childhood memorabilia

1966 diary entry of 10 year old

Listening to the News Quiz the other evening one of the comedians said that he had all his books from school for his children to read.   Along with my own children's art work and freestyle writing I too have some of my childhood books packed away - I kept some illustrated diaries from primary school. In the example to the right I had progressed from those childish crayons my baby brother was using, to proper crayons..ooh! Both of us must be fondly imagining a time when we will pore over them and smile at the idiosyncratic writing, the childish preoccupations and the changed cultures. I don't think it happens like that of course, partly because they are usually packed away and may never see the light of day.

And certainly there would be something missing in the pictures to today's children - where are the people on their mobile phones for instance, why is no one taking a photo? In this topical entry around firework night in 1966 the excitement was that we had sparklers...! And look how close we are to the bonfire...a health and safety nightmare. This must be the only entry that does not note the exact time I went to bed or watched a TV programme though there is the usual preoccupation with food, and there is the swimming again [shh the mothers went shopping...shame!] and oh yes the fireworks started at 6.30. Not that I was ruled by the clock at 10 ....

What else do I have, let's think. Show pictures from secondary school, scrap books from my late teens of my time in London and my book of autographs. Anyone fancy a Peter Osgood autograph?

Note to self - all this needs to be disposed of  - but thank goodness for scanners!