Olave's diary for 1977 Index
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January 1977
Saturday 1 Jan 1977
And so another year starts for me – cosily settled in Birtley House, being well looked after by Dick Whalley & his good staff fortunately.
Sunday 2 Jan 1977
Feel my age very acutely - & the legs un-walk-about-able Sit quietly all day - & Xmas cards pouring in
3 Monday Jan 1977
Thank God for the good generosity of the Commonwealth Guide Assoc who pay for me here (one month) The World Association pays the 2nd month, & I pay the third month – ie around 572£ 64 pence. Paid on April 10th.
The December bill was paid by C.H.Q. & came to £553 57p & the extra personal account [?] [?] to £16 for chemist [bottom of page not seen]
Tuesday 4 Jan 1977
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5 Wednesday Jan 1977
Patience brings along the distant Powell cousin from Canada for tea – divorced with grown up son and daughters and works at Hamilton She took away all the Xmas cards that festooned my room.
Thursday 6 Jan 1977
Patience is getting very keen on their girl members of the local RipleyVenture Scouts, she and Robert run together.
7 Friday Jan 1977
Patience came to lunch.
Received the very helpful contribution of “Ice Cream” money from the Guides of Australia – in two cheques £244 and £87 [?cents] (via Miss Marjorie Wood) H.Q Secretary 7 Wilmot [?] Sydney [very bottom of page not seen]
Saturday 8 Jan 1977
Charles & Jessica Blooman for tea.
NO! She didn’t come. He brought her Assist. County Commissioner as Jessica stayed at home to comfort someone very ill.
Sunday 9 Jan 1977
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10 Monday Jan 1977
Ken Stevens came for tea to tell me all about the Queen opening the newly built Scout I.H.Q. alongside B-P House. She had opened Parliament in the morning in her Crown & robes – but was all friendly talking to all the staff & having
[missing]
Tuesday 11 Jan 1977
A very long weary day, with both legs painful and unwalk-about-able. This hurting is new – and bothersome.
12 Wednesday Jan 1977
The local curate called in and had tea.
Thursday 13 Jan 1977
Received my pension at the rate of £9.45 per week - £120.25 – from Dec 11th 1976 to Feb 2nd 1977
14 Friday Jan 1977
Joan Nevill came to lunch – with her little “Pom” Wendy.
Saturday 15 Jan 1977
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Sunday 16 Jan 1977
Robert & Patience came to tea – the dear darlings.
Monday 17 Jan 1977
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Tuesday 18 Jan 1977
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Wednesday 19 Jan 1977
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Thursday 20 Jan 1977
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21 Friday Jan 1977
Patience here for lunch. Had a long letter from Dacre Smyth – son of Olwen and Sir Nevill – who emigrated to Victoria & we stayed with them at their sheep station (Kongbool) with Heather & Bet when we had done the Frankston Jamboree in Jan 1936!
[I think she was a year out here – the Jamboree was 34/35]
Saturday 22 Jan 1977
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Sunday 23 Jan 1977
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Monday 24 Jan 1977
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Tuesday 25 Jan 1977
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26 Wednesday Jan 1977
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Thursday 27 Jan 1977
Frank Gast
P.O. Box 7556
Space 98
S.Lake Tahoe
Calif. 95731
Sent me present of cheque for 15 dollars
Friday 28 Jan 1977
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Saturday 29 Jan 1977
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Sunday 30 Jan 1977
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31 Monday Jan 1977
Mr [?Kirtley] from Lloyds Bank at Richmond to talk about my money!
Most satisfactory They are my executors with Robert, & manage all my income tax affairs.
February 1977
Tuesday 1 Feb 1977
Margaret & Betty Martin came over the hill for tea, & talk about the “good old days” & the fine people who “joined up” and took on being Commissioners & Guiders – with no “Book of Rules” until I made one with my Beloved & Mrs Jameson Potts in about [???????] [bottom of page not seen]
Wednesday 2 Feb 1977
Felt awfully tired all day, and really unable to write any letters to answer a bunch accumulating on my desk – most of them sending their love & nice messages of growth – in South Africa & Australia.
