Dear Diary

Dear Diary – Page 10 (Mid 1950’s – The Parcel)

An event at Gran’s house which I can vividly recall was when Valerie and I were rushing around helping with dinner for the guests and, at one point, Valerie was carrying a pot of freshly made tea. Continue reading →

“The Crane”

“The Crane” was written by my daughter Melanie (who follows this Blog so please feel free to respond to her by name!). From her perspective, the crane is the focal point of the poem as it symbolizes the freedom of the present, the letting go of the past, and the embracing of the future. Continue reading →

Dear Diary – Page 8 (Early 1950’s – Birthdays)

As Valerie and I were born on the same day (albeit 3 years apart), our birthdays were always joint affairs. For our birthday meal, we could chose whatever we wanted to eat! Continue reading →

Dear Diary – Page 7 (Early 1950’s – Junior School)

I was told to go to church Sunday school with Valerie and her friend. On reflection, this was an interesting situation as neither parent showed any glimmer of a belief in spiritual matters. Continue reading →

Dear Diary – Page 6 (Early 1950’s – Stanground)

We were not at Keyes Close very long before it was decided to move the caravan to North Street, Stanground (the opposite side of Peterborough) where Valerie immediately started Junior School, and I went to Infants School. Continue reading →

Dear Diary – Page 5 (Early 1950’s – Infants School)

Bath time was a ritual which necessitated Mum heating up various pans of water on the stove and mixing them with cold water in a steel bathtub which was placed on the floor in front of the heater. Continue reading →

Dear Diary – Page 4 (Early 1950’s – First Model Railway)

Our caravan had an end bedroom with two beds in it, which was where Valerie and I slept. Continue reading →

Dear Diary – Page 3 (Early 1950’s – Our Caravan)

Photographs of that time show me with my sister Valerie but I have no recollections of events that included both of us. This was probably not surprising given my age, and that Valerie would have been in school and would therefore be developing friendships as best she could considering our history of moving around. Continue reading →