Author Archives: derynjames

January 4th 1936

Dairy sub-note: 1806. Cape of Good Hope taken by the British.S.R. 8.6, s.s. 4.4 Went up the Arc de Triomph & Eiffel Tower. Bought Roast Chestnuts. Went to the “Dôme” for tea. Wrote a card to Dordor*. *Dordor was what Peggy called her Grandmother. Diary footnote, accompanying a photograph of a Bulldog: The Bulldog. HisContinue reading “January 4th 1936”

January 2nd 1936

Diary sub-note: 18. Ovis and Livy died* Went skating. Saw Mrs Schlund’s friend. Saw “Boucles d’ore”** (Curly Top). Had letter from Anne Harrison & Mrs Miller. Wrote to Anne Harrison. *Ovid and Livy were famous Roman historians and poets. Ovid wrote the metamorphoses, which tells the story from the creation through to the death ofContinue reading “January 2nd 1936”

January 1st 1936

Diary sub-note: New Year’s Day. Bank Holiday in ScotlandDog and Annual Motor Licences renewable 1909. Old Age Pensions inaugurated. Moon: First Quarter, 3.15pm. “7.30 got up. Took Diane out. Went to the Bastille & Musée Grévin with Mrs Schlund. Pierre’s friend came. Had on the wireless after dinner.”

Peggy’s younger years

Despite Peggy’s entry for December 27th her diary doesn’t start properly until January 1st, so in the meantime I thought I’d provide a little background about her life. Born on February 22nd, 1920, in London, Peggy was brought up by her parents, Sylvia Hughes d’Aeth (pronounced Death) and Edgar Newgass, who had shortened his nameContinue reading “Peggy’s younger years”

December 27th 1935

“Went to France, Paris via Dover – Calais with Mrs Schlund. Met Pierre.” Peggy went to finishing school in Switzerland, so we thought her trip to Paris just after Christmas could have been a stop-off en route to her new term in January. We are assuming Mrs Schlund is Peggy’s chaperone. We don’t know whoContinue reading “December 27th 1935”

Introduction to the diary

Diaries used to contain scores of general information preceding the calendar. My mother says she used to carefully choose her diary for the year based on what the initial pages provided. As you can see in the photos, Peggy had a wealth of knowledge at her fingertips in her 1936 school-girls diary. Peggy filled inContinue reading “Introduction to the diary”