September

Getting Ready for Teaching
Well, make that 10.30a.m. because it took two hours to get the speedboat going. I’ve traveled about twenty – two miles each way today. The weather was sunny and the views were magnificent. The people were very happy although the majority of them had Bad tooth decay! These settlements seem to be suspended above the water by nothing more than a few woodpiles. Everything looked so flimsy, tattered and well worn. There was only one pleasant looking house and “the business man” who had a tide-washed bog owned that. Pete had gone to William’s Harbour so Claude and I left four boxes of books for him with a sort of letter of instructions about what to do.
We had dinner and tea in George’s Cove, where everybody just walks in unannounced into anybody’s home and we were kindly offered meals on more than two occasions. I feel like I am continually on exhibition to the people, like a rare animal or something. It’s not everyday that they see somebody from England or any new faces for that matter.
Final preparations are being made in The Anglican School for its opening- sweeping and filling furnaces. Claude, the Principal and I erected a flagpole and set up a staffroom for us. Claude bought a rocking chair for $16.50 and I bought a chaise-de-lounge for $12.84 – SACRIFICIAL!

Getting Started
School started at nine o’clock, 3rd with a fast-read-Claude-sermon-style assembly. The children were very shy of me. I teach Kindergarten to Grade 6, that is ages 6 – 12 years in one classroom with language problems on both sides. There is lots of hard work ahead. By the next day the furnace still wasn’t going in my classroom. I’ve got to fix it with Claude. I met Mr. Cook, The Principal of the Pentecostal School from Stockton, Teeside. It was great to hear one’s own language again. My photographs should go out for developing tomorrow.

Progress!
Two days later my furnace is now going full blast. ”The Board” (responsible for governing the schools along the coast): Reverend Lewis, Bill Rompkey et.al. walked into my Art & Craft lesson. They couldn’t have arrived at a better time. The kids were enjoying it and so was I. I’m beginning to settle down now. I finished and displayed a technicolour alphabet for the children, helped Scott build his “bridge” (verandah) and helped him saw up his firewood. He used the power saw like a toy, which was rather nerve-racking. Pete and Clive arrived for the night and slept in my room. It was great to see them again. We toured PHS. The mail boat also came in last night. Pete and Clive were off at 2.45pm. I must remember to go and see them sometime. I wrote to Bill Rompkey (ref. Scott and work) and Mum yesterday and finished digging a well with Claude above the house, which was named “The Teachers’ Well”! Joyce Penny had toothache in class- God what a noise, the people round here have very bad tooth decay. Coffee is in our staffroom now using water boiled on the furnace. I’ve agreed to take Kindergarten to Grade 3 because Pete said he couldn’t teach those ages. I am getting more used to the toilets around here too. Looking forward to winter and the skidoos. It looks as if Pete and I will have the use of Claude’s snow cruiser which will be great. Work really is slack for the local populace. I went to George’s Cove last weekend and spent Saturday night at William’s Harbour.

Eagerly Looking forward to the Mail boat and Getting Stuck In to Life Out Here!
Been “Up the Depot” (a local wood dump, without the wood and “bulled” flat) with Scott, Rita and Kimberely. Scott accidentally jumped on a four-inch nail and acted like he didn’t feel it. I helped him rip up some boarding on his verandah. I think I am luckier than Pete and Clive being posted in this place. I almost said, “Stuck in this place.” Well, it is very isolated.
Received my six parcels from home yesterday. The weather is getting pretty cold now. I went fishing with Austen Penny and Hedley Sampson yesterday but didn’t catch anything. Austen gave me the only trout caught and I will be going “Up the Steady” with them after school today. Nothing special has happened. I just emptied Scott’s boatload of wood for him and drew out the nails. Apparently Scott said there is no work at Goose. I am waiting for a letter from Mum. The mail boat is due this Saturday .I caught a large trout in the Lower Steady just by dropping my unbaited hook in which wasn’t really fishing. The rivers seem to be overflowing with fish. But I only caught three - have to do better! Mr. Tom Burgess, an Irishman from Dublin arrived for a public meeting. He plans to have work brought to The Labrador. Gerry Hill is the local scapegoat. There is the dance tonight and Claude popped off to Mary’s Harbour on the Burgess floatplane. I found out today that best clothes are needed to walk down the road. Strict Sunday observance. It will be a hard winter unless work is brought to this community. No sign of the mail boat yet. Sorry it has just arrived at 5.00p.m.
I’ve started a School Stamp Album for the kids. It’s hard for the family I am staying with when Scott is out of work. I hope he finds some, as a janitor maybe? Reverend Lewis will decide when he comes in on Thursday. I think I will go beaver hunting with Graham Kippenhuck and Scott on Saturday but it’s not the beaver season yet. I saw a big moose swimming down and around The Bay just before school. I was amazed at how high it was in the water. The SS Nonia arrived last night, wonder if I have any mail? I took a couple of photographs of the moose and looked at it through binoculars – great! Harry Rumbolt has promised to take me hunting “Up the Road”. Poor food…my dinner today was potatoes as the main meal with custard and cake, tea and water. I asked for a lamp for a Christmas present from home. Just as I was posting letters to Chris Humphries and Chris Agnew (school friends) and Mum yesterday I met Reverend Lewis. He had come to see about the School Janitor’s job and if I was making out OK. He said the secret of teaching along the coast is to keep the parents happy by setting plenty of homework. I witnessed a baptism with Claude – “to stand up”! I’ve told him I don’t want to take Sunday school. I think Pete will take it OK. I hope the people will still respect me despite that. I went aboard Ed. Lewis’s houseboat – rather him than me; helped Claude take firewood off his motorboat and drove it for him. It was quite big in the dark. The decision about the janitor’s job has been passed by Ed Lewis on to Goose Bay. I don’t know if it will be Scott’s or Jim Sampson’s. I hope Scott gets it – partly selfish reasons on my part because I think my winter here is going to be difficult if he’s out of work. It’s Sunday today, which is a waste of day to me at least. Classified. Nobody works here on Sunday – well I’ve got marking and reading to do. I spent a good few hours with Ben Rowe yesterday. I felt real admiration for him because he’s built his own “long – liner ’67 mostly on his own; for fishing purposes mainly. He’s been on the boat for about four years now. He is quite intelligent. I enjoyed talking with him. Apparently Sheila and Verity (past volunteers) spent most of their time in his house. I must visit them soon.
Claude’s rhetorical speech makes him appear ridiculous at times to me. He is a good enough bloke though. I heard from Rev. Lewis that Alex is to be sent home by Christmas, which is very hard luck on him. I was down at Ben’s place last night from 10.30p.m. – 1.30a.m. He is a very sensible man. I liked him a lot. I said I’d help him with his long – liner, about sixty- footer. Amazing! Three Ward families arrived and my class expanded in size up to about thirty although it will still increase further. I spent time at Cliff Rumbolt’s, Charlie Sampson and Jim Sampson. I was impressed by Jim (father of Victor and Headley in my class.) I showed them my moon pictures and told them about the moon landing that I saw on TV until I’m sick in the face. The mail boat is due soon and little Vic in my class had a kitten.