Reference
X928/1/4/1/6
Title
Boots Scribbling Diary
Date free text
1909
Production date
From: 1909 To: 1909
Scope and Content
Hard-backed Boots Scribbling diary containing details of daily activities including the usual weeks spent with relatives in London over Christmas. This year roller skating is the craze and the children go almost every day to Olympia. She describes her lessons and exam results. Long walks and rides in the horse and luggage cart. She comments on any illness in the family, the weather, nature and animals. Describes her holiday in Norway
Jan 10th Marigo is taken to Queen's Hall London for a concert where she writes 'Wood splendid. Elgar looks an ass.' referring to Sir Henry Wood and Edward Elgar. Cricket is the favourite game during the summer holidays. Fishing and ferreting for rabbits are regular passtimes in the summer. Hunting and following the hounds is a favourite passtime,
Feb 4th 'A bad accident happened on the line today. A train from Derby, express goods, ran into another goods train. 2 men on the fast one were killed, others escaped by jumping.'
Feb 20th 'Saw a balloon go over the fields. 1st real one I have seen.'
Feb 27th In London for half term Marigo saw Lily Elsie as The Merry Widow and was very impressed.
March 17th 'Skating rink started in Bedford in Kimbolton Road.'
March19th 'Postman's strike in Paris getting serious.'
April 24th Marigo describes cousin Mina's wedding. Mina is married at the Registry Office on Thursday 22nd followed by a church service on Saturday 24th at which Marigo and Gina are bridesmaids.
April 28th 'I went with mother to Humbey's and had a tooth out. He says my teeth are going badly. I have two more to come out and 5 to stop!! (fill)'
May 8th 'Started with M&F for Dr Bull's (dentist) As the nerve was not dead because the stuff had come out on Wed. he put more arsenic in it and then showed us how to make teeth etc.' Arsenic was 'Once hailed as a panacea for the relief of pain and the answer to root canal therapy' (John Hyson, A history of arsenic in dentistry. Calif Dent Assoc. 2007 Feb;35(2):135-9.)
May 10th 'Measles in Turvey.'
May 15th 'Jeffrey Bull came to shoot rooks with Father - killed 58.'
May 22nd 'Father shot 70 odd rooks. Farmers came and shot 120 rooks. Total this year shot 320.
May 26th 'Went out to see our nests and awful disappointment! The willow warbler near the pond has been robbed and the yellow hammer in the little bush has been cut down. These bushes have been there years. I call it awful luck.'
May 29th 'Suffregette meeting in Bedford yesterday. A Riot. Windows broken.'
July 1st Marigo is 'madly excited' as the family set off for a three week sea trip to Norway.They travel by train to Tilbury docks via Liverpool Street Station, where they board the ship 'Vectis'. For the next two and a half weeks Marigo only records the names of places visited, with no details
July 30th Father buys a 'developing machine' and Marigo and he develop their holiday snaps.
November 6th During half term the family go to London where Marigo is taken to the Shaftsbury Theatre to see The Arcadians, a musical. Seated in the 1st row stalls she writes 'Simply lovely funny all the way through and such nice scenery and acting. I thoroughly enjoyed it.'
The diary entries for 23rd Dec-2nd Jan are on seperate sheets of paper within the diary.
At the back of the diary is a list of Marigo's 18th birthday presents and who they were from.
Level of description
item