Monday 1st January 1945

We were up at 6.30 this morning and had finished milking before it was light. We did not start threshing till after 11.30. I was pitching straw at first then I was on the mow with Dennis and Mrs Howes. The man did not come till after 12 and A. Stone did not come at all. Dennis and Hubert came. We went on till 5. I came on at 4.45 and got the cows in. We were having tea at 6.30. We had to go up in the dark with Mr Wareham and put two lorry sheets on the rick. I had a bad cold and felt like nothing on earth.

 

Tuesday 2nd January 1945

We were up early again. Strated threshing about 10. Laurie came. I was on the straw rick by myself for a bit and then when Arthur came I got on the stack. Finished by 12. Loaded up trailer and came home to lunch. Had to do my usual jobs after lunch. Went to post. Mary went on the 3.45 to Blandford today. Finished at 5.30. Wrote till 7.30 then knitted.

 

Wednesday 3rd January 1945

Got up late this morning. It was pouring with rain all day and very cold. Just did usual work & then sat down and knitted until 4. I was to have a half day but the cows got out in A. Stone’s kale. Milked. Sat and knitted till 9. Went to bed.

 

Thursday 4th January 1945

Not so late this morning. It snowed and froze in the night & there was an East wind. Did my usual jobs. Went to Kingdown, Binegar Bottom and rectory. Saw Jim and Mr Warren in car. Sat indoors till 3.45. Got cows. Milked. Knitted. Had an egg for tea. Had a letter from home Edward has to have an operation. It was cold.

 

Friday 5th January 1945

Late as usual. Did usual pails & got two baskets of Swedes and turnips. Killed some mice in the fore-bay. Stacked wood back by side door. Milked. Finished my vest.

 

Saturday 6th January 1945

Got a load of hay before lunch. It was a lovely mild, sunny day. Got a load of Swedes for the cows & cleaned & brought a load in stall. Went to Binegar Bottom met cows on way back. Finished just after 5.30. Peggy came home early and we were talking about Gladys’s letter of course P. had to hear & said ‘ You are on your last leg my lady’!! Stuck pictures in my book and sewed up my vest.

 

Sunday 7th January 1945

It was very cold in the morning. P and Mr. Howes went to Kingdown and Binegar Bottom. P was not very well. It was a lovely afternoon. I met Jim at the gate, he said he hoped he would not have to read the lesson as the Arch-Deacon was preaching. Mr Warren was ill in the sermon & went out in a hurry. Saw Mrs W after church & was duly introduced to Mrs Higgins!

 

Monday 8th January 1945

Phyllis was very bad this morning she had the flu. Dr Roland came. Mr Howes went to Farrington. I did all the usual jobs and put out hay. Mr and Mrs H helped with the milking. I had to rush up to the Dr’s! He did not roll in till 6. I went to Chilcompton on my own. Had a few dances with the “nice boy”. Left early.

 

Tuesday 9th January 1945

Was a bit late this morning. I slept in the bed-chair. Had to get a load of hay. The roads were tricky as it snowed in the night. Got a load of Swedes after lunch. I went to the calves first. Started cut at bad rick. Dr came P. is better. I went up to the Dr’s with Mr Wareham got back about 7. Knitted and wrote & listened to the wireless. My bed collapsed.

 

Wednesday 10th January 1945

Got up at 7. Put on stove & lit fire. Took Mrs. H. up a bowl of tea. Blackie was in her wrong place & I had to get help. Took cows over rectory. Cleaned out stall & hay house to make room for oats. Went to Binegar Bottom. Had lunch. I had a half day. Went down to rectory. I stayed to tea. Packed up guide things, looked out some skates. I was given a picture. Jim came home with me at 6. Am meeting him at 2 on Sunday. Knitted gusset. Wrote a letter.

 

Thursday 11th January 1945

It was very cold all day. The doctor came at 4. I had to go up to the Doctor’s at 6. I had to wait nearly an hour & then Dr. Finn rolled in and said he had to make up the medicine. It was snowing & the dynamo on my bike would not go so I had to walk. It was cold.

 

Friday 12th January 1945

It was snowing and raining all day. I finished about 12.30 after going to Binegar Bottom. I went to Shepton with Mr Wareham, did some shopping after going to Mrs. Ladd’s. Came back at 3. Got cows. I slept most of the evening. Went to bed early.

