Friday 1st It was fine in the morning, but the weather threatening fro rain. I sowed one bed with Brown Spanish Onions 31 rows. Just before I finished it came on a misty rain which continued all afternoon, sometimes raining heavier. Mrs Holder & Charlina brought Mr Holders body in a steamer to Warkworth. Alf Dunning took his car over to bring the ladies here, and Jack walden took his car to bring the coffin. The funeral was in the Cemetery here and Revd Addenbrooke conducted the funeral service. Mr Holden being a Freemason, his brother masons carried the coffin to the grave
viz Messrs Wilfred & Lewis Meiklejohn, Tom Ashton & T. H. Walden.
Saturday 2nd Everything were very wet today after all the rain we had yesterday, and there were several showers in the morning, but it was finer in the afternoon. I was not able to do anything in the garden, so I remained in the house reading the Weekly News.
Sunday 3rd It was a fine day. I went to have a talk with Pat in the afternoon. Jim, Jane, Jean & Mildred drove to Big Omaha in the afternoon, called at W. Dunnings at their new home. Mr & Mrs Archie and Alf were there & Jane & the children came back in Alf’s car. Revd Addenbrooke held service in the evening, there were only 6 present. I staid at home.
Monday 4th There were a few showers in the morning, but fine in the afternoon, the ground is fairly wet after the rain we had last Friday, but I was able to prepare the second onion bed ready for sowing.
Tuesday 5th It is the 62nd anniversary of my leaving England in the ship “Queen of Beauty“. It was a fine day. I sowed the second bed of Brown Spanish Onions of 32 rows.
Wednesday 6th It was a fine day. I was weeding among the flowers. Prepared a shallow box, and pricked out a lot of little Pansy & Phlox plants, lined out the path, dug between the Tomatoes.
Thursday 7th It was a fine day. After breakfast I planted 6 Brown Spanish Onions for seed. Afterwards I walked across the beach to Ti Point to spend the day with Minnie & Joe. I had dinner & tea there, went down to call on old Mr Wilson, but he was not at home. Minnie gave me a lot of shalotts for planting & some ripe Apple Cucumbers to get the seed out of. After tea, being moonlight and being high tide, Joe, Minnie, Jack and Ernie brought me home in a boat.
Friday 8th It was a fine day. I dug between the rows of cauliflowers & cabbages as weeds were coming up thick. Also gathered in all the seed beans. While we were at dinner Joe Torkington came to bring me my spectacles which I had left at Ti Point yesterday, he had a look at my garden, I gave him for Minnie some cauliflower and lettuce plants.
Saturday 9th It was a fine day, but a very strong and cold wind was blowing. I trenched the piece of ground between the omion beds and row of sweet peas. In the afternoon I planted the bulbs that Willie sent me, viz Renunculus, Anemone and some other bulbs not named.
Sunday 10th There was slight rain and strong wind in the morning and we thought it doubtful whether there would be any service, however as we saw people go by Jim, Jane, Jean & I went down and there was a very fair congregation, Revd White of Helensville conducted the service in place of Revd Rouprecht. Will Dunning brought him and Mr McKay – in his car – Collection 13/8. Willie offered to take me in his car to the Matakana service this afternoon, but I thought it best to stay at home, and it was a good thing it did as it poured with rain in the afternoon.
Monday 11th It was a disagreeable day, windy and showers in the morning. Laddie Whitaker came just after lunch to ask Jim to help him dig a grave in the cemetery as old Sam a Kunaka was accidentally drowned out at the beacon yesterday afternoon.
I wrote a long letter to Willie and took it round to the Post Office in the afternoon. When I came back Mr Snow and Mr A. Warin came to ask me to read the service over the man that was drowned.
Tuesday 12th A miserable day, blowing and driving showers.
Mr Schollum called for me after breakfast for me to read the service, Laddie had brought the coffin to the hall, and as the weather was so unfavourable I had the coffin taken in to the hall and I conducted the whole of the service there. Jim had gone to the cemetery early in the morning to finish digging the grave. After I came home it commenced to rain and it rained steadily all day without stopping. As Jim had to go away early to finish digging the grave, the children had to milk all the cows , so Jean was the only one to go to school and she came home in the afternoon wet through.
Wednesday 13th It was a miserable day, blowing and raining. Was not able to do any thing outside. Went up in to the garden and found that the wind had knocked about the White Dutch Beans.
Thursday 14th It was a showery day. The steamer came in and out this morning, this is the first trip she has made this week, the trip to Mangawai had to be omitted on account of the rough weather. I was not able to do much outside, the knocked about the Dutch beans in the garden. [sic]
Friday 15th It was a showery day. I went to Leigh in W. Dunning‘s car, called at Gravatts and then went down to the Post Office to bank £32 . 0 . 0 and to get a postal note for 4/- to send for the Church Gazette, then called at Jim Wyatts where Elva gave me morning tea.
