Thursday, 1st February, 1917 3
Some snow during the night and a trifle warmer. Bessie came over about 10 and she and I drove with CA as far as Selfridges. Did some shopping and went to Hawes with Isobel’s spectacles. Took a taxi home and got here at 12.15. Went to Whiteleys for Sonnie’s meccano things. Home for lunch. Bella and Baby went out and I rested. Maggie came to see me, also Kathleen Buchanan and we had tea in the sitting room. Isobel went to bed early as she has a nasty cold and was very soon asleep. CA didn’t get home till nearly 9.30.
Friday, 2nd February, 1917 2
Nurse Bella and baby left by the 10.55. Isobel stayed at home with rather a cold and she and I went by the 3.20 to Harrow, picked up Mr. Moore and Katie and got home for tea. Dr. Macphail came about 7 and CA at 8.30. Spent a quiet evening, they played chess and I read.
Saturday, 3rd February, 1917 3
Bitterly cold still. Sonnie went to boxing and I went down to see Mrs. Hilton and walked back with Bella and Michael. CA and Dr. Macphail took the children to slide on the reservoir in the afternoon and I rested. Mr. and Mrs. Heseltine came to tea. After supper we played solo whist and then the men played chess and I slept and went to bed about 11.30
Sunday, 4th February, 1917 No eggs.
CA and Dr. Macphail took the children out to skate and slide and Bella and I did the washing up etc., as Mrs. Cross was very poorly. Spent a lazy afternoon. Got the tea. Mr. Piggott came to tea and work. Dr. Macphail and Katie went to church.
Monday, 5th February, 1917 1 egg
Thick snow this morning. Both girls had colds so stayed at home. Sonnie went off cheerfully to school. Dr. Macphail left by the 8.43 and I packed and we came up by the 11 o’clock train. Got home and unpacked and Katie and I went off to meet Duncan. After lunch May came and she and I did some shopping. Bessie came to tea. May took Duncan off and Bessie left soon after. CA came in at 8 for dinner and returned to the Ministry to work. Home by 10.30 or so. I was in bed early.
Tuesday, 6th February, 1917 1 egg
Girls stayed at home again. Isobel got up at 12. I packed for CA and Katie, he and I went to to Selfridges to buy him a hat etc. He brought us back and went on to the Ministry, leaving for France about 12. Katie went out with Nurse Bella and Michael after lunch and Isobel and I had a quiet afternoon, she on her bed and I by the fire. I was in bed by 20 past 10, great record!
Wednesday, 7th February, 1917 2 eggs
Girls still at home but much better. We went out to Oxford Street and walked home and quite enjoyed it. After lunch Bella and baby went out. The girls painted and I rested. Miss Kelly came to tea and Dr. Macphail came in after supper for a bit.
Thursday, 8th February, 1917 2 eggs
Girls off to school again today. Bella, Baby and I went out together to buy him some shoes. I left them sliding on the Serpentine. Came home and wrote some letters. . After lunch tidied up wrote again. Bessie came to tea. After tea, the girls and I went to Whiteleys to buy Sonnie’s meccano things and then to get some shoes. After dinner wrote to Jenny and to Dorothy Macphail. Went to bed about 10.
Friday, 9th February, 1917 3 eggs.
Bella took the girls to the station. After breakfast we packed our bags. Miss White came about 10.15 and we got the 10.55 to Northwood. Called in at the Hiltons for Sonnie who had a cold and was not at school. After lunch Michael and Bella went for a walk. Dr. Hilton came up to see me. The girls and Mr. Moore arrived as usual at Mrs. Van W….came in after tea. Had a welcome wire from CA to say he had safely arrived at Folkestone. He got home at 9 and we had supper and talked. He looked awfully well and brisk. Much better than went he went away.
