August 31, 1978

Today Catherine came to play at my house. We made M.N.A. handbooks and I was tested for my first First Aid Badge. I passed with flying colours. It was the same as Brownie First Aid. We had soup for lunch. Then I went to her house and we made a horrible mixture of flavoured + coloured water with Dettol, vinegar and bicarb in.
When I got home Morgan + Dodo were here.

If you have ever read the Treasure Seekers, by E. E. Nesbit, the children in that get in trouble for making fake medicine – we obviously hadn’t learnt their lesson.
I've now "joined up" the August and September/October entries so I'm going to start updating the April entries that are missing.

August 30, 1978

Today I went to Catherines and we made pictures by painting ink on paper and then painting over it in bleach and we also painted pictures in white paint, went over them in indian ink and washed them under a tap and a picture came. After lunch we went lamp shopping in Coventry and got a lamp of a beer jar. Stoneware.

August 29, 1978

I went to Catherines and we tried to fake an accident but Amanda guessed what it was and didn’t help. We played ball games, ‘Sevenses’. After lunch I went blackberry picking and then I went on a walk to Saxon Mill which everyone insits is Saxon.

I imagine my father knows about the genuine history of Saxon Mill and had indoctrinated us…

August 28, 1978

I woke at 9 and at 10 I went to Cat’s for a Milverton Nurses Association meeting and I was enrolled and we got books for handbooks. In the afternoon Mummy and Daddy and Bobby and I went for a walk around Hill Wooton and Leek Wooton. We saw lots of butterflies and we picked wheat and blackberries to make drop scones. I saw ‘Lifemanship’.

Catherine and my other friends and I were obviously not satisfied with having Guides, we needed our own uniformed organisation. However I don’t think I ever had any thoughts of being a nurse – I was always going to be a doctor.

August 27, 1978

Today is Sunday. I did some stamp collecting (stamping) and I am only now sorting out the ones Dodo left me when she went away and we stayed in her house. I went with daddy on a dig in Coventry of a Medeivial house. I found a nail and a nail head. Daddy says they will be useful. After lunch I stamped some more and I played out. Then (while I was out side) I practiced a ball rhyme Am and Cat taught me. I saw the Onedin Line.

I saw my father the other day and he was telling me about some mediaeval houses he is helping to restore – they haven’t been lived in for 50 years and they are going to create a “living museum” type place but with all new objects so schoolchildren can handle, and break, them.

August 26, 1978

I woke at 1 in the morning and I read and read until I got up at 6. I had porrige. This morning I read and played outside and after lunch I went to the library. I got out 6 books and reserved 2, 1 for Daddy, 1 for me. Catherine and Amanda came so I went to play with them. We went to the doll museum in Warwick and we climbed St. Marys tower. There are 159 steps. We caught a bus back.

I still suffer really badly from jet-lag but I don’t feel so much like climbing tall towers the same day now!

August 25, 1978

Dear Yolande,
Back in England. I miss Grandma and Grandpa a lot. Did I tell you about Tina? Yes, I did. Well, I think she is just like you. I wish you could come and stay with me.
Anyway, we finished our flight and Daddy met us. Then we drove home. On the way we got some bananas, and when we got back to 18 Portland Pl. we had fish and chips. I saw ‘The Young Daniel Boone’ and went to bed. I got 2 letters from Catherine.

August 24, 1978

Today we set off for San Francisco at 8.40. I slept most of the way. Then we saw the Lawrence Hall of Science. It was super. There was a Phisics lab (where Mummy wasn’t shocked), the Biology lab (where I got bitten by a rat) and the Planatarium (where we saw 2 shows). I had Scallopps at the Airport Hilton for dinner. Our plane took off at 9.15 and I slept from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

That would be "shocked" with a Van der Graaf generator rather than "shocked" at the dreadful nature of the exhibits, I am assuming...

August 23, 1978

This morning I worked for Tinas father and I earned $2.50. We went out to lunch at the Plaza Linda, a Mexican restraunt in Carmel valley. Then we went swimming in Carmel valley. Luckily I took my watch off FIRST (see August 7). We also went material shopping and I got a Hollie Hobby doll kit. Bobby and I had some bubble gum. Tina and Mellissa came and we had ice cream cones. Then we said goodbye. We had steak for dinner. I saw 1/2 of ‘Willie Wonkas Chocolate Factory’. I am hungry.

