Hello, welcome to my blog

Mostly you will find, here, transcribed entries from the secret diary that I used to keep as a teenager between 1970 and 1975. I try to be honest with my transcriptions, but, just occasionally I do edit, to protect myself or others from embarrassment or some other emotion.
Also, though, I like to do a brief review of the books I have been reading, so these are interspersed throughout. I reserve the right to write blog entries, also, about other random things.
Why do I keep this blog? I don't know. I am an academic and one of my research interests is around how people construct their own identities. The diary transcriptions, and what I write about my books, are very much about revealing something of my identity.

Thursday, 29 March 2012

My secret diary 1973 - a quick catch up for Jan and Feb

Dear Reader
Oh dear, oh dear. I have not reported on my secret diary since 20th Jan 1973. It's just like back in my real diary-keeping days, when I used to miss entries, making feeble excuses.

So, I have a plan, to try to get up to the end of March 1973 before March 2012 ends.
My plan is this - I will do a thematic summary of everything that happened to me from Jan 20th to March 31st 1973. Then I will get back to reporting verbatin again (well, that's what I'm promising, anyway!).


Thematic summary begins here:-


MOOD & HEALTH
Very depressed in January, while revising. I wanted to step off the planet and I thought I was cracking up.
February - crying before school because of Russian lessons. (did other people feel like this?). Moody, tearful, upset. (is it just that I only reported these emotions to my diary?)

POLITICAL VIEWS & COMMENT
Jan 23rd - peace in Vietnam announced by President Nixon. I described it as 'one star in the dark night of exams' :-/
end of Jan I comment that there is still fighting going on, so still not real peace.
February 'what am I going to do about vivisection?' I ask myself.

SCHOOL
In January I was finding it very hard revising for mock 'O' levels. I described the exams as 'not bad', 'terrible', 'not very delightful'. Russian was particularly terrifying because of my fear of Miss Hatch. I was reading Northanger Abbey and Macbeth for English.
Exam results come in and they don't seem too bad, but I usually comment that I could have done better.
Careers talk at school, but I don't name my aspirations.
School report not bad.
Too much Russian homework. I hate Miss Hatch.

FRIENDS
Julie and I virtually living at each others houses - we were always staying over with each other.
February - for some reason Ju and I did a shift working at Ju's dad's wood factory one Sunday morning.
S made me a T shirt with a picture of Snoopy on it. Miss Hatch picked on E, not me, for a change.
A bunch of us went to The Parochial Youth Club and one of my pals entered th talent competition, singing 'The Universal Soldier' and she won. We all had a great time dancing.
Decided not to write to French pen-friend again, because she never replies.

FAMILY
In January Norma brought her friend Kanchan, who was Kenyan, home from university to stay with us. It was exotic to have someone foreign to stay.
February - Dad had his car stolen from outside the house.
Niggly with mum.
Very worried that I owe dad £2 and Norma £1 and mum's birthday coming up.
Mum and dad both poorly.
Norma home from uni, and then went back.
Dad got flashy new car. We went in it to see Auntie Emma, in Sheffield. I loved driving over the snowy moors.
Mum's birthday. I got her some chocolates, but I was moody with her. I was in a bad mood because of Russian (and because I was a sulky teenager).
Dad's stolen car was found in Darlington.

LOVE LIFE
In January Rob wants to spend more time with me and I want my time to revise.
February - Folk nights at the Manchester Sports and Social Guild with Rob, Julie and Dave. We saw Martin Carthy on Feb 17th.
Rob and Dave went a week without phoning us and we started to panic and wonder whether to phone them.
Then they phoned. Then Ju told me she had finished with Dave. I was worried by this.
We both exchanged Valentine's cards with our respective boyfriends. I thought Rob's was too serious.
I lusted after James Taylor.
Decide I want to finish with Rob and keep writing about it.
Had a big row with him on the phone because I wouldn't go to see the film 'Woodstock' with him, because I had no money, and I said that I didn;t want him always paying for me. He put his mum on the phone to persuade me. Then my dad had a go at me about it, and said I was being horrible to Rob.
Another day, on phone to Rob for an hour, and it sounds like I was rude to him and sulky.
Rob had a party. Big Disaster. Ju and Dave had a row. I took her for a walk to calm her down. I thought Rob's friend, Keith, might fancy me.
Ju finished with Dave officially.



LEISURE LIFE
January - none!
February - me, Ju and some other pals celebrated end of exams by going dancing. I lied to Rob to get that night free.
Saw 'The Dambusters' and thought it was a great film.
Reading Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake. 'Terrific'. Then reading the second book, 'Gormenghast'
Bit of crochet.
United won!
A lot of going up town shopping.
Saw Fairport Convention on telly - great!

OTHER THINGS
It snowed a lot in February. Then one day I noted the hail, rain and snow all day.

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