Saturday, 10th February, 1917 1 egg
Had a fairly busy morning getting the spare room ready for Annie and Fred. CA took Kate and Isobel to skate on Mr. Dove’s pond. Michael stayed in all day with a cold and Sonnie stayed in bed as he was inclined to be asthmatic with a temperature of 99.4. Miss White came at 12.30 and spent the afternoon doing work with CA. She left by the 4.26 and Annie and Fred arrived at 4.18. Had tea, sat and talked and spent a quiet evening, didn’t go to bed until about 12. Kate and I walked down to Northwood to fetch a case of papers for CA about 7.30.
K.A. Sunday, 11th February, 1917 2 eggs
Inclined to thaw – dampish. Fred, CA and I took the girls to Mr. Dove’s pond and had a little walk. Sonnie and baby stayed indoors all day to get their colds better. I had a quiet afternoon and a snozzle. Sang hymns after tea and I read to the children. CA sat up late doing papers.
Monday, 12th February, 1917 1 egg
Girls off to school by 8.40. CA and Fred left at 9.40 and Annie at 11. Sonnie able to be out all day, also Michael, both much better. I packed and made various arrangements and decided to leave Bella at Pretty Corner this week until the colds are better. Sonnie came down to the station with me, calling at the Hiltons on the way. He saw me into the train and returned with Gurney. I picked up Kate and Bel at Harrow and we went to Davies’s re milk and got to the hotel about 4.45. CA and Mr. Kellaway came to dinner at 8 and went back to the Ministry to Work after that.I went to sleep in my chair by the fire after putting the girls to bed, they had sat up for supper. CA got home at about 8.15 and we talked and snoozled.
Tuesday, 13th February, 1917 2 eggs
Took the girls to Marylebone and walked back to breakfast with CA. After breakfast he went over to the ministry taking Mr. Bate with him. I spent a quiet morning and tidied bedrooms and cleaned three pairs of gym shoes. Miss Wymans, a friend of Mrs. Van …….. came to see me at 12 and after that I went over to lunch with Bessie. Jim was there, just back from Calais and probably going to Salonica. Stayed at Bessie’s till 2.30 and she, Jim and I drove to Manchester Street where we dropped Bess and went on to Marylebone to meet Kate and Isobel. Jim then went off and we took a taxi here. CA came in about 5.15 and had tea and went off with Mr. Kellaway to Bedford. I wrote to my boys and helped the girls with homework. Started them to bed and had dinner. Came up and saw them to bed and had a dull evening by myself!
Wednesday, 14th February, 1917 1 egg
Isobel had a slight rash on her chest this morning, so as there has been measles at school I thought it best to keep her in bed. Katie and I went out for a few minutes to do a little shopping. Came home and packed a tiny parcel for my boys and went and posted it. Read to Isobel until dinner time. Miss Walker came to see us, also Dr. Hilton came. He saw Isobel and said that he couldn’t be sure it was measles but advised me to keep both girls at home till Monday in case it should turn out to be anything. Miss Walker and Katie went to Whiteleys and bought a toy for Isobel. I went with Dr. Hilton to help him buy an overcoat for himself and one for John Got home at 4.30. Tea upstairs with girls. Got them to bed. CA arrived at 7.40 and Dr. Macphail at 7.45 for dinner. Played Solo Whist and I wrote letters while they played chess. Dr. M left at 12 and we went to bed.
Thursday, 15th February, 1917 2 eggs
Mr. Bate came in after breakfast and went to the Ministry with CA. I packed up and the girls and I came to Northwood all the way in Daddy’s car, ¾ hour door to door. Baby and Sonnie very pleased to see us. Sonnie went with John Hilton to skate on the Reservoir and Katie had a ride. Isobel played up in the spare room and I unpacked and had a general tidying up. Isobel showed some signs of a rash on her neck and face after her bath but it faded away when she was in bed. CA didn’t get home till 10.15.
