Oh dear! I have let the transcribing of my secret teenage diary lapse in the past few months. I appear to have neglected May, June and July 1974.
So, here is my attempt to bring us up to date. My 5 year diary, by the way, which my Aunty May bought for me, and which I began writing in 1970, will finish in December 1974.
Here I present my diary entries for May 1974 organised around themes, rather than chronologically. I am, therefore, leaving out a lot of detail, much of which is my moaning with teenage angst, and writing secretively in the Russian alphabet, which I now struggle (thankfully) to read.
May 1974.
Romance
I am still going strong with Geoff, examining whether I am in love. I am wondering how far to go with him (if I could read my Russian script, I might know how far I went!) We seemed to spend most of our time mooching around, or going to Tiffanies in Rochdale.
Friendship
My best and closest friend was Julie, but I was going through a phase where I was troubled by angst and jealousy. I was often grumpy and say rivals in other girls who we hung around with. Some of us were paired up with boys, introducing new tensions into our network of relationships. I was involved in a sponsored 24hr fast for Oxfam which seemed to be a focus for being jealous and feeling isolated.
Family
I had a row with my dad, because he was proud that I might be nominated to be head girl and he wanted me to be positive, too. I was mortified, though, and filled with angst about this, too. I enjoyed it when Norma came home from college. Aunty Emma came to stay for a few days but I seemed to tolerate her well!
School
We had a nasty chemistry test and exam were looming in June. Nominations were made for the position of Head Girl, and I was in the 5 nominated. Then I was chosen! I wrote a lot in my diary about how I found this agonising and I didn't want to do it. I had to go to see the Headmistress, Miss Crabtree to be congratulated. I was anxious about the whole thing, but I noted that 2 days later, I was coming round to it. I was a bit proud, also. I wondered who would be deputy.
Work
I was still working at Hardcastle's ladies department store on Saturdays. I worked on the stocking counter and made a note in May that I seemed to do nothing but sell support stockings. One day I noted that the till was 99p short and I hoped that no-one thought it was me.
Self-care and shopping
I was trying to do my hair in ringlets, with rags, like my mother used to. I bought a new gorgeous cheesecloth blouse. I noted how expensive the dresses in Miss Selfridge were, and I had a lovely dress put aside fo me in C&A in Manchester. Discovered a new shop - Paperchase - where I could buy lots of Snoopy things.
Hobbies
I started making a patchwork quilt.
Culture
I went, with Geoff, to see The Sting. Also went to see Godspell, which I thought was fantastic, but was resistant to a friend's attempts to convert me to Christianity.
So, here is my attempt to bring us up to date. My 5 year diary, by the way, which my Aunty May bought for me, and which I began writing in 1970, will finish in December 1974.
Here I present my diary entries for May 1974 organised around themes, rather than chronologically. I am, therefore, leaving out a lot of detail, much of which is my moaning with teenage angst, and writing secretively in the Russian alphabet, which I now struggle (thankfully) to read.
May 1974.
Romance
I am still going strong with Geoff, examining whether I am in love. I am wondering how far to go with him (if I could read my Russian script, I might know how far I went!) We seemed to spend most of our time mooching around, or going to Tiffanies in Rochdale.
Friendship
My best and closest friend was Julie, but I was going through a phase where I was troubled by angst and jealousy. I was often grumpy and say rivals in other girls who we hung around with. Some of us were paired up with boys, introducing new tensions into our network of relationships. I was involved in a sponsored 24hr fast for Oxfam which seemed to be a focus for being jealous and feeling isolated.
Family
I had a row with my dad, because he was proud that I might be nominated to be head girl and he wanted me to be positive, too. I was mortified, though, and filled with angst about this, too. I enjoyed it when Norma came home from college. Aunty Emma came to stay for a few days but I seemed to tolerate her well!
School
We had a nasty chemistry test and exam were looming in June. Nominations were made for the position of Head Girl, and I was in the 5 nominated. Then I was chosen! I wrote a lot in my diary about how I found this agonising and I didn't want to do it. I had to go to see the Headmistress, Miss Crabtree to be congratulated. I was anxious about the whole thing, but I noted that 2 days later, I was coming round to it. I was a bit proud, also. I wondered who would be deputy.
Work
I was still working at Hardcastle's ladies department store on Saturdays. I worked on the stocking counter and made a note in May that I seemed to do nothing but sell support stockings. One day I noted that the till was 99p short and I hoped that no-one thought it was me.
Self-care and shopping
I was trying to do my hair in ringlets, with rags, like my mother used to. I bought a new gorgeous cheesecloth blouse. I noted how expensive the dresses in Miss Selfridge were, and I had a lovely dress put aside fo me in C&A in Manchester. Discovered a new shop - Paperchase - where I could buy lots of Snoopy things.
Hobbies
I started making a patchwork quilt.
Culture
I went, with Geoff, to see The Sting. Also went to see Godspell, which I thought was fantastic, but was resistant to a friend's attempts to convert me to Christianity.
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