Then they wrote about it.

Yesterday thousands of people across Britain documented the details of their day-to-day lives in a mass blog that historians say will offer an invaluable snapshot of British life to future generations.

In 200 years what would an historian reading the One Day in History entries conclude about the Britain of October 17, 2006? If a highly unscientific Times survey of the blogs is anything to go by, they will conclude that we are a nation of schoolchildren and bored office workers.

For most of us, apparently, it was a day of monotony. We woke up, still tired from the previous evening, commuted to work, spent the intervening hours thinking of home time and went to bed after a cup of tea in front of the television.

But for Robert Trasler, yesterday was anything but mundane: “A day of reckoning for me. I’m in debt and behind with the rent . . . Spent the last few weeks hiding in the house. Had panic attacks and felt suicidal. Scared to answer the phone or open the post . . . Then, a miracle! I received a call to say that I’ve been successful at a job interview and I should start in 2 to 3 weeks. My first proper job in years.”

Katarzyna Bronakowska, a Polish immigrant in Dorset, spent her day working, learning English and daydreaming about her forthcoming wedding day. “I have to wake up very early every morning. The life is not easy. Work, English lessons, houseworks (sic) . . . This morning I was very busy because I should have done my homework from English school yesterday but I was so tired when I came back from my work after twelve hours (sic) shift,” she wrote.

The mood of the entries varies from sanguine to decidedly bleak. Describing a day that will reach its close with a good book and a bottle of wine in the company of her husband in front of a log fire, Mary Richardson, of West Sussex, concluded: “Life is pretty much perfect in my eyes.”

Matthew Large’s outlook is of a different hue. Describing his commute, he writes: “I could see Newcastle shrouded in fog, grey and drab.” He adds: “Growing up watching Petrocelli and Rumpole, I thought being a lawyer would be exciting. It isn’t.” His thoughts eventually turn to the commute home: “Back to the train and the same old faces, some of whom I have seen for almost 10 years making the same trip on the same train everyday — commuter hell . . .”

Bloggers were so eager to make their mark on history that the servers struggled to cope with the volume of traffic, and for long periods yesterday the site was unavailable. By 10.30am about 2,500 entries had been posted, and by lunchtime that number had more than doubled. One Day in History was conceived by Ivo Dawnay, of the National Trust. “It’s astonishing. We’re completely overwhelmed by the response. And not just in terms of quantity, but in quality as well.

“The entries are all so interesting,” he said. “Each one is really valuable and we want as many as possible.”

History Matters, the heritage campaign, which organised the project, encouraged bloggers to reflect on how history affected their days. And history does loom large, whether in Joe Hudson, of Hampshire, comparing it to a “nuclear-powered whale” or Neville French pondering whether the Ancient Romans found it quicker getting around St Albans than its modern inhabitants do.

IN HER OWN WORDS

“Well today started off as normal, I got up, had a shower and grabbed a cup of tea before I headed into town. I go to university in St Andrews and to get into the centre of town I walk in under the old stone archway.

I’m part of the music society committee and we had a meeting with the music centre this morning. The music society is one of the oldest and largest student societies in the university and I’m very proud to be helping to run the various groups. I’m also helping to organise the 60th anniversary of the St Andrews University Madrigal Group; we’re bringing together around 70 people ranging from the widow of the choir’s founder (Evelyn Webb) to our current members.

I’m really excited about meeting so many people that share my love of music but who saw the university 50 years ago and who can share their memories with us.”

JENNY FORBES

WHAT WE SAID

“Matt Foster snapped Phil's leg during a tackle in football!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Alex Wilson, a LIverpool schoolboy

“I woke up from a really scary dream, where I was going down a really long tube like waterslides, only thinner and it went on for ages”

Heidi Elliott, Ulster

“Boarding school is not very good in the mornings, the sisters woke me up by saying a prayer . . . last night wasn’t too great either, I got shouted at by one of the sisters while I was in the shower for spilling water everywhere (which I didn’t do) then this morning another sister made me clean my room because my shoes were on the floor”

Rhema Onumonu, London

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