non sibi sed toti	Parsons Family and Friends

The Diary of a Car Emily Wynne bought a Morris Minor, second hand, in July 1930, and it made a great difference to her life. She did not have a job, and was was living with her mother ('M' in the diary) in a new house called Alders in Gordon Avenue, Foxrock. Her brother Charlie ('C') seems to have been working away from home but not far away. A daily maid, Fanny, came to help in the house. At the foot of many daily entries is a note of expenses connected with the car. There were often repairs and punctures to be dealt with. By September 26 she was calling it 'Minnie'. The car did enable Emily and her family and friends to visit the cousins in Glendalough often. In Emily's childhood the journey had been undertaken by horse and carriage (see chapter 2 of the biography). The journey by car took on one occasion from 2.45 to 4.20. It included the steep Long Hill rising from Kilmacanogue up beside the Big Sugarloaf mountain to the Calary Bog. The three houses occupied by the family in Glendalough were The Cottage, Lake Cottage and Camaderry. In Lake Cottage, it seems, lived Emily's second cousin Llewellyn Wynne and his wife Evelyn and daughters Ada, Mabel and Florence. In The Cottage were Jack and May Wynne and their 11 year old son Pat. Jack's sisters Emily, Winifred and Alice lived in the house called Tigroney, in Avoca, where they ran the Avoca Handweavers. The great friend of Charlie was Ernest Switzer, a fellow engineer who lived in a house in the middle of the country (as I recall it) at Ballywaltrim - which I see is now a suburb of Bray with a population of 10,000. I have selected entries which include the car in one way or another. These expand what is in Chapter 6 of the biography. July 1930 Monday 14 Some rain. Ernest drove C and me to Dublin about 11. We looked for a Morris Minor but could not find one, then for an Austin 7. Pretty scarce. ... Saturday 19 Speedometer reading approx. 3,600 miles. Tuesday 22 Fine. Cold. C returned about 11 and we drove in to Dublin. M. signed papers at Mr Coulters. 3 gallons petrol 4/4½ Wednesday 23 Fine. Coldish. Got up very late. C. photographed the car and developed the result. I took the car out without C. for the first time. M. and I drove to the convalescent home at Stillorgan and then I left M. at the Stewarts and came home. Ernest came about 4 and drove C. into Dublin and came back for tea. Then he left for Limerick. Saturday 26 Sunny. Warm. Showers. C. rang up about the car and heard it would not be available for the afternoon, so we agreed to go by train to meet the Challoners at Kilcool. But as trains were altered we only got as far as Bray... Monday 28 Showers. Heard that they had to get new thrust bearing from England, so we had to wire to Cousin May and put off our visit there. ... August 1930 Saturday 2 Fine evening. C. to Dublin to get spring washer which had come by post, took it to Archer and brought the car back about 3 o'clock. Ernest came up from Limerick and looked in on his way. C. and I to tea and supper there. We drove to Kingstown and back. Mother stayed out too. Monday 4 Showers Fanny had the whole day off. M. and I prepared dinner. Ernest came in the morning and he and C. pottered about. After lunch we started for Glendalough and called at Waltrim for Mrs Switzer and Ernest. We had tea with Llewy and Albert at Lake Cottage. Very cheerful. I drove there and back. Ernest and Charlie in the back on return journey. .... 2 gallons petrol 2/11 Tuesday 5 Bright. Fine. C. moved seat back so that it could fold down without rubbing the side. Ernest came down by train in afternoon. I met him at the station in the car. We drove him home about 6.30 and Jack and May arrived while we were out. Had to pack in a great hurry and Jack drove us all to the boat with the bicycle tied on to the side. C. had a good journey and arrived about 6.30. Thursday 7 1 quart oil 1/8 Friday 8 Fine till 5. Then showers. Fanny did not come owing to trouble about Annie. M. and I went out in the car to get petrol, see Clare (out) and Fanny and to post. I drove the Browns to Glendalough to let them talk to Llewy and Alice about Newtown School. We had supper with them and got back about 10.30. Trouble with starter and accelerator. 