The collection comprises a series of bound handwritten diaries kept by Frederick A. Wood of Leeds. They begin with his school days and continue through his war service, teaching career and retirement.
The earliest diaries are in smaller format, but the whole series is immensely detailed. Wood used numerous abbreviations in his diaries and several volumes contain detailed lists of these.
The main contents of the diaries from 1948-1977 are recorded in the file level catalogue records. The subsequent diaries from 1978-2014 continue on similar themes to those of the 1960s and 1970s.