Thursday 3 Feb 1977
The same as yesterday only even more tired!
Friday 4 Feb 1977
Joan Nevill came to lunch – with her dear little “Pom” Wendy.
The new Bank Manager at Lloyds at East Molesey is E.A. Wiles
Saturday 5 Feb 1977
Felt dreadfully tired all day, but wrote & posted a short paragraph to the E.A.W.L. in Kenya for their special Jubilee number coming out in June.
Sunday 6 Feb 1977
Robert & Patience came to tea – tearing themselves away from making their garden
Monday 7 Feb 1977
Legs getting worse - & more difficult to walk along to have my bi-weekly bath – helped by a nurse!
Tuesday 8 Feb 1977
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Wednesday 9 Feb 1977
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Thursday 10 Feb 1977
Billy Rowallan - who was Chief Scout for 15 years after Arthur Somers died - & went on to be governor of Tasmania came to tea – to tell me about writing his autobiography – now growing as old as I am – but quite “all there”!
Friday 11 Feb 1977
Patience came to lunch & we pasted “snaps” & photographs into my Scrap Book – which is up to date with nice bits about me and Hampers –
Saturday 12 Feb 1977
Pam Maslin came to tea. She was the Secretary of the E.A.W.L. in Kenya when I was its President in 1941 – 42 - & is busy with the England Branch which I started in 1943 - & which is doing well with “Groups” in about 8 counties. She lives near
[bottom of page not seen]
Sun 13 Feb 1977
Monday 14 Feb 1977
Slight ache in my right jaw – so I may have to go to my dentist sometime soon (Donner – of Madeira Rd, West Byfleet) who did me in London early on & then retired to live so handy for when I was at Hampers – all my own teeth one [????]. [bottom of page not seen]
Tuesday 15 Feb 1977
Anne and Bruce Denistoun-Sword were booked to come, but it was foggy & a horrid day, so they cancelled it on the telephone early.
A bad day with legs getting worse
Wednesday 16 Feb 1977
Greetings cards & letters pouring in with such sweet messages of loving thoughts from Australia & New Zealand, South and East Africa, Mexico and U,S,A.
Thursday 17 Feb 1977
Mary Perrins (god-daughter) brought her mother, Josephine Pollock over for tea. She runs her home, & Guides and Scouts & does night duty at the local hospital – a fine example of thinking of others and doing helpful service!
Friday 18 Feb 1977
A clerk from Rider, the lawyer brought the codicil to my Will to be signed – all rather hurried!
Beryl Cozons Hardy brought Lyn Jo[???] for tea & Maria Walker (who runs Waddow so well)
Saturday 19 Feb 1977
T.V. that I did for “Jim will fix it” programme with the Brownie who wanted to see me came over well.
Sunday 20 Feb 1977
Timothy King came for tea with wife Marion & her two children & my great grand-daughter Natasha
Monday 21 Feb 1977
Cards and letters pouring in about my 88th birthday tomorrow – all so friendly meant but a bit overwhelming.
Tuesday 22 Feb 1977
“Thinking Day”
Dick Whally drove me over to Chapel Farm and darling Patience had planned a nice lunch party with Heather & John there & John’s sister and her husband (also called John)
Stayed on for tea & then back to bed early.
Wednesday 23 Feb 1977
Terribly tired all day – More cards and a cheque from Henry Loch[????] (at Pasadena) for £20
Flowers poured in from Guides and Carl Pepler (Canada)
Thursday 24 Feb 1977
Friday 25 Feb 1977
Saturday 26 Feb 1977
Jessica Blooman came for tea – now C.C. for Berkshire
Sunday 27 Feb 1977
Robert came for tea – such a dear good man!
