Diarists become historians when their lives are touched by momentous events, whether fleeing the Great Fire of London, or hiding in an attic from the Nazi's. My grandfather Harry Barrett Pratt was born in 1890 in the North East of England. He oiled the wheels of Sir Thomas Lipton's grocery empire throughout the turbulent first half of the 20th Century, broken only by military service during WW1, which took him to the lesser known theatre of war in East Africa. He was a workaholic, intent on providing for his family. From shop floor to Board of Directors, he was a company man. He had the ear and respect of Sir Thomas. His career span two world wars and the financial depression He kept a meticulous diary during those years, which gives a fascinating insight into the impact of global conflict on a nation. This is a tribute to a generation.