Friday 31 August 2007

Problem page


Dear Cathy & Claire

I have been quite worried for a couple of months now & I just don't know who to talk to about it. So I thought I would write to you as you have given good advice to other teens in your magazine, with things like what to wear to the youth club & does he really fancy me or does he want my friend.

I have been 'surfing' on this new fandangle internet thing and I noticed that my 70s diaries are on what they call blogrolls. This is not the problem, in fact this is really groovily great because at least I know there are people out there that view them.

What has been worrying me is that due to alphabetical order I am usually listed after someone called Daddypapersurfer being Diary of a 70s teen I am next in line.

I have seen he has visited my diary pages a number of times and have read the comments he leaves. He says some horrible things about Donny who I love. I think he is enjoying himself whilst reading but the close proximity on the blogrolls scares me.

Do you think I might get pregnant from his visits should I use protection, my mum tells me I should not associate with such types and I need 8 hours sleep a night so should not be on here surfing and I want to know about the smell the llama leaves (or so he says) will Charlie for girls help? The llama is a male called Gertrude which is a concern too. Oh and he lives in a cupboard and did have secret laboratory at one stage... oh and he knits longest threads and has an envelope which he seems unable to find.

All the other girls in my class are laughing at me saying really bad things like I am his friend. Even his own family have told me to ignore him and he may go away.
The strange thing is I do laugh at his comments and observations..... does this make me as bad as him?
I know you will say it is teenage angsts but he has an ally called Bill who also has put me next to him on his blogroll and between them are trying to fix me up on a date with someone called Jasper

Do you think I am worrying unnecessarily? Should I just ignore him? Should I carry on as I am?? Please help!!

Yours 70steen

February 1977

Well it is time for the first half year report

I had now taken my options but unfortunately French was compulsory so I was stuck with the 'could do better' comments.

English (A/1) ~70s is making excellent progress and should do well (hey with an A/1 I should do)

Mathematics (B- /2)
~70s has worked steadily and her progress is quite satisfactory

French (here we go) (C/3) ~ On the whole 70s has a reasonable grasp of this subject and is beginning to take a more active part in class. However (there is always an 'however') there are some weaknesses of vocabulary and grammar that could be eliminated with more of a determined effort. (now this teacher was so strict, she was way scary. Her thing was pronunciation and diction and she would have us practicing repeatedly with our faces contorted like gargoyles)

German (B/2) ~ Exam 65% a pleasing result. 70s has worked very steadily over the half year and has produced some good results. She shows plenty of perseverance with difficulties (so the French and German teachers obviously never compared notes in the staff room.... maybe there was a language barrier)

Geography (B/2) ~ 58%.
A very good result. 70s has worked well through out the term.

Biology (B/2) ~ 70s continues to work well in this subject (a man of few words)

Art (B+/1) A for course work ~
A very capable pupil. 70s can always be relied upon to work to the best of her abilities. I hope she maintains her efforts in the future (thank you sir of course I will)

P.E. (A/1) ~
70s is a hard working all round sports person who continues to work well in all aspects. She is conscientious and has a sensible, mature attitude (na na nee na na ).
Captain of school netball team. (this was a temporary return to sport... but unfortunately it was short lived)

Form Tutor ~
A good report. I hope 70s maintains her improvement

Head of Upper School ~ A most encouraging report - well done 70s (you only got comments by the Head if you had a good report ... smiling )



Thursday 30 August 2007

Diaryless 1977

Sorry can’t find this diary either (so annoying)… but never fear I have a few things to tell!

I have just returned from my jollies with my teen and it reminded me of the holiday that me, mum, Kate’s dad, my brother took in 1977. Not before I was timely reminded by my Mum before we left ‘just remember the holiday we had when you were that age and you were awful a complete madam, you spent most of the time with a face like sucking lemons, you were forever phoning that boy you were going out with and you made our lives an absolute misery!… Good advice, albeit a bit harsh!

The thing with teenagers at that certain stage they only want you as a cash machine or a cafeteria. So bearing this in mind I was the model modern Mum last week. I was a cash machine (but with a definite limit) and with the evolution of the mobile phone text messages were rife… & I cooked but made sure I had a washer upper!

