My secret diary 1972 December (iii) Party after party!

Dec 26 (Tue)
Boxing Day. Did hardly anything worthwhile today. Dad and mum nearly had a row (mum's still upset) over dad coming in late at dinnertime. The Beatles were on the telly (Help!) So were the Goons for Christmas. Got everything I wanted. Started revision more or less. Fel depressed. Ju's coming round tomorrow.

Dec 27th
Ju came for dinner, we played records (I did say that Rob had lent me his record-player, didn't I?). What did we do? Can't remember. Oh, we played cards with Norma and I read some of the books that Norma got me for Christmas (Gormenghast Trilogy). Been watching Verdi's opera of Macbeth on TV. Hopeless. Ugh.

Dec 28th
Did nothing except reading this morning. After dinner went up town with Ju. Saw Cn and made arrangements about party tomorrow night. She's coming. Bought nail polish remover. Been at Ju's house until 11.30 helping her to alter one of her mum's old dresses. Nice.

Dec 29th (Fri)
Dave's party. Pretty good. We were late - Ju wanted this dress doing. Rob's going to get too serious isn't he? Cn came too. On the way home I collapsed. Like I was fainting. Awful. I wasn't drunk.

Dec 30th
Gosh, it's nearly the end of the year again!! Mocks soon and then the real thing. Done nothing all day. Slept at Ju's last night. Went to Brin's party. He lives up my street. I'm very tired. I think it is that that caused the fainting.

Dec 31st
Goodbye 1972. It's not a very happy goodbye, but who expected it to be? Ireland and Vietnam* still go on, as do many other horrible things. Just been to a party at Steve's (Rob's friend). Rob came home with me to let in the New Year.

*Commentary
Dec 31st - I made an additional note afterwards "Vietnam - peace! 23.1.73"

My secret diary 1972 December (ii) parties and presents

Dec 20 (Wed)
Hell's Bell's and barleycorn! Just before I came to bed Rob phoned and hinted that he is getting me a record for Xmas. Single or L.P.? He's offered to lend me his record player until October! What am I going to do?! Finished school today. I hate Miss Crabtree. Went Christmas shopping with Ju.

Dec 21
Done hardly anything today because I'm a lazy so and so. I finished making the stuffed turtle for Carol's Xmas present. What can I do about Rob? Ju phoned. I'm going to Ju's for dinner tomorrow. Dentist appt in Manchester and so going Xmas shopping too. But I'm flat broke!! What'll I do? MPFC*

Dec 22
Horrid day. Went to Julie's after a nagging session from my mum and me getting annoyed. Had dinner, went to Manchester with Ju, did some Christmas shopping. I went to dentist. He did nowt. We were dead depressed. Loads have people drunk in Manchester.

Dec 23 (Sat)
Seemed to be Christmas shopping and snogging all night and day. (Read those the other way round, I'm a little tipsy) Been to Ollie's Xmas party and it was really embarrassing 'cos me and Ju were the only girls there. There were 6 lads, all friends of Dave and Rob. My Xmas pressy for ju wasn't very exciting. Handbag mirror, mascara and a notebook. Als a Mars Bar and a bit of eyeshadow. Got Rob '1066 and all that'

Dec 24
While I am writing this I'm a little drunk. Honestly. It's 11.45 and I've just come back from Rob's party. He's given me pressies and they look expensive. Me and Ju were doing Hava Nakila on the front at Rob's and I had no shoes on! We've just been sat up in the dark, singing.

Dec 25 (Mon)
Xmas Day would have been perfect had we not had 20 dozen people round for dinner. (Not funny) It happens every time. Everybody drinks and organises and confuses and panics.  Apart from that quite nice. Maggie Wood came, and Allan and Audrey etc. Beautiful pressies!! Everything I wanted and now I'm going to bed. I'm tired.

*Commentary
Dec 21 MPFC = Monty Python's Flying Circus

My secret diary 1972 December (i) Astronauts, plumbers and boys

Dec 1 (Fri)
Hello. Pretty boring day. Everyone was pretty curious about what happened to me and Ju last night. Maths test. Mock exams are on 24th Jan. Oh Lord! I might be a lab technician when I grow up. Hung new things in bedroom. Oh James Taylor, I love you.

Dec 2
In affy went to town with Ju. Hoped tape recorder would be mended but it wasn't ready. Bought a maxi underskirt (own money, borrowed 14p off Ju). Oh what can we do about Rob and Dave? They're getting too serious. Rob kept phoning while I was out. Ju reckons he's pretty keen on me. Phoned him and told him I wasn't going out until next weekend.

Dec 3rd
Ju slept over last night. We talked a lot about what we can do - no solution to problem yet. Feel depressed and yet happy. I don't want him to be that keen on me.

Dec 4th (Mon)
Normal day. Ju expecting a ring from Dave tonight. Oh hell. What can we do? I've re-arranged my posters a bit. The fridge broke down. It'll cost £21 to be mended. Dovestones dance on 16th Dec. I keep getting a pain behind my left contact lens. It's annoying me.

Dec 5th
Ju is worried that Kev and Roy might try to 'bash' Dave up. She doesn't seem to be taking it very seriously. I think we might be going to flicks on Friday.

Dec 6th
Not much to say. Been doing yoga every night. It's quite fun. I'm dreading the mocks. Rob phoned. Asked me out tomorrow night but I said no, how about Friday instead (seeing Tinkers with Shirl on Sunday). Norma phoned too. What are we going to get dad for Christmas?

