"Stayed in, completely and utterly bored and cheesed off."

Mum's diary from September 1962

After my dad died in 2010, my sister was clearing out his house – the house we grew up in – and found a small suitcase in the loft.

The case was full of stuff that Mum, who died in 1999, had saved, but had never mentioned. Letters, cards, postcards, photos, programmes from shows, even things like dry cleaning receipts from when she lived in America in the early sixties.

I’m going to write about it all.

Mum’s 1962 Diary

Sunday 16 September 1962

Arrived home from the party at about 12am. Stayed in.

Monday 17 September 1962

Cheesed off.

Dot rang. Sent a card to Judy and Peggy. Rang Harry.

Tuesday 18 September 1962

Stayed in at Harry’s.

Wednesday 19 September 1962

Harry’s then the Boathouse for a couple of drinks.

Card from Trudi.

Thursday 20 September 1962

Stayed in at Harry’s.

Friday 21 September 1962

Capital with Mo to see David Niven and Leslie Caron in Guns of Darkness.

Called in at Phyl’s, but only stayed for a few mins. Her Nan died last night.

Saturday 22 September 1962

Called in Terry’s for an hour or so.

Hairdressers 4pm.

Nelson with Harry not John (Pat is sick) and went to the Melody. Ray and Lottie joined us later and gave us a lift home.

Sunday 23 September 1962

Tom’s Birthday.

Tommy and Dot’s. I hadn’t been for months so we had plenty to talk about and a really good laugh.

Mo’s for tea, stayed until about 9.30pm then home. Did some ironing and went to bed.

Monday 24 September 1962

Kay rang, she wanted me to go on board the Anaya tonight.

Stayed in at Harry’s.

Tuesday 25 September 1962

Stayed in.

Wednesday 26 September 1962

Stayed in with Harry.

Thursday 27 September 1962

3.30pm Hairdressers (had a couple of inches off).

Mo called, she didn’t feel like going out, so I stayed in.

Friday 28 September 1962

Stayed in, completely and utterly bored and cheesed off, thank goodness I’m going out tomorrow.

[Thursday] 29 September 1962

Barb and John went to London. I stayed in.

[Friday] 30 September 1962

Stayed in.

Barb and John’s anniversary.

Wrote to Trudi.

Mum and Dad words

A while ago, I started keeping a list of words and phrases that remind me of my parents. Cheesed off should absolutely be on there. I will add it forthwith.

Buzz off

Going for a kip

Fluke’s gob

Put the mockers on

Soft lad

Diddy

Branny (short for brand new)

Damn and blast

Guts for garters

Sloshed

Brown as a berry

Doddle

Kiddywinks

Coinky-dink (coinky for short)

Smidge

Smidgeon

Pigeon smidgeon

Gannet

Reprobate

Going like the clappers

Twinges (for twins)

Marmalize

Hells bells

Sneaking suspicion

Segs on my eyeballs

Poltroon 

What a maroon

Do you use any of these? Any you’ve never heard before?

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