Back to 1977 and this is bit out of sequence…. We went to the Blue Dolphin Holiday Camp in Bridlington. Where we stayed in a chalet.

Mum was right I really didn’t want to be there. Kate was off elsewhere with her boyfriend as she was now 18 and was stuck there with my brother, who equally didn’t want to be there either.

There is a classic photo of me and my bro, which my mum has of us in the Cabaret Lounge we are looking so totally miserable and the lady in the background is laughing

(not at us but the entertainment).

Each night we went to the Cabaret nights, after days out around the area. I must confess, however, one place I visited, I love to this day, was Robins Hood Bay. It is such a beautiful place with its quaint old streets.

So back to the Cabaret. There was this band called ‘SCUD’ who entertained us night in and out. My Mum bought their 45 single. Now to add insult to injury to a holiday as a teen that I didn’t want to be on , she ‘ordered’ me to get their autographs!!

There they were gathered at the bar… grown men and me a teen…. ‘Could I have your autograph, please’ in that small pathetic voice. I have written on the back ‘This belongs to 70steen 23rd August 1977’ so that is 30 years ago almost to the day.

I recall them asking me how I was enjoying my holiday etc etc and they were really ok but I see my teen and how she would react to this situation, nodding and saying ‘yes we are having a great time’ whilst cringing and writhing with every breath & wishing the moment was over. I don't have a record player so have no idea now what this 45 sounds like.

Today I have no fears in that department I just see folk in authority and others who are famous as people doing their thing for a living ………… but then it was the most embarrassing, awkward situation of my life but I suppose it taught me well! It felt, however, like one of these had hit me at the time.

Tuesday 28 August 2007

Interlude not quite over and out

Well I am back from my hollies and had a great time. I am all refreshed and raring to go.

I have friends staying for a few days so the 1970's will resume again soon ............................

Friday 17 August 2007

Interlude

Well the sad news I am off on my travels tomorrow (or today or yesterday depending on your time zone GMT based) .... but the good news is I found the photos of me in my favourite ever trousers




as a p.s. I was looking at Crofty's blog on which I commented re searches on your blog etc.
As you would expect I do have variety of unsavoury characters around the world who are searching for what ever 'teen' (I really don't want to think about it ) and land in 70s world (much to their dismay I expect!... hopefully I unfuelled their ardour) but today I had someone land from the Victoria and Albert Museum......... wow at last some cultural persona for a cultured gal!!


Alas my excitement was short lived as I looked further and they were looking up
Snuggles OR johns "bri nylon"

Mind you I prefer that search to tonight's 'viewer' from Saudi Arabia who was looking up 'teen british boys'...... what a quite scary world this interweave is...................

See you soon 70s x


1976 Scary Movies

As most of my friends will tell you, I just ‘don’t do scary movies’. I blame it on having 2 older brothers and those black and white Mummy films with Boris Karloff.

I would watch the films sat in the middle of the lounge floor, with the ‘big light’ on and I would then be terrorized by the older brothers afterwards, making ghostly noises.






1976 I was first asked, for the first time, to go the pictures by a boy. I made it clear I wouldn’t go and see a scary movie, no way, no how!

He was obviously a sensitive, romantic soul and suggested we go to see the newly released in the UK…. JAWS!

Yep that seemed ok, a film all about a shark. Certainly there would be no Mummy's lurking. Plus I had a bloke with me, my mate ‘J’, her boyfriend, ‘J’s sister and her mate.

Yes it was an intimate first date, just the 6 of us!!!!!

It actually amused me this week as my teen went to the pictures with a boy from school (arrrh first date) and she took a few of her mates along with her too.

It must be the ‘thing’ to do still after 30 years. (Thank goodness).

So all was well. We were all engrossed in the film. I was sat next my date holding hands (no snogging), wearing that god awful green coat that I wore to London.

Then suddenly out of the water came the rubber shark. All 6 of us jumped in fright, (4 of us screamed) and the whole row of seats we were sitting on collapsed.

