October 31, 1978

This evening we went trick or treating. I was an 'old bag' with curlers in my hair and carried a rolling pin.

It wasn't that common to go trick-or-treating in the 1970s in England, but we had understanding neighbours.

October 29, 1978

TodayI when I had finished brekker I looked at the paper. Then I went up to my room + I finished off, hemmed fastened etc. Sashas skirt and her cape. Then after lunch I went back to my room where I planned a bonnet for Biddys doll, Emma Owl. I went down stairs to cut it out and sew it where I had some trouble due to the fact that I did not thread the machine right. I finally got it finished when I typed a 'business' letter and some 'cards' which I posted to ehr. Then after supper I saw A Special Kind of Love.

I think this may have been a film about the Special Olympics.

October 28, 1978

This morning I finshed off the dolls skirt. Then I made a pouch for the mouse pin Biddy made for me. Then Mummy + Daddy came + everyone except the boys was packing in some form or other (i.e. packing picnic, suitcase). We went out on our walk at about 12 and walked for a bit then had lunch. After lunch we walked on and I got my leg cut on some barbed wire and I found a fossil. Back home I made fully, a dolls cape. Then we had supper + I saw 'Dr. Who'. Then we drove home.

October 27, 1978

Today first we went shopping. I got some Kendall Mint Cake (KMC) from Kitchen 46. Bob got aniseed pastels. Bid got mint. Then when we got home we went out to get Brigget (Midge) Bids friend. We did some sewing and I made a good start on a dolls skirt for Sasha. After lunch we dressed up. I was a boy and Bobby was a girl, and we ran away. Then Midge had to go home. I did some more sewing when we had fetched Piccy + co. We (Bid + I) had a midnight feast.

I don't think my brother has dressed up as a girl recently... perhaps I should check.

October 26, 1978

What a day! First we fooled a bit + then Fiona took B + Bob + I to B's friend's house. She has a pony. We could not ride her for she was in foal but we groomed her which was lovely, wonderful. Then we played Totopoly. My horse won, with the aid of an unbreakable run and an unburstable blood vessel. After a scrumptious lunch we came back to Oxford anhd we waited from 3.15 to 5.00 to see Watership Down. It was super, but rather sad in places. You see, these five or six rabbits live in a warren which is to be built on top of, and one of them senses this. The five or six rabbits beleive him, so they run away. They have one doe with them but she is killed, so when they find a nice new warren they go and get some other rabbits from a sort of Communist warren. The police rabbits and leader come + fight them but the police lose. At the very end the rabbit who started it off dies.

Biddy went to a "good school" so I suppose her friends were rather more high class than mine - I don't think any of mine had ponies!
All together now... Bright Eyes...

October 25, 1978

Today I washed + dried by blue pinny fore + then we packed + left. We arrived in Oxford + parked. I spent a bout an hour in Blackwells childrens bookshop. Then after lunch at 'Browns' we went to 'Laura Ashley's' were I got a very very very pretty new dress + then at Oasis I got a bangle to match. Then we went home + played + played. When we went to bed we had a feast.

Brown's is still in the same place in Oxford, and still one of my favourite restaruants. It's also the scene of an incident, famous in my family, when my mother and my aunts went for lunch and waited ages and ages for service. The table had not been cleared so my mother pocketed the tip the previous people had left, and then left it herself for the waiter that (eventually) served them.

October 24, 1978

Today we played around in the morning. I read, and did a tiny bit on my Local History Badge. Then I went to the Library, where although they did not have Jackdaw no 66 I got some nice books. Then after lunch we went into Coventry. I got some new jeans + we got a pomegranete and a coconut. Then we went to read at Canley Library. We got a good book and Jackdaw no 66. Then we went home + got two gigantic pumpkins: one we weighed + it was 3 stone.

Canley library was the library attached to the education college, so it had a huge selection of children’s literature, it was one of my favourite places to go. Must be the time of year for pomegranates, as we got one last week and this in our organic fruit and veg box.

October 23, 1978

Here follows Half term

This morning we went to the dentists. I had a filling. I will have to have a brace. Then we went to Timothy Halls house. He goes to our school. First we struggled with his 1,500 piece jigsaw. Then we went conker collecting. After lunch we played football and first game we won 5-nil. The second game was stopped – Bobby fell over. We did some more jigsaw, played ‘Rush’ and then went home. I watched television + at 7.00 I went to Guides. We arranged quite a bit for our Entertainers.

