July 1928

Sunday 1st   It was a fine day.  Revd Yule held service in the hall in the morning.  Jim, Jane & Hector went.  Mildred & I staid at home as we have colds.  There were 32 present at the service and the collection 20/- .  Jim & Jane went home with the Wallaces, who were at the service, to spend the day.

Monday 2nd   It was fine with the exception of a few showers.  Hector was working at Evans’ .  I was copying extracts from my diary.

Tuesday 3rd   It was a very fine day.  Hector was working at Evans.  Jane had a ring from Henry who is in Auckland, he arrived last night with a load of several 100 sheep for sale.

Wednesday 4th   It was a fine day, but dull.  Hector was working at Evans’ and Jim was working at Harry Ashtons.  I received a letter from Henry.

Thursday 5th   Slight showers.  Hector was working at Evans.

Friday 6th   There were slight showers,  I went down to Pats to take a library book.  Borrowed some papers.  Hector was working at Evans.

Saturday 7th    It was a wet day.  We were expecting Henry by train , so Jim got Laddie Whitaker to take his car to Matakana to meet Henry.  Jim, Laddie & Henry  arrived here about 2 pm.  When Laddie went home I gave him some onions and eschallots in a sugar bag to take home.

Sunday 8th   It was a regular wet day.  Besides milking the cows we were not able to stir outside.  I had a long talk to Henry on business.

Monday 9th    It was fine in the morning, but showery in the afternoon.  Joe Torkington brought a boat to the cemetery point to take Henry to Ti Point to stay until tomorrow.  I went to Pats to get some library books.  Hector was working at Evans.  Jean returned from Ashtons where she has been a fortnight while Tom has been away at Palmerston  [North] .

Tuesday 10th   It was fine in the morning, but a bit showery in the afternoon., but it was a very cold day.  Hector was working at Evans’
Henry, who went to Ti Point yesterday, walked over to Leigh this afternoon to call on some of the old neighbours and returned here in time for tea.  We had a fire in the front room  and they were playing cards.  I was reading.

Wednesday 11th   It was a fine day, but a very cold wind blowing.  Henry left morning, I was very sorry he could not stop longer as I might not see my dear boy again.  As Tom Ashton was taking his lorry to Matakana, Jim & Henry went with  [him]  as far as Mr Whitakers where they had lunch and then Henry went in the service car to Matakana en route to Kaipara Flats and by train to Auckland.
Several hundred of his sheep are to be sold on Thursday.
Jane went with Tom Ashton to Wallaces to spend the day.

Thursday 12th  It was a very fine day.  Henry’s sheep were to be sold in Auckland today.  I did some weeding in the afternoon.  Hector was working at Evans.  Jim sent all his calves away, they will be sold tomorrow.  Jane walked to Leigh in the afternoon.

Friday 13th   It was fine in the morning, but a few showers in the afternoon.  Hector was working at Evans.  Jim went to the stock sale at Warkworth in W. Dunning‘s car.  Jane & Jean went to Whitakers.

Saturday 14th   It was a fine day.  There was a hockey match in the domain  Omaha V Matakana.  The former won 4 – 3 ,  Hector got the first goal.  Jim & Jean went .  Jane, Mildred & I staid at home.

Sunday 15th   It was a very fine day.  Jim was laid up in bed with a bad cold .  Revd Marr held service in the morning.  Jane, Hector & Jean went.  Mr & Mrs W. Dunning came to see me before church.
I went to Harry Ashtons in the afternoon.

Monday 16th   It was a very fine day.  Hector was working at Evans.  Jim was laid up with a bad cold.  I finished weeding one onion bed.

Tuesday 17th   It was a fine day, but cold.  There was a frost this morning.  Hector was working at Evans.  Jim’s cold was still bad.  I went down to Pats to get a book.

Wednesday 18th   It was a fine day, but cold.  Hector worked his last day at Evans’ .  The King of Kings was screened in the Town  [Hall]  Warkworth in the afternoon for school children.  Jane went with Harry Ashton & Jean went in the bus.

Thursday 19th   It was a very fine day.  Jane went to Big Omaha to see the Wallaces.  Hector went to Ti Point.  I had a bit of a cold and did not get up very early.  Hector & Jean went to W.  Dunnings in the evening to play ping pong.

Friday 20th   It was a very fine day.  It was little Nancy‘s  (Dunning)  2nd birthday.
I planted 3 Rows of White Eschallots,  but I ricked my back in doing so.

Saturday 21st   We have had 6 fine days, but there is a change in the weather to day, as it rained in the afternoon .  My back was bad so I took a complete rest.

Sunday 22nd   It rained heavily last night, but cleared up in the morning.  Jane went down to the hall as the Revd Hart was to have held service, but as there were only 2 or 3 present, there was no service.  On account of the weather, there was no Sunday School.

Monday 23rd   Early this morning there were vivid flashes of lightening and tremendous claps of thunder and torrents of rain which caused a flood.
Everything outside was very wet.  None of us were able to do anything outside,  I was copying extracts from my diary.

Tuesday 24th   It was a fine day.  It was Hector’s 17th Birthday, he is nice looking, tall and very strong for his age.  Jean brought some papers up from Pats for me to read.

Wednesday 25th   There were a few showers, but the ground is very wet.  Unable to do anything outside.  I received a Cheque for
£9 . 10 . 0 from Elliott & Holden.  Also a letter from the Bank at Te Araroa refusing to pay any interest on the £1,000 I had lent my sons.

Thursday 26th   It was a very fine day, but the ground is very wet with all the rain we have had.  I wrote a letter and sent 2 Weekly Newe’s to the Editor of the Leicester Illustrated Chronicle,  also wrote a letter to my son Henry, sent a receipt to Elliott’s and sent my bankbook to Leigh P.O.

Friday 27th   A showery day,  Jim & Hector went to Pats to hear the wireless the result of the Boxing Match Gene Tunney  V  Jack Heeney.  Tunney won.

Saturday 28th  A dull day, nothing doing.

Sunday 29th   Rained last night and this morning.  Revd Yule should have held service  in the morning, but on account of the weather he did not come.

Monday 30th   It rained heavily last night.  Nothing doing to day.

Tuesday 31st   There was rain in the early morning , and was a fine day, but the ground is very wet and nothing doing outside.

The rainfall at Warkworth for July was 11.15 inches with the maximum fall on the 21st of 3.32 inches.  Other falls during the month were on the 7th   2.12 inches, the 8th  1.20 inches  the 28th 1.30 in.  the 29th  1.16 in.