February 28, 1978

Today after assembly I borrowed a treble recorder form Mr Randal, the Music master. He is nice. During Mathematics and English (which was about Sir Frank Whittle) I kept it by my side. I had a recorder lesson during lunch hour. In Art I finished my sweet shop. We did Encylopaedia work last lesson. I saw Playhouse and Star Turn. In the evening I read.

Sir Frank Whittle, inventor of the jet engine, was the only famous person to go to my junior school.

February 27, 1978

Today in school I thought there was C.P.* but no. IN history (we had for Geography) we wrote about Elizabeth Fry. H.W.U.T.L.t was about air raids, and a girl was killed. Shocking! During flute I was given my tape back (see Feb. 13) but it had the wrong thing on (as I found out before Guides). I watched T.V. after school, and went to Guides. I made a card for Mummy. She may come to our mothers day next week.

February 26, 1978

This morning I painted the walls of my hall over the woodchip paper. It is for my Guide Handywoman (Mummy says ‘Handyperson’) badge. I read ‘A Stranger At Green Knowe’ before lunch. After I ate my lunch I telephoned Helen and Harriet (well, actually, Harriet) to come and play. Both of them did. We played ‘House’ and Helen and I played ’Waterworks’. I watched the last of ‘Hawkmoor’. After supper (and bath) I watched ‘Anne of a Thousand Days’ about Anne Boleyn.
Hoooooray! I moved to my room!

I had been waiting for the attic to be re-done as my bedroom since before Christmas – I had been promised I could move into it, and stop sharing with my brother, for my birthday but as you can see that was not to be. My new wallpaper was a pink Sanderson print.
Harriet is now a children’s author and Helen a historian.

February 25, 1978

I played a game of Top Trumps with Bobby. We did not finish, but I won as far as we got. I watched Swap Shop until it was time to go to my piano lesson, but there wasn’t any, so I watched the rest of Swap Shop on T. V. We went to a puppet show, about different sorts of puppets. I watched ‘Hit the Note’, and ‘Jim’ll Fix It’. We played The London Game.

I think we had a Ships set of Top Trumps.

February 24, 1978

No school because there is no oil! We went to Kathy and Davids in the morning, as Mummy works then. She teaches. We played Valley One Two Three in the garden. It is hide-and-seek, only you touch a certain place and say ‘Valley One Two Three So-and-So’ if you see them. They can touch it and say ‘Valley One Two Three In’ and be safe. I did my homework and went shopping. I got a Jasmine doll. Ballet was o.k. I watched ‘Disney’, ‘The Goodies’, and ‘Going Straight’ about the star of ‘Porrige’ out of prison.

Richard Beckinsale, much missed. Kathy now works for the World Bank and David is a philosophy lecturer in Glasgow. Their father is a fairly famous economics professor, but was not such a high-flyer in those days; their mother, Carol, very sadly died of cancer a few years ago, and was a close friend of my mother’s until then.

I can't find anything about Jasmine dolls, as I don't think it's from the film Aladdin, as that was much later.

February 23, 1978

Today in Maths I did Reduction and Quotion. I am doing biscuits this half a term. We went swimming. Mrs Fletcher was ill! Gala-fantastic!!!!! I got, ‘The Child of China’, from the library. I went to Warwick to be interviewed by Miss Leahy, the Kings High headmistress. No school tomorrow! I got some sweets from Woolworths. I watched Blue Peter, and after supper, a program on Iron Age Life.

No, I have no idea what Quotion is either.

February 22, 1978

Today for Handwriting we did Gothic lettering. We only got as far as the title but I suspect we will write the whole alphabet, small and large, in Gothic lettering next Wednesday. Our school might have to close down if we don’t get oil tomorrow for heating. The tanker drivers are back at work, but there are other schools with less oil. I cooked fairy cakes for Home Economics. I watched Grange Hill.

I didn’t remember these strikes – and looking them up the worse strikes were the following winter – but clearly I was aware of them at the time.

February 21, 1978

Back at school – maybe this half of the term will be different. I don’t know. IN Maths I did ‘Use of Directed Numbers’. Directed Numbers are things like +7 - --3 = +10. In English we put capital letters in their places. I went to recorder but played nothing because there were no trebles. We painted Victorian shops in Art. In Bible story we wrote about Dr. Barnardo who is a sort of modern day saint. I watched ‘Playhouse and ‘Star Turn’ after school. I started to make a peg doll.

I can locate information about Star Turn but can't find anything about Playhouse...

February 20, 1978

No school – still half term. We w e n t to Bridget and Nicolas Roe’s in Oxford and train. The journey was as follows: To the station from our house via the car mechanics by car. To Oxford from the station via Banbury, by train. To the Roes house from Oxford station, via Fenwick’s for coffee and cakes, by bus. At the Roes we had lunch and made up and acted 2 plays. I got ‘The Chimneys of Green Knowe’ from the bookshop. Alex, Bridgets friend, came to play. We played schools. We took the train home. I couldn’t go to Guides.

