u3a - Diary Project - Living History

The Diary Project was started to capture the experiences of u3a members living through an unprecedented period due to the coronavirus. The situation impacted on people in lots of different ways, and we wanted to hear your experiences, thoughts and reflections on how it affected you, both on a practical and on a psychological level. 

The Diary Project closed to submissions on 31st July, but it lives on. u3a is proud to have partnered with the Mass Observations Archive (MOA) to ensure we make the most of each valuable contribution. The MOA has stored each diary entry and made them available publicly to researchers and future historians looking to learn and write about these times using real-life accounts. You may be aware of the MOA from the social research they conducted from 1937 – 1950, capturing the thoughts and opinions of those who lived during WW2, so it is very special that u3a members had the opportunity to add their words to such an important database.

We are now showcasing a selection of extracts in a Diary Book, chapters included in the book are; Family, Food, Health, Occupations, Society, Nature and Future. The aim is to show how the pandemic has affected third agers across four months of lockdown. 

You can purchase a copy of the Diary Book for £10 on the u3a brand centre. 

Part 2 of the diary was produced in 2021, and is available as a free download.

Many thanks for sharing your stories with us. 

You can read submissions to the diary project below and via our Learning blog – Sources Online