At the start of lockdown, Karen Stevenson posted with some reflections on living through this period as a historical event and how documenting our own experiences will make fascinating reading for future generations. Some of you will be aware of the Mass-Observation project founded in 1937 by Charles Madge, a poet and journalist, and Tom Harrisson, an anthropologist. The aim was “to record the voice of the ordinary people”. This played an important role during World War II, when the volunteer “observers” provided an account of daily life. One such volunteer was Nella Last, a 49-year-old housewife from Barrow-in Furness, who sent a weekly diary. This was published in 3 volumes from 1981 to 2010. Victoria Wood turned the diaries into a film, “Housewife, 49” (2006), in which she played Nella, and is well worth watching if you haven’t seen it. The diaries from all observers are held at the Mass-Observation Archive at the University of Sussex, an invaluable resource. A short, dramatized extract from Nella’s diaries can be found here:
Mass Observation: Covid-19 Mass observation is looking for volunteers to document their lives in relation to the current pandemic, as well as in other areas. If you would like to take part, you can read more about it here: http://www.massobs.org.uk/about/what-s-on/205-covid19
The link to sign up as a Mass Observer is at the top of that page.
Alternatively, you might wish to send a one-day diary, to be written on 12th May. The 12thMay Diary project has been an annual event for the last 10 years and you can read about it here: http://www.massobs.org.uk/write-for-us/12th-may
Or, you might just want to document events for yourself and your family. Before lockdown, I had treated myself to a National Trust journal, brought out to commemorate their 125th birthday this year, with a quote on the cover from founder Octavia Hill: “The need of quiet, the need of air…the sight of sky and of things growing seem human needs common to all”. This seems more apt than ever and I decided to use this journal keep a record of life during this period, however long it affects us. Has anyone else decided to do the same? Our lives have changed quite dramatically in a short period of time. Our children and grandchildren will be fascinated to discover what we thought about events and how we coped on a daily basis; whether we are key workers or “simply” staying at home - we all have a part to play. This is also an exercise that children might like to get involved with, since their own lives have been turned upside down during these strange and surreal times. Their own children might think their parents were lucky to have extra time “off” school…but what was the experience actually like? A first-hand account of extraordinary times can be much more informative and powerful than the copious history books that will no doubt be written!
Let us know if you are creating anything similar during the pandemic or if you sign up to the Mass Observation project. Meanwhile, stay safe and well. Images: Nella Last Jill's diary
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