Scope and Content
Usual entries include attendance at parties and dances, comments on who was there and what they wore. Christmas and New year spent in London as usual with skating, theatre and social visits. It is a very cold winter an skating on local ponds is enjoyed. A new game of cards called 'coon can't' is much played (all year). Ice skating in London (Maida Vale) is almost daily in February, and often undertaken with an instructor. The nursery is redecorated and turned into a sittingroom for Marigo and Gina. Marigo often plays the piano and intermitently refers to lessons in Art, History, French and Greek. In the early summer Marigo keeps a running total of all the rooks shot by her and the family. Frequent visits to London to see relatives, shop and visit the theatre. Their dog 'Nigger' died and later a new puppy fox terrier is also called 'Nigger'. Marigo takes on the task of arranging flowers for the house. Marigo follows the events of the Balkan war and comments regularly.
12th Jan. The family and friends go to the Isle of Wight and stay at Billingham
25th Jan. Marigo had an unspecified operation on her nose, and a nurse was hired to look after her for three days. She is told she is 'not to go in open carriages, skate, theatre or anything till Thursday 8th.'
26th Jan. 'Cornish came to look at me. He took the splints out - felt like pulling my nose off, but done v. neatly. Monstrous things in rubber - one each nostril - nose looks a dirty mess.'
31st Jan. The family return to Picts Hill after a month in London. 'Dunhome is to be with us till Easter as parlour maid. Miss Hawkins (cello tutor) is only coming once a week and Melle (French teacher) once a fortnight.'
2nd Feb 'Have got to follow a diet - no eggs or meat.' Marigo does not say why. She records the temperature as 10 F (-12.2 C)
3rd Feb. 'Coldest day in London for 35 years.' '16 F in the night at F's window.' (-8.8 C).
8th Feb. Marigo went to London to see 'Baby Mine' at the Coronet. 'Splended piece and very funny.'
10th Feb. Still in London, Marigo went to the Playhouse to see The Second in Command, which she though 'Perfectly Splendid.'
14th Feb. Marigo goes to see 'Sweet Nell of Old Drury.' and says 'Thoroughly enjoyed it. Julia Neilson is very nice in it, much better than in the Scarlet Pimpernel.'
15th Feb. 'Went to the city to Randall's about my shooting boots and to Humby's where I had a tooth stopped (filled). She went to the Coronet to see 'The Witness for the Defence' and declared it a 'Lovely piece.'
16th Feb. Went to see Morality Plays at the Court Theatre.
28th Feb. 'I had my lesson with Miss Chambers at 4.15, which is the new arrangement.' Marigo does not say what the lesson is. 'We and Dad went to a political meeting in Turvey. Meeting was very good - few people. Mr Spencer took the chair. A Mr Russell spoke non Home Rule. Jolly good, nervous at the 1st. Sent down here on trial as he is to be the prospective candidate for somewhere. Mr Helmsley spoke after and "proved to the 'ilt" that the insurance etc was unfair etc.' Marigo notes 'Mrs Cockins (charwoman from Stevington) died suddenly last night. What'll happen to her old mother?'
29th Feb. After following the hunt all morning Marigo notes that her mother visits 'Old Mrs Saunderson (Cockin's mother).'
1st Mar. 'Beastly gale.'
4th Mar. 'Poison trial begins. Miss Barrow killed. Seddon accused.'
6th Mar. 'Went ferreting - got six rabbits, jolly good sport. Coal strike. Suffragettes break windows of shops in Bond Street and Oxford. Many taken prisoner.'
7th Mar. Marigo attends Stella Carol's concert. 'Concert jolly good. S Carol sings so high and true and v easily. Gauge sang v. nicely and good songs.'
8th Mar. Coal strike still on.
9th Mar. In London again. 'Gina and I went to the Shoe Co. where there is a sale to get some cheap shoes. Went with Marigo to Palace and met Stasi there, splendid show. Dancers good and Geisha lovely.' late she went to 'The Bear Leaders which was killing - thoroughly enjoyed it. Laughed a lot.'
11th Mar. After skating Marigo went to the Hippodrome to see Masgagni's opera which was 'Lovely. Intermezzo taken faster than usual.'
12th Mar. The family return to Pict's Hill.
14th Mar. 'Coal strike. Many out of work.'
15th Mar. 'I read papers. Seddon (poisoner) condemned, Mrs S let off. Strike going on.'
