Oct 10 (Wed)
Not much to say. behind with diary a bit. V.v. cold suddenly. Julie off school, got tummy ache and scabs on face.
Oct 11
Again, v little to say. Julie is away again. Doctor gave her Roter tablets like my dad has for his ulcer and said she may have impetigo.
Oct 12
Fun at school when S told some UVs* not to eat in school uniform. Gave them both essays. Some smart Alec in the government announced that Oldham is the drabbest, dullest, dirtiest town in England. How dare he call my home town? I love it and its chimneys*.
Oct 13 (Sat)
I got a letter from - guess who? - Rob!* It really annoyed me, telling me about university and girls etc. Went to town with Ju and she came to my house for dinner and I went to her house for tea. Went for a chat round at CR's, with G and H*, who I can't stand. Ok day.
Oct 14
You know, I really hate Sundays, partly 'cos it's so boring and partly 'cos I usually save all my homework for then - which is a bit thick. I won't next weekend. Mum was depressed, so was I. At least Norma was in a better mood. Ju said last week that a waiter at the club was mad about me.
Oct 15 (Mon)
Oh, so worried about Julie. I think she might have stomach ulcers - doctor's given her Roter tablets. She was away today, violent pains in her stomach. I went to blasted computer course - which I don't like much. Not much else to say.
*Commentary
Oct 12 - UV - the Upper fifth - these were the year below us - the 16 year olds. As sixth formers now, we had some duties involving controlling, herding and reprimanding everyone else. It was not easy!
Oct 12 - for those reading this who don't know Oldham, in 1973 the town still had many tall and imposing cotton mill chimneys dominating its skyline.
I was brought up living next door to the 'Daisy' mill and was used to seeing great huge baskets being hoisted up and down, loaded and unloaded with raw cotton and newly spun cotton. My mum and all her sisters worked in the mills, in mysterious rooms called the carding rooms or the spinning rooms or doubling rooms. Words like winding, doubling, reels, bales and shoddy were part of the everyday language of my streets. We played hop scotch with the round ends of cotton bobbins. Most of the mill chimneys have been demolished now. It may have been a drab and dirty town then, but when I revisit it now, I find its heart and soul have been ripped out by town planners, who really have never known how to reconstruct a community broken when its main industry died.
Oct 13 - ex boyfriend
Oct 13 - I tend to substitute random initials for names, except for Carol and Julie, who don't mind being named!
Not much to say. behind with diary a bit. V.v. cold suddenly. Julie off school, got tummy ache and scabs on face.
Oct 11
Again, v little to say. Julie is away again. Doctor gave her Roter tablets like my dad has for his ulcer and said she may have impetigo.
Oct 12
Fun at school when S told some UVs* not to eat in school uniform. Gave them both essays. Some smart Alec in the government announced that Oldham is the drabbest, dullest, dirtiest town in England. How dare he call my home town? I love it and its chimneys*.
Oct 13 (Sat)
I got a letter from - guess who? - Rob!* It really annoyed me, telling me about university and girls etc. Went to town with Ju and she came to my house for dinner and I went to her house for tea. Went for a chat round at CR's, with G and H*, who I can't stand. Ok day.
Oct 14
You know, I really hate Sundays, partly 'cos it's so boring and partly 'cos I usually save all my homework for then - which is a bit thick. I won't next weekend. Mum was depressed, so was I. At least Norma was in a better mood. Ju said last week that a waiter at the club was mad about me.
Oct 15 (Mon)
Oh, so worried about Julie. I think she might have stomach ulcers - doctor's given her Roter tablets. She was away today, violent pains in her stomach. I went to blasted computer course - which I don't like much. Not much else to say.
*Commentary
Oct 12 - UV - the Upper fifth - these were the year below us - the 16 year olds. As sixth formers now, we had some duties involving controlling, herding and reprimanding everyone else. It was not easy!
Oct 12 - for those reading this who don't know Oldham, in 1973 the town still had many tall and imposing cotton mill chimneys dominating its skyline.
I was brought up living next door to the 'Daisy' mill and was used to seeing great huge baskets being hoisted up and down, loaded and unloaded with raw cotton and newly spun cotton. My mum and all her sisters worked in the mills, in mysterious rooms called the carding rooms or the spinning rooms or doubling rooms. Words like winding, doubling, reels, bales and shoddy were part of the everyday language of my streets. We played hop scotch with the round ends of cotton bobbins. Most of the mill chimneys have been demolished now. It may have been a drab and dirty town then, but when I revisit it now, I find its heart and soul have been ripped out by town planners, who really have never known how to reconstruct a community broken when its main industry died.
Oct 13 - ex boyfriend
Oct 13 - I tend to substitute random initials for names, except for Carol and Julie, who don't mind being named!
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