The usher came over, we were now laughing hysterically and we got thrown out!!

I watched the film at home with my teen about 6 months ago, she was laughing saying 'OMG Mum how fake is that!'............ ok so it seems now but not then.

Wednesday 15 August 2007

Blood, Sweat & Tears

I thought I would post this now as it is sort of mid my 70steen years.
There is no recollection as to what year it was but I think 1976 is only a year either way.

Kate and I went to see Blood Sweat & Tears at the Floral Hall. I have no recollection what their music was about either but we went. I think it may have been Kate's influence as she was that bit older than me.

After the concert we went back stage and chatted to the band (I do remember that there wasn't a lot of folk doing the same)

We got their autographs and suddenly, out of the blue one of the band members said' we are off to London now, do you want to join us and party?'

I may not remember the year nor their music but I so vividly remember alarm bells ringing in my head, all of them saying Nooooooooooooooo!

My Mum mentioned this to me not so long ago, after I had booked tickets for my teen to see McFly. I told her that her grand-daughter had informed me that she will be going back stage after the concert and me replying 'NO WAY!'


Mum reminded me about when she came to collect us after this concert at the arranged pick up place we were not there. So she and Kate's dad came looking for us. She found us on the steps of a huge tour bus surrounded by a bunch of older bearded men.

So I must remember this when my teen says and does stuff .. there is always the sub conscious alarm bell which I hope ring louder than the 'what the hell' one

Tuesday 14 August 2007

1976 from the scrap book


4th –5th April 1976

What an opportunity I went on the schools art weekend to London, staying in the Berners Hotel off Oxford Street. I was the only 3rd year on the trip the rest were 4th and 5th years.

This was the first time I had been away without Mum, what an adventure.

I had visited London many, many times before this as my Auntie lived down there and after my father died we would spend our holidays in the ‘smoke’. I still have a fondness for our capital but only as a visitor at one time I could have lived there but not now.

I recall when I was only about 5 years old (maybe it was just after Dad died?), my uncle and aunt coming up to collect us in their mini and Mum, my 2 brothers and I travelled back down with them. Me being the smallest, travelled in the foot well of the passenger side…….. like how many people can you squeeze into a mini and the age before seat belts and booster seats!!!

I loved going there it was so different to our 4 bed roomed semi in middle class Southport.

They lived way up high in a tower block in Peckham (just like Del Boy Trotter). My Uncle at New Year would dress up as a fairy (complete with tu-tu and wand singing ‘No one loves a fairy when she is 40’) There were parties and always lots of fun and laughter (plus they had a lava lamp).

In the middle of the tower block estate where they lived was a play ground with a round-about, see-saw and swings. On day when we were playing on there I felt sharp stinging pains on my legs. We went back to the flat and there were several red dots up my legs. Was it chicken pox, no I had already had that. An allergy? Maybe? Everyone was baffled by it.. but a swab or two of witch hazel brought down the redness..

It transpired later, however, that someone from another flat was arrested for shooting at people with an air rifle. So that is what it was! It was a friendly neighbourhood!!!

Another joy was going to the Tower of London and seeing the Crown Jewels, The British Museum, The Natural History Museum, Greenwich Observatory, Buckingham Palace squishing up to the front and peering through the gates to see the Changing of the Guard, Madame Tussuad's, the Planetarium… it was fabulous.

I had one of those ‘stepping back in time’ moments about 6 years ago when I took my daughter to the Natural History Museum, she would have been a similar age me when I went. We amble up to the floors to the Darwin Exhibition. Upon entering the room I just rooted to the spot and my jaw dropped. I was a child again. There in glass cases were all the stuffed animals from across the globe I had completely forgotten I had ever seen in my life. I flashed back to being 5/6 years old in my red buttoned up wool coat where I remember staring transfixed at them. I had remembered the Mummy’s (at the British Museum), the meteorites, the insects, the dinosaurs but not this… it was magical.


Anyway back to the 1976 trip. This was the first time I had visited any Art Galleries.