Very dedicated Guide leaders – we are on a break this week because of our girls’ schools’ half term…

October 22, 1978

This morning Amanda + I read for a bit then we had breakfast: it was French Toast. Then we recorded a song context (all three of us lost) a gardening programme and ‘These You Will Love or Else’, (from Russia). We sneaked in a bit of ‘hospitals’ then Amanda had to leave. I then read. Then there was lunch, and after that I did some ironing, and then I read, listened to a tape, and did my homework, which I kept stopping and stalling over, but was really very easy. Then after supper, bath (after a prolonged wait) and a bit of seeing two boring and violent programes (Withering* Heights and A Horseman Riding By) I retired to bed.
*Wuthering

October 21, 1978

This morning I listened to the radio and there was a childrens concert. I went to the post office and I bought 2oz of Fairy Satins and 2oz of Dolly Mixture. I went home + read for a bit. After lunch I went to Piano lesson and then Amanda came for a bit. Then I bought myself a book called Felicia the Critic for 50p. It is very good. Then I had an eye appointment and I do not need new glasses. Then I read some more. After supper Amanda came back. We saw ‘All Creatures Great + Small’ and then went to bed. We had a half-nine feast.

As opposed to a midnight feast, I assume…

October 15, 1978

This morning I played around. I went to see if a certain shop (our newsagents) which opens on Sundays had aniseed balls. Negative. After lunch I cleaned my room up, vacuumed, cleaned a cupboard, defrosted our refridgerator for my guide Housekeeper badge. Then I saw Star Turn Challenge: Carry-on v. News. Bobby wanted News to win but I wanted Carry-on. When they did Bobby said “Oh, I changed my mind”! In the evening I saw A Horseman Riding By.

I bet my mother wishes my enthusiasm for housekeeping had continued…

October 14, 1978

This morning I made a collage and I decorated the gingerbread biscuits I made yesterday with icing sugar. These I took (with my two other competition entries) along to Dale Street. I stayed for a bit + delivered some pickles. Then I went home + had lunch. When I went to Dale Street again I found that I had won one first prize and three second prizes, a total of £1.40! I then trundled along to Milverton, where I won a bottle of pop and a small piece of toffee. When I got home I read Black Beauty + after supper, I saw, ‘All Creatures Great + Small’.

Must have been fete season at both the church where I went to Guides, and my old primary school.

October 8, 1978

This morning after brekker and a bit of a read in the nearby woods I went blackberry picking with Irene and Selma. I picked a few and I stepped, ankle deep, into a very squelchy patch of ground, better known as a bog (no, not a loo). When I had dried my socks and shoes by the fire and some (‘all’ is not true) had had stew for lunch we struck the tent. I did the washing up, the gadgets were dismantled, and the dining shelter was taken down. After a cleanup + singsong we left. In the evening I saw Sefton Blake.

Gadgets, for those who have never been Guides or Scouts, are constructions that you use as sinks, draining boards, plate holders, wellie holders, and general helpful furniture around camp. We always used bamboo and rubber bands to make ours but apparently the official way was to use sticks and string.

October 7, 1978

This morning at 8.30 I went round to the church with my kit but I had to go back for my teds and my gumboots. Then when we got to camp we discovered all the permutations for the top of the loo tent poles. Then after a lunch of beefburgers we pitched tent. I was in the tent at the time, but the others put dirt in Louisas cress sandwiches for packed tea. In the evening we went on a jolly good ramble around the fields. We had *Irene’s dog, Dougie, with us, and he literally pulled us over the ploughed fields in the dark!
*Our Guide Leader

I remember that dog – some sort of smelly, hairy terrier thing…

October 1, 1978

This morning at 9.20 when I had finished my brekker (or, as the French call it, little (petit) un (de) fast (jeun) en (I made it up) ing (er), Selma came. We considered badges and decided what to do for the Entertainers. We looked at Commonwealth and looked around the house for things from the Commonwealth. We found millions of toys from Hong Kong.
After lunch I read ate sweets did homework etc. etc. Then I saw Star Turn and Sexton Blake.

There are almost exclusively weekend entries from this point onwards – but I’m updating August entries still at the moment.