January 1928

Sunday 1st   It was a very fine day.   Revd Parsons held service in the hall in the morning, Mr Birss and 13 choir boys attended.  The collection was 9/5.    After church I went to Lew’s bay where the Wallaces and Whitakers were picnicing, where I had lunch, Jim, Jane & the children came there in the afternoon.
Had a long talk with Mr Robieson & Mr Smitherman.  Mr Birss held service at Leigh in the evening, there was a congregation of 50.  Collection 20/-

Monday 2nd   It was a very fine day, plenty of sunshine, but a nice breeze that tempered the heat.   The Annual Picnic was held in the Domain and was largely attended, and a great many groups were picnicing under the shade of trees.  There must have been from 20 to 30 cars and lorries parked on the road.  Mr Birss and his 13 boys were present.  I met many old friends.  I heard that they had taken £40 in notes and a lot of silver at the gate and the dance in the evening was crowded and they would take £10 or more then.

Tuesday 3rd   A slight rain last night and early this morning, but not enough to do any good.  It turned out a very hot day.
Mrs Grigg and her daughter Mrs Clarke, (former neighbours) called in the afternoon & staid tea.

Wednesday 4th   A very hot day.  I went to the P.O. to post a letter to my niece Margaret Clarke, also a Weekly News to her brother Elliott.  Harry gave me 2 benzine tins which I carried home.

Thursday 5th   A very fine and hot day.  The Whangateau Sunday School held their picnic in the Domain, these children went in the morning.
Minnie, Victor Smith and Alma were here for dinner.  Afterwards Victor took a photo of the 4 generations.  Myself, Minnie, Alma and her baby boy Albyn  [sic: Alvyn]  .  They went up and had a look at the garden, and then all of us went to the picnic in the domain, some were playing bowls, some tennis and some cricket.  They gave us afternoon tea.

Friday 6th   It was a very hot day.  In the early morning I went to get some flax,  afterwards felt very unwell, so did no work today.

Saturday 7th   It was a very fine day.  There was a Cricket match at Matakana,  Manganui County  V  Rodney for the possession of the Dargaville Shield which the latter now hold.  Jim, Jane, Hector and I went in Tom Ashton’s lorry,  I went to have a talk to Mr Richards about church matters.  We had a picnic under the trees with the Ashtons, Mills  &  Dunnings.  Rodney went to the wicket first and made 352 runs,  Pat made 165 runs,  W. Dunning 63,  F. Andrews 73, Manganui only made 160 runs.  So Rodney retains the Shield.

Sunday 8th   It was a very fine day.  Birdsalls, Pat and ourselves had a picnic at the domain to entertain Mr Birss and 11 boys to lunch and tea.  Mr Birss held service at Matakana,  Murray Birdsall took him in their car, there were 39 present.  Collection 20/- .  The congregation in the hall was augments by the attendance of 30 scouts under the control of scoutmaster Gilford & Philips who are camped on the Domain.  Collection 17/6.  Mr Birss and boys walked to Leigh to hold service there in the evening.

Monday 9th   It was a very hot day.  Jim went to Auckland with Wil Dunning in his car.  I took out the peas sticks of the first 2 rows and tied them in bundles.

Tuesday 10th   It was a very fine day.  I dug the piece of ground that were occupied by the two rows of peas.  Mr Birss and 11 boys went to Birdsalls in the morning, they came here in the afternoon and Jane gave them tea on the front verandah.  Mr Birss had a look at my garden.

Wednesday 11th   It was a fine day, but not so hot as a nice breeze was blowing.  I was preparing the ground I dug yesterday to plant beans.
Mabel and the two Miss Mills’ came in the pm had a look at the garden and staid for tea.

Thursday 12th   Rain threatening, but we got none.  I planted a double row of Scarlet Runner Beans.  The seed was given me by Mr W. Wilson of Warkworth.  Jane, Jean & Mildred walked to the upper wharf  and went in the steamer to Leigh to attend a picnic got up by the W. C. T. U. at Gazaar’s beach, they did not return until late.

Friday 13th   It was a very fine day.  Jim, Jane, Hector and Mildred went to a picnic at Ti Point.  Jean & I staid at home.  My back was bad so I did no work

Saturday 14th   It was a hot day.  There was a Cricket match in the Domain, Matakana  V  Omaha.  Matakana batted first and made 87 runs, W. Dunning 28.  Omaha followed with 257.  Pat contributing 190 runs.  Omaha thus getting a two point win. The ladies provided lunch in the hall.  There was every indication of rain in the evening.
I took some peas down to Pats.

Sunday 15th   Showery in morning.  Revd Rouprecht held service in the morning.  Hector & Jean went.  Mrs Evans played.  30 scouts & master attended.  Parson came here for dinner.

Monday 16th   A cold wind was blowing, but no rain although threatening.  I dug over the piece of ground next the scarlet runner beans.  May Ashton and Toms girls were here for tea.  I wrote letters to Elsie, Grace and Mrs Brockbank, and these were posted.