We went to the Tate, The National Gallery (which cost 25p entry) and the Portrait Gallery. I recall seeing some Henry Moore sculptures but I can’t recall where now. So beautiful! My foundation in the love of Art was building by the minute. I was truly enthralled at the Portrait Gallery at the fineness of some of the pieces. They looked so alive you could see every hair, every pore on the skin.

I bought postcards of the pieces I liked at the National Gallery and the Tate (which cost 5p each)

The Beach at Trouville ~Monet

Bathers at Asniers ~Suerat (still a huge favourite of mine, I have a copy hanging in my bathroom)

Cornfield with Cypresses ~ Van Gogh

Sunflowers ~Van Gogh

Woman seated in a Garden ~ Toulouse-Lautrec

La Loge ~ Renoir

The Chair and the Pipe ~Van Gogh

Pelagos ~ Barbara Hepworth


We also went to Westminster Abbey and Trafalgar Square too. What a trip.

And you know I don’t recall any boys being around either!!!!

Just as well really as it was at a time when I did not realise that pigeons were so ....rats with wings!!

Saturday 11 August 2007

Diaryless 1976

I know it must be lurking somewhere in the deep and darkest parts of my lost loft space... but it is a part of my house I fear to tread. Not only is it like junk shop (tailors dummy, pram, Xmas decs, child's creations and toys) it is also home just now to a million wasps. If I do eventually find it I will vet and publish at some later juncture.

I have bits and bobs in a scrap book and through memories I will try to compliment this year (oh there is one entry in the 'master' diary which I will come to).

I am now in the 3rd Year and I guess I have all the full angst's a teenager has at that time. No longer the 'babies' of the school but 'mid way' time to choose options and start planning for G.C.S.E.'s and C.S.E.s, having to make decisions.

My Mum never really got involved in my schooling to any great degree, she was too busy working full time, keeping us all fed and watered and maintaining a home life as stable as possible against the kick back of 2 teenagers (my eldest brother had left home of course by then). So pretty much I made my own choices as to what I would do at final exam time.

I remained in the top set through out my schooling (goodness knows how) and although there were no SATs then there was a huge emphasis on results and we were pushed to succeed.

So the first thing I have for this year is the bi annual school report

March 1976

Form Tutor ~
70s has worked well this term. She must try to improve the standard of her French (they are obsessed with my standard of French 'Sont ils pas')

English ~ (B/2) 10th for class and homework, Exam 12th. 70s is beginning to produce better written work and can only improve if she maintains her present excellent attitude (now my English teacher this year was the Head Master.... of course I was going to have an excellent attitude)


Mathematics ~ (B/2)
Exam 12th 70s continues to work well and is making progress (I know I was sinking though)

Physics ~ (B/2)
Exam 10th This mark represents a very satisfactory rate of progress which has resulted from a conscientious application to work
(this was the 'eye candy' teacher of course I was conscientious... seems to be a pattern of being 10th, there were about 30 in my class so not bad I suppose)


Chemistry (B+/1)
Test 70% Joint 1st. 70s has tried hard in class. A very pleasing result (you are telling me it is pleasing... but I fear the result was not without the aid of a pencil case ... if you get my drift???)

French ~ (oh here we go!!!) (C/3)
Exam 55% 16th/30 Only fair, 70s has not been working to the standard of which she is capable. More effort needed (Je vraiment ai aimé le français aussi)

History ~ (C/2)
Test 24/50 21st in class (oops) This result is not really good enough. 70s can do much better if she revises her work. (and they were worried about my French .... but good point Pop P)

Geography ~ (A/1) 7
0s was absent for her examination but her grades are based on her term's work which has been at a consistently high standard (should have pulled that stunt on the other subjects too lol)

Art & Design ~ (A/1) 70s continues to produce impressive work here. She is imaginative, conscientious and perceptive in her efforts. Good prospects for G.C.E group next year (thank you)

Home Economics ~ (B+/2) Exam 64% 3rd in class.70s has worked competently all year (good god woman didn't you realise I really wanted to do TD or woodwork..... not cooking! but 3rd ain't bad though)

R.E ~ (B/2)
Exam 65% 70s works with interest and is making good progress

Music ~ (B/2) Exam 54% 11th/31. 70s has let her efforts slip lately
(& I know why! I wanted to play the drums but couldn't get the rhythm right so because I was tall for my age they wanted me to learn the cello... I remember distinctly thinking there is no way I am sitting with my legs wide open playing an instrument in front of everyone... strange how a teen mind works lol !!)

