My secret teenage diary 1973 November (iv) - Elton John and a bit more Geoffrey

November 24th (Sat)
Not a dead exciting day (except for seeing Geoff at night). Went into town with Ju and got Carol a birthday pressy. Went to Heywood with Geoffrey and met mum, dad and sister again. Got in at 1.45am. Mum and dad got in at 2.15am!

Nov 25th
Got up late and tired after last night. Did homework, but not enough. Went to Royton Club to discuss disco that we're organising. Chris was there with girl. Disco is on!

Nov 26th (Mon)
Very, very tired at school. S resat Chemistry 'o'. Poor thing. You know, I like Geoff a lot. Been in a bad mood 'cos tired. Going to bed. Money problems.

Nov 27th
Not much to say. Had a lot of homework. Going to see Elton John on Friday with Carol + Ju + L - I'm not going to tell Geoff about it, I don't think.

Nov 28th
Not much to say again. Norma phoned. Did I tell you there's something wrong with her hip - she's been for an X-ray. Keep thinking about Geoff - I know I shouldn't - I'm sure he doesn't think about me all the time (I hope he doesn't really)

Nov 29th (Thur)
In bad mood all day, but went to Belle Vue with C, Ju and L to see Elton John - great!!! Great music, 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Rd'!.*

Nov 30th
I think I might be a bit boring, but I've just been out with Geoffrey .... (2 lines in Russian) Ouch, I've got ulcers on my tongue  We went to Tiffany's. At school today had a joint meeting with boys - sixth form committee - Q good - we decided to do a revue*.


*Commentary
Nov 29 - I still have the ticket stub for this concert in my diary - it was £1.65 - i think that Carol's mum and dad treated us all, though, for Carol's birthday
Nov 30 - so many parallels with my current life! Here I am having joint meetings with 'old boys' from our school, planning a reunion, and also planning a christmas revue at work. The patterns and occupations of my youth persist.

My secret diary 1973 November (iii) - Julie is breaking her heart, I'm not disclosing secrets.

November 17th (Sat)
Spent today not doing much really. Norma home. Good. I phoned Geoff at 5.30. Went out with him tonight. Went to a pub in Heywood and I met his mum and dad. Nice (Like him) We went back to his house (mum and dad in)

Nov 18th
Highlight of day - I beat Norma at a game of chess - she resigned and then I went out with Geoffrey again. Went to a pub called The Fusilier for about one and a half hours ........................... *

Nov 19th (Mon)
I'm writing this on Tuesday. Can't remember much. Computer course today.

Nov 20th
Rotten day today and everyone in bad mood. Julie didn't come to school this morning and then she turned up after dinner breaking her heart. It's so impossible - you don't know what to do! She's having terrible problems* .... She cheered up a bit after a while and we went to the film society - Elvira Madigan - nice.

Nov 21st (Wed)
Another rotten day again. Julie has been all upset and no-one knows how to handle it. Miss Rogerson had a word with her. Oh, I hope she's okay, I don't know what to do.

Nov 22nd
Ju seemed a lot better today. I think several teachers chatted to her yesterday, so she's beginning to buck up with her work. Oh, had canelone for tea tonight. It's called lasagne, but in Spain it was called canelone. Phoned Geoffrey. Going out tomorrow.

Nov 23rd (Fri)
Ok day at school. Nowt spectacular (is there ever?). I went to Baileys with Geoffrey Bobbles BonBon ..................*


*Commentary
Nov 18 - the dots signify that I wrote 4 lines in Russian after this. This was a sure way of protecting my privacy. So sure that my 57 year old me can't even read it. Perhaps it's as well. A teenager needs some secrets, even 40 years on. Interestingly, my middle-aged me is growing concerned that this romance is going to distract me from my school-work - my A levels - my mum and dad sacrificed so much for me to go to that school. Though the sacrifice was never discussed at the time.
Nov 20 - not to be expanded on here - I'm not the only teenager that deserves privacy
Nov 23 - 4 more lines in Russian.

Wilkie Collins - just abandoned

The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins

3/10


Life is too short to listen to a book that takes about 30 mins of listening to cover very little.  I must have read Wilkie Collins before - surely? What about the Woman in White? Don't know - I have seen the film and I do like a good ghost story.
But this was boring, and I though the was trying to do witty character descriptions in the style of Charles Dickens, but couldn't carry it off. So I'll never know what the terrible secret was, that the terrified servant hid in a locked place in the dusty old Myrtle Room, many years ago.
If someone has read this, please tell me what the secret was.