Jim took me to show me the new milking shed in the barley paddock which is fitted up with a milking machine plant. I then called at Eddie Wyatts where I had dinner, then had a look at their garden and then went down to Arch Dunnings where I had afternoon tea. I intended to return home in Willies car , he was very late in reaching Leigh P.O as he had badly punctured a tier [sic] and was not able to go home with the car, so I went home with Mr Grigg and had tea there, while we were at tea Will Dunning came to say that Alf Dunning‘s car was on the road to take me home and to go to his home to get a spare tyre.
Saturday 16th It was a fine day with the exception of a small shower. There was a hockey match at the Domain in the afternoon between Omaha & Warkworth clubs, the latter had an easy win, 5 goals to nil, there was a fair attendance of onlookers.
Sunday 17th It was a fine day. Mr Milligan held service in the hall in the morning. There was a fair attendance about 20. Collection
In the afternoon Jane, Jean & Mildred went to Evans’. I took a walk to Jack Waldens to take him some Pansy plants, but he was not at home.
Monday 18th It was a fine day. I was clearing the weeds of the piece of ground near the garden gate.
Tuesday 19th It was a fine day. I continued clearing the weeds of the piece of ground near the garden gate, & commenced to dig it up. Jim was working at the bowling green.
Wednesday 20th It was a fine day. I planted 23 Cabbage plants near the garden gate, also prepared a drill for another row of broad beans. Jim was working at the bowling green.
Thursday 21st It rained and blew strong last night, but it was fine during the morning, but rained late in the afternoon.
I sowed a second row of Broad Beans, also dug round and weeded the silver beet. Mrs Bowden Birdsall spent the day here.
Friday 22nd It rained nearly all day, and blew a hurricane. We were not able to do anything out of doors.
Saturday 23rd It was a fine day, but very threatening for rain in the afternoon, but none fell here. There was a football match at the Domain between Pakiri Omaha V Warkworth, the local team won. Jim, Jane, Hector & I went to witness it, Jane went to Whittakers to see Mr & Mrs Johny Greenwood’s baby.
Sunday 24th It was a very fine day. Jim, Jane & Mildred drove over to Leigh to spend the day with Eddie & Ivy. Hector went to Ti Point and afterwards to Scout practice.
Jean & I were the only ones at home for dinner. Ted Dunning came and joined us and then went to a scout practice, Jean & I went down to Pats and had tea there.
Monday 25th It was a fine day. In the morning I went down to Pats and cleared away the weeds and earthed up the Potatoes I planted there some time ago. In the afternoon I took out the pea sticks and cleared the ground of weeds. Jim was working at Harry Ashtons.
Tuesday 26th It was a very fine day. Jim was working with Harry Ashtons. In the morning I was working down at Pats, heard that Noel & Fred had come to Leigh in the steamer last night and that Alf Dunning had taken them in his car to Ti Point to Harold Torkingtons. In the afternoon I sowed a row of Early Horn Carrot. Later in the pm saw Harold’s launch coming up the channel and Noel & Fred came here, Jane gave them pm tea and they returned to Ti Point.
Wednesday 27th It was a fine day. Jim was working with Harry Ashton. Fred & Noel came over from Ti Point in the morning and had lunch here, at 1 pm Wil Dunning brought Alf’s car here and the boys and I went over to Big Omaha to Willie’s new home
( ?? Williams), there we met Mr & Mrs A. Dunning, Ernie Greenwood and his wife who had come by the steamer on Monday night, Annie gave us pm tea and then Willie showed us a short cut through the bush to Laurence Whitaker’s place, Laurence showed us over his new house which is nearly finished, Joe Anderson and Leslie Meiklejohn were working on it besides Laurence, the house is the bungalow style and will be very nice when finished and will have every convenience. We called in at Charlie Whitakers where Noel met Mr & Mrs Whitaker Snr. Willie D took us in his car back here and Wil stayed here for dinner, after he went home we played 500.
Thursday 28th It was a fine day, but the wind has changed to the E. Fred and Noel went by steamer from the top wharf at 10.30 on their way back to Auckland. Jane & Mildred went to the wharf to see them off. I was digging down at Pats. Jim was working at Harry Ashtons.
Friday 29th Blowing from the E and showery. I sowed the following seeds in a box.
Cineraria, Beauty Stock & Caliopsis
It rained all afternoon, Jim who was working with Harry Ashton came home wet.
Saturday 30th Not much improvement in the weather, the morning was showery, cleared up a little in the afternoon. There was a hockey match at Matakana between the local club & Omaha, Matakana won 1 goal to nil, Jim rode over to it. In the afternoon I walked round to Mr Whitakers, he lent me several books to read.
Sunday 31st A dull miserable day with slight showers. Revd Addenbrooke held service in the hall in the afternoon. Jane, Jean & I went, there were only 8 present, Collection 7/9. The parson came here for tea.
The rainfall for May as recorded by Mr Mulholland at the Warkworth P.O totaled 8.28 in. , rain falling on 18 days with a maximum fall on the 12th with 3.12 in. The rainfall for May last year was 14.64 in.
England’s liquor bill for 1924 was £16,000,000 or £7 . 5 . 0 for every individual inhabitant.