Diary of a year kept by 12 members of Port St Mary Women's Institute for the year 1984
Date(s): 1984
Scope & Content: Entries record events in the day to day lives of twelve Port St Mary Women's Institute members during 1984 giving insights into the domestic lives of the wife of a shepherd, farmer, head teachers, teacher, clerbyman, seaman on Sealink Manxline, airport and merchant seaman. Some of the contributors had had full or part time work as teachers, in business, running a family planning clinic, home help and a dietician.
Volumes: 1- 01 January-01 March 1984, 2-02 March-08 April 1984, 3-09 April-30 May 1984, 4-31 May-06 June 1984, 5-23-14 November 1984, 6-08 November-31 December 1984.
The diaries include detailed descriptions of local and family events, activities and facilities used by the families on the Isle of Man: such as visits to the mobile and family library, swimming baths, schools, youth clubs, festivals, agricultural show, regattas, exhibitions, museums, shops, cafes and restaurants, concerts, books read, TV programmes and books.
In Volume 4 in 28 June 1984 one of the writers visited Cregneash open day with her family and some family members were working in Harry Kelly's cottage, she also writes that her husband used to speak Manx as a young child as his great grandfather spoke Manx only. There are off Island trips and holidays referenced: Liverpool International Garden Festival, Norway and France. There are some religious themes throughout such as descriptions of services in church, chapel and schools, including a description of a wedding. All the way throughout the diaries there are cuttings from newspapers relating to what is in the news, also programmes for events, greeting cards, examples of recipes, decorating projects for colour schemes, adverts for food, TV and radio programmes to name but a few subjects to help built a picture of family life on the Isle of Man in 1984. . Domestic chores that seem to take up a major part of all the women's time were ironing, cleaning out fires or solid fuel stoves, dusting and cooking. There are some social issues discussed within care of elderly and young, eating habits, obesity, water shortages, the price of electricity and petrol on the Island, high unemployment, family planning for teenagers, youth justice.
Administration / Biographical History: A shared project diary by Port St Mary W.I. members Mrs Linda Cottier,Mrs Betty Crebbin, Mrs Denard, Mrs Beryl Clucas, Mrs Bird, Mrs Little, Mrs Haynes, Mrs Faragher, Mrs Metaxas, Mrs Kinley and two other members.
Language: English
Extent: 3 volumes, 3 files
Item name: Diary
Collection: Manuscript Archive
Level: FONDS
ID number: MS 08537
Retrieval number: MD 15126
Access conditions: No regulations or restrictions are implemented on this material. Advance notification of a research visit is advisable by emailing library@mnh.gov.im