Olave's diary for 1927 Index
They were touring South Africa, and the children were in local Boarding Schools. January is mid-summer holiday
Olave was 38
B-P was 70
their children -
Peter was 14 in October
Heather was 12 in June
Betty was 10 in April
January 1927
Our grateful thanks to Christine Clode for the transcription.
Sat 1st Jan 1927 Gordons Bay, South Africa
Robin went off to fish in Sir Lionel Phillips’ water at Vergelegen (Somerset West). It is jolly for him having fishing like this.
We all bathe and good Enid Richards starts cooking and looking after the children so well and nicely. Pack – most reluctantly – to go off back to work for a bit, and of course I do love Guiding!!
Sun 2nd Jan 1927
Start for Pretoria. Taxi arrived late and had to rush on to Van der Still station to catch train. Arrive Cape Town – dump luggage at station, and run out to Plumstead and lunch at Bearston with Aunt Edith and Uncle Kenneth Bairnsfather.
Catch train at Cape Town at 4.0 and trundle off to do some guiding again. Perfectly exquisite evening light on the mountains. It is a glorious bit of country up to Wellington and onwards.
Mon 3rd Jan 1927 Kimberley
Wake to find the wonderful ? blush and sandy Karoo stretching as far as eye can reach – fascinating ? and flat expanses.
These nice young guiders travelling to constitute themselves as my “orderlies” and we meal together. Very hot in afternoon.
Arrive Kimberley about 8.0 and met there by Mrs Ward (D.C.) and Mrs Fynn for small talk en passant.
Tue 4th Jan 1927 Pretoria
Arrive Pretoria 9.30 and Betty Sutton there to meet me and off we go to jolly Guiders Camp at Ashbury (about 3 miles out). A nice crowd of about 25 going through Camp Advisors test. Loaf about and watch them at work. Miss Savage and Miss Turner and Betty doing the training and it is nice to meet again many guiders from Natal – Mrs Dennies, Nany Bryan, Nancy Grey, Grace Houston, etc. slept in a tent – at least more or less!
Wed 5th Jan 1927 [Johannesburg]
Saw the lovely clean well that supplies Pretoria with 6 million gallons of perfect water per day from Ashbury.
Packed up tents etc. and then went in to Pretoria and rested on our beds at Polley’s Hotel all afternoon.
Evening trained to Johannesburg and arrived with great excitement at the Parktown Preparatory school at Mountain View for the Guiders Training week and Conference.
About 120 there from all over South Africa – many whom I had seen – and it was delightful meeting them again. Dolly Fulford gave a welcome and talk and we all had a very cheery evening of chat.
Thu 6th Jan 1927 Johannesburg
I gave address on Aims and Ideals – and gave them thanks for welcome etc. Dr Moore (woman employed at Herbarium at Pretoria) gave most interesting lecture on Nature Study Training of all sorts going on for these 100 guiders who are so keen under the management of Miss Miller (Durban) Miss Savage (Port Elizabeth) etc Mrs Macneillie (Prov. Com for Transvaal) is acting as “hostess” and managing things, Mrs Gaudie from Bohsburg is Secretary and all pull together so well
Fri 7th Jan 1927 Guiders Conference
Training going on hard all day. All so cheery and it is nice meeting so many that I saw when we were travelling around before Xmas.
Miss Courtier and Miss Jewitt etc from Durban; Miss Rein and Ruth and Nancy Grey and Nancy Bryan from Maritzburg; Mrs Dennis and Mrs Dibb from Port Shepstone, etc. etc. Miss Harding (Benoni Capt) took me to call on Hoy’s and Evans (our late host). Meet Mrs Raleigh there. Go and shop in the town and give a ten minutes broadcast talk from the Johannesburg wireless station. Camp Fre in evening as usual and all very jolly.
Sat 8th Jan 1927 Roodepoort
Mrs Dobson and Mrs Horton fetched me and took Dollie and Winifred Wiley over to “Shielling” the Transvaal Guide Club room training centre at Roodepoort. Saw a few guides and Brownies there, looked over the hut, met and talked to various ladies over tea and then tore back lunch-less to Mountain View.