Monday 28 Feb 1977
Eileen Wade came for tea – and a good talk about the good old days at Pax – which is now a boy’s school.
March 1977
Tuesday 1 Mar 1977
Gladys King came, bringing the usual delicious picnic lunch & we went off towards Pullbrough & found a convenient gate into a wood to park ourselves.
Wednesday 2nd March 1977
Felt really ill with tiredness & sat doing nothing all day.
Thursday 3rd March 1977
The same tiredness but wrote three letters - & Patience called in – going off tomorrow to a Guide – Scout conference in Belgium – NO Denmark!
Friday 4th March 1977
Saturday 5th March 1977
Sunday 6th March 1977
Monday 7th March 1977
Tuesday 8th March 1977
That dear good kind Billy Macdonald fetched me out for picnic lunch up at our favourite Winterfold - & then a little drive round by Peaslake and Cranleigh.
Wednesday 9th March 1977
Thursday 10th March 1977
Patience came to tell me about the conference – for about a dozen other “bodies” and the Scouts sent delegates too.
She now feels as if she belonged to Scouting more almost than Guiding!
Friday 11th March 1977
A pretty mouldy day with legs unworkable, and slept in the afternoon in my armchair!
Saturday 12th March 1977
Another bad day with legs useless & wrote a few letters and tended my plants! Dick gave me two beautiful azaleas last week.
Sunday 13th March 1977
Monday 14 March 1977
Helen McSwiney called in for a brief chat.
Tuesday 15 March 1977
Betty and Margaret Martin came to tea – always so pleasant talking about old friends & the early days of guides, when they lived in Glasgow & Margaret was a leading Trainer and toured Australia for us.
Wednesday 16 March 1977
A long idle day, not feeling inclined to write any letters
Thursday 17 March 1977
Friday 18 March 1977
Patience came to lunch – getting so keen about her work with Venture Scouts & girls now joining with them.
Saturday 19 March 1977
Jessica and Charlie Blooman for tea. She is now C.C. for Berks
Sunday 20 March 1977
Mr Ted Harrison came to interview me with his “minder” [? reads like mender] to interview me with a ‘thought for the day” as his excuse. Found it rather difficult and did not do very well.
Monday 21 March 1977
Betty Brooke-Anderson had arranged to come today – but changed it to tomorrow. Lives now at Bourne End, & was Commissioner in Kenya after I left. Had stayed with her married daughter had polio, but had children & migrated to N.Z. The other girl is Sy [illegible], [lives?] on at [? ? ?] children. [bottom of page not fully seen]
Tuesday 22 March 1977
Joan Nevill came and Betty too – and left her overcoat behind. Great difficulty about telephoning to tell her so!
Wednesday 23 March 1977
Rosalie Hacon for tea – such a dear good guider who toured India several times.
Thursday 24 March 1977
Fell over and got a sore right knee but took no notice of it
Friday 25 March 1977
Betty Baily came from Hampers with Peggy [?] Rowen-Hill for tea – nice to hear all the news of that dear place. Sister put plaster on my knee – as it seemed a bit “festery”.
Saturday 26 March 1977
Knee needing attention. Sat reading all day – rather gloomy!
Sunday 27 March 1977
Monday 28 March 1977
Bonnie & Bryan Watney came to tea – I stayed with them n Uganda where she was in government service & she was Guide com. Now lives at Stow on the Wold
Tuesday 29 March 1977
Gladys King came bringing the usual delicious picnic lunch. Went up Newlands Corner – lovely view & beautiful day.
Wednesday 30 March 1977
Mr Mitchel Hill came to interview me!
Sat and talked for half an hour about my life!
Thursday 31 March 1977
Lynette Powell called in to arrange to come to live here soon – going quite blind poor soul now and over 90! Must give up her snug little house in London as she has to be nursed - & cannot get resident housekeeper.
