November 1919

Saturday 1st   Wind blowing strong from NW.  A slight misty rain in the pm, but nothing to do any good.  After breakfast I went down to the village to put some flowers in the church ready for the service tomorrow, got the mail and got some flax from Mr Gozars, after I came back I planted 3 Tomato plants (Mr Atwoods sort) near the summer house.  Willie sowed a long row each of Carrots & Parsnips.

Sunday 2nd   It was a fine day.  I went to early morning communion, Revd Macdonald held service in the afternoon, 27 present.
Collections.  8 am  3/-   2.30   10/-.  Total 13/-.  These collections were for the County Clergy Fund.
Mr & Mrs Archie Dunning came up in the evening to have a look at the garden.

Monday 3rd   There were a few slight showers.  After breakfast I resowed the Red Beet, afterwards helped Willie  earth up the Potatoes the soil round them is very dry & lumpy, rain very much wanted, in the pm Willie continued hoeing up the Potatoes.  I planted 2 short [rows] of Canadian Wonder beans in the new orchard.

Tuesday 4th   There was heavy rain last night and several showers today,  I was helping Willie earth up the Potatoes, he had to take sacks to put over our shoulders during the showers.  Horace came in the evening.

Wednesday 5th   It was a showery day.  I helped Willie finish earthing up the Potatoes, afterwards Willie harrowed the ground intended for maize.  I stuck the row of Sweet Peas.  In the evening all of us went down to prepare the Hall for the Bazaar tomorrow.

Thursday 6th   There was rain & hail in the morning, but it was very fine in the afternoon.  I got up early in the morning and picked peas & flowers for the bazaar and took them down to the Hall and arranged them.  Grace & Willie also took their things down, we returned for lunch and then went down again in the pm.  The Bazaar was opened by our Vicar Revd Macdonald in the absence of Mrs Henry who should have opened it.  The fancy stall was presided over by Mrs Harper Senr,  Mrs W. Harper  & Mrs W. Clarke.  receipts  29 . 8 . 9. Produce stall presided over by Mrs E. Pratt and Miss May Dunning  receipt  £7 . 12 . 6
Lollie stall presided over by Mrs Ab Wyatt and Miss M. Gravatt & Miss J. Matheson  4 . 9 . 5
Flower stall  C. S. Clarke  1 . 16 . 0
Admission  4 . 4 . 6    Bran Tub   4 . 9 . 6
Nail driving   11/3.   Tea & Supper   2 . 15 . 0
Cakes sold  3/-    Subs    A.  Harper  10/-          B. Witten    5/-
Mrs Gravatt  1/1 –                       Total   £55 .   5 . 6
                                                      Money lent       3 .   6 .          
                                                                                                     £51 . 19 . 6      
The Bazaar was a great success, it was well patronized by the public, the children wee admitted free and also supplied with tea and supper and they had a good time.  Miss Grigg sang,  Mr E Wyatt gave a comic reading & the Vicar performed some conjuring tricks.  The nail driving competitions and created great interest .  Harold Flo’ & Sydney staid at our place that night.

Friday 7th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I went down to the Hall to help to clear up.  Mrs Gravatt paid over to Mr Macdonald the sum of £52.
Willie was harrowing & boarding in the orchard.

Saturday 8th   It was a fine day.  In the afternoon Willie, Grace & Mrs Simpson went down to Horace’s place to help him paper the rooms.  Raymond & I staid at home.

Sunday 9th   There were showers in the morning, but it turned out a fine day.  Horace came for dinner, we had Peerless Peas for the first time.  I held service in the afternoon Colln  11/4.
Mrs Harper Senr ,  Mr & Mrs W. Harper came up after church for tea & spent the evening.

Monday 10th   It was a fine day.  Willie was harrowing & boarding this orchard.  I planted a double row of Homestead Beans.

Tuesday 11th   It was a fine day.  It was the 1st Anniversary of the signing the Armistice.  Willie was boarding in this orchard.  I planted out 7 Tomato plants, also some Stocks, Phlox & 1 Aster.  In the evening there was a grand Ball given to all returned soldiers, all of us went and enjoyed ourselves.

Wednesday 12th   It was a fine day.  Willie sowed superphosphate round the trees in the orchard and then boarded it in.  I picked peas & dug potatoes, planted out 6 Phlox, 3 Stocks, also transplanted a Fuchsia.
Mr A. McLean, a parlimentary candidate held a meeting in the Hall in the evening, Willie, Grace & Mrs Simpson went.

Thursday 13th   It was fine in the morning.  Willie took the cart down to the Steamer at noon with a box of Eggs & 2½ Cases of Lemons,  I went with him & took Captain Olsen a bunch of Roses.
In the afternoon I planted out several Phlox, Antirrhinums & Stocks. There was a nice shower of rain so that I had to knock off.  Went down for the mail in the evening.  Got my watch back from Kohn.

Friday 14th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning I was working in the flower garden, I planted 4 Antirrhinums.  In the afternoon Willie & I went down to the village,  Mr Patterson Agricultural Demonstrator gave a lecture on soils & manures in Ernest Wyatts paddock.

Saturday 15th   It was rather a dull day.  After breakfast I went down for the mail and called at Mrs Gravatts.  In the pm I was writing my reports for the Rodney Times.  Horace came in the evening, we played 500.  It was Mrs Simpsons birthday.

Sunday 16th   It rained last night and early this morning, but not enough to sink deep into the soil.  I attended the Presbyterian service in the morning.   Mr Duncan & Ella Matheson  came up here to spend the day.

