Nottinghamshire woman’s 1940s notebook found in Pakistan

A man is trying to track down the family of a woman from Nottinghamshire whose 1940s notebook was discovered in a shop in Pakistan.

Ateeq Ahmad came across the journal in a toy store in his home city of Rawalpindi about nine years ago.

An inscription inside the leather-bound book says it was owned by Jean Bellamy, who lived on Carnarvon Street in Netherfield during World War Two.

Ateeq, a 38-year-old poet, posted about the notebook on a Nottinghamshire community Facebook page, and said it was his “dream” to find out more about its owner and give it back to her family.

The diary includes written messages to Jean from her friends and family.

One message from “Dad”, dated 7 February 1944, reads: “The best thing to have up your sleeve is a funny bone.”

Other messages inside the book include one from an L Shelton, dated January 1943, which says: “When making friends, renew the old, young ones are silver, old ones are gold.”

One page reads: “If you have a friend, treat her as such. But do not tell that friend too much, for if that friend becomes a foe, then round the world your secrets go.”

Another note reads: “There’s so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it little behoves any of us to talk about the rest of us”.

Ateeq thinks the book could have arrived in Pakistan after being thrown away by mistake, ending up in the toy shop as part of a donation.

He said it was also possible to could have been owned by someone who moved to Pakistan but left it there when they returned home.

“I paid 20 or 30 Pakistani rupees for it because I love old things and I collect them,” Ateeq added.

“This diary [is] old, and I’d love to give it back to the owner.

“I was checking my books a few days ago and I found the diary [again].

“I’m amazed how it came [to Pakistan]. I’m curious because it looks beautiful.”

If Jean is no longer alive, Ateeq said he would like to reunite the book with any possible children or grandchildren she may have had.

“I think some people would think it’s just some papers, but to me it’s a gem, and I want to send this gem to the right person,” he said.