I’m assuming it was the film that made me hungry as even with my food obsession that sounds like a fairly filling day! When the Johnny Depp film came out recently I thought I hadn’t seen the 1970s version but it seems I saw part of it.
This may well have been the last time (can’t remember exactly) we had a regular set of trips to the US as the following year I turned 12 and would have had to pay full fare – so I’m not sure I saw Tina or Melissa again. I remember having great fun with my American friends over the years but it is hard when you are that age to pick up a new friendship and leave them without any thought of seeing them again, after only a few weeks. I also remember my mother not being very encouraging of some friends – perhaps she didn’t think much of their mothers’ movie choices!

August 22, 1978

Today this morning we had pancakes. Then we played around and went shopping until we had an early lunch. After lunch we went to the beach with Tina and Melissa. On the way back Tina’s shorts flew out of the window so mummy took her back to get them. Then after ham for supper we went to a movie that Tinas Mother took us to. It was Hot Lead and Cold Feet about two brothers one a ‘towny’ the other a desperado. They race to see who inherits their dads land. It is a draw. I spent the night at Tinas.

August 21, 1978

This morning we went shopping and I read. And played the piano. We walked up to Granpas office and to a seed shop via the golf course. I helped an old man (Grandpa) across the road and Bobby helped an old woman (Mummy) across the road. After lunch Daddy phoned to say we didn’t get this super house in Bubbenhall. Tina came to play. We had steak for dinner.

All through my middle childhood we were always threatening to move – but we never did. My father still lives in the same house I grew up in – he is just about to have a party to celebrate 40 years of living there.

August 20, 1978

Today we went to Pebble Beach. We saw Bird Rock (with seals on) and Seal Rock (with birds on). We went paddling and we sank into the sand up to our ankles. We also made sand castles which were washed away. After lunch Melissa came to play and then we went to Dennis the Menace park where we went on the boats. We got stuck on the island but some friendly ‘natives’ helped us. Then we went to the actual park , where I had a blueberry Sno-cone. When we got back Tina was back from her horse show, so we played for a while. Then back home, after suppler, we saw ‘Disney World’.

August 19, 1978

Today is my half birthday. We went shopping at Longs to get me a new watch. It is gold (at least the face is) coloured and the numbers are like this: 7. Although the base is just plain, the metal that shows is gold coloured. I think it is the most beautiful watch ever.
I went over to Tinas to see if she wanted to go and see ‘The Pale Pink Dragon’. She did, so after lunch we saw it. It was at the Navy. I got my program signed by all the cast except the flower dancers.
After supper we played bridge. Grandpa helped me and my partner was dummy so I won.

Because my birthday is in February my grandparents always made a big thing of my half-birthday as it was when they were more likely to see me. The Navy is the Naval Postgraduate School which was where my grandfather worked.

August 18, 1978

Today we practiced our skit. Then we made animals from paper towels and camoflauged them with natural materials. Then we hid them around the camp for the counsellors to find. We also went to the ropes course, went on one thing and played some games. After lunch we did our skits but Mummy and Grandma came to late. We went swimming at Pattys when we got home and then we had Florence and George to dinner.

It sounds like I had a great time at camp, I’m sorry I didn’t go for longer!

August 17, 1978

This morning after flag ceremony we made rocks into paperweights. Then we went on a string hunt around the camp, and then we went on a treasure hunt around Camp Chaneya. I got a shark (rubber). After lunch at the Tipi camp the lady who used to own Camp Chaneya came to tell us what farming used to be like when her grownup daughters were 2 and 3. Camp 6 (us!) made Indian medicine bags and we went to the fossil pit. Then we practiced our skit and went home. Back home Tina came to play.

August 16, 1978

Today a girl fell off the tree and broke her arm. We (Camp 6) went on a hike around the camp. We saw deer tracks and we slid down the chapparelle. We also went to the fossil pit. We had a cookout with hamburgers, hot dogs, baked beans, corn on the cob, smores. Smores are graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows (toasted). We had and ABC hike (I found everything except Y and Z) and we found other things in nature. A photographer came. When I got home Tina came to play. In the evening I had popcorn balls.

Graham crackers are small and square and taste a little like digestive biscuits, but nicer… mmmm….

August 15, 1978

Today the bus was quite (very) late. I played up the trees until it came. After flag ceremony we went to the ropes course. It is fun. There is a tightrope with two ropes to hang on to, a tight log, some swings that you go along from one to one, and a rope ladder stretched between two trees. I managed everything except the tight log. That woggled.

