1925 Diary of Elliot Woolford of Hook Farm, Lydiard Tregoze

1925

Elliot and Amy were central to a number of fund raising events throughout the year. In the days before the National Health Service much of their efforts went to supporting the Nursing Association and the Victoria Hospital in Swindon. Elliot writes in his diary on February 5 – “Amy & I attended Dance at Hook School organized by Mrs White & Amy in aid of the nursing fund. Tickets 5/- each including refreshment. It was quite a success although it entailed a lot of work nearly all the refreshments were given. We had quite as many as could dance in the room & quite a select class some from a distance. Broke up about 2.30 a.m. about 20 cars were packed into the school yard. Bt one ticket 5/- paid 5/- towards drink’s lost 2/6 Nap.”

And another new initiative in the village was proposed at a meeting in the dining room at Hook Farm at the end of October and was up and running by November.

October 28 - “Mrs Rev Harrison and several Ladies of the Parish held a meeting by invitation in our Dinning room to form a committee to start a sewing class to be held fortnightly in the old School house at the Park. Amy gave them tea this Afternoon.”

November 10 – “Amy attended a womans meeting at the Old School top of the park they all took sewing or knitting Mrs Harrison provided tea & light refreshment these meetings are taking place the 1st & 3rd Tues in the month.”In a meticulously kept and unbroken series of diaries,

Background

 Elliot Woolford provides the reader with a no-nonsense view of farming life at Lydiard Tregoze spanning more than 45 years. His livelihood was forever at the mercy of the vagaries of the weather and fluctuating market prices.

Elliot and his brother Rowland acquired the tenancy of Hook Farm in 1899 from the 5th Viscount Bolingbroke. In 1930 Elliott was able to purchase the farm when part of the Bolingbroke estate was sold by the Viscount's widow, Mary. The Woolford family remain there to this day.