No more Wilkie for me.

Jennifer Clement - just finished reading

The Poison that Fascinates by Jennifer Clements

8/10


I read this book in three days. This is because it is short, it is written in short, easy to read chapters, and it has a precisely written, no-excess storyline, which you have to turn the pages of. It is a page-turner, but it is a well-written and meaningful book about families and relationships, love and loss. It is also a book about famous, real-life female murderers.

Emily is part of the British community in Mexico City. She only has a father and we don't really know why she no longer has a mother. Her family sponsors an orphanage, which Emily visits a lot. Her cousin, Santiago, comes to visit.

Excellent. I need to read more of this woman's books.

Niall Williams - just finished reading

Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams

8/10


I nearly gave up with this - so slow moving and requiring me to work to engage with the language - but, Jackie! What did you expect? I had read another book by this author - 'As it is in heaven' and it was similar in that a beautiful use of language crafts a slow story which has depth and an intricacy of emotions.

The title provides a red herring. I thought I should count the letters of love, but then comes the ending - and it is all revealed. Sorry - this isn't a book review, it is a meandering.

Nicolas and Isabel have their stories told in parallel. Their stories are very Irish, and we are steeped in the culture and the scenery. And then they meet ....

Niall Williams is a skilful writer, and writes beautiful books, but leaves me wanting to read something easier next time.

Anna May Mangan - just finished reading

Me and Mine by Anna May Mangan (audio)

6/10


This is a book about an Irish immigrant family who came over to England in the 1950s, written from the perspective of one of the daughters in the present day.

What I got out of it was that I learnt more about a migrant's life, and what it was like to be treated with such cruel and bigoted racism (lodging houses would have a sign in their windows - 'no blacks, no dogs, no Irish'). These Irish immigrants had come to try to make a better life and were met by rudeness,  irrational fears and rumours, and systematic discrimination.
It's actually a book written with humour and a lot of affection, and is also a story about the way that cancer runs in families.
Phew.

An Aga Saga - just finished reading.

A Family Affair by - no idea (audio)

4/10


I picked this CD set up from the library, where there is a very limited choice. It looked suitably brainless for driving up and down the motorway, and so it was.

It was an Aga-saga! But not as endearing as those that Joanne Trollope writes (though I seem to recall that I have said I wouldn't read her again)
There must be thousands of books like this out there - well-to-do middle-class family (I mean really middle-class, not aspiring professionals - these were posh) has family business ('Victoriana') selling romantic dresses to other slightly less posh people. Business hits a crisis; mum is ill, one of the 3 off-spring has to take over and run it - who will it be? Will it be the flighty actress that mum has never loved? Will it be the ruthless ambitious no-heart city man and his even worse scheming wife? Or will it be the perfect housewife, who is bored with keeping her husband and teenage brats happy and well-fed?

Well, you'll never know, unless you read it.
I have given it 4 / 10 because I stuck with it to the end. I tend to give lower marks when I give up at page 20.

CDs don't have pages.

xx

My secret diary 1973 November (ii) The Cat's Whiskers and the Bolton Octagon

November 9th (Fri)
Went to Tiffany's with Geoff again. Oh I like him.The trouble is, I get bored with one lad, but I feel guilty saying that when I like Geoff a lot. He wrinkles his nose up like a rabbit when he's laughing. Yum Yum. School normal. S's boyfriend has a rare disease.

Nov 10th (Sat)
Did hardly anything all day. Went into town with mum. Did a bit of homework (got a lot to do really). Geoff phone dup - he came with me, Ju and Carol to club tonight and Chris was there chatting Julie up. I'm glad she told me - I really like Geoff. He's nice, but we won't last long, will we?

Nov 11th
Geoff phoned again. I hope it means he likes me and I like him. Been doing homework all day Might be going to charity (oxfam) dance on Tuesday at Cat's Whiskers. Geoff's coming. I'm buying tickets. Ju's been ill today - por thing. Chris looked nice last night - black shirt. But Geoff's character is nicer.

Nov 12th (Mon)
Not done much. Going to Whisker's tomorrow with Ju, Carol, Geoff, (illegible). Have you noticed my pen's running out? It's an Oxfam dance. I thought I'd buy the tickets for a change. Ju not at school today. S is depressed because of her boyfriend (he's v ill) Oh well. Went to computer course again.

