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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: River Tyne Lass on Saturday 21 April 18 11:05 BST (UK)
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http://www.massobs.org.uk/write-for-us/12th-may
Last year I put a post on here about the annual Mass Observation Day Diary Event. I explained that in 1937 there was a social anthropology project called Mass Observation which called for people to keep a diary. The most famous diarist was Nella Last who was portrayed by the late, great Victoria Wood in the superb drama 'Housewife, 49'.
The event I am posting about is only a one day event. There are some people who do on-going diaries for Mass Observation but not every one meets the criteria they want for this. However, everyone can join in the one day event.
This is the link for the post I put on here last year:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=792102.msg6481873#msg6481873
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This is the link for the post I put on here last year:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=792102.msg6481873#msg6481873
This link takes me back to this question ???
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I think you meant to link to
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=771144.msg6239479#msg6239479
:)
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Sorry, Iluleah, I accidentally put the wrong link on. Whoops. :-[ Thank you Jen for correcting this. It took me a few minutes to work out what question Iluleah was referring to. It is a good thing I have Jen on here to keep me right. :)
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No need to apologise I just didn't want others to miss out on seeing the link you meant to post ;D
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I did this last year, so I am assuming they will be in touch this year?
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This is such a good idea! I am in Australia and can't join in, but hoping it's a great success.
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Hi Top-of-the-hill and Macushla thank you for your posts. :) I also did this last year. I am not sure if they will get in touch with previous years diarists - I am just going to send mine in this year anyway even if I don't get officially asked.
I remember last year being told (in response to my enquiry) that they have no filter system for filtering out diary entries from other countries so they were accepting these as well. I would presume it will be the same this year.
Some other countries have their own diary day event too. :)
I think this is a great idea too, Macushla. I intend to take part in this every year now. I also intend to waive my anonymity after death so any interested descendants can get a glimpse of what my life was like. I haven't written or expect to write anything sensational in these diary entries. I wish my ancestors had diary entries I could read. :) ;)
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Thank you for providing the links again River Tyne Lass.
I did take part last year, and would like to do so again next month.
1. We don't have to register as such, just send it in?
2. How do we waive anonymity?
Sorry to be a pain! ::)
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http://www.massobs.org.uk/write-for-us/faq
Thank you mowsehowse for your post. :) It is good to hear that you are keen too, to participate again this year. I think this is a legacy for the future.
I think we just send our entries in again like we did last year and I think they will confirm receipt as previously.
From this question and answer page (see link) it appears that our entries will be kept anonymous unless we indicate other wishes. (See the answer to the question about friends and relatives being able to view your diary.)
Our wishes will be kept on file. This time when I send my entry in I am going to add that I am happy to waive my anonymity after my death. I doubt my diaries will ever contain anything sensational and I like the idea of future descendants being able to read these entries of mine. :)
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Ok. Thanks RTL. :D
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You are welcome, mowsehowse. :)
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Hello
I sent an email to the organisers to check if they would accept my diary entry as I live in Australia and they have confirmed that they will accept entries from here. So I am sharpening my pencil!
Jackie
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Thanks, River Tyne Lass and Jackiemh.
Sharpening my pencil, too!
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Oh Crikey!!
Got to go and buy a pencil sharpener have I??
::)
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Thanks for these posts Jackiemh, Macushla and mowsehowse.
I am glad you have had official confirmation that they will accept your entry from Australia - Jackiemh.
Last year I just sent my entry on an email - quite straightforward and this was acceptable for them.
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I did it last year, and would quite like to do it again this year - what will I have to do, in order to do it?
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Hi Threlfelyorky,
I am glad to hear you are interested in taking part again this year.
All you have to do is send your diary entry on email to the email address shown on their website.
You will find this on top link on my first post.
You must add the statement which is shown on their website at the bottom of your diary entry. This starts with "I donate my 12th May diary..."
Nice and easy! :)
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Thanks. I'll do that.
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I'll also be doing my diary for the second time, it happens to be on a family birthday this year. ;D
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Hi Bearnan,
It is good to hear you will be joining in again too this year.
Since this will be falling on a family birthday of yours I expect yours will likely be a bit less hum drum than many others sent. ;D
However, I think that even hum drum ones in years to come will appear fascinating to future descendants. :)
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I'll also be doing my diary for the second time, it happens to be on a family birthday this year. ;D
Wasn't it on May 12th last year?? (So it would have been that person's birthday then too?) :-\
But as it falls on a Saturday this year, I'm guessing most people will be doing weekend things rather than working week things perhaps.
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RTL, mass observation day 2017 came at a very sad time for me because I had not long lost my husband, I can't remember what I wrote but it was helpful to me. So while I think we'll all treat our diary as a bit of fun it can also help to write things down anonymously.
A year on the the world's still spinning and the sun shines - sometimes :) and mass observation day looms on a family birthday........ thank goodness for family and cake ;D
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Bearnan, as you say, the world keeps on spinning, no matter how tough we may find each day.
I do hope you are feeling stronger when you write your MO diary for 2018, and that it is good therapy for you. :-*
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Already feeling stronger Mowsehowse :) Family History is a great diversion especially when a brick wall starts to crumble thanks to dna results.