Biology ~(B/1)
Absent for exam. 70s has worked with interest and is making good progress in this subject (this was the time we cut up cows eyes loved it then would shudder now!)

German ~ (A/2) 10th/27. 70s is working very well and I am pleased with her progress (
Danke. Kannst du mit dem französischen Lehrer sprechen?)


P.E ~
excused

Friday 10 August 2007

1975


Well that is it for the diary entries for 1975. Obviously couldn’t be bothered keeping a diary.
I do recall on or two things from the summer, one of which changed my life.

Being brought up in a one-parent household with hardly any money I quickly realized that if I wanted stuff I had to get a job. So with 6 weeks holiday stretching ahead of me I put on my best orange trousers and white seersucker blouse (I must find that photo of the orange trousers!!) and off I went around the village asking for summer work. I resisted calling at Pontin’s for a Chalet Maid job because the thought of cleaning up after folk just did not appeal to me. I recently had a girlie weekend with one of my school pals and she worked there for a bit as a teen and she told me you would turn up and they would say ‘you, you & you’ and send the rest of them home!
So I tried every hairdressers, the chemist, the newsagents (all they could offer was being a paper girl….. now calm down Daddy Papersurfer!!), stopped short of the butchers and the other chemist in the village as my brother worked there (he hated it),
Steve Heighway’s sports shop (managed to get his autograph whilst I was there) but alas there was nothing.


A mate of mine had a job in a café/ice cream parlour in Southport and she managed to get me a job there. Oh fabulous time to earn some money. I have just realize that in the back of the diary there are some figures
9.45 – 7.15 = 9 ½
9.30 – 5.30 = 8
10.00 – 7.30 = 9 ½
= 27 x 3.80
So I must have got paid £3.80/hour .. hey that is not a bad wage back then !!! Did I really get that much?? (re looked at the diary this morning with my reading specs on, it was concerning me £3.80 obviously that can't be right ...........of course it is 38 pence per hour ..... oh DOH (my defence Your Honour is that it is written in pencil which is faded) !!!!!.....

Anyway this café was in a time before Cappuccinos/Lattes certainly there were no ‘skinny’ ones. We served full cream milk frothy coffees from stainless steel machines that were obsessively cleaned with water and polished with soft cloths. Woh betide you if there were any finger marks seen. It was darned hard graft I can tell you!

To fill the coffee machine you would take a gleaming clean stainless steel bucket down to the basement, open the milk churn and fill the bucket with milk and slosh it back up to the shop floor and then somehow, on tip toe, fill the coffee machine.

I can’t recall how many times I did this but one day I tipped the milk churn and … OMG … it felt like someone had fired the biggest elastic band ever between my vertebrae. The pain was excruciating and I was sent home.


That one day did changed the rest of my life. I had a very poorly, prolapsed disc between C5 & C6.
I was then subject to lots of x-rays, a most painful injection in my spine (one of which I had not so long ago) and I had to wear a corset for years. Not one like
these so beautifully displayed by Domestic Minx but an NHS one that was off white, had one inch thick elastic straps each side and old women’s suspenders hanging from it (oh and a lumber support pad!), god I was 13 for heavens sake. It had steel supports and a million hook and eyes down the front. Can you imagine being a young teen and having to strap yourself in this everyday? …. it wasn’t like the brace to keep my teeth straight, I had to wear it or I couldn’t even walk without pain.

What does amuse me is when back at school a lad tried to smack my bottom in the locker room and went off yelping nursing his hand as he had hit a metal ass!!
Also a boyfriend I had at 15 (who is still a good friend) reminded me about his dismay at the times that I wore that darned thing when we went out!!!

