Grandad – E & D went to see Drayton Players.
Mum – Finished Retrospect duplicating, collated & stapled it. Roger & Alan got home. E went to Wildlife Park with Polly for her birthday. Wrote letter applying for “med sec in Newmarket Rd area” S L & H tabs.
Notes
Grandma and Auntie Dolly Went to See the Drayton Players
In grandad’s diary, E refers to my grandmother Ethel May Cecilia Parkin. D refers to Dorothy Rose who we knew as Auntie Dolly although she was my grandmother’s first cousin. Grandma’s father (Charles Cirket) and Auntie Dolly’s mother (Lois Rose née Cirket) were siblings. Auntie Dolly visited grandma and grandad often coming by bus from where she lived in Bedford to Norwich bus station, see Chapter 122. She had arrived a few days earlier. They went to see the Drayton Players.
The Drayton Players
The Drayton Players are an amateur dramatics group that was established in 1949 and is still going. They put on two productions per year and there is an online list of their past productions. From this, it seems likely that the play they performed was “Murder Mistaken“, see Chapter 122. This was the first of two plays they performed that year with the second being “Uproar in the House“.
Retrospect
“Retrospect” was the name of the Methodist magazine/newsletter that mum produced for many years, see Chapter 124. She first started producing this in August 1966, see Chapter 90. Mum noted that she finished duplicating, collating and stapling this. I have memories of helping with this at different times, particularly collating.
Alan and I Got Home
Roger refers to me and Alan to my younger brother. I had been away in the Peak District youth hostelling with friends, see Chapter 122. Alan had been on Boys’ Brigade camp near Holt, see Chapter 124.
Liz Went to the Wildlife Park for Her Birthday
In mum’s diary, E refers to my younger sister Liz (Elizabeth). Mum noted that she went to “Wildlife Park with Polly for her birthday“, see Chapter 122. There is a lot about this statement I am not clear on.
Norfolk Wildlife Park
First, I was not sure initially which wildlife park mum was referring to. However, I suspect it was Norfolk Wildlife Park at Great Witchingham, see Chapter 92. This opened in 1963 and was still operating at this time. It later changed its name twice before closing in 2011.
Polly
Second, I am not entirely sure who Polly was. I assume she was a friend of Liz’s possibly from school. But, as far as I can see, this is the only mention of her in the diaries.
Whose Birthday?
Third, while it is not completely clear whether this was Liz’s or Polly’s birthday being celebrated, I assume the latter, as Liz’s birthday had been in March and she had had a party on the day.
Mum Applied for a New Job
Mum noted that she applied for a job advertised as a medical secretary (med sec) in the Newmarket Road area. I assume that this was the job she ultimately got as part-time medical secretary for Mr Ashken’s and Mr Stephens’ private practice, see Chapter 121.
Mum’s Tablets
During this period, mum had severe struggles with her mental health, suffering with depression and anxiety, see Chapter 116. She was taking antidepressants and sleeping tablets (tabs) and I think this is what S, L and H refer to. S refers to the antidepressant doxepin (Sinequan), L to long-acting amitryptilline (Lentizol) and H to the sleeping tablet clomethiazole (Heminevrin).
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