Portland Place

Sarah Shaw

Portland Place is the diary of Sarah Shaw for the year of 1971 which she recently uncovered whilst clearing out her loft. Working as a secretary for the BBC at the time Sarah's diary describes the life of a suburban girl who certainly wasn't 'swinging' but who was ironically not only working on a cutting edge BBC survey on sex education but also in the throes of an unlikely affair with middle-aged working-class Irish lift attendant Frank.

Sarah talks humorously and frankly about what it was like to be a young working woman at the time as well as life at the BBC during the 1970s and the difficulties of navigating her first romance. She is funny and self-effacing with a self-knowledge that only few attain. Her innocence and naivety are hugely charming and the diary forms a valuable snapshot of a time not so far away that is now lost to us.

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