February 19, 1893
I have almost completed packing for my move. I sometimes wonder if the decision I have made is the right one for me, but as I have now lost the last member of my family, I need a new beginning. London is that new beginning. It is only a two-hour journey into the city, but from this small town it feels like I’ll be entering a whole new world.
I have read Bradshaw’s Illustrated Handbook to London and its Environsin the past out of curiosity for the growing city, and have found that much of the information regarding the city has helped me prepare for my upcoming lifestyle. For clothing, I recall him writing this about the temperature, “The mean temperature is 52 degrees, and the extremes 81 degrees and 20 degrees; the former generally occurring in August, and the latter in January” (Bradshaw 17). Since I am moving in just a few days, I know to pack more clothes to bare the cold rather than the heat. I think that Bradshaw’s Handbookwill come in handy again soon, I will write further on the subject when it comes.
February 23, 1893
I am writing as we pull into King’s Cross Station and I do have to remark that Bradshaw’s Handbookwas right about the “London Fog” (17). It seems as though the view from my window is blurred, but I know it is not the glass, it’s the air. It feels almost warmer, but without the added heat, just a difference in the atmosphere.
The other stark contrast to my small town is the overwhelming amount of people on the platform. As we approach there is a sea of bodies, and I wonder how I will navigate through them all when I need to get off the train. In Bradshaw’s Handbookhe wrote about the growing population of London, “The number of houses is upwards of 298,000” (16). This number has most definitely risen since then as well. That idea overwhelms me, but I try to remain calm by noting that the more there are in the city, the more people I can begin good relationships with. Well, they just announced it’s time to exit the train, let my journey begin…
I think your use of “London is that new beginning” really captures the ideas that were most prevalent throughout this time period. The great city presents new ideas and new lifestyles for people of the smaller towns surrounding the great bustling capital. The idea of London as the new beginning is similar to New York as a new beginning in the US. I like your description of the air surrounding the window in your post. It reminds me of our tour guide from the Dickens house and his explanation of the state of the streets due to the work houses. Do you think your narrator is of a higher class and would experience a different kind of fog? He/She sounds as if they have received a higher level of education than a workhouse member. I also enjoy the description of the people. It feels like even over 100 years late I can still connect to the feeling of overwhelming people. The city was bound to be more crowded with big dresses and expensive luggage boxes, but the memory of us traveling through the crowded streets seems timeless!
Rachel,
I love the creativity and imagination you used in creating this blog post. I wanted to do something similar but I found it extremely challenging to do so after the fact that we have already gone and our now back home. That being said, I love the use of details that make London unique, like the weather, the amount of people, the train stations, even the fog aspect. All of these add to make a strong diary entry from the perspective of someone who is not quite familiar with the city. They also add to your credibility as a writer, as you can never have enough minute details about the way of life in London when writing a diary or journal entry. Overall I enjoyed reading your post and I am intrigued as to how well you did considering the fact that I had tried to do the same but ended up deleting it after I found the task to be challenging. Job well done!