 

Saturday 13th January 1945

Sheldons came in the middle of getting a load of hay. I brought back the horse and unloaded. Cleaned and ground mangles. Got load of turnips on my own. Got more hay. It ws very overcast all day. I rushed and got train at 6. We were going to see ‘This Happy Breed’ but ‘house full’ greeted us. Came back at 7.

 

Sunday 14th January 1945

A lovely mild day but the wind was a bit cold. I did all the usual jobs & met Mrs. Warren & Jim coming out of church. Jim asked me to go for a walk with him instead of our skating (it thawed). I met him at 2.30 at Wareham’s. We walked up by Martin’s to Enborough pond & then all through the woods. We walked in a bog by mistake and got wet feet. How we laughed. Came back through our fields. Got cows. Jim opened gate for me. I went to church. Took Mrs Howes scarf & finished it. Went to supper. Mrs Warren had had two teeth out & did not feel well. George came home unexpectedly. Jim brought me home. “The first of the few!”

 

Monday 15th January 1945

 Did odd jobs all day. It was a lovely sunny afternoon. Got cows in about 4. Saw George and Jim. Went to Y.F.C. party at Stow Easton. Helped cut up at 6.30. had lovely dancing & games until 1. Got lost on the way home did not get in till 2.30.

 

Tuesday 16th January 1945

It was very damp & foggy all day. Did stall etc. & cleaned up a bit of yard. Went to Binegar Bottom. Saw James & accepted apologies. Had lunch. Got mangles. Spent afternoon at elm tree with Mr & Mrs Howes. Went to post & got cows. Finished about 5.45. Knitted & read till 9.45. Went to bed. Peggy came in at 10 to pack. She was annoyed because we turned out the light.

 

Wednesday 17th January 1945

Got up just after 7. Mrs Howes was up first. Started cut over rectory before breakfast. It was a job as the knife would not cut. I did stall & cleaned mangles till12. Mrs H helped me grind some. Put down cake. Went to Mrs Hockey & Mr Warren’s to get coupons signed. Saw James. It was a beautiful mild, sunny day. Got two loads of hay after lunch. There is only a strip of hay left over rectory. Peggy went to London. Got complexion milk and powder today. Knitted as per usual. Mrs Wareham came in to see Phyllis. WARSAW captured by Russians.

 

Thursday 18th January 1945

Did all the odd jobs etc. & went to the calves. It was pouring but I went to Shepton and got the coupons & then went on to Wells. I made an appointment to have my photograph taken next week. Had tea at ‘The Beckington’ It stopped raining but wind was terrific. Brought some crumpets for tea.

 

Friday 19th January 1945

We had a terribly rough night, the tin shed roof blew up. It froze in the night. Had to go to Kingdown as Colour fetched our oats. He brought them all in one load. The roads were slippery and they had to put down gravel to get by A. Stones. Mended tin shed roof. I went to the Savings Whist Drive. I went with Mr & Mrs Wareham. I won 5/- for the highest score 2nd half. Saw Mrs W. Jim & George coming off the bus. I have to go in on Sunday eve.

 

Saturday 20th January 1945

We had a proper blizzard this morning for about ½ and hour. E had about 1” of snow. I had to walk to Binegar Bottom going to the calves, the sun came out and it was lovely. Got in enough mangles for the week-end. Hung my picture up in Grandma’s room. George came and Peggy came from London. She only heard 3 rockets all far away. Knitted for a while. I was going to the dance but I felt too sleepy.

 

Sunday 21st January 1945

Got up early. Finished all my jobs by 10.30. Had to go to Coburn with saw & then on to the calves. Saw Jim & George going to church as my chain came off by the rectory. I went to Bristol with Mr Wareham. Got back about 1.15. the doctor came. Went & got some medicine from Oakhill for Grandpa. Had tea. Milked. Went to church. Went to supper at rectory. Henry starts from here tomorrow, they go to Calinstock 5 miles from Wellington. Jim brought me home. He is not so shy now. Got in about 10.45.

