| Description | Charlotte spends most of her time at home reading, and occasionally takes a walk with Miss Parker. She sits in the garden in warm weather. Her books mainly come from the local library, and are primarily travel and biography. She is visited most days by Cecil, and also by Ethel and the children, who come to tea. They play the piano for her on 15 July. Other friends also visit, but she often notes that she does not receive any visitors or letters. She attends church services when she is able to, and gives details about household maintenance, and information about servants.
She records a variety of minor health problems throughout the year mentioning, in mid February, her suffering from the swollen fingers on her left hand due to gout. This results in her having to have her rings, including her wedding ring, removed. She also suffers from a bad cough early March and keeps to her room, and mentions having trouble with her eyes on 5 April which are still uncomfortable on 16 April.
The diary also records Sidney's health concerns. Charlotte writes that he is due to see a specialist in Birmingham on 31 January though on 10 February, she notes that the report finds nothing medically wrong with him. Charlotte contributes towards the medical bill. Cecil visits Sidney at Rous Lench on 17 October and on her return shows Charlotte photographs of the rectory and church, 29 October. Sidney is received at Barnsley Hall on 27 October. [Barnsley Hall hospital in Bromsgove, Worcestershire, was for patients with mental health problems and presumably Sidney's mental illness had returned.] Charlotte has been writing to his doctor.
Some of the effects of the end of the war in 1918 are noted. Charlotte writes that Miss Parker has been to see the decorations for Peace day on 17 July and that there was 'a VAD party at Buckingham Palace' on 25 July. Cecil has been to see 'the march past of the Indian troops by Buckingham Palace' on 2 Aug.
Reading matter includes 'Artists and their Models', 'Romances of the Peerage', 'book on Parish Churches in England', 'book on Australia', 'book on North Wales', 'book on the Riviera', 'Maggie Benson's Life', 'Memoir of Gladstone', 'book on Italy', 'Notable Persons of the last Century', 'Legends of the Saints', 'Life of Princess Frederick', 'Life of Teignmouth Shore', 'How I became a Governor', 'In the days of Victoria', 'Castels & Caves by Rev. Baring-Gould' and 'Domestic Life in Italy'. |