All posts tagged Mr Shales

Nov. 21st 8.15 a.m. [1943]
# ILLNESSS ALL ROUND
# MANY TASKS COMPLETED AND REVIEWED
# POSITIVE PHILOSOPHY CHEERS

Find I dated Ron’s letter and Mrs Leivers PC [postcard], Ron’s AirG. [airgraph] and 3 greetings A.G.’s Nov 11th yesterday. Letter and P.C. posted but must alter Graphs. I suppose my head was a bit muddled. I was in bed until after dinner as I had such a splitting headache when I woke at 5 o’c and my chest was so bad with tight stabbing pains. Head is better this morning and chest much better too tho’ very tight when I went to bed. It is nearly 3 weeks since I caught that wretched cold, I think I got thoroughly chilled when that blanket of fog came down while I waited for the bus’ and as colds were very prevalent in Sk[egness] perhaps caught it there, or it brought my Bronchitis on and I caught Jean’s cold. Rene is not too well either. She has done a lot of running about this last week over me and Mr Shales. He is recovering now. Don’t know whether Rene will do my washing today. It has been raining and is still a little foggy tho’ much clearer than yesterday. It was a very short dark day.

I must keep out of the steam. Was very impatient I’m afraid last week, felt I was wasting time as I could not get to my Autumn cleaning. However on summing up Sat night I found I had made Jean a school skirt, cut it out, made it and pressed it ready to wear. (Tell it not in Gath, I still have the seams to oversew.) I changed sleeves of cardigan left to right as elbows were wearing, finished dressing sailor doll for Baby Balding, cut out and stuffed Terrier Dog. Brown velveteen. Small but looks quite profess’l. It is for Patsy Adams. Making animals is fascinating but don’t like dressing dolls. I spent one evening repairing Jean’s school satchel. I also knitted about half one front of my new cardigan. Motto: when not very well look at what you have done not at what you have left undone. It’s less depressing. After Father had pneu[monia] (before M and B tablets) I used to get so tired that when I went to bed the only prayer I could seem to think of was “I have left undone the things I ought to have done”! Jean has gone to school, Father not up as he was on watch until 12. I will knit a little as it’s too dark yet to start work and I am only just settling down from my usual early morning attack of asthma, tho’ it wasn’t too bad to-day.

‘Tell it not in Gath…weep not at all.’ is from the Bible, Micah 1:10.

M & B tablets were May and Baker proprietary medication.

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

Mon. 15 Nov. 10 o’c PM. [1943]
# RECOVERING FROM A BAD COLD
# MAKING JEAN’S SCHOOL SKIRT
# MORE SOFT TOYS UNDERWAY
# NEARBY MARSH AREA FLOODED

I did not write much in my diary last Wed. as I felt so tired and could not collect my thoughts. It turned out I had a bad head cold developing and I have gone thro’ the worst of it now and just feel seedy and tired to-day, hope I shall begin to feel like myself tomorrow. I have cut Jean’s new green skirt out and partly made it. She has been to school, but had such a lot of home-work and was so tired I did not get it tried on, however, I have taken measurements so hope to get a bit more done tomorrow. I have really finished the “sailor” doll. I made a few more stitches on his face and pulled it into quite a decent shape, made and sewed his hat on so hope baby Balding will like it. I don’t like making such tiny clothes, think I’ll stick to animals. Have cut paper pattern of Scottie dog and Rene cut the Terrier pat. so hope to try them this week. I finished sewing buttons on Jean’s cardigan tonight and mended her school bag strap so got no more of my cardigan done. I finished a diamont patn. this morning and cut out Jean’s skirt before dinner. As Rene did a big wash for me last Wed I am only doing just what is necessary this week. She has her big wash this week. It was so stormy she did not start to-day. Mr Shales is a little better to-day.

Father had to go on W.Bx. [watch box] for a while this morning, the D.O. [District Officer] was there. He had 45 out of 50 of his last quest[ions] right. It has been very stormy again to-day but not so many sleet-showers as yesterday. It has been one or two tho’ since dark. It turns very cold before showers and slightly warmer after. The whole house seems to turn cold before showers. I am writing in bed but it is so cold I shall soon lay down. It is 10.30. so it won’t seem long to 12 when Father comes off watch. There have been some very high tides again the last few days, sea came into Marsh again. The seamen’s work did not keep it out, altho’ one of Grantham’s boys said it kept the bulk of it out! Father took Mrs. Mason to Sutton [-on-Sea] last Wed. She is gone there to live with Mrs. Bryant, a relative. She gave Father a good enamel kettle and £1.

Mr and Mrs Shales were Rene’s elderly next-door neighbours in Sunningdale Drive (see Village Map), having moved into the bungalow ‘Chapel of Ease’ (built by the Ashley Hall family – see 1 Apr 1943) next to ‘Beverley’.

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