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| Living at
Strickley in the 1930's were four young Robinsons, Henry Wilson
(born 1916), William Arthur (born 1920),
Abigail Isabella (born 1922) and Margaret Frances (born 1924) They probably all kept diaries, and William Arthur's from 1940 gives an insight to the daily work on the farm, as well as a record of the weather for the whole year.
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Click here
for a month by month account of life at Strickley during the early days
of the war.
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The elder son, Henry Wilson Robinson was a prolific diarist, and these extracts are taken from diaries written in 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939 Wilson was married in 1938, and from then on the diaries also refer to his life at Over Bleaze. The fields at Over Bleaze are now (2006) part of Strickley. Grateful thanks to Wilson for allowing me to publish these extracts and apologies to those who don't know the farm or family and may be puzzled by some of the references. Click here to see all the field names. |
| 1935 |
| JANUARY |
| 12th Willie to town and back. Killed pig. Uncle John |
| 14th Dad at Auction. Cut pig up |
| 15th Carting muck |
| 16th Started stubling turnips. Shifted wire for fat sheep. Scaling muck |
| 18th Stubble ploughing. Nora to Fallons smithy to have two removes front feet for 1/6 |
| 19th Wilson drove to town and right back. Mother to Kirkby Thore |
| 20th Sunday. Auntie May's baby Christened Joseph Raymond Metcalfe |
| 22nd Mother returned from Kirkby Thore. Kitty went to hospital |
| 23rd Gave sketch at Milnthorpe. Moses Redmayne killed. Kitty operated on |
| 24th Rolling oats. 4 tons lime came |
| 25th Carting lime onto stubble |
| 30th Fan to smithy. 4 removes. Mixing lime and mould |
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31st Finished mixing lime and mould
midding in old lane
|
| FEBRUARY |
| 1st Sorting potatoes. Rabbitting. Dug 3 out in under an hour after tea |
| 2nd Saturday. Wilson to town by bus. Got a new suit at R H & T H Thompsons. Sold 5 rabbits for 9d |
| 9th Wilson ill in bed. Len Benson came for a week |
| 10th Doctor here to Wilson. Doctor says he has flu. Strickley meeting of Burton preacher |
| 11th Washed bull for Penrith. Cow calved for Penrith, Peggy 17. |
| 12th Washed 3 cows for Penrith sale on 13th |
| 14th Dad back from Penrith first days sale. Rosette 40 sold for 30 gns. Wilson up for 2 hours! |
| 15th Dad back from sale. Sold Peggy for 18gns |
| 17th Sunday. Holmescales. Wilson & Margaret stayed. |
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26th Carting muck. 9 carts and 101 heaps
|
| APRIL |
| 12th Manchester water pipe burst in Crow |
| 14th A number of people here to see burst |
|
15th Hutton Squire (bull) to Kendal
station. Two lambs and two sheep to auction
|
| MAY |
| 3rd Took heifers to Lots. Also 2 horses |
| 6th Jubilee Day. Great doings |
| 10th Cows out for summer |
| 14th Small fire at Holmescales. Judging demonstration at Hagg |
| 16th Carted 11 loads of soil down to the burst in Crow |
| 17th Another 8 loads of soil to burst. Snowed, very cold! |
| 25th Preston Patrick Guild visit to Morecambe. Young Farmers Club visit to Newton Rigg |
|
31st Cleaned out WC
|
| JUNE |
| 2nd Camp Meeting. Willie came off his bike |
| 5th Willie up |
| 8th Whit Sunday. All at Kendal except Willie |
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29thStarted hay
|
| JULY |
| 4th Father at Royal Show, Newcastle |
| 13th 77 carts of hay in during the last week |
| 22nd Aeroplane display at night |
| 25th Finished haymaking. Helping Gibsons from Over Bleaze |
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30thHelping Gibsons finish hay. Paid
10/-
|
| AUGUST |
| 1st At the Royal Lancs Show at Burnley with Willie |
| 3rd Started opening corn out. Sold first ferret for 5/- |
| 5th Cutting ley |
| 13th Mother and girls at Morecambe |
| 17th Mealbank Sunday School visit |
| 18th Everything very dry. Can only get a trickle of water in the bathroom |
| 19th Finished harvest. 42 carts of corn |
| 27th Uncle Willie and Auntie Lizzie Brown came. |
| 28th Aunt Lizzie and Ruth Brown went back |
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29th Burton Show
|
| SEPTEMBER |
| 2nd Father not well. Wilson went to auction |
| 5th Grayrigg Show 1st Bull under 12 months, 1st Tup Lamb, 2nd to Wilson for judging.Father back at work |
| 6th Canny Brow thrashing |
| 7th Wilson ill in bed |
| 12th Kendal Show. 2nd with 3 mangolds, 3rd with 3 turnips, 3rd YFC Heifer |
| 19th Harvest Festival at Holmescales |
| 20th Father at Ulverston |
| 22nd Stricklandgate Harvest Festival |
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24th Wilson at Horse Sale
|
| OCTOBER |
| 1st Started walling lessons at Bridge House |
| 10th Father at Penrith Female Sale |
| 17th Hayfell thrashing |
| 18th Strawberry Bank and Low Garths thrashing |
| 21st Rawhead thrashing |
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30th Bleaze Hall sale
|
| NOVEMBER |
| 1st Overseas Missions Service being held at Strickley. Went to Holmescales for forms. |
| 5th Underhelm thrashing |
| 6th Walling class. YFC at Bridge House. Guild at Milnthorpe |
| 7th Rabbitting. 5 with guns and ferrets. Guild at Preston Patrick |
| 10th Wilson's birthday (19) |
| 11th Willie went to Elm Tree |
| 14th Election day. Stanley got in 10,000 majority |
| 18th Willie back from Elm Tree. 2 tons of baled straw came |
| 20th Father at Penrith with 5 heifers |
| 22nd YMG Band of Hope social |
| 23rd Frosty |
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25th First sketch practice.
|
| DECEMBER |
| 2nd Sketch practice at Strickley |
| 6th Sawing wood on lots |
| 9th Rabbitting for Mr. Gibson. Sketch practice at Rowell |
| 11th Gave sketch at Milnthorpe |
| 12th Thrashing Holmescales. Hedging Bleaze Meadow |
| 17th Social evening at Holmescales |
| 21st Frosty and snowing 3/4 inch |
| 25th At Bridge House |
| 26th Work all day |
Extracts taken from diaries written in 1935, 1937, 1938, 1939
