Isabel’s Diary: 30 September 1913

Tuesday

Another glorious day, out in town all morning, afternoon M & I went motoring with B.Barker, tea at Dunchurch, all went to Military Tattoo at night & a motor run later

Isabel’s Diary: 29 September 1913

Monday

A glorious day, spent morning shopping, afternoon went to see the trooping of the colours. B.Barker & Mrs Quinn came to tea, Mrs F’s dinner at Masonic Hall, very jolly evening.

The Trooping of the Colour has been held in June since the time of Edward VII who moved it to get better weather (his birthday was in November). I’ve checked the history and the 1913 Trooping of the Colour was no exception. So I’m not sure quite what event Isabel witnessed on this occasion.

Isabel’s Diary: 28 September 1913

Sunday

Glorious day, went to Quinns for tea in the afternoon, tea outside & on to the Frecknalls for supper.

Isabel’s Diary: 27 September 1913

Saturday

Very hot, out for a short time in the morning slept all afternoon (!) went down to the Pictures with Bob. Mrs Q came in the evening, bed early.

Isabel’s Diary: 26 September 1913

Friday

Lovely day, Mr M motored M & I into London, shopped & motored out to Hampstead for lunch, played badminton in the afternoon, missed 7 train went to music hall home on 9.

Isabel’s Diary: 25 September 1913

Thursday Maude & I left here 8-15 or London. Spent morning shopping et Mr & Mrs Millar for lunch, motored out to Hampstead took us to see ‘Typhoon’ at night, v good.

‘Typhoon’ was a topical play by Laurence Irving (son of famous Victorian actor Sir Henry) set in the time of the Russo-Japanese War, with Laurence playing a Japanese officer.  Irving and his wife Mabel drowned the following year when the RMS Empress of Ireland collided with a Norwegian collier and sank in the St Lawrence River. Reports in the news accounts say that they got separated and Laurence was in a position of temporary safety, but he knew Mabel could not swim and he jumped back into the St. Lawrence River to rescue her. It remains Canada’s worst peacetime maritime accident – over 1000 passengers and crew drowned.

Isabel’s Diary: 24 September 1913

Wednesday

Lovely day, out all morning, afternoon tea with Mrs Jennings, they came to dinner here, all went at night to see ‘The Glad Eye’

A farcical French play by Jose Levy, first produced in London in 1911

George V’s visit to Northampton

This postcard shows King George V and Queen Mary in the market square on their visit to Northampton in September 1913. Somewhere in the crowd is Isabel.

Isabel’s Diary: 23 September 1913

Tuesday

Wet morning, King & Queen came to N’ton*, very good seats on the stand. G’s here for lunch motored out to Kirby Hall** in the afternoon, evening down to see fireworks.

*For five days in September 1913, with rumblings of war stirring all over Europe, North Bucks and South Northants were turned into a “battleground” for British manoeuvres for more than 40,000 soldiers and airmen in what turned out to be a vital dress rehearsal for the so-called Great War.

King George V and Queen Mary came from Balmoral to be present at the Army Exercise and were the guests of Earl Spencer at Althorp House. The King, accompanied by Queen Mary, paraded in their Royal horse drawn carriage through Northampton town centre in the last week of the manoeuvres, cheered by adoring crowds. Later His Royal Highness led to observation points on the ‘battlefields’ an array of European nobility, generals and foreign military attaches, who had been invited to witness this spectacle of British might. Some of the lessons learned on these manoeuvres were put to good use less than a year later at the Battle of Mons.

**Kirby Hall – an Elizabethan/17th century house now run by English Heritage.

Isabel’s Diary: 22 September 1913

Monday

Lovely day out in town all morning, afternoon went down to meet Mrs Bloor & then Gennings, at night we went to Grand Hotel* for dinner & to the Hip.

* Now somewhat less grandly a Travelodge!