H.R.H. Princess Alice and Lady May Cambridge came to an “at Home” we all gave at the school to the elite of Johannesburg.
I gave a short address to the assembled throng. H.R.H. stayed for Camp Fire, but would not make a speech so I had to tell funny stories instead!!
Sun 9th Jan 1927 Johannesburg
Supposed to be a quiet free day, but people want to talk over their problems so there is not much peace! Miss Short had 2½ hours of my time re South West Africa difficulty.
Sat out in afternoon with “M.M” (Miller from Durban) and gazed at the glorious view together.
“Guiders own” on the lawn in the evening run quite well by Miss Black (D.C. Johannesburg). This is all very enjoyable and doing them all a lot of good.
Mon 10th Jan 1927
Conference begins – literally on all day affair of resolutions and votings.
Dollie was in the Chair, and at the beginning gave me a present of over £50 – in pennies – from the Guides and Brownies in the Union. So touching.
Got through lots of business and in the evening we all relax from the conference stiffness and bathe and enjoy ourselves. Everybody wants to have “a few minutes talk” so I am kept busy!
Tue 11th Jan 1927
Work again! Meeting of the Union Girl Guide Council – and we talked and discussed the whole morning. All interesting and good.
Lady Dalrymple fetched me away to lunch at her charming house. Back to work again. But these people are dears and it is too sweet and touching how they have adopted me as theirs “as a South African of three months standing”.
Wed 12th Jan 1927
Work, interviews, talks etc! afternoon we all went in lumps to an At Home in the Zoo, given by the Mayoress of Johannesburg (Mrs Alf! Law Palmer). Made small speeches of welcome and thanks to each other. Camp Fire in evening and I gave Dollie the Silver Fish, Medal Merits to Mrs Steenburg, Mrs Maccllelan, Miss Short, Mrs Lewin etc. gave talk at end but felt ??? over all their goodness to me. Left at end and bundled off by night train with Eileen De V Graaf . . .
Thu 13th Jan 1927
. . . as stable companion.
Long hot day!
Mrs Ward, Mrs Eden, etc met us for short talk at Kimberley whilst the train paused. Trundled on through miles and miles of bleak wonderful Karoo. This big expanse of empty land does fascinate one.
Fri 14th Jan 1927 Gordons Bay
Arrive Cape Town about an hour late. Did some shopping, called Scout Office and discussed our plans for Feb term with Walter the secretary and then ran gleefully home to the precious ones at Gordons Bay.
Find Betty in bed with a temperature from sitting out too long in the sun (because she wanted to get brown!!) but the others all splendid and darling Robin specially well. Enid Richards has been just a brick and cooked and looked after them all better than I could!!
Sat 15th Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
Betty’s temperature up still, but she seems quite happy!
We all bathe and have such fun splashing, Miss Maquard came for a small talk and Mr A H Smith and wife from Durban called too – all most disturbing to our peace!!
Sir Henry and Lady Richards came over from Stellenbosch and fetched Enid away. What a splendid girl she is – one of the best.
Sun 16th Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
Betty still running a temp but quite happy and loves being petted and read to.
Mr Hugh Bryan (Director of Education for Natal) who we met and liked so much at Maritzburg blew in at lunch time just to see us and had a meal. Such a particularly nice good man with 3 keen daughters. So he is specially kindly disposed towards Scouting and Guiding.
Mon 17th Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
Robin and Peter went off to camp on Mr Jaggerts place, Lounsford, nr Somerset West. Betty still 101 – most annoying for her and us!
Heather and I bathed. The sea suddenly very cold.
Met Mr and Mrs Powys Jones (mature commissioner at Shamra, S Rhodesia) in the sea who we met last at Government House at Salisbury last October and they came along to have tea – and a bath!
Tue 18th Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
Betty sick twice and feels giddy – obviously just a “touch of the sun” – temperature 99.
Heather and I bathed. Admiral Molteno (from Farnham) called. He is staying with his sister at Elgin.
Walked up to call on the Rev ? Losely and wife and children living in a jolly little hut on the cliff above us, as we had met them much in the sea and the two boys lent our kids their home made boat.
