1969

   Eleven gifts came in this morning totalling £7 19s. We spent 3/6d on a 30–amp fuse and paid £7 15s 6d into the Deposit Account. I sent a cheque for $25 to the Christian Nationalist Crusade.

   Freda cleaned the refrigerator and went shopping this morning, then dug out the line-post and went to order a new one this afternoon.

   We went to Freda’s mother’s for tea. Afterwards I called for Dad and we went to St. Andrews to see Blues’ 4th round replay against Sheffield Wednesday. They won 2–1.

   Birmingham City:— Herriot; Martin, Green; Page, Robinson, Beard; Hockey, Greenhoff, Pickering, Vincent, Thwaites

   Clarice had a tooth out at the Dental Hospital today.

   We were busy all day in the office as usual. There was a nice letter from Bernard Chinn, who sent £2 10s for the work. We also received £1 from Miss Madill, £1 from Miss I.M. Griffith, 10/-d from Pastor R.D. Foster and 5/-d from Miss I.B. Murray, so I was able to pay five guineas into the Deposit Account.

   It was a sunny day. Freda did some baking and various odd jobs this morning and went to see Anne this afternoon. Dad ’phoned to say his car had broken down so I collected him from work [B.S.A., Montgomery Street] and drove him home.

   We went to my parents this evening. Julia was at night school.

   I took Dad to work this morning and collected him this afternoon after first taking Jan and Coby back to the Birmingham Bible Institute, 28 Elvetham Road, where they are staying

   Freda did some housework and then went shopping this morning, then I came home and together we put in the new line-post.

   We have watched television this evening.

   Tonight’s Bible Study was at Mrs Townsend’s. I spoke again on The Throne of David [Tape 118#]. Mum and Mrs Ridout came as usual and Miss Jones from Harborne, and we took them home afterwards.

   Freda did the shopping, cleaned the car and did housework this morning. After lunch we drove to Aston, then back into town, and then collected Dad from the B.S.A. and took him home.

   Today’s post brought in £5 1s 8d, making a total of £609 0s 4d for the month, but we have spent £1,155 9s 5d, including £269 to Litho Supplies (Midlands) Ltd.

   Following Herbert W. Armstrong’s recommendation in The Plain Truth, I have decided to buy a copy of Webster’s Third New International Dictionary and also Webster’s New Dictionary of Synonyms, and sent a cheque for $64.40 to G. & C. Merriam Co., Springfield, Massachusetts 01101, U.S.A.

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   I spent the morning in prayer and reading the Word as usual this morning. Freda felt her back hurting.

   We called for Freda’s mother as usual this afternoon and I drove us to Henley-in-Arden where we went for a walk before returning to Meadow Grove. I washed up after tea as usual, then we watched television. I took Kim for his walk after we got back.

   I worked in the office as usual this morning, dealing with yesterday’s letters etc. Freda came to do the cleaning but her back was very painful.

   After lunch we drove to Meadow Grove and went for a walk down Grange Road. We stayed for tea but returned home afterwards as Mrs Ridout was coming to watch The Forsyte Saga on TV. She gave us £3 for the work. After taking her home, we drove on to Beechnut Lane to see Clarice and Noel.

   £28 10s came in this morning so I was able to pay £24 into the Deposit Account. We kept £4 10s out to pay for petrol £3 17s (12 gallons @ 6/5d), stamps 1/11d (23 @ 1d), milk and biscuits 3/7d, toilet rolls 1/7d, picture hooks and cord 5/11d. Saturday’s gifts, including Mrs. Ridout’s £3, amounted to £7, which we paid into the Current Account.

   Freda did the washing this morning and then rested this afternoon as her back was still painful. We stayed in this evening.

   We are staying at Meadow Grove tonight. Freda has been feeling poorly all day so Mum suggested we come and stay here. I went to the office as usual this morning leaving Freda in bed. She got up later to do the ironing then rested again in the afternoon until I got back from the office.

   There was a pile of letters as usual, requests for Britain’s Royal Throne still coming in, especially from overseas, and much else to deal with £11 13s came in today. We spent 1/11d on the 25w bulb we needed and paid £11 11s 1d into the Deposit Account. It was Jan’s birthday today.

   We have been watching TV this evening. Freda spent the day in bed but got up just before tea. Mam and Dad came round to see us earlier this evening; Clarice is unwell again with ”flu.

   I took Kim for a walk this morning, then drove to the office. £13 11s 2d came in, and by second post C$20 from Ruth M. Porter in Canada, paid into the Deposit Account and Current Account respectively.

   It has been snowing today, the weather is very miserable. Freda stayed in bed until after dinner — Anne Jesson called to see her this afternoon. We have been talking again about Mum coming to live with us, in which case we would need to move. Freda has been writing to various estate agents this evening.

   We got through a lot of work in the office. Mr W.A. Back sent A$20 (£8 3s 6d) and we received £13 18s in other gifts. I paid both amounts into the Current Account (less 22p for Bambi staples) and withdrew £55 18s 1d —.salaries £25 10s. (Jan £10, Jean £9, Freda £5, I my usual £1 10s), and National Insurance stamps £5 18s 1d (Jan £3 11s 1d, Jean £2 7s), postage £22 (3 sheets i.e. 720 stamps @ 6d, 3d and 1d), and gifts £2 10s (to Ambassador College and T.L. Osborn).

