Thursday June 14, 1973

Dave Lawson's 18th birthday. 'A' Level History Paper 1. Beautiful weather. Get up at 7. Nervousness now quite gone. Go on the 8 o'clock 55 bus after everyone at home wished me luck. Arrive 8.30. Talk to Mary about her troubles. Carol arrives at 9 with Sheila - both frightened to death! Michael Attenborough arrives at 9.20. Go to The Room. Papers given out at 9.25. Mrs Lane arrives looking terrified. Exams starts 9.30. By the expression on Mrs Lane's face she thinks the paper is marvellous. I think it's not as bad as I imagined it would be. Do the hardest question on the paper - according to Mrs Lane, but I like it: 'Peel - for and against'. Do all four questions. Finish at 12.30. Mrs Lane says that with the questions we should have all passed the British paper. The European paper tomorrow will be far worse.

See June. Come home on the 1.30 bus. Have lunch. Show Mum the exam paper. Revise until 3.30. Remember it's Dave's birthday - go ring him up and wish him congratulations. Carry on revising until 11.25. European history is much more of an arduous subject when it comes round to revising. Go to bed at 12. Not nervous in the least.

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Saturday April 7, 1973

After breakfast I went into Bradford with the £2 gift voucher from Auntie Mabel and Uncle Jack, etc. I intended buying the 50th celebration recording of the BBC, but Boots did not have it. Instead, I went to the Library where I met Michael Attenborough in the History Room. We both stood for about half an hour looking for something suitable on the Suez Crisis 1956. Very little was to be had. However, I did manage to lay my hands on a volume of Harold Nicolson's diaries and letters which covered the Eden administration. Nicolson was obviously a brilliant writer, but he approaches his diaries in a somewhat peculiar way, for example: where I would say "Sue went at 2 o'clock, and John came in moody at half past 3", he says: "The Queen dies at 10.20am and Winston announces it to the House in sobs at 10.40". Almost as though he's writing his diary there and then as the events occur! Most unusual.

Came home at 3.30 and had a late lunch. Went into the lounge and watched the annual Oxford-Cambridge boat race on tv. Cambridge won for the 4th year running and Oxford were 12 lengths behind at the end. Poor Blighters. Watched "Dr Who". Had tea at 6.30 and made a mad dash down Thorpe Lane to be at the Chuck Wagon for 7. Sue and Toffer spent the largest part of the evening arguing with one another - Pauline and I merely looked on. We were not too busy for a saturday night. Sue R had her hair tied up in some kind of head scarfe - and resembled some peasant from the French Revolution - really very amusing. We were home by 1.15. Lynn and Susan were still out babysitting, and I sat reminiscing until they came in at 1.45.

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Tuesday March 13, 1973

Got up at 7.30 and went on the 8.30 bus. Revised my Russian timed question until 12.30. How's that for dedication! Mrs Lane came across at 11.45 - it didn't stop us continuing our revision. We were all revising our separate topics which are:-

Me: Estimate the progress made my Russia 1890-1917

Michael Attenborough: German Military Power 1890-1918

Carol Bailey: Why did the Settlement of Vienna fail?

Sheila Woodhead: Why did the Revolution in Europe in 1848 fail?

How's that for intellectualism, eh?

June and I made our usual journey down to Hinchcliffe's and Rigg's. We seem to spend all our lunchtimes knocking about the shops in Rawdon. We must put our foot down (or should I say 'feet') and tell these lazy people to do their own bloody shopping. The trouble with June and I is that we are too damned kind-hearted.

After lunch we had a remarkable visitation. June was in lessons, and Dave, Christine B and myself were messing around in the study booths. Dave was smoking one of his cigars, and Christine was playing hell about the smoke, when Mr Elliott, the headmaster, himself drifted into the block accompanied by some sort of visitor. Christine was going berserk trying to empty the room of the smog and dirt caused by Dave and his cigar. The boss didn't stay very long and her sauntered out several minutes later. (See Thursdays entry).

After a pleasant afternoon June and I went down to the usual Cadburt's Cream Egg stockist, and subsequent our romantic interlude at the bus stop. Came home and revised (or at least tried to). Went to bed at 10.45. The test is tomorrow and I am quite looking forward to it! I don't suppose you'll believe that, or will you?

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