Unearthed diary of a wartime teenager used for social media teaching

Reporter Zoie O’Brien met author Ivy, who cannot remember writing about air raids, working in a factory and her passion for cinema.

Ivy’s diary was uncovered when a support worker at the Waltham Forest Dementia Outreach Team was helping her sort through some of her belongings.

Brimming with weather updates and accounts of music and films from her teenage years, the leather- musings of a teenager brings wartime Walthamstow to life.

In her distinct matter-of-fact tone, Ivy documents her life at work and home, often describing the weather of the day in a word or two.

It varies greatly from one day to the next. One day Ivy enjoys a film at the cinema and the next, on February 18 1944, bombs rained over London.

Ivy (second from right) with Dunhill factory colleagues at around the time she wrote the diary

She wrote: “Had air raid warning at 1am.

"Very heavy barrage, dropped some bombs there were also some fires. Weather began to snow, v.cold.”

Ivy documents life at the factory she worked at in Walthamstow, writing about how the ‘Dunhill girls’ would learn songs to sing at work because there was no radio and wrap their knees in sacks to stay warm.

The cinema was an integral part of Ivy’s social life, something which she missed out on for a few months after the roof of the Granada in Hoe Street was destroyed by bombers.

She also describes films she went to see, including Double Face and Song of Russia.

In January, an @diaryivy Twitter feed was set up to provide daily entries.

The council-run multimedia project has been set up to teach people with learning disabilities, older people and people living with dementia about digital communication.

A page from Ivy's diary in 1944

Ivy is said to be “fascinated” by the attention her teenage musings have attracted online.

She said she often finds herself laughing when she reads back what she wrote as a teenager, adding: “It’s lovely to read and see the old films – like a story book about yourself.

“I don't remember writing the diary.

"It really makes me laugh reading it. Some of the things I said as a teenager - so cheeky.

“We all had to stick together and get on with it.

"I hope there won’t be a third world war, let’s just keep it to two shall we?”

Waltham Forest council’s cabinet member for adult services, Cllr Angie Bean, said: “What really strikes you about Ivy’s diary is her matter-of-fact reporting of dramatic and devastating local events, such as air raids and bomb blasts.”