Haines Diary 1

MAY Fri 7 Broke up school - v.v. busy. Finished 26 shields & 3 pictures for Coronation Decorations. Sat 8 Prepared for London - Decorated SCHOOL & VILLAGE for Coronation - To The Morlands. 10 - 11 Went to London - Rosalind arrived. Dad drove us around the West End to see decorations - Terrific crowds - stayed in Dad's flat. Frank came from Ramsgate.

1937 August

1. A very happy week. Children all v. happy families - many [ ?] in the countryside. Sidmouth Regatta & swimming gala. Rosalind competed in several races & won prizes. Dad went home at end of the week. Joan Heaton had her 21st

17. Birthday party in Camp 9.30. 18. Dad returned for short stay.

19. Went to see Winter Sunshine at Theatre. Frank Harwood as Colonel in play.

20. Rendered 1st Aid - took Bill Heaton in ambulance to hosp. & adopted Betty Evans (Not my Haines in margin) The Haines Family left & we adopted Michael & Frank.

21. Dad returned. I saw Major Miller, conductor of the Grenadier Guards Band and we talked about Frank P. Haines who he knew in London, in pre-war I days. His wife was ? [Cecily] Gleeson - Whites prima donna at Covent Garden. Frank often accompanied her. I have a photo of her as Brunnhild. Later Colonel Miller told me his wife called him "Frank the Magnificient, because he was always so immaculated dressed & the perfect gentleman" 28. We struck camp & went home - good journey.

30. M.K School re-opens.

SEPTEMBER

3. I have sickness & violent pains in chest twice every day. another duo-denal ulcer. 5. To Dr Gill & again 11th saw Dr Gill.

13. Frank goes back to Ramsgate - not too well -catarrh v. bad.

29. Music class starts at S.K.

30. Joan Harper leaves M.K. school. Tea at Miss Belgrave's to discuss play for guides.

OCTOBER 3. Rosalind back to school. & I go to ? Morlands

6. Harvest Festival - Children decorated in church 7. 1st reading "Cranford"

11. "Cranford" & Billy Boy. 14. Conservative meeting & Social - Ronald Tree.

15 W.I. concert at Lutterworth Grammer Sch.

16. Leicestershire Drama School - Matley Market at Ed. Wood Hall, opened by Hon Sybil Lowther.

18. Frank has tooth out. 19 Mother breaks her left arm at wrist.

20. Frank see Dr Lipschidtz at Margate. Doc finds nothing wrong.

21. Frank has serious insect bite on eye.

22. Nat. Sav. Conference at Leicester

23 " " " & Drama Day W.I.H.Q. (?[Nero] Walk)

24. Mother came to M.K. - Doctor to see Frank.

Nov. 2. Half Term 3. Ros & my half term holiday

12. 20th Anniversary of Nat. Savings in London. I was in at the beginning

Jan 15. I buy a new hat, brown spring felt. Immediately on leaving shop it b;ew off & a man put his foot on it.

17. Bobbie goes to London by car to his new job Electric Vans Ltd

18. Rosalind goes to a party at Burstall & stays with Mrs Baxter

25. The Aurora Borealis seen at N.K & all over Eng

27. Niagara Falls Bridge collapsed by weight of ice

Feb 4. Rehearsal for spring cleaning & geyser. Ros to London to Coulson to ? Mother has bronchitis & then pneumonia. Nurse Heggs in home

Sun 20. Mother improving

24. Entertainment at Walton - 2 plays "Spring cleaning & old geyser"

Sun 27. Mother downstairs first time

30. Rosalind comes home to go to Golf club dance at Lutterworth. Frank sets off to Germany with Chatham Scouts

31. Frank arrives at ? [Utlm} on the Danube. Heard him speak on radio at [Ullm]

April 2. Frank goes to Munich. 3. Mother comes to N.K

13. Broke up school for Easter hols. I gave 4 prizes & Easter eggs.

Good Friday 15. Uncle Frank, aunt Annie, Madelaine & Mary come to N.K

Sat 16. Pa comes to stay. 17. Car run to Newbold-on-Avon, saw Noel Prentice & his church

18. Car ride to Mkt. Harboro.[ Gumley] etc, etc

19. Took mother & Father home to Morlands. 20. Spring clean at Morlands

21 Dining room, study - 2 bedrooms, stairs, hall, landing, bathroom

23. To Stratford-on-Avon - saw flags unfurled. Tyrone Guthrie was chief guest Visited Shakespear Memorial in church . Noel Prentice was rector there, wonderful to meet

25 Little theatre to see Othello - Leslie Bowman, Roy [Poclim], Diana [Nicolson]

27. Frank goes to Ramsgate

May 4. Rosalind gets her driving licence. I write an EMPIRE PLAY

24. Pageant - a great day. Pageant most sucessful, N.K loved it Tea at Col. Belgraves - games after

June 2. Broke up school 4. To Syston 5. Gardened, 4 o' left for Yorkshire Visited Digly Mills & Bilberry reservoir, Marston & over moors

6. Ret to Syston - found mother ill - to 10 V. ill pneumonis 11 Moved her in ambulance to Sun Dial nursing home. 12. Visited mother - improving

13. School - all present - school dentist visit

July 23. To Ramsgate to see headmaster Chatham House, Frank returned with us Tea at Ramsgate where Frank works as Sea scout

27. Frank breaks up for Summer hols. 28. N.K begins summer hols

137 1938 July 20. To the Morlands. 31. Irene Ashton-Jones visits us there.

August 1. Went to St. Bernard's Monastery in Charnwood forest - new church

7. Ros & Frank set out for Yorkshire in N.X. 15. R & F home from Holmebridge both with bad colds 0 (open car I suppose)

18. Dad starts limbago - v. bad. 22. Saw Mr Millington at agricultural office

24. Saw Mr Findley agri organiser re Frank's future. He did not want to return to Chatham house - he was so v tall among little boys

25 Rosalind & I set out for Norfolk. Visited King's Lyn, Hunstanton, Brancaster, Walsingham & Blakeney.

28. Home & found Bobbie in bed v bad back. 29 I started school

31. Rosalind sets out for Switzerland with her school

September 3. To Midland Agri college with Frank - no vacancy -saw the principal

4. Dr & Mrs Gill came to see Bobbie, pulse 60, poison in muscular tissue

27. I paid first fees for Frank at Midland Agri college. We are on the eve of war

29. Mr chamberlain met [Mons] Deladier, Mussolini & Hitler at Munich an agreement was arrived at. 30. Peace instead of war -wild excitement everywhere

October 1 Rosalind goes to the Royal Northern Hospital, London for Domestic Science All quiet in London. 5. Very busy getting Frank's things together

6. Harvest fest at N.K. Children decorate ready for Sunday

10 Gas masks fitted on children in school. All smiles and fun I decided to have German lessons - night class at Rugby next Wed

27/28. Cranford dress rehearsal * performance at Swinford - grt success

29. To Anderstey Creek. B & I selpt at Green View

November 3. Cranford At husbands Bosworth

8. Eclipse of the moon. V G view in N.K 11. F's half term

26. W.I fed annual meeting,Leicester. Address by Mr Findley on ? Flying doctor in Australia by Mrs Walker p.m

28. Mr Whiteman died. Frank goes back to college. Feast tea postponed

December 14. German exam. 29. Last German class Christmas at the The Morlands

January 9. Started school. 18. German class

1939 19 "Cranford" at Wigston Constitutional Hall for guide funds

24. Sunny day 25 Severe blizzard. Too bad to go to German

27. First aid practise in school. Mr Gubbins & friend came from ? to talk about gas. WAR

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