Monday 11 March 2013

Keeping a Diary!


My father-in-law started copying his father’s diary into Word some time ago, but circumstances have made it difficult for him to continue, so my oldest son has taken over.

My grandad-in-law was a lovely man. I know I say a lot of things are lovely, but he and Nanna were very special to me. My grandmothers died before I was born so I grew up without, but I had two wonderful nanna’s in law.

My grandad-in-law cycled to Lambeth every day to work and every night he wrote in his diary, usually in the air raid shelter.

My mum often spoke of WWII – my grandfather had the family moved to West Ham because he thought they’d be safer there than here and they lived through the Blitz - until they came out of the air raid shelter to find their house had been flattened so back they came.

But nothing has brought home what it must have been like more than reading my grandfather-in-law’s diaries. Night after night of sirens blaring and planes going over and bombs dropping. I must admit there were tears as I read as I thought about what it must have been like, never knowing when it would end.

But one thing that shines through his words is that he never complains. Not once!

So I had a look at my diaries. Oh dear. Moan, moan, moan! I dread to think what future generations will think of me if they read them. “What a moany old bag,” they’ll say. So, inspired by my late grandad-in-law, I am going to try to up my game when it comes to keeping a diary.

So now to put a positive spin on snow in March! Who’d have thunk it? 


37 comments:

  1. I reckon paper diaries will live on a long time after digital records!

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    1. I think you're right. Too much is entrusted to computers these days :-) x

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  2. I found some old diaries from my teen years a few weeks ago. I remember having a great time, but oh dear me what a moaner I was. The entries are mostly brief and consist of things like 'Nothing interesting happened today' and ' *** (name removed to protect the innocent!)was a right pain again'.
    I can't actually remember half the people mentioned or decipher the coding system I used so that my mum wouldn't know what I was up to should she happen to read my diary. (She did once, and fortunately it worked!!!)
    I don't think posterity will be doing a lot with my diaries, but how lovely that you have such a colourful record from your g-in-law's.

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    1. I had to laugh, Bernadette - my teen diaries are partly in code and I don't understand a word! The most interesting thing about them is that I used to write in red one day and blue the next :-) x

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  3. I've been meaning to keep a diary for the past 30+ years. Failed, I'm afraid.

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  4. I wrote a diary up to the age of about eighteen. The bits I can read are full of angst and longing for a boy called Sean and the rest I can't read - I think I must have been drunk!

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  5. Teresa, I envy you! If you want to write a book sset in that time you have readymade research available. That' a gift.

    Nice in laws are a true blessing. Whatever the relation.

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  6. I tried keeping a diary in my teens but decided I didn't want written proof of the interesting stuff and there didn't seem much point in recording the more boring bits.

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    1. I don't think there was any interesting stuff in mine, Patsy. Embarrassing more than interesting probably :-) x

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  7. I could never keep up my diary. But I did once look back on the entries I'd made as a teenager. One entry declared how I would remember that day for the rest of my life.
    Sadly I haven't a clue what happened. x

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    1. That made me laugh, Joanna! I wonder what happened :-) x

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  8. I'd omit March if I were you, Teresa (certainly if it carries on like this!).

    My grandmother kept a diary all her life, and it makes fascinating reading (although she was careful, once she reached adulthood, never to express an opinion that might hurt anyone). Her diaries always began with the weather!

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    1. It must be brilliant to have a lifetime's worth of diaries for your grandmother, Frances. I do try not to write anything that might upset or hurt anyone too :-) x

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  9. I'm thinking along the same lines as Maria. I'm sure you could use the material for a story, or even publish them as a historical reference. I'm sure you already have something in mind. As for my own diaries, I never write anything that might upset someone in the future, so they tend to be all about what I've eaten that day. Too much usually!