31st Mar. 'Dad told Mrs S. at lunch that he might get us a horse each!!! Hurrah'
2nd Apr. 'Out for a walk Gr Oaks way (worse luck) with all the dogs. When we got home to the yard we suddenly noticed that Bounder's hind legs looked paralysed. Lambard was very serious and Gina got him into the stables where the dear old chap fell down in awful pain. We could see he was very bad and I ran in and got some brandy. Ma came with it and we rubbed him. But it was dreadful the way he struggled. He was so good and nice and did not try to bite. Luckily it was not long and in about 5 or 10 minutes he was dead.' On a separate piece of paper, dated 2 Tuesday 1912, Marigo writes 'Sent for vet who came at 6.30 and stayed until past 8 and who said he was certain it was poison but did not know what yet. He said Bounder was a beautiful healthy dog (he was the valuable one too £60). We say Bounder eat something in the large field .... and a bone near the hedge.... beastly luck.'
3rd Apr. Bounder is to be buried in Boy's little wood.
7th Apr (Easter Sunday). Gina, Boy and I went to Queen's Hall concert. Ma and Pa met us there. Much enjoyed, jolly good pianist Peter Grainger.
9th Apr. 'Great luck, we have got seats at the Gaiety (to see The Sunshine Girl) Very good. Rather too much of Payne. The Commadore and Grossmith are really funny.'
10th Apr. 'Fountaine's dog has been poisoned too. Mrs Fulford's dog and another were run over by a car yesterday, both killed.'
14th Apr. Another of the family dogs 'Nigger' also died of poisoning.
19th Apr. The College of surgeons in London identify strichnine as the agent poisoning dogs. Marigo records 'Awful loss of life in Titanic 1,623.' She also comments 'Home Rule Bill brought in.'
24th Apr. The family are in London again. Marigo is given a ticket for Ben Hur. She 'much enjoyed the entertainment. Juggler splendid.'
27th Apr. Marigo begins to have 'meat juice' at meals and iron drops. This may be because she fainted on 23rd April and had the doctor, but no cause was found. The aforementioned are likely treatments for anaemia. Marigo and her mother went to visit a Mrs Hulse at Lavendon, which she describes as a 'beautiful house, electric light etc.'
1st May. Marigo goes to Newmarket by car with friends. She remarks that they got to Newmarket from Bedford in under two hours. 'Crowds of people, the King was there. The usuals were there, backed two winners Katy made £100!!' They stopped in Cambridge for tea on the way home.
4th May. 'Boy Scout Concert .... Made £6. 13s. 0d. Jolly good. Trios went well, so did my accompanying To Miss Lindsell and Gina played very well. Glad it's over.'
8th May. Went to concert in Bedford. Nina Rose has a v. nice voice, well trained, not powerful, good for drawing rooms. V. thin and pretty, got excited towards the end. Whitelions (?) was v. nice, lovely hands and good tone. Edwards good singer.'
13th May. Marigo sees Il Trovatore in London 'Beautiful. Girls thin and nice. Tenor's legs!!' While in London Marigo has been shopping for an evening dress for three days and cannot find one she likes so 'we went back to Mrs Seaman's, just a turning out of Bond Street. She is going to make me something. King Frederick VII of Denmark died suddenly.'
22nd May. Marigo goes to London on the train for the day. 'Went to Revel & Rossiter for my stays. Then to Mrs Seaman's where we saw at last a very pretty model, mauve and white, which is going to be made for me in pale blue. Then went to Woolands and got a v. pretty garden hat also v. expensive 35/9d !!.'
28th May Marigo goes to the Flower Show at White City which she enjoys.
6th June. Marigo sees 'Julius Ceasar' at a Bedford theatre 'Herbert splendid.'
8th June. Marigo sees Hamlet at Bedford 'Herbert v. good as Hamlet, like Irving and Benson.'
12th June. Marigo goes to Julia Schilizzi's dance, which starts at 10.00pm and ends at 5.15am. 'There were more girls than men and yet some men stood out all the time. The Greek prince was there. Sat down to supper at 4.30am.
18th June. Marigo and family went to Malvern to see Boy (her brother Nicholas) at his college. She stayed in the area for 6 days, attending speech day, cricket matches and a concert. She also visited Worcester Cathedral.