APRIL 1977
Transcribed by Janet Robinson
Friday 1 April 1977
Patience came for lunch & off to France with some of the Venture Scouts & girl members which is a new development.
Saturday 2 April 1977
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Sunday 3 April 1977
Robert came for tea
4 Monday April 1977
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Tuesday 5 April 1977
Dorothea Ellingson came for tea – just back from U.S.A visiting Blythe where Carl & I stayed with her on their farm in?
Wednesday 6 April 1977
Knee not quite healed yet. Sat quiet all day feeling rather seedy.
Thursday 7 April 1977
Had a tiring bath, + a long day Wrote to Violet Merthyr, whose husband had just died. She did a lot of good Guiding in Wales in its early days when Hether Kay became Chief Commissioner & built up the organisation [bottom of page missing?]
Friday 8 April 1977
Another long tiring day. Mr Brown - the stamp collector who has had one leg amputated called in, and told me lots of interesting things about his collection – worth £5,000 –
Saturday 9 April 1977
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Sunday 10 April 1977
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Monday 11 April 1977
The newspapers are full of murders & wars & earthquakes & plane accidents – all most depressing and the world is in a bad mess!
Good news this week about Princess Anne expecting a baby in November.
Tuesday 12 April 1977
The 1973 census of Guides in GB was
- Anglia Region 100032
London & SE England 140213
Midland 96979
North East “ 1553
[information provided from NEE ‘We have looked at the 1973 annual report that we have in our archives and there were 91813 members in Girlguiding North East England at the March 1973 census (this figure includes 1813 Trefoil Guild members) a much more realistic figure. The others are not fact checked with regions]
North West “ 95543
South West 101753
Scotland 113863
Ulster 15109
Wales 31522
Total 788693
[Adds to 696567 –there may well be other errors here as ‘correcting’ the calculation does not give the total quoted either. I wonder if she meant to head it 1977?JR]
Wednesday 13 April 1977
Our Cabana is celebrating its 20th birthday – and has had 26422 Guides & Girl Scouts visiting that lovely place – supported by its own payments & the “Friends of Our Cabana” of which Mrs William Adams is Chairman and Doris G[rublo?] & Ethel Der[mady?] & Kitty Cooper (old friends of mine) are members & Claire Davidow Florence Keck
Thursday 14 April 1977
Patience came for lunch – having just had her Venture Scouts (boys & girls)to camp in France, living luxuriously in a chateau and visiting Arromanche (where the landing of our troops took place - & which I visited on my tour in May
[Bottom of page missed? ]
Friday 15 April 1977
Betty and Margaret Martin for tea – such dear good interesting friends.
Saturday 16 April 1977
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Sunday 17 April 1977
Susan Autgarden came to tea – and left me the usual gift of £10 notes in my writing table drawer – (five of them!)
Monday 18 April 1977
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Tuesday 19 April 1977
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Wednesday 20 April 1977
My old Age Pension came - £122.85
Number
CPB ([G?]P) 1359A136
T.Z. 72 [72 is crossed out]
3 2 7 7 T O 4 5 7 7
Dept of Health & Social Security
Newcastle upon Tyne
National Insurance Fund
Thursday 21 April 1977
Also various numbers –
D32258
71 … 0031 : 02253 … 4
At top corner of card
71 - 00 – 03
If necessary write to Dept of Health & Social Security at Newcastle quoting numbers
Friday 22 April 1977
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Saturday 23 April 1977
Helen McSwiney called at 11.0 - & I stayed in bed late to see her
Betty Beveridge came & took me for a drive to Frensham Pond & back for tea. She is so good at looking after me & brought books on loan.
Sunday 24 April 1977
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Monday 25 April 1977
Josephine Pollock called in with her daughter Mary (my god-daughter) for tea & talk about the good old days at Pax and in Switzerland when I first knew her, as Josephine Reddy.