2 gallons petrol 2/11. Monday 11 Looked to see if enough oil in rear axle and ... in front. Tuesday 12 Greased all nipples except thing under tank. 2 gallons petrol (Shell) 2/11. Mileage approx. 3,790. Thursday 14 I drove Mrs. Brown to Dublin in the afternoon and Mrs Rubbin and Miss Breyman came to tea and Marie to supper to meet them. I took them for a drive by Golden Ball and the car choked for a mile or so which was a pity. Brittains 5/- Polish 1/-. Friday 15 Showers in the morning. Fine afternoon. Tubby came about 11 to drive up to Glendalough with me. I packed and ironed etc. We left about 2.45. Went to Bray station to get papers. Came well up the Long Hill. Arrived about 4.20. The Miss Newtons to tea; also the Eivers and Lake Cottage young people. Jack and Em came back from Dublin about 9 and left again for Tigroney. Coz E. arrived by bus. 3 gallons petrol 4/4½ Shell. Saturday 16 Glorious day. Tubby took us on the lake in the morning with dog, kitten and fleet of small boats. Bathed in the afternoon and had tea in the tree house. Nine up and animals. Cousin Jack returned from Avoca just in time to have some tea. Sunday 17 Fine till middle of the day. I drove Miss Mitchell, Pat and Owen to church at 9.45. Miss Tod Thornton and the Major to tea. Monday 18 Cousins May and Edie to Freda Halliday and Mr Little's wedding. I drove Coz. Jack to Tigroney via the Hugos. Lunched at Tigroney and returned via Rathdrum where I picked up parcels and drove Coz. LLewy and Al. to the Synges. [Revd Samuel Synge was rector of Anemoe; they were relatives of the playwright Synge.] Coz. May met us there having lunched with Mother. Tuesday 19 Heavy showers. To Lake Cottage in the morning. Coz. Al. cut out my blue fl frock. ... Wednesday 20 Very wet indeed. I drove Robert, Owen and Margery to Dublin for dentist. Had lunch at Alders on the way in and tea on the way out. 1 pt oil 10d. 2 gallons petrol 2/11. Thursday 21 Rain. ... I polished the car. Friday 22 Rain. Mileage to date 4000. Saturday 23 Wet morning. Lovely afternoon. Cousin May to Tigroney to fetch Cousin Jack. I to Lake Cottage. As it cleared up after lunch we decided to take our tea to the sea. Went to Penny-cum-quick. Missed Pat and Mr White who T'd at Tigroney. Cousin Edie to Enniskerry and Greystones. 2 gallons of petrol @ 1/6½ 3/1 Thursday 28 2 gallons Pratt 3/1 Saturday 30 1 gallon 1/6 September 1930 Monday 1 Fine. I washed car with hose through hall for first time. Got hot and bothered with it. Had tea and then felt better and dried it a bit. To station to fetch Solignum. Did part of front of garage. Washed my hair. Tuesday 2 I and David finished garage, chiefly David. Packed car up on boards etc. with David's help. Wednesday 3 Bright. Fine. Good crossing. (Emily spent a fortnight in the Lake District) Friday 19 Windy. ... I got key from Mrs Brown and found garage flooded. Very muddy. Saturday 20 Heavy showers. Endeavoured with some success to drain the garage. Drain from tennis court pouring into it so made a channel for it to run into grating at corner of house. Drove to garage for petrol in the evening. 