27th June. 'Gave 32 Reformatory boys (who are making hay) tea (drank 7 jugs of tea).' She repeats this on the following day and again on 5th July. 'Auto insurance tax meeting at Albert Hall.'
1st Aug. 'Aeroplane passed back of house.'
7th-22nd Aug. Brief notes made on Picts Hill notepaper for each day, instead of in diary, and inserted as loose sheet. She mentions clay pigeon shooting, ferreting for rabbits and her brother 'Boy' and father went away to Scotland on 9th - 24th to shoot game birds 'Boy shot 15 brace and Dad 8, ..... and 12 hares.'
26th Aug. Marigo spends the afternoon in 'Newport' to look at china. This is most likely Newport Pagnall. She also remarks on the heavy rainfall '6 inches in 12 hours!' and remarks on the floods for the next two days.
Late Aug and early Sept the family regularly hunt and shoot around the estate. Marigo mentions partridge, rabbit and pigeon.
12th Sept. Marigo is 21. she recieves '£5 from Ma,£10 from Stasie, apron from Anne and a glass vase from Miss L.'
14th Sept 'I broke my glasses.'
17th Sept. 'Poachers.' Marigo says Boy and another spent the morning running after Jimmy(?) Rooks, poacher, and later a policeman came about him.
26th Sept. Red Cross Display at Elstow. Marigo and Gina have been helping their mother pad splints and making bandages with tapes on the preceding days, and today Marigo writes 'Ma came home late dressed in red uniform cap etc!! (looked quite nice). Saw lots of girls as nurses.'
28th Sept Marigo and Gina help decorate the church for Harvest Festival, one large candlestick each.
29th They go to the Harvest Festival.
2nd Oct. 'Accident.' Marigo describes her car accident as follows 'Just got over Bromham Bridge when a girlon bike to escape bike in front ran into our back wheel. Stopped. Girl in middle of road groaning. Got out, several people around. Not car's fault. Unconscious. Put her in car with sister, I in front, went to hospital. Took about 10 minutes to get her out of car then poor girl sick - Doctor saw her - took her to ward - sister began to cry (16 yrs old). Found out girl was Townsend housemaid at (?) Still unconscious so could (?) Don't think it is very serious.
3rd Oct. 'Katy inquired at the hospital (?) Concussion and a wound at back of head. Not serious.'
11th Oct. 'Broke my glasses this evening.'
12th - 17th Oct. 'To Brighton...... Pennies in the slot.'
17th Oct War declared in Balkans.
18th Oct. 'Ma frightfully excited about the war. Bulgarians have started well and taken Mustapha Pasha.'
23rd Oct. 'Helped Ma to pack clothes for the refugees. War going on well for refugees.'
24th Oct 'Annie Austin (housemaid) wedding. Got to church early. Saw them all arrive. Threw confetti at her. In cream, looked very pretty - nice veil - went to house, saw presents and had biscuits etc.'
25th Oct They have collected £10,000 for war in London. Not enough.
26th Oct. 'Uskub (Skopje) taken. Turks getting worst of it. They say Venizelos has arranged the alliance. Hope it comes off.'
27th Oct. Maqrigo went to London to see 2 units of Red Cross men off to the war at the station. 'Connie Lambri looked awfully nice in khaki. Pale and excited. Said goodbye to him. Dreadful crush, every Greek there ..... a Battenburg was there. Platform barricaded off. Rather fun.'
29th Oct. 'Everyone is working hard for refugees.'
30th Oct. 'War going strong. Rumour that Nazim Pasha has been taken prisoner. His adviser Bey saw a lot of Ma and Pa in Constantinople.'
7th Nov. Marigo breaks her glasses for the third time this year!
10th Nov. Marigo smokes cigarettes 'Dad thought it a .... joke but Ma was very shocked.'
12th Nov 'Played Everybody's doing it and Alex Ragtime, 3 at the piano.'
14th Nov. 'Went to the Empire Cinema to see pictures on the army. Very interesting.In the middle we were lectured by Mr Cushion MP who spoke in favour of National Service League - don't quite agree. I think money and efforts aught to go to Navy.'
27th Nov.'Worked at some red cloth dresses for Greek children.' (refugees, Marigo mentions working on the dresses several times.)
9th Dec. The family gto to London for Christmas and there are no further entries in the diary, just four loose pages with one or two word entries.