At Dorset History Centre we have lots of collections of varying sizes, and in previous blogs have explored some of the bigger collections. Now, in the first of a new series of blogs, we want to shine a light on some of the smaller, less well known collections that we hold to demonstrate that every collection we hold is full of valuable and interesting material!
In this blog we will be looking at the collection of Audrey Mary Walder, which has the reference D-875. This collection is held in just a single box and contains diaries, programmes and photographs.
Audrey Mary Walder was born in Yorkshire on June 9th 1900. The typed history of the Walder family, written by Audrey’s sister Ruth, records that Audrey’s father, Rev Ernest Walder, was appointed Curate of Broadwinsor with Burstock in 1919 and Rector of Broadwey with Bincombe in 1922.
This history records that, after gaining her Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music, Audrey, who is referred to as Mary in this document, came to live with her father. She was the organist at Broadwey from 1923-1972. She also conducted the Broadway Choral Society and played the viola in the Dorset Orchestral Society. She then moved to Langton Herring where she was also an organist.
This collection contains diaries written by her for every year from 1913-1981. These diaries start when Audrey was still at school and finish the year before she died.
The first diaries are written in Charles Letts’ Schoolgirl Diaries and these are fascinating before you even start considering the entries written in them. The introduction at the front of the diary says it contains information considered useful to schoolgirls. This includes Latin, French, Greek and German verbs and historical, mathematical and scientific facts and tables. It also includes spaces to record pocket money, letters written and received and the results of sports games such as netball, hockey and lacrosse. This paints a lovely picture of what the life of a typical schoolgirl may have been like in 1913. The diaries pages also contain attractive drawing of wildlife and country scenes.
The entries in this first diary tend to list the things that Audrey has done that day, such as these entries from a holiday to Wales:
15th August 1913 – Packed. Went for a walk on the Embankment and saw the Ffestiniog Railway.
16th August 1913 – Came home by the 10:40 from Portmadog. Trains dreadfully late. Arrived home 10:45pm.
Later diaries have much more detailed entries, like this one describing the celebration of the Queen`s coronation:
Tuesday 2nd June 1953 – Coronation Day.
Wretched weather again, cold and very windy and some showers, one rather heavy about 5. But London had a horribly wet day, such a pity. Joyce and I went in her car to Broadwey for the service 9.30. Gardened after at same job, till it was time for the broadcast. Then came in and listened and had it on while we had lunch. Thought of Ruth, who had a seat in the Abbey. Gardened again later on and then at 7. Joyce and I went to Village Hall for Coronation Supper, which was a v.good spread with ham and new pots. and salad and trifle, ices cakes and coffee! Mrs Bratbury chief one on the catering cttee. About 70 there I think. Children had had sport and their tea earlier on. Then I went after dark to watch the fireworks and bonfire on the road to [Great fords] – only just down from the Carrolls. Very good bonfire. Joyce stayed in and lit the fire. It was chilly.
The diaries are an amazing resource giving a fascinating insight into life over nearly 70 years.
Alongside the daily diaries there is also a gardening diary, a small notebook containing recipes, gardening and knitting and an autograph book that has been signed by soldiers who were at the VAD hospital in Ockbrook, Derbyshire during the First World War.
As well as the personal records this collection contains an extensive collection of programmes and paperwork from wide variety of musical societies across Dorset dating from the 1930’s to the 1980’s. There are programmes from concerts and competitions for choral societies and orchestras. Most are from the Weymouth area, but there are also a number of programmes from the ‘Bournemouth Musical Competitions Festival’. This is a fascinating resource for anyone interested in music in Dorset.
This is a small collection that contains a wealth of material that we think is worth exploring.
If you are interested in the Walder family we also hold an as-yet uncatalogued collection relating to Audrey’s sister Ruth (D-WLD), which also includes diaries, photographs and family papers.