The Diaries of Mr G F A & Mrs M Hart of 7 Fir Tree Close, Langley Walk, Langley Green, Crawley 1964-1967 and 1973-1981
The covers of the diaries changed through the years.
The diaries are all hardback. They are published by the Boots Pure Drug Company Limited, and all called “Home Diary”. The run of the diaries is from January 1964 to December 1967 and January 1973 to December 1981. The first fifty pages of each diary is an information section for the owner, giving details of tide tables, postal information, and first aid, among other subjects. Each week is spread over two pages, commencing on Saturday of each week.
The diaries cover a time of great social, cultural and economic change. Mr & Mrs Hart engage with the changes to their circumstances, life in the new town of Crawley, and the cultural and economic changes of the time with a generally positive outlook.
When the diaries start, in 1964, Mr & Mrs Hart are living at 309 Seely Road, Tooting, London SW 17. Mr & Mrs Hart are avid diary keepers with entries for each day, detailing their daily lives – household expenses, household chores and how they spent their spare time. The first entry on 1 January 1964: “Received this diary from Eric & Peggy. Gas Reading 1327. Started new packet of Dreft. 12200”
The inside of one of the diaries written by Mr and Mrs Hart.
On 30 January 1964 Mr & Mrs Hart visited Crawley to view a bungalow at Fir Tree Close, Crawley. The couple chose bungalow number 7 as their new home, and went directly to Woodson & Gardner’s offices, in Crawley, to pay a £50 preliminary deposit on the property.
On 28 July 1964, Mr & Mrs Hart moved into 7 Fir Tree Close. The first weeks tell of new furniture and fittings being brought for the new house such as a washing machine, bathroom and kitchen cabinets, and floor coverings.
Mr & Mrs Hart obviously take an interest in what is happening in the world, noting in their diary the births and deaths of the famous and powerful, as well as current affairs. For instance, from 1964 there are entries noting that Queen Elizabeth gives birth to Prince Edward on 11 March and Churchill reaching the age of 90 years old on 30 November.
As the diaries progress over the years, we start to see entries detailing what the Harts are watching on television, the restaurants they choose for lunch in Crawley, how inflation if affecting them, the local businesses they use and their friends and family that visit them. The lives and deaths of the famous, and other current affairs continue to be mentioned: the Aberfan tragedy in Wales, England’s World Cup win, the IRA bombing in Birmingham, USA President Nixon resigns, and many more.
In May 1981 Mr & Mrs Hart have been married for 28 years. Around this time the entries become very brief, and there are entries detailing doctor’s and nurse’s names, as Mrs Hart appears to have become ill. On 20 June 1981 Mrs Hart dies. The entries become fuller again, and it becomes obvious that Mr Hart has written the diary entries over the years. The last entry on 1 January 1982: “Listened to Concert from Vienna. Wrote to Derek, Jane & Family”.
Chris Reed
We have done some family research to find out more about Mr and Mrs Hart.
We think that GFA’s name was George Frederick Albert, he was born in, he was born on 8th April 1914, to parents George Henry and Annie in Lamberth, London. George had two sisters Ivy Ellen and Violet Frances. In the 1939 register he is recorded as living with his parents and married sister Ivy, while working as a Mechanical Draughtsman Constructional.
M Hart is thought to have been Margaret Carpenter on the 28th September 1913 to parents Frank and Florence, she had one brother called Fredrick. In the 1939 register she is recorded as living with her parents and working as a Shorthand-Typist.
George and Margaret got married in 1953 in Wood Green, Middlesex. We have not been able to find a record of them having had children. There are no official records of them in Crawley until Margaret’s death is recorded on 20th June 1981 aged 67. George dies aged 79 on 15th June 1993.
If you have any more information about the Hart’s please let us know as we can add it to what we have already.
Holly Parsons