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Already feeling stronger Mowsehowse :) Family History is a great diversion especially when a brick wall starts to crumble thanks to dna results.
Glad you are gathering strength already Bearnan.
As you say, family history is a marvellous diversion, for just about everything! :D
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Bearnan, I am sorry to read that you lost your husband last year. I am glad to hear that writing your diary entry was helpful during such a sad time. It is hard to believe life can go on spinning when bereavement happens .. but somehow the river of life just seems to carry on ..
This is one great thing about family history - this interest can be a great distraction from stress in life.
I wish you well and I hope you enjoy the day with your family and having some nice birthday cake. :)
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http://www.thekeep.info/tag/mass-observation/
Well, the 1st of May has arrived and we are getting closer to the diary day event...
I am adding an interesting link about diary entries and this also relates information about a forth coming opportunity to meet the mass observation team and hear extracts from 12th May diaries dating back to 1937. On Wednesday 9th May they will be having an afternoon talk entitled 'Recording Everyday Lives'.
I expect many of us (including me) will live too far away. However, I thought I would mention this in case some RootsChatters living in the area would like to attend these events. :)
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http://www.thekeep.info/events/recording-everyday-lives/
Apparently, there is a £5 charge for the talk on 'Recording Everyday Lives' and booking a place is recommended. See attached link.
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Bearnan, I hope your family party went well yesterday. :)
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Had a lovely time with family. Nice afternoon today with my sister and family, we went to Castle Bromwich Hall gardens to their 1940's event, highlight Spitfire flypast and live music from the wartime years.
Sent off my diary this morning. :D
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Had a really boring day, but I suppose that's a fair enough specimen. Sent it off.
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Hi Bearnan,
I am glad to hear you had a lovely time yesterday. The 1940s event sounds great - wish I had been there. :D
Hi Threlfelyorky,
Oh well, boring days are better than bad days. I went to my local history event yesterday and met one RootsChatter for the first time and several other researchers who I do know and another new one who I was introduced to.
I have got my diary entry written. However, I am going to give it a few tweaks as I think I have possibly put enough in for me to be identifiable which I don't think you are meant to do. I do plan to get this off tonight though. In my case I would like future descendants to be access my entries so I am going to waive my anonymity after death - hopefully in the distant future. ;D
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Just sent it off now! :)
Just to add - I met a lady yesterday at the local history event I went to, whose ancestor had written his own Great War diary. I think she is very thankful that he did. I am quite envious. I wish one of my ancestors had kept a diary! :) ;)
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I have sent mine off too.
I didn't have a particularly exciting day, but I guess that is part of what makes the mass study fascinating.
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I think that is very true mowsehowse.
Imagine if mass observation had been around 100+ years ago and our ancestors responded. They would probably think they had had a boring day too but think how fascinating their accounts of their activities would sound to us today.
I know I would love to hear about my ancestors' 'boring' activities in a written account - such as how the housework was carried out Victorian style in the big house, or the day in the life of a pit man's wife or how some of my ancestors made baskets and besoms and hawked these around or carried out their work as pilots on the Tyne etc.
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Fair comment RTL
:D
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Just to illustrate how the smallest details may be fascinating to a future descendant. I have a couple of ancestors who were unfortunately charged with murder in the mid 1800s. (I believe they were innocent as they claimed and they were acquitted on lack of sufficient evidence). As a consequence, their daily lives were pored over in detail in newspapers and in court. When I read some of the things about their lives - I thought to myself such things as 'Wow! he liked his tea!' 'Wow! so they had a cat!' I was even delighted to read a letter sent to a newspaper by a Gentleman farmer ancestor praising some product for helping him to grow better turnips!
I suppose only an addicted family genealogist like myself could get excited about such minutiae. ;D ;D
I am convinced there is one or several in every family. So I think we should do these special descendants a favour and let them know of our 'boring' lives which will likely have them all agog! ;D ;D ;D
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I wonder if I am being spied on. I have just now received an email on how to grow better veg! :o
Or could this just be coincidence. ???
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I wonder if I am being spied on. I have just now received an email on how to grow better veg! :o
Or could this just be coincidence. ???
Not co-incidence I fear, but algorithms. ;)
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Not co-incidence I fear, but algorithms. ;)
I just sent mine in, but I spent most of my day doing paperwork for GDPR! (Yeah, I know - boring!)
Wait and see what the algorithm makes of that!
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'Algorithms!' - now there is a word from my school days!
Oh, that sounds quite laborious PtawnCocktail. I hope you are now on top of your GDPR work. :)
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Just sent off my diary for 12 May - I almost persuaded my grandson (8) to do one. It would have been interesting to look back on it in 10 years or so.
Jackie
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Just sent off my diary for 12 May - I almost persuaded my grandson (8) to do one. It would have been interesting to look back on it in 10 years or so.
Jackie
It would have been - shame your powers of persuasion didn't quite work. :(
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I agree, mowsehowse.
Never mind JackieMH- perhaps he might be persuaded next year.
It is good that you have sent your diary off, though. :)