Olave's diary for Aug 1921 Index
For other months click on the Year above. All years
Transcriber’s notes are in [square brackets].
[?] indicate something which could not be transcribed.
If you can help, please click here.
Click for People she mentions
or Glossary of terms she uses
< July 1921 September 1921 >
August 1921
Our grateful thanks to Rosemary Healy for the transcription.
X
Monday 1 August 1921
[Pencil reminder on top half of page]
Mrs Shirley Jones to tea.
[Ink entry]
Bill came from Drs Hussey & Couchman for £29 1. for a few visits to Heather last winter etc. Found that they charge £1.1.0 a time for coming to Bentley which I call outrageous! Paid ... [continues on next page Tues 2 Aug]
... the cheque which counts up to June 28th, including the X-raying of Heather s arm.
[1. Worth £1175 in 2024 -https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator]
Tuesday 2 August 1921
Motor over to Girl Guide Camp at Wisley to fetch Mrs Rippin, but she came direct to Pax instead. Such a waste of time & petrol! but went to a lecture at the Summer School of Civics at Guildford on my way.
Wednesday 3 August 1921
About 20 guides still left in Mrs Eggar’s camp came up to tea at Pax, & Mrs Pleydell Bouverie came over from Guildford to tea too.
Thursday 4 August 1921
Lord & Lady Plumer came over to tea with Col. Nicholson.
Mrs Eggar, Stella Horsfall (née Ashton) & her mother, & Mrs Lewis White came too.
Maj. & Mrs Pole (Alton) happened to call & joined the unexpectedly large party.
Friday 5 August 1921
Robin & I to London early. He went later in the day to Brocklesby.
I left King’s X 11.30 arrive Spalding at 2.37.
Rain poured down - & though the county is dying for it it was a bore for Guide Rally at Bourne.
Inspected rows of poor wee Guides in coats & then they had tea & games & talk in a hall.
Stay with the C.C. Lady Ancaster at Grimthorpe[sic]
Not a congenial atmosphere to me.
Saturday 6 August 1921
Left Grimthorpe early. Got to Lincoln about 1.0 Got taxi to take me to “Hartsholme”. Find large lunch party there of Lord Liverpool's.
Public address of welcome to R. & me given by the Mayor in Town Hall.
Scout & Guide Rally at Hartsholme.
Rain came down suddenly in torrents & broke up the gathering. R. & I motored off with Lord & Lady Yarborough to stay with them at Brocklesby.
Sunday 7 August 1921
To church – Lord Y. reads the lessons.
See the hounds in kennels.
Guide & Scout Rally at Grimsby. Badly run with gaping crowd in a public park! Rain came to stop it.
Tea party at the Abbey.
Call on guide camp in huts near Brocklesby. Dear nice people these are
[Continues on next page 8 August]
Called at 5.30.
Catch 6.20 train.
Change & walk about for an hour at Retford.
Monday 8 August 1921
Mrs Besant, Miss Anson, Mr Everett & Butterworth to lunch quietly at St James’ Court restaurant.
Funny how that old woman2 loves lime light[sic] & I can’t make her out.
She seems to have a huge following of her Theosophists (whatever they are!!)
Home to Pax.
[2https//en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annie_Besant]
Tuesday 9 August 1921
Peter rather seedy & sick & small temperature. Miss Hill comes 4.40 [time written in pencil]
Eve & Gwyneth Fisher Rowe to stay, coming in her wee motor in time for dinner.
Mrs Gadban (Alton) & her 3 little girls to tea.
Preparations beginning for building our wee cottage in the paddock.
Heather suddenly very sick in bed – but alright next morning.
Wednesday 10 August 1921
“The Den” plans marked out on the ground & bricks arrive for building to begin.
Miss Hill left.
Miss Anson to stay.
The curate, Mr Vincent, to call & stayed for tea.
Two lots of campers camping on the drive & 70 others camping in field near the river. Peter alright again.
Thursday 11 August 1921
Visit the camp. Very jolly scene. Party of 50 – men & women – from Holland & other English ones. Admiral & Mrs Molteno and the 70 campers to tea on the lawn. They played games & were very simple & jolly & happy.
Choates to stay, arriving in their car late. She is President of American Girl Scouts & we stayed with them in New York in 1919. Miss Anson left.
Friday 12 August 1921
The Choates visit the camp. Ten Scouts with young Eggar there too.
Choates leave.
A little rain at last.
Mr Everett to stay. He is a good helpful hard working chap.
