May 1903

Friday 1st   It was a fine day.  I was working in the flower garden in the morning, and we were burning tea tree in the front in the afternoon.  I went down to the Post Office and the Library in the evening.

Saturday 2nd   It was a dull day.  The Annual Meeting of Ratepayers was held in the Hall in the afternoon.  Dan Kempt was up here for tea.  There was a meeting of the Farmers Union in the evening.
It started to rain just as we came out and it rained heavily all night.

Sunday 3rd   It was very fine in the morning after the rain.  I rode to Ti Point in the afternoon, I called at Neeleys & Joes.  There was heavy rain while I was at Neeleys.

Monday 4th   It was a fine day.  We were picking a few cases of Apples for me to take to Auckland with me.  There was to have been a meeting of the Hall Committee in the Library room in the evening,
I went down, but there was not a quorum, so there was no meeting.

Tuesday 5th   The 40th Anniversary of my leaving Gravesend for
N. Z.  It was a fine day.
I went to Auckland in the “Claymore“, arrived there about 6.30 pm.
Fred and Noel were on the wharf to meet me, we went up to Ponsonby in the tram, I went to Mrs Simpsons first and then Fred and I went round to Noels place to have a game of cards, returning to Simpsons to sleep.

Wednesday 6th   It was a fine day.  I went down into the town in the tram, and was transacting business all day.  I went round to Mr Wallace‘s in the afternoon and staid for tea.  Noel and I went to Fred‘s place in the evening and had a rubber of whist.

Thursday 7th   It was a fine day.  I was down in Queen St all morning shopping.  Went up to Mr Wallaces for dinner, and came down town with Noel after dinner.  Noel was at Mrs Simpsons in the evening and we had a rubber of whist.

Friday 8th   It was a dull misty morning and it rained a little, but it cleared up and was a fine day,  I was down the town all day finishing my business and getting my parcels together, Noel was round in the evening for a game of cards.

Saturday 9th   It was a beautiful day.  I left Mrs Simpsons at 7.30,  and Fred and I met the tram at the top of Church Street, Fred only went to Kahangahape Road, but I went down to the wharf  where I embarked on board the “Rob Roy” at 8 am.  We steamed alongside of the schooner “Saxon” which was anchored in the stream and took in some coal.  We arrived at Omaha soon after 1 pm, Willie was on the wharf to meet me.
There was a meeting of the Road Board at 2 pm, so I went straight up there and did not get home for tea until nearly dark,  Dan Kempt went up with me for tea.
There was a meeting of the Hall Committee in the Library room in the evening.  Dan and I went down to it.  It was decided to hold a Flower & Industrial Exhibition early in December next.
Jane rode to Warkworth in the pm to stay at the Aveys.

Sunday 10th   It was a dull day, wind blowing strong from NE.  I went over to Joe Wyatts in the pm.

Monday 11th   It was a showery day.  I went down to the Store in the pm.

Tuesday 12th   It was a wet day.  The “Claymore” arrived about 1.15 pm.  I went down to the Post Office and the wharf in the afternoon, but the “Claymore” was not alongside.  There was to have been a euchre party in the Hall this evening, but on account of the weather it did not come off.

Wednesday 13th   It rained nearly all day and it was blowing strong from the NE.

Thursday 14th   It was fine during the morning, but the rain does not seem all over yet.  Jane went down to Joe Wyatts at the beach and staid all night.  I went down to the wharf in the morning to stack my timber on the wharf that came up by the “Claymore“.

Friday 15th It was fine in the morning. We took the bullock sleigh down to the wharf and hauled up a box of Groceries, 1 bag of Flour, 1 Bag Sugar, parcel of nails and jar of vinegar.  We got some black soil from the flat which we left in the shed on the wharf to bring up some other time.  The roads were very heavy and the bullock had hard work to pull the load up the hill.
It rained in the afternoon, Jane returned from Uncle John’s.  I went down to Post Office and the Library in the evening.