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    1. Yes, we would like to get them published eventually, even if it was just a case of getting enough for all the family to have a bound copy.
      I wouldn't have room in my diary to write down everything I ate, Maggie ;-) x

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  10. Hi Teresa, my diaries vary from boring to funny. Things like, New Years Day, we cleaned the shed out!!!! That was years ago. Then when I put down things that annoy me, they're funny. As Patsy says, good things are fixed in our minds aren't they?

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    1. Yes, true, Sue, we don't forget the good stuff. Fancy clearing your shed out on a New Year's Day - must have been cold!! :-) x

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  11. My teenage diaries are full of angst too - what a self-obsessed little thing I was! No diaries now - can't even keep up with my blog! x

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    1. I was reading my teenage ones yesterday - dreadful - I either hated everyone or if it was male, fancied it! So embarrassing. I'm going to have to go through mine with a red pen and scribble out all the bits I never want anyone to read :-) x

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  12. Lovely Teresa your grandfather must have been an amazing man, because most of the men I know complain a lot...too much if you ask me. A man should take his life in his hands and try to fix his problems with determination. You have beautiful strong roots Teresa :).

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    1. Thank you, Petronela - I find with males that they complain a lot about little things, but when the big stuff happens it's a different story :-) x

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  13. What a great blog Teresa. Fascinating to have all that history there actually written by one who experienced it.
    I could never keep up my diaries but a friend of mine has always kept one so she has an amazing record of her life - and the weather!
    I've always kept photo albums and they are rather like diaries. A record of the past. That reminds me - must get my latest lot of photos put in!!
    Yuk. Snow in March - and it was summer at this time last year. Crazy weather! :o) xx

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    1. I hadn't thought of that, Sue, but of course photo albums are a pictorial diary of our lies aren't they :-) And a picture speaks a thousand words they say x

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    2. Pictorial diary of our LIVES I mean! Sorry Sue :-) xx

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  14. Hi Teresa,

    It seems that back in those days during World War Two, inspiration was found through such adversity.

    I reckoned if I kept a dairy, sorry, diary, it'd be most interesting, especially during my teenage days when I would think about that one girl in high school and well um ....moving on :)

    Snow in the middle of March. Does this mean we might actually get a summer? Ah yes, me in my shorts and the screams from all my adoring fans....then I woke up! :)

    Be well, Teresa.

    Gary :) x

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    1. I can well imagine what a teenage boy's diary would be like, Gary and... as you say, moving on...
      We should get a fantastic summer after this never ending winter! Don't put those shorts away just yet :-) x

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  15. What a great idea to do something with the diaries - must make fascinating reading, Teresa!

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    1. They do, Rosemary - not just the bombs and sirens, but the every day things :-) x

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  16. Teresa, I've awarded you the 'Reality' blog award. More details over on mine.

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  17. Hi Teresa, what an inspiring blog post. I find the trouble with reading my old diaries is that not only am I moaning but I'm moaning about the same things year after year.

    But this sounds like a real gem. Some people say that despite everything the war years were the happiest of their lives. I think it was that everyone was fighting for the same thing so there was a greater sense of community. Also, it gave women more opportunities than they might have had a civvy life - not the men though! I definitely think you should put something like this in the public domain though - people today need to be aware of what that generation went through to keep this country safe, then maybe people would have more respect for their elders.

    Linda

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    1. Yes, Linda, it's funny but my mum used to say that. She lost her first husband and a lot of friends and one of the things she told me about was indescribably awful, yet she said it was the best time of her life! x

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  18. How lovely to have such a personal history written down for you Teresa. I am sure they will be invaluable in your writing in the years to come. I have all my old diaries but I stopped keeping them when I got married. Looking back, they seem full of soul-searching poetry and a good few entries were made up to shock my sister who I knew would read them!My brother left me all his diaries when he died because he thought I would be the one to use them one day. I don't think anyone will want to use mine though!

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    1. I love that you wrote things to shock your sister :-) And it's lovely that your brother left you his diaries. I think diaries and letters make you feel so close to someone who is no longer around x

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