Friday, 16th February, 1917 No eggs
Kept Isobel in bed all day, Katie and Chrisopher spent the whole morning skating at the reservoir. Hard frost last night, but thaw in the afternoon and rain at night. I spent some time reading to Isobel. After dinner Mrs. Coates came up and we walked round the garden conversing. I then read to Isobel again. Dr. Hilton came about tea-time, Isobel’s rash is still on her chest but nowhere else though her temperature was 99 when she went to bed. CA got in about 9 and after supper we played Scramble Patience.
Saturday, 17th February, 1917 4 eggs
Isobel seemed perfectly well so we let her get up. Miss White came about 10.30 to work with CA. Quite a mild day after the rain. Hardly any snow left. I went down to see Mrs. Hilton. Katie on the pony and Chrisopher on his bicycle met me and we came home together. After dinner Katie took Nurse Bella and Baby for a drive and Sonnie and Daddy and I worked in the garden. I spent most of the time forking up manure. Mr. Coates came in to tea and after tea I read David Copperfield to the kiddies. Baby has rather a cough and his cold seems to have returned. The Hiltons came to supper and we had a very nice evening.
Sunday, 18th February, 1917 1 egg
Baby’s cold and cough very bad all day. Kept him in the nursery and put his bed there. In the afternoon he slept quite a bit. Dr. Heseltine came down about teatime with papers, Kate and Bel met him in the trap. In the morning Lavender came up about the trees we are going to cut down and after he had gone CA with Sonnie and my help brought down 3 birch trees.
Monday, l9th February, 1917 4 eggs.
Christopher went to school. Kate and Bel have half term holiday. They, CA and I came up to the hotel by the 9.56 and made some rearrangements about rooms. Moved Nurse Bella and Baby’s things from upstairs as we are arranging for Bella and the boys to stay at Northwood instead of coming up here. We did a little shopping and went home by the 12.35. Baby still in bed but much better. Nurse Bella is rather poorly and I got her to lie down all afternoon while I played with baby. CA didn’t get home till about 10.
Tuesday, 20th February, 1917 1 egg
The girls went to school again. I stayed at home all day. Baby much better, in fact quite jolly again and Bella also on the mend. CA stayed at the hotel tonight.
Wednesday, 21st February, 1917 5 eggs
I came back to town by the 3.42. Met Kate and Bella at Harrow. Unpacked, had tea and we went out for a bit. Got postcards for the boys and walked through Whiteleys to please the girls.
Thursday, 22nd February, 1917 5 eggs
I went down by the 12.6 to lunch with Shal and on to tea with Miss Huskisson with whom I had a very nice talk. Came home about 6. Found that Miss Love had been in and had seen Katie and Isobel and Miss White who had met them and had tea with them while I was away.
Friday, 23rd February, 1917 6 eggs
Miss White came over in the morning to do letters etc., and fetched me in the car after lunch and we went to Harrow together and picked up the little girls and Mr. Moore. A tyre burst in Church Road and we had to walk the rest of the way home.
Saturday, 24th February, 1917 4 eggs
Spent our usual Saturday so far as I remember but I am filling this in a fortnight behind time!!
Sunday, 25th February, 1917 2 eggs
Katie and I went down to Emmanuel church in the evening.
Monday, 26th February, 1917 4 eggs
Girls went by the 8.50 to Harrow and CA by the 9.56 Sonnie stayed at home with a nasty cough and cold still. I packed and did the washing and fed animals. Came to town by the 3.40, meeting girls at Harrow.
Tuesday, 27th February, 1917 2 eggs
Took girls to station and walked back for breakfast. Went over to Hampstead to get my green dress altered and to buy some new china. Shal came to lunch with me and stayed until I had to fetch Kate and Bel. Bought them home and tidied them and went to tea with Miss Love and enjoyed it very much.
Wednesday, 28th February, 1917. 4 eggs
I went with the girls to Harrow and then on to Northwood to spend the day with my boys. The met me at the top of the hill. Sonnie still coughing and not at school yet. Had a very nice day and did some tidying up. Came home by the 3.42 and met the girls at Harrow.