Reference
Z1606/8
Title
Personal diary labelled 'vol. VI'
Date free text
11 April 1948 (part) - 26 January 1949 (part)
Production date
From: 1948 To: 1949
Scope and Content
Volume focuses primarily on domestic life in Bedford at 66 Marlborough Road in the late 1940s. It details caring for her elderly and father whose health is deteriorating, and her brother Jim. Much of the content revolves around obtaining and preparing food, cleaning the house and working at the allotment or garden. Frequent references are made to events held by the Literary Society. The volume also includes:
Meeting Italian women living in Bedford (28/4/1948)
A visit to the 'unconventional' Mr Garrett's (28/4/1948)
Ongoing disagreement with the milkman (5/5/1948, 16/6/1948)
Visit to the Cotswolds, including Bourton (12/5/1948)
Visit to Olney & Cowper's Museum (22/5/1948)
Unconventional performance of 'The Taming of the Shrew' at Stratford, staring Diana Wynyard (4/6/1948)
Sermon at Elstow Church (6/6/1948)
Bedford May Festival (6/6/1948)
Considerations on her reasons for keeping a diary (11/6/1948)
Eviction of an elderly couple in Marlborough Road - the Lamberts (22/6/1948, 25/6/1948)
Correspondence with German ex-prisoner of war (30/6/1948)
Folk Dance Summer Festival at Bromham Hall (4/7/1948)
Cranfield show and sports at Cranfield Court (2/8/1948)
A neighbour leaving her husband (2/8/1948)
Her friend's mother's dementure (7/8/1948)
Trip along Kimbolton Road (29/8/1948)
Regatta at St Neots (9/9/1948)
Trip to London, including the Tate Gallery (with reference to 'silly modern art') (3/10/1948)
Taking neighbour's young sons to 'The Slipe' (9/10/1948)
Neighbour placing a bird snare on their trellis (15/11/1948)
Concert at St Paul's Methodist Chapel (19/11/1948)
Learning line dancing (28/11/1948)
Vera Brittain addressing the literary society at The Bridge Hotel (4/12/1948)
Remarks on Communists celebrating Christmas (7-8/12/1948)
Trip to Biddenham (26/12/1948)
Feeling that her Birthday was touched by 'witchery' or 'a glamour' (16/1/1949)
Friend being sent to Fairfields (20/1/1949)
Some annotations date from 1969
Level of description
item