Lovely day. Very still & quiet. After lunch we all took deckchairs & sat out under the beech trees. Reginald would talk & disturb our slumbers. Dorothea Juliana lay in her pram & had a bottle. Then Frank was suddenly seized with a fit of energy & most need to go for a walk so U [Ursula] & I went with him, leaving the rest of the family sleeping, Evelyn snoring horribly. We went up to the wilderness. U turned back there, Frank and I went on into the rides & wandered up & down them so as to get...

The news was only too true, the paper this morning was very serious reading. Our army has suffered terribly, and the Germans are coming on apace, and will be in Paris before long. It was such a lovely day. We all went to Tintagel. Mary & I drove to Lanson. Reg bicycled, & we three went by train to Camelford. Reading the Daily Mail & Chronicle all the way, & so interesting were they that we got to Camelford in no time. From there the usual drive with an indifferent driver & tired horse dragging a heavy lumbering carriage. We...

Lovely day. Weather really looks as if it is improving. War news Russia coming up & defeating Germans. But this is telegraphed from St Petersburg so doubt the truth of it. Many letters in the paper about whether it would be a good thing if there was conscription. Volunteers are few & far between especially in this part. It does not occur to these country people that they ought to go & volunteer. They except someone to come round & ask them to go. The thrilling notice “Your King and country need you” leaves then unmoved. The young men in...

The post was late this morning and not until 9am did we know that the new of last night was true, but no casualty list have been published, only the bare fact that there has been terrible battle with great loss of live [sic]. In the morning Ursula & her baby returned from St Stephens. In the afternoon Mary & I went in to the lecture, duller than ever. all out of the book, no practise work at all. We went out to Holewell & had tea with the Radcliffes. Eileen Bason (Williams that was) was there, very sad &...

The paper brought us the news that the Germans had taken Namur Link, very serious news. Everywhere they behaved in a terribly brutal manner burning whole towns & villages. After all these years of civilisation to think that such things could take place. Truly men have made a wonderful hash of things, they say they are so good & superior & all this is the result. Roger Wollocombe came over in the morning with Mr Samson who took a photograph of Philippa Bidlake. In afternoon working party at Rectory Mrs Smith was away & there was a gloom over the...

Father & I went to Plymouth by train. Father to see uncle Joe. I went to see Mr Britton who stopped one tooth & pulled out 3 old stumps by pincers. Which process makes one mouth very sore & painful after & when the gums unfreeze there is a good deal of aching. Came back in new car which Father has bought. Stopped at Tavistock for drill.

In afternoon walked to Cleave to see Able Johns about a rifle club. Mrs Smith & I want to start one for the Guild boys. Had a talk with him about it . He told particulars of the Lifton Club to which he used to belong. After evening Service we had meeting of the Guild . The boys all seemed keen about it. We talked of a suitable place for a range. Mrs Smith talked so well to the boys & put it all very clearly. We settled to start the rifle club with Able Johns as a teacher. So...

We were told last night that Dr Musgrove had had a bad accident on his motor bicycle so this morning Reginald went down to inquire & found out that the story was true. He had run into a motor & broke his leg & finger & had to be taken to the Tavistock Hospital. After lunch the wagonette & old car were wheeled away into the barn where they will reside with other 2 old carriages. Arthur went to Launceston & brought back papers. An Interesting account in Daily Mail of the German entry into Brussels. 40,000 of them and...

Lovely morning. Thunderstorm in aft. We hoped to have a tennis party but no one came except Mrs Sears from Bradstone. After tea the Newmans turned up. The new apple house is beginning to make a show. The thatcher is putting on the roof. It will be very pretty when finished.

A letter in the paper to day [sic] from Lord Kitchener, a copy of which has been given to every soldier, exhorting them all to courage & good conduct. Had a letter from Gerald Ashton. He has joined the Hon Artillery [HAC Website] [Wikipedia Link] & has volunteered for active service. He seems very happy & enthusiastic working hard too. Another lovely day. Mention made in the paper of the wonderful manner in which the English army has left the country. In a comparative short time, vast numbers of men, horses, ammunition & food supplies have been shipped across to...

News that our army has reached France. General French [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_French,_1st_Earl_of_Ypres] had a wonderful reception in Paris. Working party at the Rectory, a representation gathering, all classes. Mrs Smith [Vicar’s wife] read aloud extracts from the paper. Reginald brought back news from Lanson [Launceston] that the Germans Crown Prince had been wounded, This and the murder of the German Emperor & Austrian Emperor is what we hear from time to time. The people in Meadwell have heard the firing of “the battle” so little idea have they of the geography of the world. A man has been caught trying to poison...

Lovely day. Went to Tavistock for lecture. Very dull, Admiral went very slowly.

Lovely day. When I went to the stables in the morning I found that the little cat who lives in hectors kennel had brought 5 kitten about 3 weeks & put them inside. & there they all were. Hector, the cat & the Kittens all living together in harmony . A lesson surely to the European nations at this time. Had tea under the beech tree. In evening Frank preached.

Thunderstorm in early morning. Baby woke 4.45, but went to sleep again about 5.30. Very hot & close. No news in the paper of our army or navy. Reported defeat to Germans. We doubt if any of it is true. The French army is now ready & on the move. In morning washed my hair, dried it out of doors, no sun. In afternoon went to Tavistock for drill, made a bed again & did some bandaging. A real nurse was there, showed me how to bandage an arm, She was not at all pleased with the way I did...

Very close & hot. Baby very good in the night did not wake until 6.45, was quite happy no tears after her bottle. Germans had another defeat in Belgium. Still no news of our army or navy. I went to Plymouth to see W Britton [Dentist]. He finished crowning a tooth. Got some flannel for shirts & wool for socks, for the working party to make. Very slow tedious journey back. Waited ever so long at L Road [Railway Station] for Riviera Express [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_Riviera_Express]. Admiral met me at Lifton. Very slow journey home. Reginald spent the day on the moor...

England has declared war on Austria. Germany has made no head way in Belgium [Schlieffen Plan]. The forces of the nations are gathering up for a fearful battle. If only something could stop it, it is too terrible to contemplate. No one knows where our army and navy is at least when I say no one, of course one forgets the authorities. The King for instance is kept informed by wireless telegraphy, the exact position of every ship. The Atlantic is being guarded by our cruisers so that our food supply shall not be cut off. Last night Plymouth was...

In afternoon Mary & I went to Tavistock for drill. Spent 6 hours of time driving there and back & drilling, having tea & all we did was to make one bed. It was rather sickening. We wished we had brought in some bandages to practise with. After the drill we went to the Mission Room where was held a working party. Every parish is to hold one & send in shirts and socks to Tavistock. Truly the women of Tavistock are working very hard. Could hear no news of the war, we seem very out of things here. Lovely...

No news of any importance. Practised bandaging in the morning.