The most upsetting thing, however, was that I never got the chance to run for Lancashire nor could I take part in all the sporting activities I really loved, I managed a bit later on but with care and nowhere near competitive status. But I suppose at least I did double art (always a silver lining somewhere)

I have had a few flare ups over the years when least expected the 'elastic band to be wielded'. The things where I thought ‘oops I am pushing it’ the old back turned out fine, pregnancy was a doddle but running for a ball playing cricket laid me up for a month, reaching down to fish washing out of the linen box was another month and bending down to feed the cats left me on the floor with no feeling in my left leg so I couldn’t get up that resulted with 3 months off work (had to watch Liverpool’s European victory in Istanbul on all 4s that night with frozen sweet corn on my back). Vacuuming the other day has flared it up again.

So my quest for finery and teen spends did not go quite as I had planned.

Wednesday 8 August 2007

1975 July

Fri 18th July School Report (gosh another one already??)
Break up for summer Yippppeeeeee

Form Tutor ~ Generally a good report, but French appears to require a little attention (what only a little then that isn't too bad)

R.E ~ (B/2) 70s has shown a good improvement over the year (thank you)

Art & Crafts ~ (B/1) 70s has shown much interest particularly in pottery and poster design. Always willing and conscientious in her approach to these subjects (got first prize for a turned pot at Ainsdale Show, I have just had a look at it in the shed, the poor thing's got a bit chipped and battered over the past 32 years but it has May 1975 and my name on it and yes it is a pretty even turned pot I must say)

English ~ 70s has worked consistently and well through out the year

Mathematics~ 70s continues to work well and is making progress Exam 49% (I hate to think what exam result I would have got without making progress)

Sciences ~ (C/2) 12th in examination. A much better result. 70s has worked well and is making quite good progress ('quite good progress'?..... if I knew what I was doing it would have helped)

French ~ (B/3+) 70s is far too relaxed in her approach, she has the ability but makes only slight effort to use it. Exam 66% (ooo la la ... 66% ain't that bad)

Home Economics~ (A/2) 70s is a steady, careful worker (again domestic goddess in the making !!!)

P.E. ~ (A/2) 70s has worked hard at rounders, netball and athletics and has achieved a very high standard in all areas. School rounders. School netball. School athletics. (smiling)

Geography~ (A/1) 70s has worked well since her last report. She has produced work of a very high standard indeed. (now DP are you listening )..... She is a pleasant co-operative pupil (wow an A/1....I must have pulled my socks up in those 5 months... got a C/3 in February and a right old telling off!)

German ~ (B/2) 70s is progressing well. her exam result of 61% suggests that she has a fairly good grasp of this type of work (I suggest he speaks to the French teacher)

Tuesday 7 August 2007

Today 7th August 2007

Wow!! What can I say except a really big thank you to FMB........ oh & I am dancing :-)

You will be pleased (well I know someone who will be) that I am lost for words for once!!!


Monday 6 August 2007

1975 July

Thurs 10th July

School Sportsday. I came 1st in the hurdles and 2nd in the 100 metres. Relay was rubbish, Sarah dropped the baton, I ran 1st & we were leading too.

(Oh poor Sarah how bad must she have felt, but hey quite an achievement for me to get such results seeing as how I was a second year)

Friday 11th July

Was told today I have been put forward for trails with Lancashire Athletics Club

1975 June

Mon 23rd June
Athletics Practice.
Had a bath (definitely a shift in personal hygiene....)

Tues 24th June
Had my hair cut in a page boy style. Washed hair.
(must have been a dry cut then.... all I can think of was I must have looked like the chap out of Sweet.. Brain Connolly... oh my!!)

Wed 25th June

Rounders Practice

Thurs 26th June

Art Club Athletics practice. Got my best speed in 100metres and hurdles

Fri 27th June
Went to the outdoor pool after school. (now this was such a joy . On the front at Southport there was an 'outdoor bathing lake' as it is now referred as. We would all hang out there every opportunity we got, in the middle was the 'boat' a bit of concrete that was the shape of a paddle boat painted blue. As you could only get to it if you could swim it was a bit of a thing to be seen there. Unfortunately it is now long gone and there is a Plaza complex built on the site. How short sited of Sefton Council with Global warming and a great nostagic place lost!!)

