharf after dinner and Jean went in the steamer to stay at Eddies.

Thursday 13th   It was a fine day.  Mr Schollum was working here today, Duncan Knaggs was not here as he went to the sale at Warkworth.  Mabel & the two Miss Mills came in the afternoon and had a look at my garden.

Friday 14th   It was a fine day.  Mr Schollum and Duncan Knaggs were working here to day.  Mrs James Darroch & Macs wife were here in the morning, they had a look at my garden.

Saturday 15th   It was a fine day.  Mr Schollum and D.  Knaggs were working here to day. There was a cricket match at Port Albert between the local club and Omaha, the latter won by 100 runs. Jim went in Trevor Gravatt’s car.

Sunday 16th   It was a very fine day.  Revd Rouprecht held service in the morning, there was a very good congregation,  Collection 13/4
After service the Wallace,  Whitakers,  Evans and ourselves had dinner & tea under the pohutokowas  [sic: pohutukawa]  at Lews flat.  The Parson & his wife had dinner with us.

Monday 17th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Schollum was working here to day and was scribing round the windows and doors.
Alf, Charlie, Jessie and Kathleen Dunning came in the afternoon and had a look at my garden.  I picked some Peerless Peas, these were sown on the 23rd October.  Took out the sticks of the 2 rows of Stratagem Peas.  Started to dig the piece of ground the peas occupied.

Tuesday 18th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Schollum was working here to day, he fixed the spouting each side of the house.  Mr Perks came with his drapery goods in the afternoon, Minnie & Dolly came to purchase.  Hector had a holiday and climbed Tamahunga with the Wallaces.

Wednesday 19th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Schollum was working here to day.  Mrs Wallace, Alma and Tillie came in the pm, they came up to see my garden, we all had afternoon tea on the verandah.

Thursday 20th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Schollum was working here to day.  I finished digging the piece of ground that was in Stratagem peas.  Jim finished digging Potatoes, the children picked them up and put them in boxes in the shed.

Friday 21st   It was a very fine day.  Mr Schollum was working here to day.  I sowed 2 rows of Canadian Wonder Beans where the Stratagem peas grew.

Saturday 22nd   It was a very fine day.  Mr Schollum was only working half a day.  There was a cricket match at the domain.  Omaha  V  Whangaripo, several ladies accompanied the visiting players, and there were a good many onlookers.  Omaha batted first and made 135 runs.  P. Dunning made 49,  E. Wyatt 25,  J. Torkington 12, T. Gravatt 10,  S. Matheson 10.
Noel Vipond took 7 wickets,  L. Came 3.
Whangaripo responded with 96 runs, of this number N. Vipond contrubuted 57 carried his bat the others only making 39 runs, the only other double numbers was W. Armour who made 10 runs.
P. Dunning took 3 wickets,  J. Dunning 2 w,  J. Wyatt 2 w,
J. Torkington 1 w.   All comers were entertained to lunch & tea in the hall by the local club.

Sunday 23rd   It was a very hot day.  Jean rode to Leigh to spend the day at Mr Stewarts, she took them some vegetables.  The remainder of us went to Lew’s bay, there was a large party of us,  The Whitakers,  Wallaces,  Pat& Dolly and Evans,  Mat Coplestone, his wife & Gertie had come in a motor car that morning from Auckland to spend the day and were returning this evening.  Mr Milligan held service in the hall in the pm and some of our party attended.  I went round to H. Ashtons in the afternoon to take back the score book and had a look at the garden.

Monday 24th   It was a very hot day.  Mr Schollum was working here to day, he finished scribing round the back door and windows, and then he made steps for the verandah.  Jane rode to the Leigh P.O and then she spent the day at Mr Stewarts.  The dry and hot weather we are now having is affecting the crops in the garden and the lower leaves of the Homestead beans are dropping, so Hector and I gave them a good watering, we gave each row 28 gallons of water pouring  the water between each double row.  We emptied the pool and cleared all the mud off the bottom.

Tuesday 25th   A very hot day.  Mr Schollum was working here to day.  I wrote letters to my son Willie,  Mr Bach & Mr Birss, these will be posted tomorrow.  I continued watering as the ground is very dry.  Jean went to Wilsons in the evening to hear the wireless & staid the night.

Wednesday 26th   Another very hot day.   Mr Schollum was working here to day.  Hector & I emptied the cask in the garden, watered the beans again & filled the cask and 6 kerosine tins with water.  I did a lot of weeding & took up the eschallots.

Thursday 27th   It was a very hot day.   Mr Schollum was working here to day, he put up the plaster ceilings.  I went down to Dollys to have a yarn and to borrow a paper.  Took up some bulbs of Dwarf Pink Gladiolus, did some weeding and loosened the ground in the flower garden which was very hard and cracked.
The Canadian Wonder beans are coming up that were sown last Friday.  Picked Stratagem peas which were sown on 15th November.

Friday 28th   It was a fine day, but it looks like a change in the weather.  Mr Schollum was only working half a day here, he put the battens on the plaster ceiling in the varandah & partly on the ceiling of the sitting room.

Saturday 29th   Auckland Anniversary and a General Holiday.  The weather was threatening although we want rain for the garden, we don’t want any to day.  There were a few misty showers but nothing to matter.
There was a cricket match at Matakana, Rodney Association  V Whangarei.  Tom Ashton ran his lorry there taking all his family.  Pat, Jim, Jane, the children &  myself,  Mr & Mrs Whitaker & Laddie.
On arrival at Matakana I went to Dr Whetters to pay my act  and then went up to the domain.  Rodney batted first and made 79 runs.
J. Matthew made 24,  N Vipond 16,  A. Pickering 11.  The team consisted of J. Smith,  F. Anderton,  A. Pickering,  S. Came,
N. Vipond,  J Matthew,  W. Dunning,  E. Munford, Herb Smith,  Pat Dunning and J. C. E. Wyatt.
Whangarei then batted and made 77 runs.  In Rodney’s 2nd innings they made 117 runs and Whangarei’s 2nd innings 54 thus Rodney won by 65 runs.  We had a big picnic under the trees, the following families joined, H. & T. Ashton, W. Dunning,  Whitaker,  & J. Dunning.  I spent a very pleasant day chatting to old friends.

Sunday 30th   Weather threatening, but we only had slight showers that did not discolour the ground.  Revd Parsons held service in the morning, Jane went, only a small congregation .  I did not go anywhere.  It rained pretty heavily before we went to bed.

Monday 31st   Slight showers to day.  Mr Schollum was working here, he took down the stairs and commenced to make the space into cupboards

The rainfall in January totalled 4.22 inches, the maximum being on the 4th when 0.93 was recorded.  Rain fell on 12 days.