Our Hidden Lives

[megustaleer]

Our Hidden Lives: The Everyday Diaries of a Forgotten Britain 1945-1948

In 1936 anthropologist Tom Harrisson, poet and journalist Charles Madge and documentary filmmaker Humphrey Jennings set up the Mass Observation Project. The idea was simple: ordinary people would record, in diary form, the events of their everyday lives. An estimated one million pages eventually found their way to the archive - and it soon became clear this was more than anyone could digest. Today, the diaries are stored at the University of Sussex, where remarkably most remain unread. In Our Hidden Lives, Simon Garfield has skilfully woven a tapestry of diary entries in the rarely discussed but pivotal period of 1945 to 1948. The result is a moving, intriguing, funny, at times heartbreaking book - unashamedly populist in the spirit of Forgotten Voices or indeed Margaret Forster's Diary of an Ordinary Woman

[megustaleer]

I am only a few chapters in, but am beginning to get a picture of the diarists (only four so far, the snobbish B. Charles, gay Edinburgh antiques dealer, has yet to appear)
I think I would have preferred more 'voices', but maybe that would have been confusing. The people chosen are distinct and diverse, so are, I suppose, representative of a wide spread of opinion.

The three years covered are the first three years of my life, so I don't have any actual memories of the events of the time, but I do have a general sense of the atmosphere and attitudes of these years.
From this position I can see the people quoted from both a 21st century standpoint, and from the standpoint of the times, and I am afraid that they are going to be harshly judged by those who only know a post '60s world.

[Darkstar]

This sounds quite interesting. When you say harshly judged, do you mean because of hypocrisy or what?

[megustaleer]

This sounds quite interesting. When you say harshly judged, do you mean because of hypocrisy or what?

Because from a 21st century, P.C. obsessed viewpoint they may appear bigoted, and narrow-minded.

During the war the ordinary people of this country had suffered dreadful privations with fortitude, on the whole. To get through it and find that life doesn't improve, in fact shortages get worse was a bitter blow to many.
They were the victors, supposedly, but where were 'the spoils of war'?
As shortages of everything got worse they saw aid being poured into Germany by their erstwhile allies, and it was resented.


I have found the attitudes leading up to the 1945 election, and the rejection of Churchill quite interesting.

[Darkstar]

I thought it was probably something like that. I'll stick it on my Amazon wish list.

[megustaleer]

Having got a little further into this book I am questioning the 'ordinaryness' of the contributors. They are all people with strong, and not necessarily mainstream opinions!

Thinking about it, I suppose that it would be people who feel that they have got something particular to say that would be drawn to participate in 'Mass-Observation' in the first place, and who would continue to comment on the changes to the country after the war.

Having said that, it is still an interesting glimpse of that early post-war period.

[megustaleer]

Have just finished it!
I was surprised at how severe the austerity of the post war years was, and for how long it continued. I have recollections of some items stil being 'on ration' up to the early '50s, I used to buy my weekly sweeties with coupons, but hadn't realised quite how bad it was.

Nor had I realised how sure people were that there would be a war with Rusia within 5 -10 years. Again, I remember the Cold War, but hadn't been aware of the imminent threat of a 'shooting war' in my early years.

The strength of anti-semitic feeling expressed in the diaries was quite shocking. I was certainly not aware of that from my childhood. Perhaps there was no Jewish presence in the area of Birmingham where I grew up. There was certainly prejudice against other 'incomers' in later years.

Political feelings were strong at that time...and the differences betwen the parties was much more marked than it is now. At least the Labour Party still had Socialist ideals then, you had something definite to support or oppose.

Many of the worries of our present day were already around then. Depleting fish stocks, smoking related health problems, red tape, and whether or not the NHS was a good thing!

The Mass -Observation studies are still being done, and there is an address in the book for anyone who would like to take part in the projects.

It is an interesting read, but the diary entries are quite brief and sketchy, and left me wanting more detail in many places.

[Elfstar]

I have just started this and am finding it hard to put down. I was born in 1960 so the experiences are well outside my own. Maybe thats why I find it so interesting and already I can see how similar people were and how different their lives. I dont think I have ever darned a sock..............

[Justine]

Thanks to Megustaleer for directing me here.

I have nearly finished this, and wish there was much more to go. I had no idea of the privations after the war, and this book certainly shows the great resentment against The Powers That Be. A real divide between "Them" and "Us" is revealed.

All of the diarists fear that a 3rd World War is imminent, and that Russia has an itinery of her own (which proves to be quite correct). In fact, I was impressed at the political knowledge and awareness of all of the participants; much more than a random sample of people today, I would think.

I agree with Megustaleer; these were not "ordinary" people. They most definitely have something to say, and feel that their voices are not being heard by the government. I'd probably denote them all as middle class; reasonably well-educated -certainly opinionated! They would like their opinions recorded because they feel that they are the Right, the reasonable , people: overlooked and overtaken as a class by post war expediency.

And none of them have any children; none of them have seen active service. Both of the women give up work after the war, one having independent means and one being supported by her husband. I would have been interested to hear the views of people who were less well-off; perhaps those from the working class, or those who had seen active service (I suspect they would not have been able to find the time to write regularly).

