Life entries from the 1970s

Entries from the 1970s

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.
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.