 

Monday 22nd January 1945

Got up at 7.30. Milked. Roads are still too bad to take the cows up the road. Mr Howes went to Farrington. I cleaned out & did pails etc. Went to P.O. & then on to the calves. I could not find out what was on at the flicks. Saw James. Had lunch. I cleaned mangles for an hour. Took off thatch ready to start a cut. Did a bit to the tree in Holey ground. Went and got trolleys. Raymond was teasing me about Jim. Had tea. Milked. Came in about 6. Wrote my diary.

 

Tuesday 23rd January 1945

It snowed a lot in the night & most of the day. I had to walk to Binegar Bottom. Got a load of hay after lunch. Henry Warren was supposed to arrive today. I went to Dudden’s after 6. Wrote to Verity. Knitted. Finished a pair of blue gloves.

 

Wednesday 24th January 1945

It was very cold this morning. Freezing hard & very foggy. The trees along Binegar Bottom & by the rectory are a picture. The sun broke through for about an hour. Saw Jim. He was going to P.O. with a huge parcel on his bike. I advised him not to cycle as the roads were bad. Henry came yesterday & had to get a lift from Rush Hill. P. went for her x-ray. Cleared away snow from the path & to the white gate. Sheldon’s came. Had a letter from Mary.

 

Thursday 25th January 1945

It snowed again in the night. Got a load of hay. I went to the calves before lunch. I walked to P.O. & Co-op. Met Jim walked as far as Portway Bridge with him. Met Henry. He is a typical Warren! I went skating at Enborough. I had to milk. Went to Dudden’s. No cigs. There will be a heck of a frost. Started white cami-knicks.

 

Friday 26th January 1945

 

Got up at 7.15. A heck of a frost. Took pipe to Warehams before breakfast. Cleaned out. Saw Mrs Warren & Henry going to Wells. Broke ice in pond. Went to calves. Saw James. He is going away for two days next week. Cleaned mangles. Am going to rectory to see Miss Philips tomorrow. Skated on Bown’s pond. I only fell down 4 times. Came in at 7.15. Knitted.

 

Saturday 27th January 1945

Hard frost again, the snow does not thaw a bit. We did not get hay today. Got in a lot of mangles to last over Sunday. Finished at 5.30. Went to the rectory to meet Miss Philips but she did not arrive. Looked at “ ‘Osses and Obstacles” & the “Devon & Somerset Stag Hounds” Saw a letter from Noel who is in Germany. Jim escorted me home. He is pretty good now.

 

Sunday 28th January 1945

I had a very restless night. I went to the calves first this morning. Came back and put down mangles etc. & did the pails. Did some washing & mending. Had pork for lunch. Called for Jim and Henry to go tobogganing. We went in Stone’s field behind Gill’s. We tried one at a time & then we all got on. We had tons of spills. Henry went on then Jim took a header and got covered in snow. Henry and Jim came to tea. Henry went early to bell-ringing. Jim waited for me. We called for mrs warren. I was cold in church. Came home and wrote and knitted till bed.

 

Monday 29th January 1945

Very hard frost. We were late this morning. Cleaned out & did pails. Got two loads of hay. I went to the calves. Jim popped his head over the wall he was beating carpets. He is not going to Suffolk as the way is snowbound, that is good. Got out a whole lot of mangles. Carried up churns. It started to snow at 4.30 & continued all evening. I will have to dig out the cows tomorrow. Wrote 3 pages to Mary. Knitted etc. till bedtime.

 

Tuesday 30th January 1945

Had a dreadful night. Snow, sleet & rain, the drifts were terrible. It rained all morning & the thaw seems to have set in. The yard is an awful mess. I did not go off the farm at all today so did not see Jim. Sawed up stick and got mangles etc. all day. Washed my hair. Cut out pictures from “Riding” & knitted.

 

Wednesday 31st January 1945

Rain. Very fine drizzle most of the day. The wind rose towards evening. It seems good to see the green fields again, the roads are very sticky. Cleaned out & went to Binegar Bottom. I have to go to the rectory tonight in Grandma’s stead. Cleaned mangles. Went out with ladder to further ground. Got cows. Doctor came while we were having tea. I am not to sleep with P. Got ready to go to the rectory. Called for Mrs Wareham at 7.30. I stayed to supper after the meeting. £47-11-4 ½ d was collected. Jim brought me home. We are going strong.