   We had the Bible Study here tonight instead of Mrs Ridout’s. I called for her, picking up Mrs Townsend on the way. I spoke on Parables of the Kingdom [Tape 119#], showing how Jesus’ parables each disclose the contrasting destinies of the House of Israel and the House of Judah.

   We had a good day in the office. There were gifts of A$29 from Frank and [son] Roger Gibbons in Australia, C$20 from M. Corfield and T.B. Badgley in Canada, and various other gifts, including £6 from Gilbert Cook at Taunton. We spent 6/-d on stamps and paid £34 17s 10d into the Deposit Account.

   Freda spent the day in bed, not getting up until tea. Barbara called at home with a birthday present for her. We have had blizzard conditions all day, and seven inches of snow. Blues’ match tomorrow against Manchester United has had to be postponed, together with all seven other 5th Round matches.

   Freda’s 32nd birthday. She is still in pain from the lumbago but got up to have lunch. We are still at Meadow Grove and except for my taking Kim out we have stayed in all day.

   I spent the afternoon reading The Plain Truth, The Cross and the Flag and Time and Tide. The Plain Truth has President Nixon and Vice-President Agnew on the cover, and a fine article by Garner Ted Armstrong on lichens and the preposterous notion that they evolved.

   Dad called at tea-time to bring Freda presents from the family. She has had 11 cards and several presents — rubber-gloves and a dish cloth from Ann Price, a stitch-cutter and bath cubes from Anne Jesson, a watering can from Julia, chocolates from Jean; also a plastic lace mat, hand-cream and soap and lavender water.

   We are back home again after five nights at Meadow Grove. Freda had breakfast in bed, then I came back to light the fire and put the gas fire on as the house had got so cold during our absence. Mam called with a gift from Clarice in the afternoon.

   We came back after tea and have watched The Forsyte Saga tonight. The snow is still lying thick on the ground.

   We had a busy in the office, much quieter though than we were last month, and only £9 12s 6d came in. I paid £6 12s 6d into the Deposit Account. Freda did the washing this morning and various other jobs, then sat in the dining room this afternoon writing letters to Ann Price and Anne Jesson, thanking them for their presents

   We have been to my parents’ tonight. I took Mam and Dad to the General Hospital to see Albert Blakeman recovering from his operation; Freda stayed behind with Julia. Albert was pleased to see us. While we were there I took Mam and Dad to see the Bio-Assay Laboratory (as it used to be) where I was working 14 years ago. I can hardly believe how my life has changed since then

Manchester United

   There was a letter from Mrs M.H. Hamilton (Canada) this morning, enclosing $10, and among the pile of other letters £1 from Mrs G. MacArthur and from Mrs A. Hedley, and 4/-d from Irene Hope of York. Second post brought £2 from Mr J. Beswick and 3/-d for books from Wm. J. Irvine. We got £3 17s 3d for the C$10, so I was able to pay £8 4s 3d into the Deposit Account. I also sent $2 to the Christian Nationalist Crusade.

   Freda did the ironing this morning and then went shopping. After lunch I took her and Kim to Meadow Grove and went back there for tea before calling for Dad.

   We went to St. Andrews tonight to see Blues play Manchester United in the F.A. Cup 5th round. United are sixth from the bottom of the 1st Division and Blues below half-way in the 2nd, but expected to reach the quarter-finals again. It was a most exciting match — a capacity crowd, the opportunity to see Bobby Charlton, Nobby Stiles, Denis Law and George Best, the treacherous conditions on the pitch and the rain lashing down with dramatic effect against the floodlights, all adding to the excitement

   United took the lead in the second-half with a header from Denis Law, then Beard came on as substitute and scored almost immediately. Just before the end George Best made it 2–1 and we thought it was all over, but with United defending like mad and Best falling back to help them, he accidentally handled the ball in the penalty area. All the Manchester players protested furiously, but Robinson stepped up and scored. So it was a draw, 2–2, a memorable match, and Blues may still win the replay.

   The programmes were printed for last Saturday, the only change being that Wylie played instead of Beard.

   Birmingham City:— Herriot; Martin, Green; Page, Robinson, Wylie (not Beard); Hockey, Greenhoff, Pickering, Vincent, Thwaites.

   Manchester United:— Stepney; Fitzpatrick, Dunne; Crerand, James, Stiles; Morgan, Kidd, Charlton, Law, Best.

   The attendance was 51,685

   After the match I took Dad home then rejoined Freda and her mother and we had supper.

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A difficult month

   We had a very busy day in the office as usual, but only £1 7s 6d in gifts, which I paid into the Deposit Account. It has been a difficult month with only £280 0s 11d received in gifts plus 6/-d for books; but expenses have come to £653 14s 11d, including salaries for the four of us £112 (Jan £50, Jean £36, Freda £20 and me £5 10s), National Insurance stamps £33 12s 4d, postage £106 11s 5d, petrol £7 14s 0d, donations (to Ambassador College and T.L. Osborn) £15, stationery 2/8d and sundries £4 15s 6d. To this must be added £373 19s expenditure from the Current Account.

TUESDAY 17th JUNE 1969