Tuesday 26 April 1977
Patience came, just back from a big conference held at Killarney for the European group of Scouters & Guiders
“Tommy” Chilton Thomas came for tea – one of the old hands & held the position of “Great Brown Owl” (G.B.O.) in the early “twenties”
Wednesday 27 April 1977
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Thursday 28 April 1977
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Friday 29 April 1977
The Great Day – called for by Joyce Price – our World Chairman & drove to Olave House to meet all the members of the World Committee staying there – Also the staff of Olave House & the World Bureau. Sat on a sofa and shook hands with one at a time with the whole lot. Tea - & then drove back – with “Baby” Peru, Mrs Navaratram
[bottom of page missing]
Saturday April 30 1977
I am glad that Lyn Joyat had urged me to go and meet so many old friends – new ones too, & they all gave me such a sweet welcome.
Carmen Hawly (Mexico & Our Cabana) called in unexpectedly for tea
May 1977
Transcribed by Carol Taylor.
X
Sun. 1 May 1977
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Mon. 2 May 1977
Little old Lynette (Powel) came to live here - going blind by degrees & could no longer live alone in her tiny “ mews “ house.
Tue. 3 May 1977
Great joy to welcome dear Christian from her her wee house near Lisbon - came with Claire & Patience - as my “guests” at the Bradley Grange Hotel.
Wed. 4 May 1977
Christian & Clare came in for long talk and tea - very happy & comfortable at the Bradley Grange Hotel.
Thu. 5 May 1977
Christian & Clare dropped in in the morning before starting off to drive back to Clare’s charming “ Mill House” at Wethersbury near Bridport.
Felt pretty tired all day.
Fri. 6 May 1977
Patience came for lunch - and always has her hair washed in Guildford every Friday.
Alix Liddell to tea - daughter of Roxie Kerr and in guides all her life - Editor of “ The Council Fire” & wrote both of the history of the movement
Sat. 7 May 1977
Felt pretty seedy all day - & couldn’t make myself write any letters at all
Called in for chat with Lynette going blind poor little soul.
Sun. 8 May 1977
The same as yesterday .
Mon. 9 May 1977
Felt really quite ill with tiredness- called for small talk with Kate Dumphee & Lynette - putting on weight which is a love for dressing !
Tue. 10 May 1977
Patience came & took me over to Wilton Nursing Home Wood Road HindHead to see the “ Carpenter” ( Miss Maynard) who was one of the first Guides & a wonderful Trainer from 1910 onwards - going to be 100 soon.
Wed. 11 May 1977
A very bad day, feeling terribly tired, couldn’t even write any letters, but just sat with my eyes shut, dozing all day- thankful when supper came & I could get into my bed !
Thu.12 May 1977
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Fri. 13 May 1977
Elaine Larard, to tea - was formerly C.C. For East Riding & I stayed with Her at Hull & opened their Guide H.Q. - made out of three “division” (war time ! ) huts on land given to them.
Sat.14 May 1977
Jessica & Charlie Blooman for tea. She was a Deputy Chief Com. Under Parker - Bowls - as Patience was also- & now she is C.C. For Berkshire - which is in Western Region which my Bet is “ President” of.
Sun.15 May 1977
[over written by yesterday’s entry ]
Mon. 16 May 1977
Joan Neville brings “ Rikki “ Melville- Smith - an ardent Scouter for 50 years - & Gilwell at all the annual Reunions.
Tue. 17 May 1977
Doris & “V.W” Grubbs from Riverside In California came for tea. I stayed with them often in days gone by & she is on “ our Cabana” committee & they are darlings. Gave me a cheque for £
Dorothea Ellingson came too - & lived at [???]
Wed. 18 May 1977
Helen McSweeny came for tea & Bet and Gervas came on their way to stay with Anne Deniston - sword - for the big annual meeting of the Guides at the huge festival Hall tomorrow
Thu. 19 May 1
Bet & Gervas call in en route to London for the big annual meeting of the Guides at Festival Hall.
