Tuesday June 17th

I had to go into Easterby again today, primarily to get two passport photos for a student railcard which I will take to school tomorrow to have stamped and signed by Mr. Barkston.

I went with Dad again at nine, and we got into Easterby just as the Town Hall clock struck 9.45 a.m.

Firstly, I went to a flea-market Dad had told me about, mainly just to have a look but also to look at a stall which specialises in old football programmes. The market had just opened when I got there – some stall owners were still setting up shop – and I wandered around looking for the stall in question. When eventually I did find it I found that most of the programmes worthy of collection were going for £1 and £2 a time!

I then went to the Library again, and got out three books; “Reptiles and Amphibians” by Malcolm Smith for Dad; and two books for me; “Understanding Marxism” by P. H. Vigor (an attempt “to set forth Marx’s, Lenin’s, Stalin’s, and Kruschev’s ideas both impartially and intelligibly”); and “Socialism in Britain” by T. L. Jarmon. I got them primarily because I really do want to understand what Marx said and whether, deep down inside, I really do believe in his ideas. If the SPGB is anything to go by then I do.

After the Library I was heading towards Smith’s when when I suddenly remembered the photos. I had to go to the Passport Photo’ machine in Holdsworth Sq. Station, and had a long wait because the machine broke down and had to be repaired before I could use it. Two pictures were for my railcard; the fourth picture was a cock-up. I forgot that you got 4 photos for 30p and I was getting up to leave when I was caught by the camera. I had a really gormless expression on my face – if I look like that all the time in public I must look pretty thick!

I got the bus back home, a 511. It was probably my last journey on a City 511 or 513, for they are being phased out on June 22nd and Yorkshire Metro are running extra buses to cover. When I got home I did nothing worthwhile, apart from eat, read and eat. Mum came home at her usual time and I settled down to watch the E. F. C. Group One match, Holland v Czechoslovakia live on BBC at 4.35. The result was a 1-1 draw and when the match finished I had only another 20 minutes to wait till ITV showed the other match live, Greece v West Germany. That was a 0-0 draw too and so W. Germany are definitely in the final (Dad + Mum were doing the privets so they didn’t mind me watching 3 hours of football).

When that game finished the table for Group 1 looked like this; and I came to bed.

I am writing this after having read through one of my “Socialist Standards.” The more SPGB literature I read, the better it gets. I do believe in what they say because it is the only just and democratic way for a society to exist. By its very definition “socialism” is a system of society tailored by the people for the people, and as such is the only ‘proper’ way of living.

Tomorrow I have my last exam – History Paper 1. Quite frankly, I haven’t given it a thought!