Monday 17th   It was a very fine day.  I planted 2 Creepers the seed I got from Mr Grindrod, also 2 Sweet Sultan that Flo’ gave me.  After breakfast I set out for a days outing.  I first called at Ashworths to take Mrs A.  some plants of Stocks & Antirrhinums, then went west to Ti Point, had lunch with Minnie & Mr Torkington  then called at Duncan Knaggs,  Mrs K showed me round her garden & gave me some plants,  then called at Harold Torkingtons, had afternoon tea there and then call at Leigh Post Office to get the mail.  Received a letter from my brother Henry in England.

Tuesday 18th   It was a very fine day.  I pricked out some  Aorolinium and Ken Wallaces Antirrhinums in a box.  In the pm I took Mrs D. Matheson some flower plants and filled 3 sugar bags with sand which Duncan is going to bring over to the wharf for me.  In the evening there was a meeting of the Bazaar committee, Willie, Grace & I attended.

Wednesday 19th   It was a fine day.  I wrote to Mr Wallace telling him I was going up on Saturday.  In the afternoon I went down to the village, took some flower plants for John Greenwood & Maggie.  Ella Matheson brought my sand to the wharf, also a bag of seaweed ashes which Willie carted up for me.

Thursday 20th   It rained last night and there was a misty rain all day.
I went with the mail man (Ernie Greenwood) to the Claim to spend the day with Jim & Jane.  I took them some Peas & a Cabbage, called in at Mr Holders & had a long chat with Mr Rogers the new teacher of the Ti Point School, he is a returned soldier and our talk was about England.

Friday 21st   It tried to rain, but it was very slight and did not interfere with work.   I took some peas, some little flower plants & a bunch of roses to Ernie Greenwoods, also some flower plants to
Mrs Eddie Wyatt,  the remainder of the day I was preparing & getting things ready as I am going to Auckland tomorrow.  In the evening I went down to the wharf to get some fish that D. Matheson brought across the harbour for me.  Horace came in the evening.

Saturday 22nd   It was a fine day, but not so calm as yesterday, the wind has sprung up coming from the S.  I left Leigh by the “Kawau” bound for Auckland at 9.45,  the wind coming from the E as we proceeded on our way, but it was a nice calm passage.
I arrived in Auckland at 3.30 pm and immediately went across to Devonport, Mr Wallace met me on Devonport wharf and we went up to his place in a waggonette.  Gordon, his wife & children were spending the afternoon there.  There were races on and we went down on the Lake road to have a look at them.

Sunday 23rd   It was a very fine day.  In the afternoon Mr & Mrs W & I took a walk down to the esplinade to hear the band play, and in the evening we went to Trinity church.  Cannon Coates officiated.

Monday 24th   It was a very fine day.  In the morning I went a walk down to Cheltenham beach & in the afternoon I called to see Mr Grindrod at his office & afterward went up to Newton to see the James Greenwoods who live at 10 Grundrey St near Epiphany Church, the newly married  couple, Percy Greenwood & his wife (Née Came) were staying there, but are going a wedding trip to Rotorua tomorrow.  Mrs McMurtuè came in the evening and we played 500.

Tuesday 25th   It was a fine day.  I went across to town in the morning, went into the City markets, in the pm I took the car out to  Clonburn Road, Remuera to call on the Hedges, but not find them at home, so called at a Drapers shop on the Remuera road where Miss Hedges serves, & while there Neville came in.  I went to look at the Ellerslie gardens.

Wednesday 26th   There was slight misty rain in the morning, but not enough to do any good.  I took the car to the top of Symonds St, walked down to Mt Eden station & took the train to Henderson  and went immediately up to Joe Greenwoods & staid the night,  met Dora’s young man Harold Wright & was informed that they were going to be married next month & was shown the house that is being built on Joe’s land for them.  Dora took me to see Mrs Houghton’s garden.

Thursday 26th   It was a fine day.  After breakfast I bid goodbye to the Greenwoods and went up the road to call on the Wilson Knaggs, had a look round the orchard which is very cleanly cultivated.   Mrs K gave me a cup of tea and then I walked back to the station and went back to Auckland by the train that left Henderson at 10.30 – arrived at Auckland at 11.30 – and crossed over to Devonport, Mr Wallace was at the Conciliation Court between the Gas workers & the Gas Co.   After lunch I wrote a letter to Willie and posted it at Devonport on my way over to Auckland and to meet the “Kawau” coming from Leigh.  The steamer did not arrive until nearly 5 pm and a lot of my neighbours came up by her for the Show,  Willie Dunning brought me a parcel of Canadian Wonder beans that Willie had sent up for Mr Wallace , returned to Devonport by the 5.10 boat.

Friday 28th   It was a fine day.  I went across to Auckland in the morning and went out to the Show at Alexdra park,  met a few Omaha people there, visited the Horticultural Show, had dinner there and then returned to the Shore.

Saturday 29th   It was fine in the morning .  I went across to Auckland in the morning and returned to the Shore for dinner.  Noel came in and I was very glad to see him, I had not seen him for several years.  In the afternoon Mr Wallace & I went to the Domain to witness a Cricket match  between Parnell and the Shore.  A heavy shower of rain came on & they had to stop playing so we came home.

Sunday 30th   It was a fine day.  In the morning I attended Trinity Church, the vicar Revd  A. J. Greenwood preached & I like him very much.
in the afternoon Mr & Mrs W.  &  I walked to Kens place, but they were all away at Albany, we visited the Cemetery & returned by the Old Lake Road & looked in at Ken’s shack near Narrow Neck beach.  In the evening  Mr & Mrs W.  &  I attended the Congregational Church.  Revd  Stewart a returned Chaplain preached.