Drew Family Diaries

Mum – V busy at work. Sinus pain very bad in am. Sharon came in aft & I finished typing her thesis. YW at night – a quiz v Mile Cross & Costessey. Nice to see YW from MX – Janet Taylor, Betty Colver, Joyce Smith in particular. Had letters & cards from Roger. 1S.

Roger – Got up about 9 & went to a bank in Montignac and changed the rest of my traveller’s cheques. Left Le Paradis at about 11 and drove to Paris with only one break. Found the camp-site fairly easily but it is rather grotty, grassless and overcrowded. Bought some food and ate rather well. Then went round Paris in the minibus. It’s good as a lot of the sights are illuminated.

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 it was very busy. Mr Ashken’s daughter Sharon again came in, in the afternoon (aft). Mum finished typing her thesis for her.

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Sinus Pain

Mum suffered from sinus pain at this time, see Chapter 116, and she noted it was very bad in the morning (am).

Young Wives

Mum went to Young Wives (YW) at St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church at night, see Chapter 124. There was a quiz against Young Wives groups from Mile Cross and Costessey Methodist Churches. Mum noted that it was good to see the Young Wives from Mile Cross (MX) particularly those she had known from when we lived in Hellesdon and attended Mile Cross church, see Chapter 79.

Janet Taylor

As noted, mum knew Janet Taylor through Young Wives at Mile Cross Methodist Church. Her maiden name was Deeks and her brother was Methodist Minister Rev David Deeks. She married Tony Blyth and when mum first knew her she was Janet Blyth. Also, she was one of the ladies of the chorus in the Norfolk and Norwich Amateur Operatic Society’s production of “Song of Norway” in 1967, see Chapter 92. She appears to have remarried in 1969 to Albert G Taylor.

Elizabeth (Betty) Colver

Betty Colver was another of mum’s friends from Mile Cross. She sometimes babysat for us. Her maiden name was Dixon and she married Roger Colver in 1954. As noted, she was involved in Young Wives with mum. She visited mum when she was in hospital in December 1976, see Chapter 116.

Joyce Smith

Joyce Smith was another of mum’s friends from Mile Cross. She also sometimes babysat for us. Her maiden name was Cooper and she married Eric Smith in 1952. As noted, she was involved in Young Wives with mum.

Senokot

Mum took one Senokot (S) presumably for constipation, see Chapter 116. Senokot is a senna-containing medicine for the treatment of constipation.

School Camping Trip in France

It was the eleventh full day of our school camping trip in France, see Chapter 118. Mum noted that she received letters and cards from me.

I noted that I got up about 9am and went to a bank in Montignac and changed the rest of my traveller’s cheques. We left “Le Paradis” at about 11am and drove to Paris with only one break. I noted that we found the campsite fairly easily but I described it as “rather grotty, grassless and overcrowded”. I noted that we bought some food and “ate rather well”. Then, we went round Paris in the minibus. I noted that it was good as a lot of the sights were illuminated.

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Travellers’ Cheques

Tucked into my diary, covering the period March to June 1976, was a receipt for £25 worth of Cooks’ travellers cheques issued by the East Anglian Trustees Savings Bank in Surrey Street. Thomas Cook was one of the main producers of travellers’ cheques. The brand name of Thomas Cook is still in use. For details of the East Anglian Trustees Savings Bank see Chapter 91. This receipt does not seem to be dated but I assume it was related to this school trip to France in April 1976, see Chapter 118.

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