The Green Knowe books are about children who, playing in an old house called Green Knowe, discover the toys that children in former years played with, hear stories about them, and then catch glimpses of the children who used to live there. Recently I found some of my old books, including one of the Green Knowe books, along with my diary. Reading the diary is like being in one of the Green Knowe books – I keep expecting to see my 11-year-old self round the corner.

February 19, 1978

MY BIRTHDAY = NOW I’M 11
I woke up very early – 2’o’clock in the morning. I went back to sleep though. When I woke again (6) I read and then opened my presents. I got some beads from Swaziland, 3 peg doll kits, 2 embroidery kits, a pincushion, a picture, a torch, strawberry bubble bath, some notepaper, a Henry VIII model and a book on Nursery Antiques. That was best. I sewed all morning and at 2 this afternoon the party arrived. I got 2 boxes of notepaper, a Paper Marquetry set and a book and 50p. We went ice skating and then played Sardines.

Happily I no longer wake up at 6am on my birthday. Although I did get several books, some bubble bath and, a necklace this year…

February 18, 1978

In the morning (early) I played around. Daddy drove me to Warwick at 8.55, to take the Kings High School for Girls entrance examination. First we answered questions from a passage on ‘Transportation’. Then we did a ‘Non-Verbal Reasoning Test’. It was completing patterns. Then we had break and I got some hot chocolate. After break there was a maths test and an English Composition. After lunch there was another Maths test. I watched ‘Jim’ll Fix it’ and read after getting home.

I remember my mother telling me she started her periods the day before her 11th birthday. I was convinced that therefore mine would start this day… of course they didn’t.

February 17, 1978

No school! Hoooooray!!!!! We watched T. V. on and off until PERNILLE CAME. (See January 13) We had such fun. It was just like old times, when Pernille lived here. We played hospitals, schools and surgery. She stayed for lunch, and then went shopping. Debbie and I also went shopping, and saw her in Toytown. I got a comb and a Pippa catalog. I went to Ballet after watching Crackerjack. Fiona Roe came for supper. I watched ‘Disneys Greatest Villans’ and ‘The Goodies’.

I’m not sure I was allowed to have a Pippa doll…

February 16, 1978

School: was awright* I had fun playing armys with Melanie. Yesterday she gave me 2 anniseed balls. Swimming was awright. I got ‘The Case of the Nervous Newsboy’ from the library. We read about Elizabeth Fry in History. I started a new topic on Elephants.
After school: I watched Jackanory, and Blue Peter. I made dinner (as yesterday) for my Guide badge. I watched Tomorrows World and Wings and The Good Life. I have exma.
*all right.

I did wonder where this sudden keenness to make dinner had come from…

February 15 1978

School. In school I did a Mathematics exam. (practice). I also managed the handwriting. In Games we did Gym (with apparatus, i.e. ropes, box, mats, stool). For Science we walked to Feldon and studied trees.
After School: In Piano my pieces are very good (well, much better than last week). We hurried home and watched Jackanory. I saw, Screen Test and Grange Hill. I cooked supper, and I watched ‘Elephant Walk and ‘The Liver Birds’.

The Liver Birds – another fond memory. Feldon was an empty site near our house (and not particularly near school) where another school had been – it was great for exploring, with loads of undergrowth, foundations of walls etc. – perfect for building dens. Now a building society is on the site.

February 14 1978

Valentines Day
I made everyone Valentine cards (Mummy, Daddy, Bobby and I) under the name of St. Valentine. It snowed (again). In Maths I did ALL of the fraction work Mrs. Hunt set me. I did all the English exersizes but one (there were 3 each with 10 sentences to write). In Art we did pictures for a Victorian street scene. I did a nanny (very stiff) and a cross charge out walking. We did ‘The Sermon On the Mount’ in Bible Story. I did the title in fancy capitals when I got home. We baked a Valentine cake. I want to be a calligrapher.

Very sorry to disappoint, but these days I have appalling handwriting.

February 13 1978

This morning we woke very early because the alarm was set wrongly.  My duties were done by 7:45, so I plotted my biorythyms for 19th, which is my birthday.  I took a cassete to school, as our tape recorder batterys aren’t working.  In French we did more ‘to go’. I carried on with my own Math.  I made up a verse for our French song.  I saw ‘How We Used to Live’.  A new family has the house. It is 1939, September. I watched ‘Blue Peter’.  At Guides I passed my Needlewoman badge.

February 12 1978

only 6 more only 6 more

In the morning we played spaceships and I read ‘The Amazing Story of Henry Sugar And Six More’. It was very good. In one a boy vanished, in another there was a fantastic pickpocket, or ‘fingersmith’. Then we had lunch. I made my birthday invitations in the afternoon. They are girls in long dresses (decorated with doily) skating. I vacumed the living room. I watched ‘Secret Army’, ‘Hawkmoor’ and ‘All Creatures Great and Small’.

Henry Sugar, by Roald Dahl, was one of those books I read again and again through my teens – and yes, I did often read a whole book in a morning. I have fond memories of “All Creatures” but the others don’t ring a bell at all!

