My secret diary 1970 October (i)

Oct 1 (Thur)
Cried last night. Cried this morning too when I left Norma for the last time 'till Christmas. Hell's Bell's, I'm soft. Nearly cried at school. She's gone, Norma's gone*.
Oct 2 (Fri)
Hurrah! I'm on the hockey team tomorrow against Chaddy Grammar! Thrills! Norma's gone away. I miss her a bit. Mum's worried about her.
Oct 3
Dead pleased with myself. We won 1-0 in hockey. I didn't score. Annoyed with myself.
Oct 4
--
Oct 5
Can't rememeber much. Decided to invite J and S to sleep at the weekend. Don't know how to arrange it.
Oct 6
The intelligences of J and S have figured out that we can put the 2 beds together and I can sleep in the middle - cheek!
Oct 7
Did sculpturing in art. Enjoyed myself. Quite fun.
Oct 8
S said her mum is ill so she may not be able to come at the weekend.
Oct 9 (Fri)
S 'phoned said she couldn't come. All (nearly) my aunts and uncles came. Auntie May, Emma, Annie, Uncle Fred, cousin Audrey and Fred. Norma phoned. I HATE Aunite Emma. Auntie May's nice.
Oct 10
Supposed to be going to Ashton with J. Her dad was late. Couldn't go. J came back home with me. Showed ourselves up. What fun!! She slept.
Oct 11
Went to baths early with J. She kept going on about a lad who I couldn't see because I had no specs on. J is okay.
Oct 12 (Mon)
On pins about this Saturday's hockey team. I don't think I'll be on the team. Not playing very well.
Oct 13
(BWD*) Can't remember a thing. Except that Hulme House* Party will be a 'Ghostly Get Together'
Oct 14
Same as yesterday I'm afraid. Sorry (BWD) Oh! I sleep in Norma's bedroom now. Mine's too small. (AT. It's not, it's just right!)
Oct 15
(BWD) One day this week "our pals" from Frederick St nearly did J in . We didn't go that way (me & C and S)
Oct 16
I'm on as reserve for hockey against Broughton*. Disappointed naturally, but it isn't so bad. Started clearing up chemistry set. Putting it in Norm's bedroom.

*Commentary
Oct 1 - She was going off to university (the first person in our whole extended family of thousands) in Birmingham, to study Nuclear Physics.
Oct 13 BWD = behind with diary
Oct 13 - my school had a house system. You belonged to one of 4 houses (Hulme, Assheton (?), Booth or Lees - named after local dead dignitaries). I seem to recall that the houses had a points competition. They accumulated or lost points according to the good or bad behaviour of their members. A cup was awarded at speech day to the winning house. I was a relatively good girl. I remember getting some conduct marks from Miss Roker for hanging out of a classroom window, shouting to someone below. You could also get conduct marks for not wearing your hat in public, having your skirt too short and anything that a teacher deemed was unseemly behaviour for a refined young lady.
Oct 14 - AT = afterthought, written in retrospect
Oct 16 - I don't recall having any talent for sports at all. Including me on the team at all must have been a sign of desperation or kindness.