THE DIARY OF WILLIAM SELLERS

Jan 1^st. Weather wintry & cold, very dry for the season. Second ploughing is nearly finished on most farms in this district. Labour is fairly plentiful, some men have been released from the army to work on the land.
A new cattle sales order has come into force this week. All cattle must be sold at a public market at a fixed price after being graded & weighed. Very few cattle have been offered this week and much inconvenience has been caused as there was not nearly enough to go round. Pigs are also sold alive by weight and are very scarce. Sheep are not controlled and made very high prices. A pen of three sheep were sold at Hull for £9. 14. 0 each.
8^th. Severe snowstorm, roads running East & West blocked. The train from Brid to Scarboro due at Speeton 7.35 a.m. did not come till after 12 p.m.
9^th. Extremely hard frost, very cold. Beef is very scarce. Butchers are allowed to sell only half their usual quantity.
Prices are fixed by the local food committee.
Filey Wesleyan Chapel burned down.
14^th. Severe frost, heavy showers of snow, drifting. All sheep must be sold by weight from today. At Seamer the sheep were weighed then the value of the skins estimated after which they were allotted to the butchers at the price fixed viz 1/2 per pound of dressed meat. The price for sheep of all ages is the same. Feed cakes are £19. 15. 0. per ton for cash within fourteen days.
17^th. Gladys Hodgson of this village was severely burned this morning through her clothes being set alight while lifting the kettle from the fire. She died in the Lloyd hospital at Bridlington the same night.
Feb 11^th. Weather mild for the season. Beef very scarce. We were not able to buy any last week, were offered a small piece of pork or nothing.
Bridlington market was opened this morning as a grading centre.
Straw for bedding is very scarce. Mr Jackson of Buckton Hall is using rough grass sods cut on the cliff for bedding the yards.