Would You Like To Write A One Day Diary For Mass Observation Day - 12 May 2018?

[River Tyne Lass]

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.

[River Tyne Lass]

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.

[River Tyne Lass]

Bearnan, I hope your family party went well yesterday.   

[Bearnan]

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.   

[ThrelfallYorky]

Had a really boring day, but I suppose that's a fair enough specimen. Sent it off.

[River Tyne Lass]

Hi Bearnan,

I am glad to hear you had a lovely time yesterday.  The 1940s event sounds great - wish I had been there.

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.

[River Tyne Lass]

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!

[Mowsehowse]

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.

[River Tyne Lass]

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.