Dec 7th
Friday tomorrow! I'm so fed up with school, it's such a drag. I hate Miss Hatch and Mrs Hughes. They're the only teachers I hate really, although I'm not too keen on Mr Moore*. Me and Rob are going to the pics tomorrow. Definitely going to Dovestones. Robert Redford on TV!!

Dec 8th
Oooh, I'm freezing cold so I'll have to make this short. Chemistry test this morning - don't think I did too badly. Oh Miss Hatch I hate you, you're a nasty bitch. Went to flicks with Rob, Ju and Dave. Rob is getting too serious - what can I do? Stopped him kissing me. Saw Cat Ballou and the Burglar.

Dec 9th
Another weekend nearly gone. Me and dad went to town today to buy a new fridge (the old one was a waste of money). And we did. It'll be delivered. My nails keep breaking. Spent evening at Carol's listening to records and nattering. She's nice.

Dec 10th (Sun)
Brrrr! Freezing cold. Don't make me talk too long! Shirl's got flu so we can't go to Tinkers tonight. Norma phoned - no news in particular 'cept she's got mum some perfume and talc for Xmas, and plants for dad. The water's been turned off 'cos the fella next door has got a burst. Horrible.

Dec 11th
Oh god, it's horrible without water. You can't drink, wash or even go to the loo when you want. We've got to run across the road to ask for water. Got a good mark for last week's chem test. Got a beautiful pic of Robert Redford. I hate Miss Hatch. I didn't have Russian today. What to get everyone for Christmas?

Dec 12th
Apollo 17. Today 2 astronauts were singing on the moon. Isn't that lovely? It may be the last moon flight. Good grief! In a world where men can be sent to the moon you'd think that the blasted waterboard would be able to send a couple of plumbers round to enable us to have a proper hygienic water supply! I was in a flaming temper. Also annoyed about RN trying to keep Dovestones tickets for herself and skinheads.

Dec 13th
After school went to Julie's and had a bath and washed hair. Stupid water board still not come! We went to meet Dave and Rob who took us to see 'Hello Dolly' at their school. Quite good. Thought we'd missed the last bus home but it was ok. He is too serious.

Dec 14th (Thurs)
YAHOO!! The last Russian lesson of term today! Hahahaha. We sang in the lesson. Would you believe the water has been turned on again? A miracle. Ju was away today. Had a laugh at school when Carol climbed the ladder.

Dec 15th
Mum's gone down to Birmingham to stay in a hotel with Norma for a couple of days. I hope she'll enjoy it. I think she will. The 6th form were going to give us a pantomime today and Miss crabtree stuck her oar in and said we'd be missing valuable lessons. Stupid ol' cow. We got to see it. The teachers fought for us. A nice Christmassy day. I'm dreading Mocks and Dovestones.

Dec 16th (Sat)
Oh groan. Chrissie shopping. I bought Norma the 'Hair' LP and E some odds and bobs. Had to take Rebecca. Ugh. Then Dovestones. Wore long blue maxi. Had three drinks and I was drunk! Awful. Had a fling with a lad that W matched me up with. Mmmmm.

Dec 17th
Yesterday - lad was called Neil. I hope no-one tells on us to Rob. S's boyfriend was giving everyone Xmas kisses. I wonder if they'll split up? Went to Miss Hatch's to meet Russian students. Pretty good time. They were called Andrei and Sergei. University students. Nice looking. V interesting.

Dec 18th (Mon)
everyone talking about Dovestones. I know Neil's full name now. Ju away from school today. She was dead poorly yesterday. I hope she's gone to the doctors. Done hardly any work today at school. Had loovely Christmas lunch. Put Xmas tree up - it's gigantic. Borrowed carol's American Pie LP (by Don McLean)

Dec 19th
Ju still away. Oh Diary! I'm sorry, but it's getting a drag to write you. I'll keep it up. half day at school. In affy went to visit Ju. Put loads of pressies under our tree. I listened to 'Hair' It's okay but not the original.

*Commentary
Dec 7th - Mr Moore taught physics. He didn't much care for girls. On one memorable occasion he declared that he couldn't see why girls were taught physics at all.

Mantel & Dickens - Just finished reading one and abandoned another

An Experiment in Love by Hilary Mantel

6.5/10


Given that she wrote 'Wolf Hall', a near perfect book, in my view, Hilary Mantel deserves to have serious attention and respect given to her other novels. I enjoyed 'Beyond Black' and it lingers in my mind.
I'm not sure about this book. I'm not sure that I understood the point of the narrative.
I enjoyed it that the main character seemed to have had a childhood very much like my own. I even think the early part of the book might have been set in my home-town. But I couldn't identify with her as she went off to university  - oooh - but as I write it I'm changing my mind - yes I can. Just like Carmel, I shared a room in first year in the halls of residence with a someone with a posher background than myself.
Mantel weaves a weirdness into her books that can makes it difficult to align with my own experienced 'normal' life. And as I write that, I realise that my 'normal' might be weird to others.

I've just abandoned reading (audio-book, in the car) 'Martin Chuzzlewit' by Charles Dickens. I was really enjoying it, and wanted to know how the story progresses, but I have been stressed with house moves and hard work and Christmas preparations, and so it was too difficult to concentrate on it. I needed something lighter and one that didn't fill 26 CDs. I am therefore listening to 'The Little Stranger' by Sarah Waters. I read this 2 years ago. It is nice to listen to a familiar tale, told by an actor.