Saturday 16th It was fine in the morning,  I went to Mrs Dunnings to witness her signature to an application for the Old Age Pension , afterwards I went down to the wharf and carried a bag of black soil home.
In the afternoon I planted some Pansy and Anemone plants that I got from Auckland.  Miss Hutchinson came in the pm and staid for tea.  Willie went out fishing in a boat to the entrance of the harbour, but he only caught a few small rock cods.  There was a heavy shower in the pm.

Sunday 17th   It was a very fine day.  Revd R. McKinney held Divine service in the Hall in the morning, Jane and I attended , there was a very large attendance.  Jane rode over to Ti Point in the afternoon to see Minnie.

Monday 18th   It was a fine day.  We took the bullock & catamaran down to the wharf in the morning and hauled up a case of corrugated iron.  We were packing a box in the afternoon to send to Jack and Henry at Te Araroa.  Jane rode over to the Claim Hall in the evening to attend a concert as a welcome & benefit for Mr & Mrs Jas Darroch who are moving into their new house that they have had built adjoining the Domain.

Tuesday 19th   It was a fine day.   We hauled the box down to the wharf to send to Jack and Henry.  It went by the “Claymore” and McGregor is going to tranship it to the Union Cos Steamer “Herald“. We hauled up some corrugated iron from the wharf.
I moulded up the Early Norther Potatoes in the garden.

Wednesday 20th   It was a fine day.  We took the bullock down to the wharf first thing in the morning and hauled up the remainder of the iron.  Charlie Wyatt came in the morning to take the shingles off the last built gable and commenced to put the iron on.  Jane rode over to Ti Point and staid all night.

Thursday 21st   There was a heavy shower of rain in the morning, but otherwise it was a fine day.  Charlie came again today and we took the shingles off the other side of the gable and by the evening we had all the iron put on.  Jane is away at Ti Point.

Friday 22nd   It was a fine day.  Charlie came again today and continued to put on the iron and ridging.  Jane returned from Ti Point in the evening and Joe, Minnie and the children came back with her.

Saturday 23rd   It was a tolerably fine day, a heavy shower in the afternoon.  Joe went back to Ti Point in the morning returning here in the evening.
Willie went out fishing in a boat with Walter Frearson and brought home a few rock cods.  Charlie came to day and finished the roof of the house.  He securely housed it round the two chimneys and mortared the cracks in the bricks and put covering boards over the iron at the gables.
IronCosts-1903

Sunday 24th   It rained all last night, but it cleared up and was a tolerably fine day.  Joe went to Ti Point in the morning to milk his cows and he returned here for dinner, Harold came with him.  Joe, Minnie & children returned home in the afternoon, but Harold staid all night

Monday 25th   It was a fine day and it came on to blow which dried up the ground.  We were picking some russet apples for Jane to take to Auckland with her.  We took the bullock down to the wharf and hauled up some timber.  It rained in the evening.

Tuesday 26th   It rained in the morning, but it cleared up in the afternoon.  We took the bullock down to the wharf in the afternoon with 2 Cases Apples & Jane‘s luggage and put it on board the “Claymore“, we hauled up some timber.
There was a Social in the Hall in the evening, but it rained heavily when it was time to start, so none of us went.

Wednesday 27th   It was fine all day, but the roads are in a very bad state.  Willie and I went to see Jane off in the “Claymore” at 7 am, she is going up to Auckland to pay a visit to Mrs Simpson of Ponsonby.  During the remainder of the morning we picked all the Maggs’ Seedling apples in the Farm orchard.
In the afternoon we took the bullock down to the wharf, while we were there the “Kawau” came in from Auckland, we hauled up some timber.

Thursday 28th   It thundered and lightened early in the morning and after that it rained and blew, in the afternoon it held up a bit and in the evening the wind seems to have gone down .

Friday 29th   There was a shower of rain in the morning, the remainder of the day was tolerably fine.   We took the bullock down to the wharf in the afternoon and hauled up a load of timber.  Willie went down to the mail in the evening.  I received a long letter from Fred Simpson.

Saturday 30th   A showery day.  Willie went fishing to the Cemetery Point and brought home a few rock cod.  There was a meeting of the Road Board in the afternoon.

Sunday 31st   It was a showery day.  George Wyatt borrowed the two horses to go to Hadwicks.  I did not go out anywhere