Volume Eight - Pre-Victorian to the present day - more aspects - Chains at Penarth Dock - Macey, Mules and Wallace Family History . . .

Work must have still been short at the beginning of September because William took holiday leave. He reaped the benefits of his toil in the garden by picking 7 lbs of kidney beans, and white limed and tarred the roof of the fowl houses. He must have kept chickens. The financial schedule states – ‘September 1 – I give Mother 8 shillings from Shepherds Club and my £1 Holiday money’. Although the diary appears to show that there was no sick pay or guaranteed work at this time, this entry confirms that workers did have a holiday allocation and did receive basic pay while on holiday.

During this holiday leave, the diary also revealed that William and Elizabeth went on their first proper day out together that year other than to Cardiff – ‘September 5th – Go to Swanbridge, me, Mother, May and Emily, and two visitors’. Swanbridge is 2 or 3 miles along the coast towards Barry, and overlooks Sully Island. William and Elizabeth would have traveled by train. William seemed to have enjoyed his time off because he wrote ‘Spent a comfortable week at home for my holiday’.

In November, there was more nightshift work. With the extra money, William wrote ‘November 9th - Pay Mr J Poole 7 shillings towards my new working boots. This makes 17 shillings. I get them today. November 16th - Arthur had new boots and leggings – 7/11’ (39 pence). Arthur was definitely in work by then.

The diary confirmed that there was an outbreak of scarlet fever in November 1906 – ‘Willie hath 4 of his children in the sanatorium with scarlet fever’. They would have gone to the Cardiff Sanatorium on what is now called Sanatorium Road.

After an early rise for work on Monday 11th November, there was a happy social occasion for William – ‘Work till breakfast time. Home after Lucy Barnicoat married today’. Who was she?

Sunday the 25th November was busier than usual at the Lesser Hall. The diary says ‘Our Band of Hope Sunday. Me, Arthur, May and Emily go in the afternoon. Evening - me, Mother, May and Emily go. Emily wears her new hat today’. He was a proud father. The Band of Hope was a temperance organisation and children’s charity offering support for young people.