After lunch we discussed a skit for Friday, made a banner for our camp, and painted our faces with paint. I had two crescents and two stars. We played a barnyard game where you pick corn from stones. When we got home we went to the library.

I’m really surprised I managed the rope ladder – I remember being really poor at this in P.E. class.

August 15, 1978

We set out at 8.30 for camp. At camp we climbed a tree until the bus arrived with most of the campers. It was rather late. Then we went to Tipi Camp to play some games. When our camps were announced (I am in Camp 6, the closest to Tipi, Carpark, Cabin etc.) we went there. Then we made name tags from wood, pasta letters and beans. Then we went on an exploration hike and had lunch at Tipi camp. After lunch we learned some knots for honour beads. Then we had a fire drill, made Indian symbols in the cliff by the dried up creek, and were driven home. Thus ends our first day of camp.

I think this was a camp run by the city – which would be called a summer playscheme in the UK – here a ‘camp’ would be something you stayed over at.

August 13, 1978

I played Go with Bobby 2 times. Once I won, once he won. I read More Adventures of the Great Brain, but I lost that so I read ‘Oh, Lizzie’. I set Bobby a treasure hunt. After lunch we went swimming. That was fun. When we got back I read. We had three kids to tea, and we chased ‘The Dreaded Janice’ (the eldest). After supper I saw ‘Disney World’ and ‘Rhoda’.

I am not even going to attempt to reproduce my writing on this entry, where all the letter ‘I’s were stretched down to the end of the page.

August 12, 1978

We had pancakes this morning for breakfast. I had a cowboy and Bobby had The Incredible Hulk. WE played Go and detectives. After lunch we went to the beach. It ws terriffic fun but I didn’t swim in with any of the bigger waves. When we got home we had showers and then I ate some apple peel and played outside. Then I read (and finished) ‘Victoria’. After supper I saw ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. It was funny.

We used to love having shaped pancakes. No idea what book ‘Victoria’ was…

August 11, 1978

Today Bobby played schools with me. We made our beds and had Creative English. Then Tina came to play and Chin-chin (our cat) chased Li-Sol (her dog)!
After Lunch we went to see a movie called ‘Revenge of the Pink Panther’. After that we had ice cream cones and went to the library. I got out 5 books. We had steak, corn on the cob, and strawberrys for supper. We roasted marshmallows.

August 10, 1978

Dear Yolande
Today we went to Santa Cruz Boardwalk which is a sort of fair. I went on the Ferriss wheel, the Sky ride, the Tilt Whirl, the Cave Train the Carousel and the Haunted House. I was asked if I wanted to go on the Bumper cars and I said No but now I think I should have. I got some cotton candy. Yum!
When we got home I went shopping with Mummy and then played around until dinner. After dinner we had a slide show and a bath!
Love,
Katie
P.S. I miss you

I remembered this trip as one where I wasn’t allowed to go on as many rides as I wanted to but clearly I had misremembered. Now I’m a complete wimp and won’t go on anything even slightly scary.

August 9, 1978

Dear Yolande,
Today I went to Salinas and we looked in JC Penny fabric department just for fun but we found some CUTE quilted stuff for my dressing gown. It is what looks like different kinds of overall material in different shaped patches but it has Hollie Hobbie patches.
We met the girl from over the road. She is 12 tomorrow. She came over and we played a bit of Connect. Then we went to her house and saw it. It is very big and nice. Her name is Tina but people call her Joe.
Love
Katie

August 8, 1978

Today I played around and the piano until we went out. First we went to see Grandmas friend. She showed us her taco press and gave us a catalog to get one with. We went to a material shop to get me some dressing gown material but Mummy and I disagreed over it. We went swimming at Dennis the Menace. At home I played around and had a sumptous supper. I saw ‘Charlottes Web’ part 1.

My mother used to take advantage of the fabric available in the US every summer when we went over there. I remember differing somewhat on her attitude to making me clothes: she thought the fabric was the most important part, so a different pretty fabric could be made up using exactly the same pattern year after year, while I was more into the styling – although I had awful taste then, I probably still approach clothes the same way.

August 7, 1978

Today I woke at 5. I went with Mummy to do the wash. Mummy got me some almost ready-made dress material. It is shirred round the top and has a ruffle round the bottom and has straps. Mummy made it up and I have been wearing it all day. We went swimming. I did a bit of bad diving. Back home I had lemon juice. I went swimming in my watch so it has to dry out until it starts to work properly. After supper, I saw ‘Little House on the Prarie’.