Fri.20 May 1977
Bet & G call in after attending the big meeting yesterday - on their way home. Gladys came & took me out for picnic lunch - at a beautiful spring day.
Sat. 21 May 1977
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Sun. 22 May 1977
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Mon. 23 May 1977
Billy Macdonald came in afternoon & took me for a lovely drive round by Shore & through the woods - suddenly all green & summery. - bluebells and dandelions making it all lovely & colourful.
Felt pretty tired - but Billy is so kind, bringing me books on loan &
[missing]
Tue. 24 May 1977
Got up reluctantly at 11.0 - & sat feeling really ill all day - going “ round the corner” repeatedly and couldn’t even read much of the paper -
Bad news galore about kidnapping & “ hold up” of schoolchildren & a train in Holland.
Wed. 25 May 1977
Patience came for tea & tidied up my clothes drawers.
The Lloyds Bank at Richmond that deals with my Income Tax wrote & sent me forms to fill in - looks as if I received £4484 in income from investments in many businesses- but only received £1505 a year - Lloyds charged £82 for dealing with all of it for me.
Thu. 26 May 1977
A long day with a visit to talk with Lynette about her family - I stayed with them at their nice home outside the huge city of Philadelphia several different times when on my tours of U.S.A.
Fri. 27 May 1977
My daily visit to see Lynette, who is wonderfully cheerful in spite of going blind.
Sat. 28 May 1977
Read very good interesting book called “ That Miss Hobhouse “ by John Fisher ( whose mother lives here ) about the Boer war.
Sun. 29 May 1977
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Mon. 30 May 1977
Celia Albrecht came to tea to tell me about her trip to U.S. A.
Heard bad news of dear Clare (Dorman) having another bad heart attack & on the danger list in Brighton hospital. Luckily Tony has returned - and they sent for her children - hearing the worst.
Tue. 31 May 1977
Margaret Martin came to tea - & talk about the good old days with such splendid “Chiefs” in the top echelon of guiding.
Better news of Clare.
June 1977
Transcribed by Carol Taylor.
X
Wed. 1 June 1977
A bad morning - with both legs hurting - but the left leg recovered itself during the day.
Wrote a special message to be “ taped” for a camp in Canada.
Barbara Stiles & Miss Garland came from the World Bureau . . . .
Thur. 2 June 1977
. . . . with the little recording machine and I talked into it - as they wanted to hear my voice.
Didn’t do it very well - as I read what I had typed and my voice seems to have gone a bit husky of late.
Christian over from Portugal staying with Patience came for tea.
[missing]
Fri. 3 June 1977
Dear Patience came for tea – but was in a hurry as she was going with Robert to watch the Jubilee [river? ] [procession ?].
Watched Her Majesty doing her wonderful “walk about” . She is really superb & the crowd were thrilled with her & gave her a great welcome.
Sat. 4 June 1977
Felt really very ill !
Watch the Trooping of the Colours – beautifully perfectly done – with the Queen dressed in a Guards riding helmet.
Charlie & Jessica came for tea.
Sun. 5 June 1977
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Mon.6 June 1977
Muriel Monier-Williams came for her tea, driven here by her friend Mrs Bracecamp, who lives at Albury.
Tue. 7 June 1977
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Wed. 8 June 1977
Had expected Billy to come & take me out for lunch - but she had forgotten the date, & had stupidly not confirmed it in writing.
Thu. 9 June 1977
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Fri. 10 June 1977
Gladys came & took me out for the usual nice picnic lunch. Went up to Newlands Corner for it - as there is a clean handy “ladies” there which we used.
Legs very unsteady & getting worse daily.
Sat. 11 June 1977
Legs extremely trying, & could only just stagger along to chat briefly with Lynette- & sat in my arm- chair half asleep all afternoon.
[ Last entry …..
Olave St. Clair Baden-Powell,
22 February 1889 - 25 June 1977
RIP. ]
---oOo---