Tuesday 17th   A cold wind was blowing, no rain.  I was digging over the ground next scarlet runners.  Met Mr Hargreaves (Post Master) at Pats in the evening and he paid me £15 . 10 . 0 out of my P. O bank act

Wednesday 18th   It rained last night and early this morning, but it has not gone very deep into the ground.  The pool outside the garden fence is full again, so I watered the crops.  Ken Wallace, Tillie,  Mrs Wallace & Alma came in the afternoon, they had a look round my garden and Jane gave them afternoon tea.  By invitation Messrs Phillips, Turkington and Kilfoyle who are in charge of the 30 boys who are camped on the domain came up here, they went into the garden to have a look round, and Jane entertained them to tea.

Thursday 19th   Still blowing hard.  The “Kawau” is wind bound at Mangawai, when she gets out she is to call at leigh for the 3  [sic: 33]  scouts and men, so they took their tents down and Pat’s carted them and their luggage over to Leigh.  Heard that “Kawau” could not get out of Mangawai, but was going to try tomorrow morning.

Friday 20th   It was a fine day.  Jane, Jim & Mildred went to a picnic at Goat Island beach with the Wallaces & Whitakers, Mildred remained over there with the Mathesons.
I walked to the Post Office to post a Weekly News to Mrs Brockbank in England.

Saturday 21st   It was a fine day.  The cricketers went to Whangaripo to play a match, all of us went in T. Ashtons bus.  Going up the hill from Matakana the engine broke down, so the cricketers walked on and Arthur Torkington brought the bus down to Matakana and wired to Civil at Warkworth to come and fix it up.  I came back with Arthur and had dinner at the boarding house.  When the engine was fixed up I went with Arthur to Whangaripo, got there about 2 pm.  The match had started and Omaha were batting when we arrived and they had made 283 runs, Pat making 152 runs.  Whangaripo went in about 3 oclock and made 158 runs, six wickets down at 5 oclock when stumps were drawn, S. Came being the highest score, 68.  It was therefore a drawn game.
The ladies entertained up to tea in the public hall.  We arrived at home at nearly 7 oclock.

Sunday 22nd   It was a fine day.  Harry Ashton & Mabel were going to Snells beach in their car in the afternoon, so they rang up saying they could take 3 of us, so Jim, Jane & I went, we had never been there before, & enjoyed the trip.

Monday 23rd  It was a very fine and hot day.  Jim & Hector were burning the grass in the cemetery.  I sowed 2 hills of Apple Cucumbers & 12 lettuces near the seed onions.  Jane went to the camp in the evening where Ashtons are camping & brought home a lot of sprats.

Tuesday 24th   It was a very hot day.  Jim went to a sheep fair in Warkworth.  Jane and the children went on to the beach and got pipis.  Mildred returned from her visit at Mathesons.  I dug between the rows of lima beans.

Wednesday 25th   It was a very hot day.  Jim was working with Harry Ashton.  Hector was working on the road.  I went to Pats to change my book.

Thursday 26th   It was a  hot day, but a nice breeze was blowing.  I dug between the beans.  Mrs Evans & her sister in law were her in the afternoon, and Miss May Ashton & Pansy were here in the evening.  Jim was working with Harry Ashton and Hector was working on the road.

Friday 27th   It was a very hot day.  Jim was working with Harry Ashton.   Hector was working on the road.  Hilda and Mavis Dunning came to spend the day.  I was digging between the beans and watering.

Saturday 28th   It was a very fine day.  There was a cricket match at the domain.  Omaha  V  Warkworth.  The visitors batted first and made 100 runs, Dr Dean contributing 34,  F. Anderson 23,  H. Andrews 21.  Omaha then batted and knocked up 130 runs,  P. Dunning making 89 runs and J. Wyatt 20.  Warkworth went in again  and at 5 oclock when the stumps were drawn had made 79 runs with six wickets down.  F. Gubb making 23 runs.

Sunday 29th   Auckland Anniversary.  The holiday will be kept tomorrow.   It was a very hot day.  Mr Roke held service in the morning, Jane was the only one from here who went.  Spent a quiet day reading.

Monday 30th   A very fine day.  Auckland Anniversary kept to day as a general holiday.  There was a cricket match at Matakana.  Rodney  V  Whangarei  for the Dargaville Shield.  Harry Ashton & Mabel took Jim, Jane and me in their car.  Whangarei batted first and made 149 runs.   Rodney then went in and when they had made 160 runs they closed their innings when only 6 wickets down,  N. Vipond made over 50 runs.   Whangarei went in again until the stumps were drawn.  Rodney won on first innings.  We had lunch under the trees,  Ashtons,  W. Dunning, Redwoods and ourselves joining in.

Tuesday 31st   It was a very fine day.  I stuck the Scarlet Runner Beans which were sown on 12th of this month.  Went down to Pats to change my books.  Jim was working with H. Ashton.  Hector on road

The rainfall as registered at the Post Office Warkworth for the month of January 1928 was 0.68 points – compared with 4.22 inches in Jany  1927