Sounds like I still had jetlag – although I often woke up early when not jetlagged, too. I think Little House on the Prairie was also on TV at home but I know I was a bigger fan of the books.

August 6, 1978

Today is a Sunday but we do not go to chuRch. This is bad of us but no-one but me and Granma and Grampa would go and so we dont go. My best regards to God. Bobbya nd I had a water fight and no one won cos it was just for fun I played some musik I found in the piano stool. We went to the sea and I swam in with big waves. We had corn on the cob and meat for dinner. I saw Disny Time on t.V. I had my hair washed cos it haD sand from the sea side.

Since the only other people at the house were my mother and my brother, the churchgoers would have been in the majority and it sounds to me like either my grandparents wanted an excuse not to go, or my mother really, really didn’t want me going to church.

August 5, 1978

Today I did the front page of a Toyica (our make-believe Toyland) fashion newspaper. After lunch I went to the library and went shopping. I got five books from the library and I got some striped Osh Kosh (b’gosh!) overalls and some white sneakers for school. Grandpa broke his nose while we were away. Poor him.
We had chicken and beans for supper.

love to my Fans, Katie A

August 4, 1978

Dearest Yolande,
We went to the Universal film studios where 6 Million $ man, Bionic Woman, Rockford Files, etc. etc. are made. We saw a ‘rock fall’, a ‘collapsing bridge’, an ‘avalanche’, a ‘flood’ the ‘Red sea’ and Jaws. We also saw ‘The Incredible Hulk’ LIVE!
We went to La Brea Tar Pits and saw fossils and a film story abut La Brea. We drove home and had a rather nice supper We got home at 10.40 p.m.

Last year my husband and I went to Universal and saw almost all of the same attractions, except I think the avalanche and, disappointingly, the Incredible Hulk. But we did see Wisteria Lane, of Desperate Housewives fame. So that made up for it.

August 3, 1978

Today we got up at 6 o’clock and at 7 we drove to the airport. Our plane was delayed from 11.35 to 1 but we did not take off until 2 o’clock.
During the flight I became a member of Junior Jet Club and mummy gave me this pop-a-point pen.
Grandma + Grandpa came to get us off the plane and we went to the motel. Bobby and I went swimming and we had dinner.

My mother had a very clever strategy of buying us each a new toy for every transatlantic flight we took, and only revealing it during the flight – nothing big, but enough to look forward to and something we could use during the journey.

August 2, 1978

Dear Yolande,
I made a collage of a princess. I have not named her but I know she is a princess because of her small silver crown. I will give her to Grandma. I went bike riding, read ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and then had lunch. After lunch it really rained. Boy, did it rain! It poured and pelted and it was even worse by the time we got to Coventry. I thought there was going to be another flood! We were supposed to have seen the Mystery Plays, but ‘rain stopped plays!’ Instead we went to the Toy Museum. It was rather nice. On the way home we looked inside the house in Bubbenhal. Pray, cross your fingers, and wish with all your might that we move there. Just think, this time tomorrow I’ll be in America. U.S.A., here I come!

I’m not quite sure if I am referring to a specific flood locally, or THE flood. The Coventry Mystery Plays were great fun, we must have gone on another occasion as I remember seeing them. I was in Coventry recently for work and I saw the Toy Museum and wondered if it was new, but apparently not. It is in an old house right by a main road and I wonder if the house has become cut off from what used to surround it, which is why I didn’t recognise it.

August 1, 1978

Today although it is Car Registration 1st day of year I saw no new cars with a T-registration plate. This morning I put a few things in my rucksack for the plane. I saw ‘Tarzan’ and ‘Belle and Sebastian’. The latter was interruppted by a temporary fault. After lunch we went to see the Dawkes. Helen and I read and picked raspberries. I borrowed ‘Mountain of Magic’ from Helen and I have finished it. After supper (stuffed marrow, yum) I saw ‘The Rockford Files’ and ‘Whats on Next?’

I’ve decided to restart typing entries with the current month as the gap is now getting ridiculous. I was clearly a very geeky and weird child – although I still like stuffed marrow. Helen Dawkes had the distinction of going to the local convent school, even though I don’t think they were Catholic, where they wore very weird maroon uniforms that had to be bought from one particular shop. I remember being fascinated by those uniforms.