It’s all a bit crap at the moment isn’t it, so I thought the next excerpt from Nan’s memoirs that I’d share would be in her words ‘a sort of cameo section about Uncle Peter and Aunt Iris…I think they deserve a mention, if only to give a humorous turn to things’. The haggard and… Continue reading Nan’s Diary: Uncle Peter and Aunt Iris
I remember my Nan talking to me about this next memory of the Second World War. As a child, it seemed so incredible and now as an adult it still remains unbelievable that this was a part of everyday life: “I am reminded vividly of an episode when I was on holiday at a farm… Continue reading Nan’s diary: The Doodlebugs
On a stranger Remembrance Sunday this year, I’m reading through Nan’s memories of corresponding with my grandad Les when he was posted to Burma during the Second World War. Often referred to as the Forgotten War, the Burma campaign dragged on long after Victory in Europe, in tough conditions far away from home. “I received… Continue reading Nan’s Diary: Burma – The Forgotten War
During lockdown, I’ve been enjoying ‘growing my own’ and have cultivated a decent vegetable garden! It made me reflect on food in the war years and how rationing must have affected people. Nan writes about this when recalling her recuperation from appendicitis back in London during the war: ‘It was while I was at home… Continue reading Nan’s Diary: Rationing
The Coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating impact on many sectors, particularly the arts and heritage, where many museums and theatres are teetering on the brink of survival. Whilst reading through my Nan’s memoirs, recollections of how London theatre coped during the war years shows the importance of the arts in pulling people through the… Continue reading Nan’s Diary: Theatre in the war years
Nan’s third billet during evacuation was with a girl called Jean and was ‘like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, as the food situation was so alien to us because my mother was an excellent cook and we always had smashing food at home; it was such a contrast to come to these… Continue reading Nan’s Diary: Evacuation – billet #3
In my diary of 1990, on this day then, we went to the Nelson Mandela concert at Wembley, officially called ‘Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free South Africa’, held two months after his release. ‘Today we went to the Nelson Mandela concert. Joe (my brother) stayed at Nan’s. Aswad played and someone from… Continue reading Dear Diary: April 16th
When Nan got to Dorking, all the children were lined up outside the council offices so that they could be chosen by those agreeing to take evacuees in. She says: ‘Can you imagine people walking up and down to see which of the children they preferred? Some liked pretty little girls – that left me… Continue reading Nan’s Diary: Evacuation – billet #2
As well as my own diary of 1990, before she died, my nan wrote a memoir called ‘A Life Worth Living’, detailing her life up to her 70th birthday. It’s full of all the things you wish you’d questioned loved ones on before they are no longer here to ask. I’ve leafed back through it… Continue reading Nan’s Diary: Evacuation – billet #1
So today’s diary entry from 1990 fell on Mother’s Day that year. I’m sure my mum was delighted to be taken out for the day to do this: Dear Diary: Today is Mother’s Day. I gave mum her card. Then we went to London on the coach for the Anti-Apartheid South Africa Freedom Now March.… Continue reading Dear Diary: March 25th
My Beautiful Diary of the Amazingly Mundane 