3 gallons Shell 4/4½. Pressure gauge 7/6. Monday 22 Sunny. Did some washing and then attended to horn and cleaned out float chamber. Wednesday 24 M. and I to see the Switzers in the afternoon. Mr S. looked at carburettor and plugs. No effect on spitting which was bad. Mr Brown and Curwen came and made plans about garage floor. I to Phyllis Darley's about lecture. Took the car to let Donald look at it. He said it was pre-ignition and tied mixture control half way. O.K. coming home. Thursday 25 Dull. I met May and Billy when I was posting letters and brought them back to tea. She asked me to dinner and to let Donald see what he could do with the car. He worked at it for nearly three hours most kindly and adjusted the carburettor which stopped the spitting. He took spring off mixture control. Friday 26 Bright. Fine. I to do some messages in Minnie and said I would drive Marie to station but as I was late I drove her in to Amiens Street Station instead. Went via Westland Row and Butt Bridge. First time I had penetrated across river [Liffey]. Filter for carburettor 2/=. Tuesday 30 3 gallons Shell 3/10½. Mileage 4303. October 1930 Wednesday 1 Connor [the gardener, whom I remember in the 1940s] and Curwen came and concreted floor of garage. Friday 3 Drove M. to the Irish Ladies Association meeting at Lincoln Place. Left car at Brittains in Hatch Street [where Dorothy was born 10 years later!] to have Triplex windscreen fitted instead of plain glass. They did not get it finished so left it there. Saturday 4 Wet. To Dublin by 12.25 to get car. Only top half finished. 3 gallons Shell 3/10½. Tuesday 7 Rain. I to Dublin to fetch car which was finished and washed. Back about 7.10? Tail lamp bulb broken. 1 gallon Shell 1/3½. Triplex and washing car £3/13/6. Mileage 4410 miles. Tuesday 14 Wet and stormy morning. ... To garage. ... 3 gallons petrol 3/10½. First puncture mended 2/1½ and 2 valve caps [total] 6/- Wednesday 15 ... Then to garage to fetch tyre. Thursday 16 Clares men came and changed one window from side to back of garage. [I remember the garage with the window at the back and Shell advertisements on the side wall - 'That's Shell, that was!'] Monday 20 Fine and bright early. Then rain in afternoon. M. and I to Dublin. Left car at Brittains to have spring mended. ... We went for the car and drove out to bring knitting to Miss Fitzgerald at Overton, Dundrum... Spring and screws in windscreen £1.0.2. 1 gallon Shell 1/3½. Tuesday 21 Very windy. M. and I to Dublin to have other spring done. Spring 14/6. Wednesday 22 Lovely morning. Wet afternoon and evening. I to garage for petrol and oil. Adjusted left front brake. Completed first thousand miles. 4 gallons Shell 5/-. 1 pint D. Shell 10d. November 1930 Thursday 20 Showers and sunny intervals I greased car and found main leaf in right front spring was broken, so we did not go to Enniskerry as we had purposed. Took it to Cornelscourt and they said they would do it by Saturday. Saturday 22 Rain. Telephoned to garage to tell him not to do valves but found he had done so but found nothing wrong. Fetched car about 11.40. Tilly came and we picked blackberries and were caught in rain. Took her to 3 train and noticed oil indicator only up to about 30. To tea with Miss Dreyfus and called at garage on the way. Cheque for £1.11.6. Spring seemed very good. Friday 28 Fine. Frosty. Tubby came and he and I went to tea at the Grains at Monaline. Enjoyed it. On the way back skidded on Dargle Bridge. First real skid. No harm done. I am thankful. December 1930 Monday 1 I took car to Brittains to have steering seen to and again about sticking in bottom gear. Wednesday 3 I to Dublin in the morning to order food at Bewleys and to see Winnie. Car not ready. Thursday 4 I to Dublin by 1.55 train ... I to garage with Miss Comben to find car not ready and missed 7.30 train. Back by bus. Friday 5 To Dublin by 3.25. ... Waited a considerable time at garage for car. Home about 7.10. Do not like the steering. Too much wandering about the road. Thursday 11 I went in to Dublin and parked the car in Kildare Street and went to Arnolds and Pims. [Pims, Georges Street (later became Penneys dept store).] Friday 26 Rain early. Then fine. C. made the speedometer work by cutting a bit off the end of the opening into which the cable goes. Saturday 27 Fine. Stormy evening. C. and E[rnest] put up electric light in the garage. ... After supper we went over to Ballywaltrim and they made a gadget (v.g.) to keep hood from hitting side curtain. See also the verses about touring Ireland in the Morris Minor here.