200 Years of Diaries - Favourites (2)

The 200 Years of Diaries Exhibition is still on in upstairs and downstairs in Kirkwall Library, in the Archive Searchroom, the Orkney Room and in Stromness Library in the Warehouse Buildings. The exhibition contains over 500 diaries from the years 1800-2000 and was created by artist Dylan Stone.

Here are a couple more of our favourites for you today. One from October 1848 which you will notice is lacking in punctuation. This changes the meaning for each person reading it. See how you get on.

Wednesday 25 St. Crispin: "German and French lessons went for a walk after diner played a bit with Marion."
Thursday 26: "Walked to Seed green after dinner had tea there Freeman walked back with us after."
Friday 27: "Music lesson very wet Marion came to tea had the little tea things had tea by ourselves she went home after."

The second is from 1909 and describes a very normal week until a seemingly tragic event on Friday 5th March.

FEBRUARY - MARCH 1909

28 SUN Quadragesima 1st in Lent
"Bert's Birthday. Snowy day. Didn't go out"

1 MAR - MON. St David
"Snowy-day. Sent Miss B- p.c.: wrote to F & M"

2 TUES
"Fine day letter from Bert"

3 WED
"Very snowy day"

4 THU
"Fine. P.C. from Miss Burke sent her receipt"



5 FRI
"Fine day. Went to Catford mrn. Fluffy died."

6 SAT
"Very stormy day"

"P.C." is short for postcard; "receipt" could have meant recipe.