Herts Memories and The Diaries of Ann Couzens 1958-1962

[www.hertsmemories.org.uk]
Hertfordshire archive and local studies
Photograph of Ann in 1961. At the website you can listen to audio footage of Ann reading extracts from her diaries in Hertfordshire Voices

The Herts Memories website was launched in 2009 to celebrate life in Hertfordshire. The site, edited by volunteers, is all about uncovering what is special about Hertfordshire, with memories, photos, knowledge and opinions about the county as it is today and as it was in the past.  It is for people of all ages and backgrounds, from teenagers to teachers, families to local historians; it’s about much more than history and explores subjects as diverse as wildlife, the landscape, travel, art and community cultures. The website is a place for communities to share, discover and debate.

Extracts from diaries can transport you back in time to various points in history, and the diaries featured here of Ann Couzens give an insight into what life was really like for a young girl growing up in Hertfordshire in the mid 20th century.

Ann says of her diaries, ‘I started writing my diary in 1958, whilst still at junior school, and continued until I had started work in 1964 – a total of 7 years.  They contain very simple, but factual accounts of my everyday life and are therefore a summary of teenage years in the 50s/60s.  When reading them now, I am amazed at the range of things we did, how we were constantly visiting our friends, and the regular bath nights with hair washing!!’

This page was added on 12/08/2011.

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