Sunday 5 August 2007

1975 June


Tues 17th June
Atheletics practice
I am doing the hurdles, 100 metres, long jump and relay at sports day


Thurs 19th June
Played rounders against Christ the King. We won 8 1/2 - 1 1/2
(told you we were good)
I got Angela Conteh out twice (now that was not so good as she was the little sister of the Liverpool boxer John Conteh and everyone was really scared of her... even me!! I must say she was a great athelete and I ran against her a few times and lost..... his family moved into a house just a few doors down from us and we would see him visit, quite a thrill as a teen .....I could, however, tell some tales about it .. but I am still scared!)

Fri 20th June
Rounders practice
Mike Yarwoods Birthday (now I am really scared why the hell would I have noted this in a teen diary... sorry Mike you do nothing for me although you are probably a really nice guy and I can't see you would have 'done' anything for me then... totally bizarre!!)

Sat 21st June

Bro's Birthday
Church Garden Party ... bloody boring (now now what sort of talk is that from a dowger Rose Queen and Sunday School teacher!!!)

Sun 22nd June
Washed hair (phew some normality)

Saturday 4 August 2007

1975 June


Mon 9th June

No rounders practice tonight

Had a bath . (I am confused no hair wash.. oh yes that was last night... I remember Mum had bought one of those new fangled rubber stick it on your taps and you have a shower type contraptions, where you could never get the temperature right it was either boiling hot or freezing cold, either way it used to spring off the taps and spurt water everywhere and the next half hour and several towels later the mess would be mopped up)

Wed 11th June

I fancy this lad called Paul he said he likes me but ......... he was only pulling my leg. Oh well

(oh ... how cruel wish I had kicked him in the shin!!)


Fri 13th June

Lou brought her guinea pig to mate with Batholemew

(now Batholemew was our guinea pig, originally called Elvis..... I am not sure what happened here, but Bartholemew had babies....... (a bit like the DPs llama a bit of a gender swap) Bartholemew then became aka Elvisess... just realised the date Friday 13th, of course)


Sat 14thJune

Went into town. Saw Petite Philipe (aw the small guy that snogged me at Sweet) I don't think he saw me thank goodness (erm what happened here??)

Bought a mirror and some eyeshadow (phew no football.... I bet it was hideous lilac eyeshadow though)


Sun 15th June

Saw the 3 Degrees in concert at the Floral Hall they were great

On the bus home these fellas chatting us up sort of (now they either were or they were not... but just rewind here I was a young teen, on a bus after a concert, with school the next day... oh my how much freedom did I have?.... even more reason not let my teen read this lol)


Friday 3 August 2007

1975 June


Thurs 5th June
Played the High School at rounders .. we won 7 - 1

Fri 6th June
Patrick grabbed me behind the wall and tried to snog me. I kicked him hard in the shin (that's my girl hee hee)

Sat 7th June
Went to Art class then went into town with J. Bought some shells in the Shell Shop and had our photos took in Woolies (well I didn't think the Shell Shop was still there but apparently it is, it is tucked away off Lord Street and it was (& maybe still is) a treasure trove of interesting stuff... I must pop in there next time I am home)

Sun 8th June
Washed my hair


1975 May



Well a dismal start & end to May it consists only of

Wed 7th May

Played Christ the King at rounders
we won 4 - 3


Sun 11th May
Part Eclipse

& that is it!!!


I absolutely loved sport at school (unlike my off spring!).... the thing with our rounders and netball team was that we had a great P.E. teacher. She had us practice after school regularly and taught us the tactics of game playing. For example in netball we would have key words for during the game that would alter the play to our advantage and to that end we were quite successful.
In rounders I was always first base and we had a great backstop. If a batsman missed then our backstop would 9/10 catch it and the accuracy of her throw to me was spot on..... not many survived that fatal error!