All posts tagged Evison

Sun. Jan. 9. 8.30. P.M [1944]
# WELSH SOLDIERS ATTEND CHAPEL SERVICE
# CHANGES TO FOOD RATIONING
# CONCERNS ABOUT JAPAN PROLONGING WAR

Dull morning, turning to drizzle at dinner-time then to steady rain. Still raining at 8.30. It has been damp and chilly, but not bitterly cold. Saw a bus load of H.Gs [Home Guards] come by this morning. Jean went to Chapel, said about 15 soldiers were there, they are a lot of them Welsh. Some have already gone on leave. Jean said Tom said a few words of welcome to them, he was preaching next Sunday and would have some Welsh tunes for them to sing. Father took Spence to Louth Hos[pital] to-day so Jean (who has a cold and did not go in rain to S.S. [Sunday School]) and I went in car to Rene’s and had tea with her and came home with Father after he had brought Mrs Spence to her house. He had a cup of tea, but came home for his meal as it was so wet and soon dark. We had canned Vic[toria] Plums with egg custard for tea. Very nice. “Bill” was distinctly annoyed because we took up all the hearthrug. The kitten is grown very big and is very playful. Rene let me have ¼ tea as I am quite out. New period starts tomorrow. Tinned Herrings, Pilchards and Mack[erel] need less points. We are not very fond of tinned fish, except salmon and do not care for that very often. It needs too many points to get much of it now. Sprogg still has a cough and Jean is doctoring him with Tibs. Doesn’t seem to ail much but doesn’t wash himself much and looks very grubby. Jean and Father both seem to have a slight return of their colds. I do hope Jean will be able to start school.

Charles came yesterday to see if Father could fetch Ke[ith] and Ma[rion] from Sk[egness] Stn. at 8 p.m. but he has not enough light and was on watch too. C[laude] Evison could not either so don’t know what they would do, take a taxi I expect. They had just sent a telegram in the morning. It is early for another. I do hope he [Keith] is not on Draft Leave so soon after losing Raymond. I am afraid there will be a lot have to go soon now. Russians are 10 miles over Polish border now and pushing on. Tonight Stuart Hibbert [Hibberd] reminded us that the end of the German War did not mean the end of the war as a whole and that we should still have a tough job to conquer the Japs. Somehow we seem to push this distant war out of our minds as much as we can, forgetting that covering it up does not alter the fact of its serious existence. I hope Ron does not have to go out there, but then I don’t want him to come home just now either. We do not know what to wish for them. It is best to leave it, and live from day to day, thankful that so far he is spared. Oh, if it were only all over, and no more “wars or rumours of war”.

‘Spence’ was believed to be Mr Spence whose wife was previously mentioned (see 2 Feb 1943).

Stuart Hibberd was a well known BBC radio announcer.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?

Wed Aug 25 8.50. A.M. [1943]
# CATCHING UP WASHING AND IRONING
# JAM MAKING
# HOME GROWN FRUIT SUCCESS
# CAR TROUBLE

Rained fast at 7 a.m. but fair before Jean went to school. Ankle rather swollen and stiff. She turned her foot over when running to AR [air raid] shelter yesterday in test practice. She also has a cold. We got thro’ one large batch of ironing yesterday. We had a huge wash Mon. as we only washed necessary things while Emmie was here. Jean had a P.C. [postcard] from her yesterday. We hope to be canning fruit today at Mrs. Faulkner’s. We get cans and machine thro’ W.I. [Women’s Institute]. Father is on watch until 2. p.m. but is having an hour or two off to go fetch Mrs G Dawson from Sk[egness] at 10.45. I made about 3 ½ lbs Vic[toria] plum jam yesterday. It is lovely, but 9d lb for plums seems too much to make a quantity of it. Rene brought me some of her bramble and apple jam. She had strained seeds out and it is very good indeed. Not a trace of bitterness which sometimes spoils wild blk.ber. [blackberry] jam. The blk.bers which grow near them are the finest I have seen, almost like cultivated ones. They think it may be because soldiers cut them all down two years ago and it is all new growth. The birds sound grateful for rain. I can hear a blackbird calling “fruit, fruit, fruit” but think he’ll not find much in our garden, even the loganberries are almost over. They have done very well this year and my log[anberry] and ap[ple] jam is a great success. Perhaps what he really says is “grubs, grubs, grubs”.

Hope the car goes alright to-day. It has been nothing but trouble all the summer, either Evison is a dud or car worn out. I am inclined to think both. Still he says when we get our own gear-box back we shan’t want to part with it, though Father says he would sell it if he could make £30. Some hopes, I say. Have paid E[vison] £10. Am putting money in bank now until he has finished with it (if ever). Oh dear, I am getting pessimistic, but we should have had such a good season if the car had been alright, now Father has had all the work and worry and most of it will have to go to pay for repairs. It seems as if “we never are but always to be blessed”.

Have you read an introduction to May Hill & family (includes photographs) and explored ‘The Casualties Were Small’?