Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915 - Part 13

24
I think in about a month
I will have lost all my shyness.
This afternoon the Anglican
minister from this district came
along to hold a short service.
He often visits us, and is a 
good old sport, so the boys
lined up to his service. We
had a good sing-song, and
he preached a short, manly
sermon. I enjoyed it
very much.
Monday, May 24^th
The doctor said I could
dispense with splints, when
he made the rounds this
morning. My arm is very
weak, and I feel lost without
the support, but I expect
I will get the use of the 
arm quicker if it is left
 

25
free. I think I should be out
within a week.
Today is Whit Monday, and
is observed as a big holiday
in Manchester. The "Besses 
of the Barn" Band has been
playing in the Park close
by, and a large crowd
was there to hear it, I was told.
I wish we could have heard
it. Do you remember it came
to Australia a few years ago, and
got a great reception. That
was in the pre-Phyllis days, unfortunately,
so I was not able
to take you. But I took
somebody else and it cost
me 15/- for our seats. And
here it can be heard in the
parks for nothing. It belongs
to the Manchester district.
 

26
We have had a lot of people
to talk to us today. One lady
has promised to take my
photo one day this week to
send to you. I hope it
turns out well.
Tuesday May 25^th
Same as usual.
Wednesday May 26^th
Have written to you and
mother today. Also had our
photos taken.
Thursday May 27^th
Transferred today to a 
Red Cross Hospital at Stretford,
about 3 ¾ miles from Manchester.
This Hospital was also a school
until very recently. It is about
twice as large as the Moseley St
hospital. Also I think we are
in for a much better time here.
 

27     
We are allowed out between certain 
hours, and that atmosphere of
rigid discipline which exists in
Military Hospitals is entirely absent.
This afternoon a few of us took
a tramride towards the city, and
walked across to the Ship Canal,
which enables big cargo and
passenger steamers to come right
up to Manchester. After tea
we walked through the park
and watched some happy couples
playing tennis. I did envy
them - beautiful grass courts 
too.

Friday, May 28^th
Went out to Heaton Park this afternoon
and heard the "Besses" play. There
was an enormous crowd, and the
music was excellent. Had tea in 
town, and reached the hospital
by 6.30 pm - well within bounds.
 

28
Saturday May 29^th
Had an enjoyable afternoon. Some
of the people here took a large
party of us to the Manchester
Hippodrome. There was a special
matinee in aid of the Manchester
Soldiers Comforts fund, and all the
leading artists now performing at
the various theatres gave their
services free. It was a splendid
programme, and the place was
crowded. Some people in the
audience sent us up cigarettes 
and numerous boxes of chocolates.
It makes us wonder what we
have done to get all these good
things showered on us. Personally
I feel that I am a terrible fraud -
Sunday May 30^th
Went to church this morning -
Methodist. very good service,
 

29
lovely old pipe organ, and good
singing. Felt like old times.
The minister prayed for absent 
loved one and I said a big
Amen to that. In the afternoon
three of us went out to Fallowfield
to see the boys still left at the
Hospital. They envied us. We 
all had invitations to various 
places to tea, so we parted 
company and went to our friends.
I was let in for a picnic. The 
daughter of the house (a bright
kiddie at the flapper age) had
asked two of her little flapper friends
to help her do the honors. So I had
to take the three of them out for a
walk through the park. What was
my consternation when they
suggested calling round for another
friend. Still I had to say that
 

30
I wasn't at all bashful, but
all the same I fervently hoped
that I wouldn't run into any
of the chaps, especially the
two I had come out with.
I ran into about three that I
knew, and was just congratulating
myself that I was going to dodge
the particular two, when, as we
turned a corner I ran bang
into them. What was my joy
though, to discover them in an
even more embarrassing situation
than I. They had eleven
children of various ages from
five to nine hanging on to their
hands and getting tangled up 
in their legs as they walked.
They had received an even
warmer welcome than I had.
On the way back to the Hospital
 

31        
the train was held up for nearly
an hour while a big procession
of Catholic Sunday school children
passed along the streets. Many of
the children were dressed in fancy
costumes and carried big baskets
and wreaths of flowers, but I
looked at all their little faces as
they passed along and I do
not think I have ever seen such
un-lovely children before. It
was not merely that their faces
were plain - they were expressionless,
dull, vacant, almost
repellent. I suppose most of the 
poor little mites were from the
slum districts, for there are some
very beautiful children here.
Monday May 31^st
Had my arm massaged this morning. 
The lady who performed the massaging
 

32
was of an old church in the
Cheshire country which she said was
well worth a visit, so this afternoon
Hempel and I found our way to
it. We took the car to Altringham
and from there walked up the
hill to what we thought was the
church. On closer inspection we
found it was not the church
we wanted, but as it was a 
fine building we decided to
go in and look over it. It was
a Wesleyan Chapel, but we
found afterwards that it is considered
to be one of the finest Wesleyan
Chapels in England. (The Bowdon
Wesleyan Chapel). It has some
beautiful lead-windows, and a
fine organ. The caretaker was
in the church at the time, and
his wife sent across to ask would
 

33
we like a cup of tea. We didn't
need much pressing, and spent
a pleasant hour chatting with her
and eating up all her good
home made cake. We next
found our way to the Bowdon (Anglican)
Church. I dont know the age
of the Church, but some of the
tomb stones in the Churchyard
bear dates as far back as 1620.
This church also has some very fine
lead windows, and a grand
organ which we were privileged
to hear. On one transept is a
tomb, with the marble figures of
Brereton de Brereton and his wife
recumbent on the top. Near by
is an old English chest, with the
wood fitted and grooved and the
big iron hinges rusted with age.
I do not know the story. The
 

