The Ancestor Digger: Letters & Diaries

When this topic came up I was wondering exactly what I was going to write about. I don't have any diaries, apart from my own, and although I do have letters, none are particularly old ones.

So, I thought I might just have a look through my mother's 'box'.

I have only briefly scanned it in the 13 years since she died, and didn't really think there was anything of to much interest there. How wrong could I be? There were certainly letters, quite a few from me, including one sent when I was a child and sent to a camp at Magnetic Island, and another after I gave birth to my eldest son. There were letters from my Grandfather...I had forgotten that he had always written in red ink! They are hard to read, so for another day. There were receipts for lots of things, telegrams, cards, medallions, and newspaper clippings. The real gem was an unassuming little Spirax notebook with my mother's name, Val Anderson, on the front.

It seems that this is a bit of a diary from before she married. And, the little bit of diary is about the holiday she went on with her future-to-be sister-in-law, (also Val), where she met my father!

It reads:

Monday 16th July 1956
The boat was set to said at 11 o'clock. We went to the Wintergarden to see "Never Say Goodby (sic)" then we looked over the ship. Had a snack at Haddon Hall. Then home to cook the tea.
9 o'clock Auntie & Uncle picked us up and we boarded the 'Elsanna" shortly after.
Dad came too and they were just going to see us ~~off~~ settled & then go. We watched the loading of cargo, and Dad spoke to Mrs. Campbell & introduced us. Then the bier was over and the time passed quickly. Fun and games with the streamers and ~~one honeymoon couple on board~~. Stayed on deck for a while going down river.
Tuesday:: Slept fairly well!
Breakfast: Pawpaw, rolled oats, Haddock & tea & toast.
Cloudy at first, but gradually lightening. Record sitting for meals.
A porpoise led the ship this morning. Said to be a good sign. Pinky colour, big & very fst. Also spotted a whale.
Lunch: Soup (veg), Sirloin steak, vegs & ginger steamed pudding.
Afternoon tea.
Sunbaked on deck, knitted & slept.

Sadly, the following pages are written in shorthand, so I can't read them. Mum was a stenographer, shorthand/typist.

the "Elsanna"

The story that I have been told is that Val was sea-sick, so Mum had been sunbaking on the deck alone. She looked up and Dad, a 4th Engineer on the ship, came up from below-decks in his white uniform, dazzling in the sun. It was love at first sight!