Wed 19th Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
Betty normal but won’t eat and says she feels sick and giddy if she sits or stands up. What a nuisance it is!! Robin and Peter return. R called at Strand to find a doctor about the children and Dr Griffith calls in evening and prescribes, but of course doesn’t know what is wrong – doctors never do seem to know that – at any rate with children. Heather’s temp up too to 103 in evening for no apparent reason.
Thu 20th Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
both girls run temps and stay in bed and wont eat. Kept pretty busy fussing round them one way and another.
Capt and Mrs Graham from Bloemfontein call at tea time.
Miss Molteno – sister of the Admiral Molteno from Farnham – who lives here at Gordons Bay called yesterday with a friend – also at tea time It is meant kindly but we do wish we could be left quietly alone – even for a day or two!!
Children better
Mr and Mrs Lindley called from Cape Town. They knew Robin there in the old days. They are Americans really but live here entirely and lost a son in the war.
R and Peter and I walked to the village and called on Harold Boyes – deaf and dumb painter – and bought two of his sketches of this darling place.
Sat 22nd Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
Robin seedy with slight attack of dysentery – such a bore as he was so particularly fit.
Children better
Of course this heat is a bit unusual for our bodies accustomed to Northern climes! It may be that the milk is not over clean, so it shall be boiled to make it safe – now that the harm is done!!
Sun 23rd Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
Dr Griffith calls early and prescribes for R – to stay in bed and eat very little!
Admiral Molteno calls for us but took children and me up to tea with old Dr and Mrs Murray (his sister) at their nice house at Elgin. The daughter runs the fruit farm and the place abounds with their many Molteno – Murray relations! Lovely drive over Sir Lowry Pass, with glorious view of the Flats and the Cape Peninsular lying in the haze.
Mon 24th Jan 1927
Struggle rather inadequately with making jellies that won’t jell and cooking food is rather a bore!! Feed R on Brands essence and Horlicks and Bengers, and having to boil all the milk and all the water keeps one busy. But what fun this life is. Children all bathe and it is a ripping time for them.
Tue 25th Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
Hear by cable from Monty at Guide H.Q. at home that poor old Daisy Low has died at Savannah U.S.A. She talked last May, when we walked about together at Camp Edith Macey, quite a lot about being able now to die happily having seen her wish come true – of international guide work being brought home to the Girl Scouts of America on their own soil.
Wed 26 Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
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Thu 27th Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
This is a jolly sort of picknicky time, and though the bungalow is fairly primitive we all fit in well, and though I cannot cook for toffee we manage all right.
Robin well again, bless him, and he is enjoying this “simple life” with time to rest a bit, and sketch, and we shall never forget this unique Xmas holidays.
Fri 28th Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
Our hottest day here, 96o in the shade so that bathing dresses are the “correct wear” – wet or dry – it doesn’t matter.
Start thinking of packing up. It has been perfect and we shall be sorry to go, but I think 7 weeks is quite long enough holiday time for these small people. They are very good but illnesses can be overdone!
Sat 29th Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
The nice good “boy” Enoch Matuma, leaves us to go back to his college at St Matthews. As he got into the taxi to go he handed Peter a note to give me which proved to be a most touching letter of thanks and appreciation of us and our treatment of him which really was very sweet. I do like those sort of unexpected little nicenesses – so much more sincere and real than the “public appreciations”!
Sun 30th Jan 1927 [Gordons Bay]
Mr Stewart, (consulting engineer) called for us all and took us up to Steenbras to see the big seven mile long dam that supplies Cape Town with water. Most interesting. Met the engineer, Hawkins, and wife and children living there, and had picnic lunch. Lovely drive.
Mr and Mrs Birbeck – owner of the bungalow – call to see us and we pour thanks upon them!
Mon 31st Jan 1927 Cape Town
Pack up, clean up, wash up, tidy up, and bathe as time allows. The old washerwoman (Annie Petersen) comes and helps and then away we all go – most loth to leave our nest – to Cape Town.
Aunt Edith Bairnsfather meets us at the Mount Nelson Hotels and takes Peter away with her. Heather and Betty dine at hotel with us and then I dump them at St Cyprians for the night. We sleep at Mount Nelson.