Nov 13th
Ok day at school - Tues afternoon is always fun 'cos we just have double games which we skive off anyway*. (Illegible) ... Julie and E away today - we phoned them up and they said they weren't coming to the Whiskers tonight. I went with Geoff, Carol and C.

Nov 14th
Had day off school today as Princess Anne is marrying Mark Phillips. Guess whose telly broke down so they couldn't watch it? Anyway, me and Julie went down Manchester 'Xmas shopping'. Didn't buy anything. Saw some Snoopy cards and books in Kendals. Got a free sample of scent 'Cachet'.

Nov 15th (Thur)
Brrrr I'm not writing much - i'm cold and tired. Went to Barry Aron's* today. Go again in a month. Geoff did phone. Whippee.

Nov 16th
Silly old day. Was in bad mood this morning and then to cap it all the sixth form committee arranged to meet some boys from next door* in Thorneycroft. We more or less got in trouble for that from Miss Powell. This evening went to Bolton Octagon Theatre with our form and Miss Rogerson to see 'All my Sons' by Arthur Miller.* Good.

*Commentary
Nov 13 - we had a small library room at school that no-one used, so a few of us used to hide in there and gossip and laugh. Our PE teacher, Miss Ashton, memorably wrote on my school report that year 'Jacqueline is showing promise at squash'. We didn't play squash! She was being sarcastic (I now realise)
Nov 15 - orthodontist
Nov 16 - next door was the boys' school. We had very little contact with the boys before 6th form, and then not much. Thorneycroft was an old house which had a shared 6th form facility, but, I think, not at this point in time. We are now season ticket holder sat the Bolton Octagon, where the director, David Thacker, has a great love of Arthur Miller plays. Things come round full circle. I have the ticket stub for this event in my diary. It cost 30p.

My secret diary 1973 November (i) Boy trouble resolves plus Speech Day.

Nov 1st (Thurs)
Oh, I definitely like Geoff more than Chris, but the problem is, how much does Geoff like me? Should I risk chucking Chris and carrying on with Geoff? Phoned him up but didn't have a very long conversation. I'm going out with him tomorrow night. Oh, problems, problems.

Nov 2nd
Went in town with Julie this morning. Changed Spanish currency and applied for job with Christmas post. did some of pantomime and had a laugh. Went out with Geoff to Tiffany's. Oh, lovely. Ju and S were there, too.

Nov 3rd (Sat)
Spent today doing nothing. Taught Norma how to play chess. She beat me first go! Went out with Geoff. Actually, I felt guilty because I had arranged to see Chris. E asked me to bonfire and Ju phoned up. Aren't I popular?! I met Geoff's friend, Ivan and brothers. I like Geoff.

Nov 4th
Oh blow! School tomorrow. Geoff asked me to phone him again. I wish I could talk it all over with Ju. I will do tomorrow. Had electricity off yesterday and today. Okay now. Ju says that she saw Chris last night and he said he doesn't want to see me again, which is a relief. He says he's in love with Janice. Awww.

Nov 5th (Mon)
Whippee! Good ol' school. Who am I kidding? A very tiring day in which I went on about Geoff a bit. In evening after computers went to Ju's to help with bonfire but Catholic Club Chris was there with a girl. I wouldn't have minded but he wasn't talking to me. I suddenly want him! (Stupid). Got Norma's birthday pressy (from her to me) - a beautiful silver ring and a motif to sew on jeans. Beautiful ring.

Nov 6th
Brrrr. I'm freezing => not writing much. Did some more pantomime at school. I like Geoff. I do. I want a new coat (and biro). Bye Bye.

Nov 7th*
Did hardly anything this morning then this afternoon had a speech day practice. Speech Day tomorrow. I go on stage for prize.  I phoned Geoff, made date for Friday. (Hard to read next because of faint pencil)

Nov 8th
Speech Day. Had normal day at school. Had afternoon off so Ju and i went up town where I put a jacket by at C&As, £3 - it's gorgeous. Trouble is, it's red, like Norma's. Got 'O' level certificate at Speech Day. Martha Ann Greaves Award for 5 Grade 1s - £6.75p Ok Yeah!

*Commentary
Nov 7th* written in pencil - clearly the biro ran out :-)