Saturday 13 August 1921
Mr Everett left 9.50
The Hon Sec for the Far East Guide Assoc. Miss Anderson to lunch.
Fetch her from Farnham & she left Bentley before tea. Nice sensible woman, and we had a great talk.
Mr Eggar, Mrs Eggar & Miss Waterhouse for tea, & Lady Selborne called in too at the same time.
Sunday 14 August 1921
[page left blank]
Monday 15 August 1921
Miss Kindersley comes for the night to tell me all about her experiences at the recent conference & camp of the “Eclaireuses” in France.
Tuesday 16 August 1921
Miss Kindersley left after lunch & Robin off too en route to see Boy Scouts Camp in France.
Mrs Anson (sister in law of our Gen. Sec. Miss Anson) living at Crondall called.
Wednesday 17 August 1921
Take babies with nurse to tea with Moltenos in Alton.
Showery, but babies have high old time in an old tiny dinghy on wee stream 4 feet wide, 1 foot deep!
Thursday 18 August 1921
Not getting on very well with C.S.[Christian Science?] just now, though I want to.
Wrote to ask Eve Fisher Rowe if she could tell me of any house I could “borrow” near the sea at Highcliffe (near where she lives) & she replied that we could have her house after the summer holidays. Ripping plan & it is good of her. (See Sept 21st)
Friday 19 August 1921
Went in my best clothes to Mrs Joy's garden party. Rushed home & got into uniform for Belgian guides’ tea party at Mrs Eggars at 5.0
25 or so camping near Guildford came over, & there was a Wolf Cub enrolment too. Very jolly.
Saturday 20 August 1921
Robin returned from France, having had a most interesting & successful time, looking into these Scout Camps run and financed by America for poor French boys.
Bentley flower show.
Sunday 21 August 1921
I can’t go to church.
It puts my hackles up!
Monday 22 August 1921
R. & babies & nurse & I off in[sic] by car early through Winchester, New Forest to Bransgore.
See Eve Fisher Rowe’s house “ The Croft”.
Picnic lunch on beach & afterwards bathe near house rented by her sister. Large bathing party.
Home to Pax late. Long day, but babies adored it all.
Tuesday 23 August 1921
Mr Mullins, water diviner, came & found water wonderfully with his little twig. Walked about the lawn & the twig twitched & bent in the most marvellous way. He says the present well we use would supply plenty of water for the new cottage.
Our new Airedale – Vic – that we have bought from an advert arrived – a strong vigorous nice creature.
Wednesday 24 August 1921
R. to London for the day
Miss Stringer & Miss Coolidge, Girl Scout officers from America, come to stay at Pax.
Thursday 25 August 1921
Miss Stringer & Miss Coolidge left. Nice girls.
New Airedale dawg[sic] “Vic” (price 8 guineas) quite a success & nice though plain to look at!
Mrs Eggar to tea.
Friday 26 August 1921
Pickie to stay, arriving by road.
Saturday 27 August 1921
Monty (Asst. Sec at Guide H.Q.) to stay. So nice.
“Auntie Mab” Pickering 2 also comes. She is Hon Sec of our next big Conference at Swanwick and lives at the Bentley near Doncaster.
2 [Alice Mabel Pickering,(1861-1939) MBE, who started her first Guide Company in Doncaster, and increased county membership to over 12,000 by 1936 when she was awarded the Silver Fish by HRH The Princess Royal.]
Pickie sleeping happily in the summer house!
Sunday 28 August 1921
“Do” Swanwick Conf. business all morning.
Pickie leaves in his car.
The children simply adore him & he is so nice & jolly with them as he is with everybody.
Monday 29 August 1921
“Auntie Mab” Pickering & Monty leave.
Lettice to stay for a holiday, but some work gets done too.
Pickie returns for one night.
Mrs Booker & daughter & nephew & niece to tea.
Tuesday 30 August 1921
Sir Robert & Lady Coryndon to lunch. He is governor of Uganda & old friend of R's. Mrs Chappé Hall keen Guider from India to stay.
Patricia Richards to stay too. She is a good nice girl & will have a big tough job training & doing guides organisation in India.
Pickie left in his car.
Wednesday 31 August 1921
Run in big car to Farnham - all of us –
& get the babies’ hairs cut & do shopping.
Mr Chappé Hall to lunch & motored his wife away.
Pat, Lettice, R. & I take tea & pull rushes in the river by Isington. Such fun & so filthy!
