Tommy’s War: A First World War Diary 1913–1918. Andrew Marr
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and family. Called in at Bow’s Emporium21 and arranged for a man to fit in the room grate. Went up to the new house in afternoon and whitewashed the kitchen press and bunker. The flitting starts tonight. To help we had Sam and Donald, Mr McCort, Mrs and Miss Gordon and Josephine.22 We ceased operations at 10.30 and had supper.
Friday, 24 January
Putrid wet day. Man came up and fitted in room grate. It was a hard job and he lost his chisel, so Agnes gave him a ‘tanner’. Cost of grate fitted in was 4/6. The piano was removed for 4/-. The plaster men [came] in the morning. Man up to measure us for a gas stove. Agnes got a gas stove from her aunt.
Saturday, 25 January
Agnes at the painter in the forenoon arranging about our kitchen. Went up to the old house in the afternoon and took off the Yale lock, name plate and letter box. Man here sorting the kitchen gas. At night whitewashed ceiling and walls of the closet and put up the kitchen pulley.
Saturday, 1 March
Out at the Barrows23 before tea and bought an awl and a wee wally bow-wow24 for the cherub.
Wednesday, 12 March
Today’s advertisement: ‘Children’s Fancy Dress Ball. Mr J. B. McEwen’s Juvenile Pupils, St Andrew’s Halls, Granville St, at 5p.m. Carriages at 9.30 p.m. Spectators’ tickets 1/6. Tickets to be had at 29 St Vincent Crescent.’25 I did not manage to the above.
Monday, 24 March
‘Men must either be the slaves of duty or of force.’ (Or the wife.)
Tuesday, 25 March
Was at library at night for my usual good moral book.
Monday, 14 April
Cold, wet day. National strike started in Belgium today.26 King of Spain shot at yesterday.27 He was not hurt.
Wednesday, 16 April
Got a note from the factor. Cuss him that the rent is raised 22/- in the year. Now we’ll starve.
Monday, 21 April
Telephoned the factor about the rent and found to my delirious joy it was only advanced 4/- in the year, to wit £3 15s 3d per quarter.28
Friday, 25 April
Fresh sort of day. National strike in Belgium fizzled out. Agnes still got toothache. Poor Agnes. Her bottom teeth are up the pole.29
Saturday, 26 April
Very cold and windy. Wet. In the afternoon I went to the Stirling’s Library30 and on my way back saw the start of the Great Territorial March Out. I went into a doorway and saw it all. Rain coming down in buckets. Poor ‘sojers’. They were wet.
Monday, 5 May
Lord ‘Bobs’ in Glasgow today to make us all ‘sojers’.31
Wednesday, 7 May
Paid the cussed factor his cussed rent. Cussed cold and cussed windy.
Saturday, 10 May
Took the wife of my bosom and my son also heir out for a walk by Hangingshaws and back by Mount Florida. Saw the Boys’ Brigade inspection on our way home.
Friday, 16 May
Beautiful summer day. Took the wee man a walk to Queen’s Park at night. Agnes met us there. Saw the recruits drilling in the recreation grounds.
Sunday, 18 May
Played hymns on the piano and amused our good selves in divers ways.
Sunday, 25 May
Broke the clasp of my wally teeth today.32
Tuesday, 3 June
I went straight from my work to the man who pulls teeth and got my renovated set. Seeing it was my first offence he charged me nothing. I did not press the good man.
Wednesday, 4 June
Lost my usual bob on the Derby.33 Got my hair cut. This is my birthday.
Thursday, 5 June
‘Every step of life shows how much caution is required.’
Tuesday, 10 June
This is the anniversary. ‘Marriage notice. 10 June 1910. At 39 Whitefield Road was spliced Agnes Smart Cook, spinster, to Thomas Cairns Livingstone, bachelor. MOSC.56 SCA. 7,053. God save the King. Ora Pro Nobis. Let Glasgow Flourish.’34
Thursday, 26 June
[On holiday in Rothesay.] We saw two blessed warships, one of which anchored in Sweet Rothesay Bay.35
As well as the war clouds gathering over Europe, in 1913 there was another battle raging in Britain as the supporters of equal votes for women staged spectacular protests to win publicity for their cause. On Wednesday 2 June, Emily Wilding Davison ran onto the racecourse at Epsom during the Derby and was struck by Anmer, King George V’s horse, and its jockey Herbert Jones. The seasoned campaigner may have intended simply to disrupt the race and to unfurl the banner of the Women’s Social and Political Union, but she died of her injuries and became a Suffragette martyr.
Friday, 27 June
Rothesay’s full of sailormen now.