However, all of the diarests were interesting in their own way, though I confess to a fondness for Herbert Brush. I hope I have such zest for life when I'm in my 70's! ( I may even take to writing bad poetry).

[Elfstar]

The more I read of this the more fascinating I find it. I think it is a bit simplistic to expect the writers to be "ordinary". After all I consider myself to be fairly ordinary but I doubt I would have the tenacity these people had. To carry on writing for so long is remarkable. And although they may be middle class they are still suffering and at least are able to articulate their thoughts and opinions. I like Herbert Brush too,but have taken a distinct dislike to B. Charles he is SO self centered.

[Justine]

"have taken a distinct dislike to B. Charles he is SO self centered".

:) Yes - and obsessed by sex!

[wendywoo]

[QUOTE=Justine]"have taken a distinct dislike to B. Charles he is SO self centered".

And very anti-semitic, not to mention a misogynist! In fact I was quite shocked by the fact that I think they all show anti-semitic tendencies especially when they were surely aware of what the Jews had very recently suffered through the war. But nevertheless it's a real eye-opener of a read and makes you realise how easy we have it these days.

[Granny weatherwax]

I started reading this the day before yesterday and I'm finding it pretty compulsive reading.
I'm about halfway through and I'm finding it very interesting, we are lucky in this day and age really. :)

The contributors seem to have extremist, sometimes bigoted views but there was no PC back then, and they were enduring hardship with the rationing, etc.

[megustaleer]

Monday October 4th. There is a dramatisation of this book on BBC4 tonight at 9.00pm, starring Richard Briers, Sarah Parish, Ian McDiarmid and Lesley Sharp.
Sadly I don't have a digi-box so I will miss it!

[Claire]

I've had this for a while and just started reading it, as an antidote to an overdose of fiction.

It's captivating stuff, as others have said, fascinating, and very funny in places too. I loved Herbert Brush's comments on the art exhibition he went to and which paintings attracted his attention: One he found particularly noteworthy because of the position of the model's left foot - he couldn't work out how she could keep that pose for long enough to be painted. His musings on the fascination of the number 37 tickled me, too.

I could do with a few footnotes, giving a little historical context, though. As a child of the 70's, who didn't cover post-ww2 politics at school in our history lessons, I struggled to follow the comments about Churchill and Atlee in the General Election and the Tory and Labour party, as I couldn't work out which leader belonged to which party - it took me a while to get that straight. (Forgive my ignorance, those of you who are better informed :o )

[Tay]

I wrote a review up for this book only to find Meg had already produced one but as my review is different in style and content perhaps you'll forgive my including it now. I found this an excellent book, a real insight into time and place..................



Last night I turned the cat out of my room and afterwards slept like a top; so maybe my sleeplessness the night before was due to the presence of pussy. I felt like a piece of limp rag all day.

Meet five ‘ordinary’ but very different people. From May 1945 to July 1948 we enter into their lives via their diary entries for the Mass Observation Project.

One misses the radio when it is not available but sometimes I am glad to turn it off, particularly when some female decides to sing through her nose.

The Project started life as an anthropological experiment in Britain in 1936. Recording the beliefs and thoughts of ‘ordinary people’. When the war started the contributors were asked to keep diaries. One of these diaries was recently made into a TV drama starring Victoria Wood called Housewife 49. Other diary entries from different contributors are also available in a volume called We Are At War.

In Punch Magazine an American was asked what memories he’ll take home with him, he said ‘The magical way in which spring merges into autumn.’

Our Hidden Lives brings us the thoughts of Maggie, “a thoroughly modern young woman” living in Slough; George, “a curmudgeonly accountant from Sheffield”; Edie, “Sheffield housewife and socialist”; B Charles, “a gay antiques dealer in Edinburgh” and Herbert, “London pensioner, active for his age”.

The pledge to the Jews in regard to Palestine is especially dangerous. May set the Arab world ablaze.

Together they take us on a journey through the problems of the post war years. The continued rationing of food and clothing, the changing political landscape, the Cold War and a shrinking empire. Moving from V.E. Day to the birth of the Welfare State in 1948, through the worst winter in memory in 1947.......

Twenty five foot drifts of snow in Scotland. Near Worcester – completely isolated and snow up to telegraph poles. As the thaw comes so do the floods. All East London without drinking water.

This is compulsive reading, a page turner in the truest sense. You will come to know these people, perhaps not like them or their beliefs but you will want to know more.

In editing this book Simon Garfield has brought us closer to history and the thoughts, hopes and fears of those who lived in those troubled years. This is an engrossing read.

The people who danced in Piccadilly in May 1945 did not entertain the possibility of bread shortages in July 1946.

[Tay]

[QUOTE=Justine]"have taken a distinct dislike to B. Charles he is SO self centered".

And very anti-semitic, not to mention a misogynist! In fact I was quite shocked by the fact that I think they all show anti-semitic tendencies especially when they were surely aware of what the Jews had very recently suffered through the war. But nevertheless it's a real eye-opener of a read and makes you realise how easy we have it these days.

B Charles (the gay antique dealer) comments in one entry "We both agreed that the Jews should be exterminated and the political prisoners were just fools." I wonder if he realised that the Germans exterminated homosexuals as well?