Went down and saw the sheep before milking. Took cows on over rectory. Felt very lazy. Fed sheep. Got a load of hay. I cleaned out the hay-house and the dairy. Stuck some peas. Got cows. Had tea. Milked. Went and met daddy at 6. Washed walked as far as Jockey came and talked to Mrs Wareham. P went to rectory. Wrote had supper late.
I really did mean to get up early but I was so sleepy. Saw the sheep. We went down with the filly. Mr Bown teased us about the yank. C was very quiet. Went to Gill’s I picked up odd hay while P rolled. We got in to lunch about 1.15. Mr Howes and P took the plough we borrowed back to Hawkin’s. Picked up more hay. Got hay. It was very rough. Finished up about 6. I finished picking up hay and fed hens. Went to Gill’s and then walked through Slade and back along Dalleston with Daddy. Read a Women’s Friend and went to bed early
We could not have the horse this morning so we had to take the sheep’s food to Gill’s and stop the Binegar Bottom hedge and then take the sheep there. We cut a few rails then Mrs Howes brought down our dinner Shepherd’s pie and treacle tart Oh Boy! P and I left the wood early and got the cows. We had tea at 3.45. We got down Wells at 5.45 Saw “Stage Door Canteen” it was good
Thursday 4th may 1944
We were up early. I went to Binegar Bottom before milking. Went down Bown’s and got the horse before breakfast. It rained off and on all day and we got pretty wet in the wood. We brought a load home at dinner-time. Brought another load home at 5. We got a load of hay after milking. Daddy came and cut some hay. I had supper with Grandma. Went for a walk round Slad at 9.15 P went down Bown’s. Went to bed a 10.45.
Friday 5th may 1944
Got up at 7 this morning. P went to see the sheep and stop a gap. It was very rough and stormy all day. We had a hail-storm and sheltered in Gill’s. Fed sheep and got hay on trolleys. Phyllis, Stella, Mr and Mrs Howes went to the sale at Shepton. I saw Daddy off at 2.45 and saw sheep and got cows. Had tea with Grandma. Got more hay. Spent the evening writing and sewing. Penned up at 9.
Got up early this morning. Saw sheep at Binegar Botto. Hewart came with a load of logs. Took cake on to sheep. It was cold. Colour ploughed over rectory. I did quite a bit of dragging. Got a load of hay. Got cows. We finished by 5.20. Went to Wells. Saw “Now Voyager” with Bette Davis and Paul Henreid. It was lovely “Don’t ask for the moon, you have the stars” Went to the fair. Met the “big three”. Had a ride on the merry go round. Got back about 10.35
There was a white frost and it was cold on the way to see the sheep. We only took the cake on and caught one ewe and then we went on to Mr Emery’s for potatoes. Saw Mervyn. The black heifer was leaking her milk, but she did not calve. Cleaned out calves. Went down Bown’s early to miss the yank. “Lucky” brought a gramophone. There were 21 of us at one time. Saw Bunny. Milly , John, Stella P and I walked to Masbury Ring. Went to bed about 10.30.
We got up early this morning. Went to sheep. Colour and Hewart were teasing me where I went to get hay before heap. Fed sheep. Went to the heifer show at Farrington with Mr B Daphne Payne won champ. Betty got third. 11 of us went to Mrs Collier’s. Our horse got over Mr bown’s hedge, so he and Laurie helped us put up wire in the evening. We are spring-cleaning so we had supper with grandma.
I slipped downstairs this morning. I did all the cleaning out. Scrubbed dairy after breakfast. Went down Binegar Bottom. Saw Hubert Phyllis rolled and I scrubbed my stool and the stall. Had to help get hay and I had an awful rush to be ready for Milly to go to Tucker’s. Miss Maddever and Mr Frowd were there G Patch, D tucker, B Wells, B Killen and M speed. I had 54-75. Had tea over there. Put in spuds. Washed. Read Lorna Doone. Went to bed early.
Got up before 7 this morning! Wonders! I saw several lorries. Fed sheep at 10. Did a good bit of dragging with P. scraped kale leaves. We rolled till 3.45 then we went and bought the sheep home. I got cows on way. The bull pulled out his fossil so we did not have tea till 5. I went to Dr’s. Was talking about Art. Maidment. I had a job to get away. Saw Tuckers.
