JamesWhitehead
Piffle Prospector
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- Aug 2, 2001
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Mrs Diggle's Diary, 1939 - 41.
Manuscript of War Diary, starting price on Ebay will be £350, enquiries invited
This is a research project which was begun but which I do not have time to persevere with. It seems likely that the family has died out, hence the orphaned diary. We never learn the Christian name of Mrs Diggle. The story begins in Didsbury, where the newly-wed Diggles close up their home, put their goods in storage and prepare for war. Mrs Diggle moves to be with relatives in the Deganwy and Llandudno area, later being able to follow her husband around the country as he prepares to be sent abroad. He plays his part in Dunkirk, as a member of the Royal Army Ambulance Corps.
They decide to have a baby and the diary tenderly chronicles Mrs Diggle's pregnancy, the birth of Julia and her early years. It is very much a Home Front story with touch of Mrs Miniver about it. Terrible news arrives at intervals but Mrs Diggle keep calm, carries on and looks forward to the next Rye 'n' Dry! She tipples quite a lot, she flirts from time to time but the diary is a hymn of love to Jimmie, so handsome in his uniform.
Many people are mentioned in the pages of the diary. Some, tentatively, may be identified. For instance, the dates are right for the Neil Westbrooke mentioned to be the one destined to become Mayor of Manchester. Others date from before the time we left traces on the internet. Some of the incidents which disturbed the life of Mrs Diggle can now be fleshed out with news stories and photographs: the 1941 air-raids on Oldham, for instance. The hotels they stayed in, the towns they visited can often be found in historic photographs online. These were eventful years in a quietly privileged life.
The details of daily life during wartime are vividly conveyed. I encourage all viewers of this page to read the complete transcript with introduction which I made a few years ago. It accurately reflects the sometimes erratic spellings and grammar of the original:
Transcript on archive.org
Though the text of the Diary has been placed in the Public Domain under the Creative Commons rules, it would surely justify a properly-researched edition. Included with the manuscript will be the file of information I have gathered. Nothing can match the almost psychometric delight of handling such a unique document.
The notebook itself is in very fine condition, though some pages have been torn from the beginning no doubt when the book was repurposed as a war diary. Scans of the pages are being undertaken.
Manuscript of War Diary, starting price on Ebay will be £350, enquiries invited
This is a research project which was begun but which I do not have time to persevere with. It seems likely that the family has died out, hence the orphaned diary. We never learn the Christian name of Mrs Diggle. The story begins in Didsbury, where the newly-wed Diggles close up their home, put their goods in storage and prepare for war. Mrs Diggle moves to be with relatives in the Deganwy and Llandudno area, later being able to follow her husband around the country as he prepares to be sent abroad. He plays his part in Dunkirk, as a member of the Royal Army Ambulance Corps.
They decide to have a baby and the diary tenderly chronicles Mrs Diggle's pregnancy, the birth of Julia and her early years. It is very much a Home Front story with touch of Mrs Miniver about it. Terrible news arrives at intervals but Mrs Diggle keep calm, carries on and looks forward to the next Rye 'n' Dry! She tipples quite a lot, she flirts from time to time but the diary is a hymn of love to Jimmie, so handsome in his uniform.
Many people are mentioned in the pages of the diary. Some, tentatively, may be identified. For instance, the dates are right for the Neil Westbrooke mentioned to be the one destined to become Mayor of Manchester. Others date from before the time we left traces on the internet. Some of the incidents which disturbed the life of Mrs Diggle can now be fleshed out with news stories and photographs: the 1941 air-raids on Oldham, for instance. The hotels they stayed in, the towns they visited can often be found in historic photographs online. These were eventful years in a quietly privileged life.
The details of daily life during wartime are vividly conveyed. I encourage all viewers of this page to read the complete transcript with introduction which I made a few years ago. It accurately reflects the sometimes erratic spellings and grammar of the original:
Transcript on archive.org
Though the text of the Diary has been placed in the Public Domain under the Creative Commons rules, it would surely justify a properly-researched edition. Included with the manuscript will be the file of information I have gathered. Nothing can match the almost psychometric delight of handling such a unique document.
The notebook itself is in very fine condition, though some pages have been torn from the beginning no doubt when the book was repurposed as a war diary. Scans of the pages are being undertaken.
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