October 1927

Saturday 1st   It was a very fine day.  I stuck the 2 rows of Stratagem Peas which were sown on the 3rd & 5th September, also dug between the rows.  Pat has a Radio Set now installed, and Jane & Mildred went down in the evening to hear it.  Jim went to a Cricket meeting in Tom Ashton’s lorry.

Sunday 2nd   It was a fine day, ‘tho dull.  Mrs James who has been living with her daughter Mrs Arthur Wilson died this morning, the remains are to be taken to Auckland for burial.
I called at Pats in the afternoon and then went on to Harry Ashtons where I met Eddie & Ivy.  Gordon Matthew gave me a lift home in his car.

Monday 3rd   It was a very fine day.  Jim went to work on the road again to day, having been laid [up] with a cold for some days.
I was busy taking up Onion plants, 500 for A. Dunning,  300 for Eddie,  300 for Jim and 200 for Trevor.
I planted 4 Tillbasket Tomatoes that Dolly gave me.

Tuesday 4th   It was a very fine day.  Jim was working on the road.
I planted 29 Onion plants, seed from Yates.  I loosened the soil between the onions, eschallots and cabbages.  Took up some onion plants for Redwood & Dunbar.  Wrote a letter to Willie.

Wednesday 5th   It was a fine day.  I took up onion plants and dug over the piece of ground between the peas and the cabbages.  Also loosened between the plants in the flower garden.

Thursday 6th   It was a wet day, but only light rain which will do a lot of good , as the ground was getting very dry.  Jim did not go to work, but went to the store.

Friday 7th   It was a very fine day.  The rain which fell yesterday has done a lot of good, it has softened the dry lumps and they rake down smooth,  I weeded and loosened the soil in the flower garden.  Dug between the peas and planted 12 Vanguard Cabbage next the eschallots.  Jane planted some lettuce in front of my seed onions.  I went down to Pats to change a book , borrow some papers.  Carried up soil.

Saturday 8th   It was a very fine day.   Jim was working on the road.  I sowed a row of Stratagem Peas  next to the others .  Dug a strip next the sweet peas.  Mrs Wallace and Alma called in the afternoon, the men folk had gone to the bowling green.

Sunday 9th   It was a fine day, but rather a cold wind blowing.
Revd Parsons held service in the morning, Jane & Hector attended.
I walked to Jack Waldens to have a look at his garden which is very gay with flowers.  After morning tea I went to Whitakers, Mr & Mrs W were in Auckland to get medical advice for Mr Whitaker.  Mrs Johny Greenwood was keeping house for Laddie and Johny was down for the day.  I had dinner there, Laddie showed me his garden, and then very kindly took me in their car to Pats,  Mrs J. Greenwood, Tom and Ethel were spending the day there and I had a long talk to Mrs G  about matters.  Returned home for tea, and in the evening Hector and I went down to Pats, he has now got a wireless set and evd Lionel Fletcher was holding his anniversary service in the Auckland town hall, at which 3,000 were present and 1000 unable to get in.

Monday 10th   It was a very fine day.  I planted out several pansy plants.  Took up a lot of these plants, made packets of garden seeds to send to Leigh to be sold this evening at the social for the Anglican church.  In the afternoon I pared the weeds of the ground below the tomato sticks.  Jane went to the social at Leigh in the evening in Whitaker’s car.  When Revd Addenbrooke  left, he left the parish he left us a debt of £120.   So to meet that debt the following districts were assessed for the following sums.  Pakiri £10,  Leigh £12 . 10 . 0 ,  Dacres £3 . 3 . 0 .  So it was resolved that these sums should be pooled and a joint effort be made to meet the total.  Thus the social.
By the mail I received a letter from Mr Elliott containing a Cheque for £19.   Also letters from Jack and Willie

Tuesday 11th   It was a fine day.  I dug a strip below the tomato stakes,  got flax from the beach.  Jim was not working on the road to day so he and Jane started to plant Potatoes.
I wrote letters to Mr Elliott  and Grace.
Sent my Bank Book enclosing cheque to Leigh.

Wednesday 12th   It was a fine day.  Jim was working on the road.
I dug the strip the top side of the seed onions.  Plaited a flax garden line.

Thursday 13th   It was a fine day.  Jim was working on the road.
I dug over a second time the strip below the tomato sticks.  Wrote a long letter to Mrs Thompson about church matters.

Friday 14th   It was a fine day, but it looks as if we are going to have a change.  I dug between the cabbages near the sweet peas, also another strip below the tomato sticks.  It came on a misty rain in the evening.

Saturday 15th   It rained nearly all day, but it was only a light rain and will do a lot of good.  I was copying extracts from my diary.

Sunday 16th   It was a very fine day.  The rain we had yesterday will do a lot of good.
Mr & Mrs Stewart drove over in the morning and had dinner here.  In the afternoon Mr & Mrs Wallace & Noel,  Laurence & Alma came in their car, it was 3 years since he was here with Fred Davey , the men went up to have a look at my garden,  Jane gave them tea.  After they left I went down to Pats to have a yarn.  Hector went to Ti Point and brought home some fish.

