Monday June 30th

An extremely active and interesting day. I got up at 7.45 and set off for school about 8.15. There were quite a few ex-fifth years going so I just followed them. We went into the 6th form common room (our ‘home’ from now until 1982) where there was already quite a large crowd of people. I was a bit surprised to see the old sixth formers until I thought about it – they will be stopping on for the seventh year.

We all sat about feeling ill-at-ease until we got separated into three groups, tutored by Mr Gledhill (Geog.), Mrs Newsholme (Biol.) and Mr McIntyre (Phys.). I was placed in Gledhill’s group, along with Darren Busfield, Trevor Woodrow, Richard Deakin etc.

We spent the first half-an-hour or so listening to Gledhill in C6, which is to be our tutor group room. He simply told us what was going to happen, and gave us a confusing time-table for the next three weeks. He also told us not to be lulled into a false sense of security by the easiness of the next three weeks.

At 9.15 we all trekked back up to the Common Room, where Mr. Ingham (Hist.) gave us all a talk about the next three weeks, basically just an expansion on what Gledhill had said. I quite like Ingham – he comes from London and is a really nice bloke.

We had Elson then for a prep. talk on this new “Understanding Industry” course aimed at helping us to fathom out how business works. We are having talks every so often (we’re divided into two groups – I’m in B) by ‘leading’ industrialists on Finance, Marketing, Personnel, Technology, Production management, etc., and we’ve got to write a report on each session giving (I suppose) criticisms etc.

Elson seemed really quite harsh and almost shouted at us in total contrast to every other teacher.

During break I had to go see Big B (he’d given me a letter during Elson’s lecture) about this Oxford trip. When I came back Creek and Busfield wouldn’t leave me alone. They seemed to have got it into their heads that I was to be head boy. They were really taking the piss. I can’t help feeling though that they’re right, and I would hate it!

After break Quinn and I and a few others went down to Maths for a talk on A levels in Maths – really difficult – and after being set some work for over the holidays, to Physics for a similar thing in L3. McIntyre spouted on much longer than I’d expected him to, which meant that I didn’t go to a History talk held after middle lunch.

When we eventually got out of Physics we went back up to the C. R., where I hung about feeling awkward (I got a locker, no. 40) until 2.10 when I went to see Ingham in B16 to make up for missing the History meeting earlier in the day. He told me about the course – which is politically oriented – and gave me a booklet on the Russian Revolution and asked me to answer a question for after the holidays.

By this time I had an idea about which side of the fence I was going to fall. From what I could gather, Physics was going to be mainly a practical, self-initiative type course – which rules me out 100% - so since History appealed to me I have now (tentatively) decided on English, History (Maths?).

After registration in C6 I went home in the pouring rain. Dad was grumbling about the weather and was annoyed that he couldn’t finish erecting his greenhouse.

Mum came home at five (Dad picked her up) and then he took me to Croft Hill for Leg 2 of the EAS-HAS Junior Quiz. I was a bit nervous.

I needn’t have been. I got pretty friendly with Steve and Peter, two lads who are regular EAS attenders. The quiz was to be held during a junior EAS meeting (total chaos – Mike Wild trying to deal with spiteful, un-astronomically interested, little aggro types). HAS brought four or five ‘fans’ but to no avail.

Some of the questions were easy – some hard – but I was pleased that I was able to answer my questions ‘fairly’ easily. We beat them 111-94 so the score after both legs was EAS 224-208 HAS (EAS +16).

Dad had gone to Nanna B’s after dropping me off and it was there I went. Uncle Arnold was there but he went soon after. Nanna gave me £2 for my birthday.

We came home at 1030 and after watching “Parris” I came to bed. I quite enjoyed today.