8th February                  

Dear Diary,

Yesterday morning I helped Dick wash the bottles. While we were doing that, he was ill again. I keep thinking about him. He is my only real friend. All my ragged clothes got wet, and I couldn’t change into anything else. I hate these ragged clothes and this place.

Later on that morning, a new lad came in. Looked quite posh, until he told me how he came here. Poor lad. The new boy thought this place was alright until I told him how it really was. I felt quite sad for him. I saw some boys in a corner, I decided to walk slowly up to them. One boy pulled me in. When I saw they had some straws my thoughts were all over, they were up to no good. They all picked a straw and told me to pick the last one. I did, and they all started whispering, I then said “What’s wrong?” They explained to me that I had to go and ask for more! At dinner time I nervously walked up to Mr Bumble. He shouted at me and chased me around the stone hall. He then caught me and took me somewhere. I heard them saying they would sell me for five pounds. My heart stopped. I had mixed emotions, happy to be leaving and scared because I didn’t know who I would be living with.

Sincerely, Oliver Twist. 

Life in a workhouse: A diary extract

By Oliver Twist 

Dear Diary

This morning Dick was really sick, I offered to do his jobs for him but he declined me and then this new boy came.

He was the butcher’s son. He went bankrupt and couldn’t afford to keep him. The poor lad can’t stand it here. He’s used to eating meat, he hates the horrid yucky watery porridge and so do I.

The new boy suggested that we should pick a straw, the one with the shortest straw had to ask for more.

So we did and I picked the shortest one. I was trembling with fear. I stepped up the next day shaking like a leaf. Mr.Bumble, he kept telling

me to sit down. I asked the fat man towering over me for more he started to hit me like mad…     

8th February

A diary extract from Oliver Twist

Dear Diary,

Life in a workhouse is unbearable because Bumble’s always on my back. Oh yes you won’t know who he is, he’s the big, nasty, fat horrible man. If you’re naughty he will come down on you like a tonne of bricks. He makes us unwind rope; my fingers are as red as a devil!

 Plus I have to look after my sick friend Dick. I feel so sorry for him, he’s as pale as a cloud. We had to pick a straw out and  unfortunately I drew the shortest one. The other boys winked and tapped me, so I slowly and anxiously stood up. It felt like electric waves were going up and down my spine. As I was walking up, my fingers were shaking like the wind. Mr Bumble was gleaming over me, my pale face said “Can I have some more sir…?”.

His face was raging like a mad bull. Going bright red, he exclaimed, “ You what!”

 He ragged me by my scruffy clothes and dragged me to the governors

Your sincerely

Oliver