I went to the barber’s (“Simon’s” on by Moxthorpe Roundabout), at about half-ten. Dad was still in bed so I took a key with me. There were three other people besides me waiting to have their hair cut – a 4th year from EGS, a middle-aged Tommy Docherty type and a thin faced man having his hair cut. It took about half an hour for the backlog to clear, and I was interested to listen to the conversation going on between Simon and the Doc-type. They were reminiscing about Alconborough Speedways great days in the ‘40s and ‘50s, talking about old riders like Tom Scarth and Cliff Lobley. I should’ve told them that Dad was “pusher-offer” for a few years in the late forties there.
My turn came for the chair, and I was praying that noone else would come in because I hate feeling peoples’ eyes boring into the back of my smarmy new hair-do in mid creation. Amazingly enough, Simon cut it just right – the best he’s ever done it for me. He took nothing off the length but thinned it out considerably so it’s just right now!!
I got home at about 1210 and Dad hadnt got up. I had to go out at 1.00 so I made him a cup of tea while I hung around restlessly waiting for departure-time.
I went at about 1250, so I ended up getting to school at ten past one. The place was deserted (everybody was in classes), so I paced up and down the stairs in B block. The 6th form common room was empty so I went downstairs and sat on the seats by B18 and the fire exit until 1.20. When I went back up, I asked a solitary 6th year whether he had any idea about the caving trip meeting. He said he hadn’t, but luckily I heard Mr Armitage’s voice from the corridor.
I hung about in a room by the common room indulging in pleasantries with Armitage, until I went to check upon whether any others had arrived.
In the common room I met Mr. Ingham (my History teacher). He, predictably, asked me what I had in mind for the 6th year and beyond. I more or less told him that I hadn’t and he then indicated that he thought my History and English were quite good and worth pursuing. I felt pretty pleased. He suggested that I should look into a ‘PPE’ course (“Politics, Philosophy and Economics”) which sounded interesting. As Ingham said though, it would involve 100% commitment from me and probably a large outlay in newspapers. It’s a pretty prestigious honour if you can get it and I will certainly look into that (perhaps History, English and Maths/Biology ‘A’ levels?). I discussed the above with Mum later and she said I could go for political journalism. That would be good.
Back to matters subterranean and the ‘meeting’ got under way – There were four people there, excluding Armitage. They were: Robin Quinn, Susan Mathers, Wendy Truswell and myself. Again I felt a bit left out – Quinn and the two lasses seemed to be able to indulge easily in conversation with Armitage whereas I – I may be paranoid or just over exaggerating a bit, I don’t know – well I felt uneasy. The trip is a week today to Nidderdale, to do three pots (including “Manchester”) and we were given lists of equipment. The cost is to be £6.00. The only problem now is my boots condition – the soles started coming off on last Sunday’s walk. Mum blames that on my caving trips (I’ve only had my boots a year or so).
When I got home at about two Dad had just got up. I felt funny – doubtful about myself or something – and this didn’t pass off until tea. In the meantime I talked to Dad about Alconborough speedway ( . . . “Those were the days . . . . .”) and then – when he went to do the shopping with Mum at three – watched tennis (Navratilova, Borg etc.) until Mum and Dad came home at five or so.
After tea I watched Wimbledon and did my book catalogue in my bedroom until 7.30 when ‘Citizen Smith’ was on. It wasn’t as good as it usually is and it seems as if the writers are running out of ideas for Wolfie and the TPF. I then had my hair washed.
After the above I watched athletics and then ‘Starsky and Hutch’ after the news. I came to bed at 1030. It is now 1103 and today has been the first on which I’ve thought about school on Monday.
It’ll be a change to have something to do and I’m quite looking forward to it! Three weeks of messing about?
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