Wednesday June 25th

It was pretty pathetic weatherwise when I got up, and stayed that way most of the day. This June must be the worst ever – it hasn’t stopped thundering and raining for days now.

I took Dad some tea up again, and he got up. There was nothing in the garden he could do since it was stormy outside. For dinner he cooked some chips and beefburger-type things and we watched tele’ intermittently and talked. The rest of the afternoon was conducted in similar fashion – Dad occasionally out in the garden inbetween thundery showers and me inside watching tennis or upstairs in my bedroom.

I was quite seized with enthusiasm for astronomy today – I’ve no idea why so suddenly. I felt a real urge to write an article for “Arcturus,” the EAS journal – I’ve already had two published (“Space Exploration in the Future: Part 1 – Moon Mines and Mass Catchers” and Part 2 “Unmanned Exploration of the Solar System”) but they appeared over a year ago. I don’t particularly want to continue them.

Mum went to Nanna P’s and came home at around six. Robert had rung us from London earlier today to tell us that he’d finally sold his house so I told Mum the good news. He sounded cheerful when he rang, which is unusual for him.

I played records during the evening and in no time at all it was nine o’clock and Dad had to go.

I came down at ten or so for some supper and watched the last part of “White Tribe of Africa” about the Afrikaans while Mum did some work for school. It was amazing – all about an Afrikaans nationalist organisation called the Broederbond (Afrikaans Brotherhood). It is a secret society and its members include most of S. Africa’s white elite (judges, teachers etc.). It has spread a web of contacts throughout S. African society and basically works on the principal that the Afrikaans are the master race – nationalism at its worst. Apparently during the war, many ‘eminent’ S. Africans also belonged to another organisation (I can’t remember its name) which didn’t support the rest of S. Africa’s war effort and was pro-Nazi. Many of its members were known to be saboteurs and anti-Jewish etc. – it’s all a bit too much like Hitler’s lot for my liking. I only wish Dad had been home to see it! Afterwards was a programme about Britain’s prisons and Mum and I got discussing the reasons why people break the ‘law’ by vandalism etc.; we both agreed that to solve the problem the offenders have to be cured not punished.

I enjoy these discussions with Mum about current events – unlike Dad she is rational and tries to see things from both points of view. I tried that with the S. Africa programme and decided that the Broederbond people cannot be criticised for their actions because they truly believe what they do and say to be ‘right.’

The only really notable result of today was that Dad found an Easterby Albion programme from April 10th 1926 (versus Methley Perseverance). That was when Albion played in the Yorkshire League – it was sad to read because all the players and spectators mentioned – even the club – are now dead.