My Dad's Diary : Fri 5th December 1947

"Bit of a cold this morning.

Usual sort of day.

Overtime."

My Dad's Diary : Thur 4th December 1947

"C.S. Exam today.

Sat for it and didn't do too bad.

Rain poured down.

G.W. did overtime."

I don't know if we'll find out the result of Dad sitting the Civil Service exam before the Diary ends, but I do know, of course, that he did go on eventually to be an Executive Officer.

Years later, when I was in the Civil Service, I worked with a man called George Wilson who'd worked with my Dad. I wonder if he might have been "G.W.".

My Dad's Diary : Wed 3rd December 1947

"Frost broke today.

Overtime."

My Dad's Diary : Tues 2nd December 1947

"Freezing.

Overtime."

My Dad's Diary : Mon 1st December 1947

"Still freezing.

Using tramcar now as roads are too bad.

Overtime until 7 pm."

My Dad's Diary : Thurs 20th November 1947

"Milder today.

Saw Griffiths re. shuttles.

Rec'd 25/5. Overtime money."

My Dad's Diary : Thur 6th November 1947

"Still short of rain.

Sold book of raffle tickets (R.A.S.C.).

Had night at home after overtime."

My Dad's Diary : Wed 5th November 1947

"12D again today.

Marvelous fine weather just now.

Overtime tonight."

My Dad's Diary : Tues 4th November 1947

"Henderson & Reynolds off - had to work in 12D today.

Overtime.

My Dad's Diary : Mon 3rd November 1947

"Start overtime tonight sorting correspondence."

My Dad's Diary : Sun 28th - Tues 30th September 1947

Sun 28th September 

"Fine day.

Spent morning in new garden.

Got word of increase - 7/6d.

Usual Sunday night."

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Mon 29th September

"Started overtime tonight.

Still no news of promotion.

Trouble re pyjamas."

It took me a long time to work out that the last word was indeed pyjamas. Don't ask me to explain why there was trouble with them, or what that trouble might be, because the secret is lost in history.

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Tues 30th September

"Fine sunny morning.

Overtime again."

My Dad's Diary : Thur 11th September 1947

"Very dull days. Still no rain. Overtime every night.

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Mother and Winnie leave for Edinburgh today.

Slight rain during night."

They'd have been going to stay with Grandma's half sister, Jessie, in Edinburgh. Here's a photograph of the two half sisters together in 1954, Gran on the left.

My Dad's Diary : Wed 10th September 1947

"Very dull days. Still no rain. Overtime every night.

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Doris went to doctor's about bad back."

My Dad's Diary : Tues 9th September 1947

"Very dull days. Still no rain. Overtime every night.

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Very windy."

My Dad's Diary : Mon 8th September 1947

This appears across the entries for the next four days:

"Very dull days. Still no rain. Overtime every night."

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"Very windy."

My Dad's Diary : Thurs 4th September 1947

"Still dry but cooler.

Still on overtime."

My Dad's Diary : Wed 3rd September 1947

"No rain.

Overtime.

11 hours of overtime due - 27/6."

That's £1.35 for working 11 hours overtime! To put it into context, the back pages of the Diary show that on 4th September, he was paid a week's wages of £4.13.11 (£4.65).