The Friday I Arrived
Memory · 14 September 1962
Margaret records the family accounts of her birth at St Mary’s Hospital and the different details each relative remembered.
What Peter Asked
Memory · September 1962
A family story about three-year-old Peter asking whether his new baby sister would be staying.
Copnor
Memory · Around 1965
Margaret recalls the rented Copnor house, sharing a bedroom with Peter and the routines of early family life.
The New House in Portchester
Memory · August 1969
Margaret remembers moving from Copnor to a three-bedroom council house in Portchester before starting junior school.
Denise from Two Doors Down
Memory · Late summer 1969
Margaret meets Denise, the confident girl from two doors down who becomes her first friend in Portchester.
My First Day at Castle Lane
Memory · September 1969
Margaret starts at Castle Lane Junior School and relies on Denise while she learns the unfamiliar routines.
Sundays with Nan Wells
Memory · 1970
Sunday visits to Nan Wells reveal the family’s fixed routines and George’s quieter relationship with his mother.
Gran Collins Counts the Change
Memory · 1970
Margaret remembers Gran Collins teaching her the exact value of money before decimalisation.
Decimal Day in the Kitchen
Memory · 15 February 1971
Margaret remembers Decimal Day through the conversion card on the kitchen table and her family’s different responses to the new money.
Hayling Island by Caravan
Memory · Summer 1971
A childhood caravan holiday at Hayling Island, remembered through packing, beach routines and four people sharing a confined space.
Weymouth in a Wet Week
Memory · August 1972
Margaret recalls a damp family week in Weymouth, with boarding-house routines, wet shoes and competing versions of the weather.
Saturday Records
Memory · 1976
Margaret and Denise spend Saturday mornings considering records they can rarely afford, while Peter treats musical taste as a test.
The Last Day at School
Diary Entry · 20 July 1979
A reconstructed diary entry about Margaret’s final day at secondary school and the uncertain gap before her first job begins.
My First Pay Packet
Memory · 31 August 1979
Margaret receives her first weekly cash pay packet and discovers that earning money immediately gives it several destinations.
Evening Classes
Memory · 8 September 1980
Margaret begins evening classes in typing and office practice, taking the first formal step towards improving her clerical skills.
Alan at the Civic Hall
Memory · 17 October 1980
Margaret meets Alan at a social evening in Fareham, where careful dancing leads to a telephone call and a first date.
A Second-hand Typewriter
Memory · 1981
Margaret buys a second-hand portable typewriter so she can practise for her RSA typing qualification at home.
The Chevette
Memory · 1983
Margaret and Alan buy a used red Chevette after George inspects it and offers the nearest thing he gives to approval.
Twelve May
Memory · 12 May 1984
Margaret and Alan marry at Fareham Register Office and begin married life in a flat still filled with boxes.
Shanklin for Four Nights
Memory · 14 May 1984
Two days after their wedding, Margaret and Alan take the Chevette and ferry to Shanklin for a four-night honeymoon.