I could not be bothered to get up early this morning as I did not have to go to Binegar Bottom. Cleaned out before breakfast. Phoned Dr for Grandpa. Got big load of hay. Took bike to Purcell’s and went to butchers. The cabbages did not come. It was boiling hot. Put in beans. Got cows. The cabbages did not come at 5.30. Washed my hair and had a bath. P was in the garden while I mended. Milly and John got engaged.
Got up first after six as P had to be down Killen’s at 7.15 I milked and took the cows on. I gave the stall a jolly good scrub and did odd jobs. Knocked out mole heaves. Emptied tub of oats. I had to get my bike from Jack Purcell’s got cabbages on the way. I had a job to get up the hill. Saw Ms Spencer. I was in uniform! Went to fancy dress dance at Star Easton. The clothes were good, especially a cub and schoolgirl. Saw a cabaret. Got home about 1.30. Betty was a long time coming in.
We were late getting up this morning. We had to hurry on and get over the rectory to put in cabbages.
We were late again this morning. I took the cows on. P would not although I asked her. Did calves. Caught ram. Ivan came in and we did several ewes and lambs. Wrote a bit after lunch. Went down Bown’s at 3. Sat on the lawn. We were late over tea. Did the milking. We did not go to church. We had a heck of a raid, guns, bombs, flares etc. it lasted about an hour.
The ginger heifer had a roan and white bull calf in the night. We had the horse from Bown’s and we took 4 rolls of wire to Kingdom and then the troughs, we then got a load of wood. The black heifer had a roan bull calf very much like the ginger’s. Got home at 2.30 Put in a few cabbages. Was on door at whist drive. There was a rock auction.
It was raining off and on all day. Went skittling in the evening but we had to shelter in Carter’s.
We went to the pictures but they were rotten. I had a bad cold coming.
Whist drive. Had a good time. Evelyn came with “Ruby” I had to cut for 1st and 2nd prize with Nancy Martin. She got first 10/-. Came back and penned up.
There was a social. The Spotlight’s were quite good. They were singing “If only the vicar were here” and old
We have at last finished putting in our 5000 cabbages. Hurrah!. Went skittling at 8.30 and then went on to the hall. A lot of Chewton people came and “Evelyn” Bunny Young started a scrap. Our Ann was quite catty about my flower! We had to go out of the hall the back way. It spoilt a jolly good evening. Mrs Howes knee was lanced. Stella cut her finger.
A very dull uninteresting day. We fed sheep in the morning and then helped get lunch. Wrote till 2.30. Went down Bown’s. We were discussing the row last night. Dr Finn came. Felt very lazy. Spent quiet evening. Read. Penned –up. Went to bed early.
Got up just after 6.30. Got in cows and heifers. Went to Binegar Bottom to see sheep. Did chickens. Cleaned out. Had breakfast. Went up Kingdown and rolled wire. Had to look after sheep in Quarry paddock. Mr Whitehead came and bought all sheep, Queenie and 3 little heifers. Milked. Mervyn came. Fed over rectory and got flat hay. Maggoted sheep til 8.30. Had supper and went to bed.
Got up pretty early and saw the sheep. We were trying out the horse- hoe. There was an accident at the corn stores between an army lorry and the school meals van. We went to Young farmers meeting at Farrington. We had our Silage certificates. Evelyn was most chatty. P remarked that she thought she had got one on me. Heaven forbid now! It was the Annual general meeting B Wells new chair G Patch new sec. I was elected Ass Sec but got defeated. Thank goodness. We got home early at 10. Penned up.
We spent most of the morning watching the sheep in the paddock. Spoke to Jack Matthew, he saw us out with the yank! I went to a Rally (WLA) in
It was a very dull uninteresting sort of day. Put up wire in Gill’s and took two new fresian heifers down. Got hay and put up wire. It was a very wet evening and I wrote and read. P penned up and saw heifers at the same time. Got “Land Girl”
An uneventful day. P went to Shepton
Singles mangles till 12.30. Went to Binegar fair. There were a lot of horses. Spoke to Jim Maidment. I was boiled in all my land army togs. Went up road collecting. Mr Wareham was larking about, Mrs W kept saying “Oh Ted” just like she always does, but laughing at the same time.