Monday 17th   It was a very fine day.  The ground works well after the rain we had on Saturday.  I dug the ground that was in onion beds.   Henry’s wife (Elsie) came to stay, she had been staying with her brother Willie at Whangorei,  [sic: Whangarei]  so she came by train to Kaipara Flats, and here by coach and car.  It is 3 years since she was here, when I was in the Auckland hospital.

Tuesday 18th   It was a fine  [day]  but there were slight misty showers.  I sowed a long row of Canadian Wonder Beans next the tomatoes.  Dug the strip next the beans over again.

Wednesday 19th   It was a very fine day.  I pared off all the weeds, raked down the ground, made a trench, put the weeds in and cow manure, and made it ready for planting with peas.  Mrs Wallace and Alma came to spend the day, Laurence came with the car to take them home, so Jane & Elsie went in the car with them as far as the store, and came back in the butchers lorry.

Thursday 20th   It was a very fine day.  Jane & Elsie went to the shop in the morning with Pat, and Mr Walden brought them home in his car,  they went to see Mabel in the afternoon.
I sowed a long row of Sutton’s Peerless Peas next the beans I sowed on Tuesday .  Dug up a strip next the broad beans.

Friday 21st   It was a fine day ‘tho dull.  I did no work to day as I was saving myself for this evening.
In the evening all of us went in Tom Ashton’s lorry to Leigh, to a grand entertainment in the hall in honour of Mrs Harper & family,  Mrs H had been Post Mistress at Leigh for 35 years, which she relinquished about a year ago, and her son Willie had taken on the duties, but now that a Govt Post Office had been erected in Leigh and a Post Master appointed the Harper family were out of it altogether.  So the old settlers and friends wishing to show their appreciation of the services rendered by the Harper family got up a social and presentation in the hall, which was beautifully decorated.  There must have been over 150 present coming from Pakiri, Warkworth, Matakana, Big Omaha, Whangateau and Ti Point.
Mr Stewart presided, and a very interesting programme of songs, recitations, musical item &c.  Mrs Evans sang, and several came from Warkworth to assist.  Mr Stewart read an address thanking Mrs H for all she had done for the district, and I as the oldest resident on behalf of many friends presented Mrs H with an easy chair and Wil Harper, a fountain pen.  Supper was then handed round, and dancing commenced. We came back in the lorry arriving after 2 am, having spent a very enjoyable time.  I omitted  to state that Mr J. C. Wyatt also spoke in praise of the Harper family.

Saturday 22nd   A fine day ‘tho dull.  I dug a lot of thistles into the ground  between the peas & beans.  In the afternoon several men were playing bowls and cricket in the Domain.

Sunday 23rd   It was a showery day, but cleared up a little in the afternoon,  Revd Rouprecht came in the morning to hold service, but as no one turned up he went home again.  Eddie & Ivy were at Pats in the afternoon so I went down to have a talk.

Monday 24th   Labour Day.  It rained heavily last night, was showery in the morning, but finer in the afternoon.  I have got a bad cold and cough so did no work in the garden.  There was a Methodist picnic in the domain from Warkworth.  Mrs Thompson came with them, she is a member of the Anglican vestry, she came here  [to]  see me, and we had a long talk about Church matters.

Tuesday 25th   A few slight showers, otherwise a very fine  [day]  but a cold wind blowing.
Jane & Elsie walked to Big Omaha to visit the Whitakers & Wallaces, on their way home they called in to see Jack Walden’s flower garden.
My cold & cough is still bad so I did not get up early, or go up into the garden.

Wednesday 26th   It was a very fine day.  Jane & Elsie went in the morning to Whitakers,  and  [to]  Evans’ in the afternoon.  My cold and cough is still bad.  I went up to the garden to hunt slugs, but did no work.

Thursday 27th   It was a very fine day.  Mr Perks was at Dolleys displaying drapery.  Jane & Elsie went down to inspect it and Minnie came up with them to spend the day.  My cough and cold were still bad, I went to the garden to show her round.

Friday 28th   It was a very fine day.  Elsie left to day, she was going by train to Auckland, so she left in the service car.  Jane went down to our gate with her to help her with her luggage.  Jane afterwards went to Dolleys and got 6 Tomato plants (Burwood Prize) for me, which I planted, also dug up a strip next the sweet peas.  Joe T sent me some fish, also a bottle of wine.

Saturday 29th   It was a very fine day.  There was a cricket match in the Domain Pakiri  V  Omaha, he latter won in one innings to two & 7 runs to spare.  All in this house but me went.  My cold and cough is still bad so thought it wisest to stay at home.
Arthur Wilson came in the pm for me to witness his signature.

Sunday 30th   A fine day.  No service here to day.  Dolly and children were here for tea.  Went up in the garden to have a look round.

Monday 31st   It was a very fine day.  Jim was home to day, he was working in the garden and planted some Water Melons.
I took up 600 onion plants for Gus Neeley, that makes 9200 I have taken from the three beds.  I have still a few small one I transplanted.
I planted a short row of Enfield Market Cabbage.
Jim went to the Annual Cricket Association’s meeting at Matakana in the evening.

The total rainfall for October as recorded at the Warkworth P. O was 2.69 in  only being recorded.  Rain fell on 9 days, the maximum being 92 points on the 23rd.