The Second Diary Starts
Mum started her diary in 1946, when she was 11, so there were two diaries during this period.
The Parkin Family After the War
After the war, grandma’s brother Bert moved away and grandad’s brother Len died.
Centred on Chapel
Family life continued to be centred on chapel, particularly for mum and grandma.
School
Mum attended Nottingham High School for Girls and most of her school years fell during this period.
Mum and Her Friends Entertain Themselves
Mum and her friends entertained themselves in various ways including parties, outings and the cinema.
Following in Musical Footsteps
Mum followed in grandad’s footsteps in terms of enjoying listening to and taking part in musical performances.
New-fangled Tech
This was a period of technological advances. Grandad recorded seeing television for the first time and the family had their first telephone installed.
Practical Skills
Both grandad and mum had good, if different, practical skills which mirrored, at least to some extent, gender norms.
Travelling Around
As the Parkins did not have a car at this time, travelling around relied largely on bikes and public transport.
External Events
Mum and grandad recorded a wide range of external events from the end of rationing, major sporting events and extreme weather.