34
view from the churchyard,
all over Cheshire is very beautiful.
Afterwards we walked along
a beautiful drive through fine
old residences; and came at
length to a big park thickly
grown with old elms, and
bracken fern in great profusion.
We had a pleasant walk
through the park and then
made our way back to the
tram treminus. On the way
back we stopped at an inn 
(the Stafford Stamford Arms) for a drink,
and got into conversation with
the landlady, who told us of
another very old church about
eight miles from the Bowdon church.
We mentioned that we would
visit it on Wednesday afternoon,
and as we were leaving she
 

offered to drive us out there
in her car. So I am looking
forward to Wednesday.
Tuesday, June 1^st
Walked to Eccles (3 miles) along
the canal bank, to see the famous
Barton Bridge. This is a swing
bridge by means of which the
barge canal crosses the big ship
canal. When it is necessary to
swing the bridge to allow of the

passage of ships along the big canal
stout iron gates are closed at either
end of the bridge, thus enclosing the
waters. From the bridge we took
car to Salford Docks, and afterwards
back to Manchester. We
were taken over the old Chetham
Hospital and shown the places of
interest, such as the minstrels' gallery,
the great dining hall and kitchen,
 

36
and various other rooms and furnishings.
We sat in chippendale chairs valued
at 140 guineas apiece, and in a
stiff backed settee fro which an
American last year offered ₤750.
We were also shown an old chair
purporting to be the one in which
Sir Walter Raleigh smoked his first
pipe of tobacco. There also was
a stained glass window 600 years old,
an oak screen dating back to the
time of William Rufus, and many
other things of great interest.
Wednesday June 2^nd.
Kiddie, we had a great time
today. We have been through some
of the most beautiful country
imaginable. A big Daimler motor,
a skilful chauffeur who knew
his car and knew the country
roads that were smooth as
 

37
racing tracks through avenues of
elm and chestnut whose branches
met and mingled overhead,
through quaint little country towns,
past beautiful lakes surrounded
with thick woods one mass of
living green — and the whole
made sparkling and alive by a
warm pleasant sun. The objective
of our trip, the old Peover church,
was of great interest. It stands
as it stood centuries ago, with
its black, rough hewn oak pillars
and beams, the marks of the
axe or adze with which they
were shaped unsmoothed by
either natural or artificial agencies.
Somehow, these things, though not
one quarter the age of the ancient
relics we saw in Egypt, semed
to appeal to us more than they did.
 

38
I might write for a long while of
all the interesting things I saw here,
but I cannot spare the space. And
my letters to you, now that I am
able to write longer ones, will contain

anything of interest that I may see
while I am here. We returned
to Bowdon by a different road, also
very very beautiful.
Thursday, June 3^rd - 26 today.
I wonder where I will be on my
27^th birthday. i wonder if I will
ever see that day. Goodness knows.
Had a quiet afternoon. A large
party was taken to the Rusholme
Theatre to a variety entertainment, but
I did not go.
Friday June 4^th - Borrowed some
racquets & balls & played tennis
in the park all the afternoon.
Enjoyed it immensely.
 

39
Saturday June 5^th - Very stiff
after yesterday's exercise, so went
for a walk to work it off. Took
car to Altringham and walked
through Durham Park and on

into the country beyond.
Sunday June 6^th - Another tip top
day. I asked the matron for
extra leave the other day in order
to visit Chester, which is about
35 miles from here. We intended
to go by train, and to do so it
would be necessary to leave before

dinner. She said she would try 
and arrange it, and yesterday
she told me that she had
arranged for us to be motored
there. so we had dinner immediately
we returned from church,
and at one o'clock the motors
came for us. There were four
 

40
in our party - Olifent, Hempel,
Kingsley & myself. Kingsley went
in a sidecar with Mr Clay,
and we were in Mr Greenip's
motor car. Unfortunately the
side car wheel got a puncture
before we reached Altringham
and we lost an hour repairing
it. We saw a lot more of
the beautiful Cheshire country,
so we went along different
roads to those we traversed
on Wednesday. We passed
through Northwich, a town
which is undermined by cuttings
from the salt mines near by,
and which has been subsiding
for some time now. Many
of the houses & buildings are
already gone, others have sunk

about five and six feet, while
 

41
most of them lean over at precarious
angles. From this town
we saw the large factories of
Brunner Mond, the chemical
manufacturers, where large quantities
of asphyxiating gas are
now being made for the use of
out troops against the Germans.
We arrived at Chester, and after
a drive through the streets, left
the motors and had tea. We
then walked round the old
walls, and visited the Cathedral.
Chester is one of the very old
cities of England, and is the only
city in Europe which still has
its walls complete. Except for
a few additions and necessary
repairs the wall stands as
it did in the days of the
Romans, when a stout wall
 

42
was an excellent defence, and
could not be demolished by
a few well placed shells from
a gun fifteen to twenty miles
away. In those days the
breach had to be made by
battering ram amidst a
shower of arrows, javelins and
stones, and the breach carried
by fierce hand to hand
fighting with spear and sword.
One could spend a whole
day in the Cathedral, and
then not see it all. I will
describe it fully in my letter
to you. Here we saw the wonderful
carvings in the choir, considered
to be the best in England; a
shrine which was the only one
left which was spared at the
time of Queen Elizabeth, when
 

43
all the others were destroyed;
here are also the old colours
of the Cheshire Regiments, including
the one in which the body of
General Wolfe was wrapped.
We had an enjoyable spin
home, via Frodsham & Lymm,
arriving just after eight o'clock.
We thanked the matron so heartily
that she said she would try to
arrange a trip to York Cathedral
for us. This is about 70 or 80
miles away, but she thinks
it could be done by taking
the whole day. She is a real
sport. We were late for supper,
but the nurses made fresh tea
and cut up two big platesful
of fresh bread & butter and we
ate a very hearty meal