Nice day at work. Nice working with Mr A. YW at night. Mr Condon – manager of Theatre Royal. Good. Hilary there – talked about getting married in March/April. Very lonely & fighting depression at night. 1T. 1S. Found dad’s notes at hospital.
Notes
Mum Worked for Mr Ashken and Mr Stephens
During this period, mum worked as part-time medical secretary for the private practice of two surgeons, Mr Ashken and Mr Stephens, see Chapter 121. This practice was based at 41 Newmarket Road. She worked all day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and half day on Fridays. On this occasion, as it was Wednesday, she worked all day. She noted that she had a nice day at work and, in particular, that it was nice working with Mr Ashken (Mr A).
Young Wives
Mum went to a Young Wives (YW) meeting at night. This was a women’s group that mum belonged to at St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church, see Chapter 124. On this occasion, the speaker was Richard (Dick) Condon, the manager of the Theatre Royal in Norwich. Mum thought it was good.
Richard (Dick) Condon
Richard (Dick) Condon was born in Northern Ireland in July 1937. Initially, he worked in the civil service but, from 1964 to 1971, he managed the Olympia Theatre in Dublin. He was manager of the Theatre Royal from 1972 to 1990, when he left after a funding dispute. During his time at the Theatre Royal, “he turned it from a building in rapid decline and threatened with closure, into one of the leading theatres in the English provinces.” He died in October 1991 aged 54.
Hilary
Hilary was someone mum knew through church, including through the Young Wives group. Although she is mentioned a few times in mum’s diaries, I do not recall her and don’t know what her surnames were. She talked to mum about getting married in March/April, see Chapter 115. However, mum does not appear to mention this wedding in her diary.
Lonely and Depressed
Mum noted that she was very lonely and was fighting depression at night. I am not sure if this was precipitated by her conversation with Hilary but it seems likely as the contrast between their relative positions might have been very painful for mum. However, mum had been troubled with loneliness since she and dad split up in 1973, see Chapter 114. She also had had severe struggles with her mental health, suffering with depression and anxiety, see Chapter 116. She was on antidepressants. On this occasion, she took one tablet of amitryptilline (Tryptizol, T).
Senokot
Mum noted taking one Senokot (S) presumably for constipation. Senokot is a senna-containing medicine for the treatment of constipation.
Grandad’s Medical Notes
Mum commented that she had “found” grandad’s notes at the hospital. As a medical secretary, mum had access to hospital records. She had used this to read her own records in September 1975, see Chapter 116. This would not have been possible for someone who was not in that, or similar, position.
Times have changed in terms of individuals accessing their own medical records. I can now access my GP records through the NHS app although this does not yet cover hospital records as far as I know. I don’t think accessing someone else’s medical records was allowed then nor would it be allowed now unless you had permission or power of attorney. Grandad, I know, had died by the time mum looked at his notes so perhaps it is a moot point but I would have hated mum accessing my medical records! This is not because I have anything to hide but because they would have been none of her business, certainly once I had reached 18.
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