February 11 1978

I watched almost all of SWAP SHOP. From the library I got a book about NORWAY. We played FOX AND GEESE at a castle, and went to a MANOR where we saw deer. I moved down to Bobby’s room. I watched PLAY AWAY, JIM’LL FIX IT and MIKE YARWOOD IN PERSONS.

February 10 1978

8, 8, 8, 8 more more 8, 8, 8, 8

Today in Woodwork I nearly finished my foot. On it I will write ‘MY FOOT!’, I got the notes on biorhythms! I will make mine. In Music we sang a canon. Mr. Randall (our music teacher) said we are the best class! We did English, on Jackanapes. We had a film about life on Aaron, a Scottish remote Island. Mummy went shopping, she got a lovely bag. I went to ballet, we did a mime. I saw a Sherlock Holmes film and Porrige.

I’m assuming I meant Aran… Anyone else remember doing those biorhythms? They don’t seem to be popular any more.

February 9, 1978

Only 9!

Mr. Harris went over the maths test with us. I started to use deodorant! Mrs. Fletcher was back. Ugh, horrors, yuck. She makes us swim our arms off, instead of do nice things (like treading water and swimming under water). I had 3 pieces of taffy in my lunch, I ate them after swimming*. I got ‘More About Rebecca’ from the school library (after returning Hermits Hoard). We did Geography, on cotton again, and other crops. I watched ‘Blue Peter’ and ‘Tomorrows World’ and a programme on Inner Mongolia.
*naughty, naughty

I seem to remember my mother nagging me about using deodorant – she must have succeeded finally.

February 8, 1978

10 days

I did a General Progress Paper for the Handwriting Period. I did one Graded Paper during the correct time, Book 2 Paper 11 that is to say. During Games we played ‘All Change Cat and Mouse’ and did athletic and gymnastic excersizes on apparatus. Our group pretended we were African Explorers. During Science we compared the official information with ours, and did a talk on our project (we received the letter today). We had a taffy pull, and watched ‘Grange Hill’, and all of a film.

I didn’t realise until reading these entries that my interest in Africa had blossomed this early… I also just found out (shows how much I know!) that Grange Hill is still running. Not the same without Tucker...

February 7 1978

11 days to Birthday

I only went to school in the morning today! Every one who is taking the test for Kings High or Warwick Boys School did a maths test. I only did 41 as we were allowed only half an hour, and it should have been 45 minutes. I went home for lunch! We went to the ballet in Stratford. It was ‘La Fille Mal Gardeé’. It was funny sometimes. Once the fool was swept into the air by the wind!

February 6 1978

The Dawsons went to the seaside in ‘How We Used To Live’. We learned about vulgar fractions for Arithmetic. I had done the Beta book work so I did some other work on fractions. I watched Jackanory, Hunters Gold and Blue Peter after a bit of homework. At Guides we made pancakes over a primus stove and had a pancake race.

February 5 1978

I sewed and finished ‘The Children of Green Knowe’ in the morning. I also stamped*. A couple came (Robert (the man, not my brother) was super but VERY silly. We had a lovely pork lunch, and after gorging ourselves we went to Victoria Park. I met Debbie there. We played African Explorers and David Livingstone. Debbie and I made scones and Debbie stayed to tea. I watched ‘The Muppet Show’.
*Stamp collected

February 4 1978

I didn’t watch Swap Shop as I cleaned Bobby’s room and went to Piano. After Piano I went to the library and got six boox* and we also went on three errands. One was to pick up bread (yum). We had French toast for breakfast. We went shopping and I got ‘Children of Green Knowe’. We went to Francie Alexanders. I watched a programme I thought was funny but wasn’t.
*Books

I found some of my old books again recently and re-read ‘Children of Green Knowe’, and I’ve recently got most of the rest of the series out of the local library. Nostalgia is great…

February 3 1978

In Craft I finished cutting out my wooden foot. I started smoothing the edge. We had quiz in French in which I got full marks. Easy, fans! In Music Mr. Randall taught us the notes of the scale in ‘doh ray me’ fashion. I took the English (oh, and the Math) home. I went to ballet. I may move up soon. I watched ‘Sherlock Holmes’.

February 2 1978

We heard the last episode of ‘Jo Warnak + Seavanger 7’ (see Jan 26). In French we did some verbs (manger, dessiner, chercher and regarder). Mrs. Fletcher was ill! Three cheers! No, a million. We had Mrs. Hunt for swimming instead, and we swam underwater! Mrs. Hunt is reading us ‘A pair of Jesus boots’. I did more topic in topic time. Amanda came to play!!!!! We watched Happy Days!!!!!! After supper I watched The Good Life.

Amanda was my friend who was an only child; I was very jealous. I recently found a book with her name in it. Oops.

February 1 1978

19 days to 19 Feb

We did an English Progress Paper under exam conditions. I missed a few out. I am coming along very well with my project on Norway. WE had a netball quiz and our team won. Susan and I sent the letter to the Meteorological Office. We stuck flags in the tree trunk. I watched ‘A traveller in time’.

(The 19th February is my birthday...)