Thursday July 31st

Robert went home just before I got up, leaving in a bad mood and greatly depressed over his housing arrangements. When I got up Mum was upset over it all. Apparently Robert had been short with her, almost as if all his worries were Mums fault. Last night I noticed he was depressed and he kept going on (unfairly I thought) about Dads lack of interest in his plight. He really wants the Penistone flat but has to give a £75 deposit. Since he hasn’t that sort of cash available he had to say that he’d take it, if available, in two weeks time. Mum offered to lend him the money but he said he wanted to manage on his own and when she suggested he approach Dad personally he said it was impossible. I thought he was making Dad out in a bad light.

Anyway, words were exchanged between Mum and Robert this morning and Mum cried when she was telling me. She said tearfully that Dad is often hurt that none of us ever approach him as head of the house.

At 11 o’clock, I went into Easterby with Mum, primarily to go to the Main Library. Mum got off at William Street and the ‘bus arrived in Holdsworth station at 12.10.

The next hour I spent happily browsing round the insect books on the third floor. The books I chose were, “Studying Insects: A Practical Guide” by R.L.E. Ford; “Insects” by B.H. Cogon and K.G.V. Smith; “Pleasures From Insects” by Michael Tweedie and a book by Asimov, “A Choice of Catastrophies.” I also renewed “The Ape Within Us” and returned the other two books I borrowed without having read them.

After visiting the library I went to Queensgate “Smiths” where I bought a book called “Biorhythm” by Bernard Gittelson. It was this I looked at all the rest of the afternoon. It is a fascinating book.

I watched the Olympics, read books and generally drifted around. Tony Wright, Andrew’s mate, rang and arrived shortly after on his brand new Honda 500-4. They played records in my bedroom while I busily built a baited pitfall trap for ground dwelling insects from a truncated petrol funnel, a marvel tin and a piece of wood (as shown in “Insects” (Cogon & Smith)). This, when sunk so that the top is flush with the soil, is supposed to attract beetles and others, which fall through the funnel and are trapped in the tin. This I finished at 9.30 and planted it by the rhubarb over in the garden’s far corner.

For the next couple of hours, Andrew, Tony Wright and I sat in the dining room looking at the “Biorhythm” book and talking generally. Tony Wright has a terrible stammer and it can be quite embarrassing sat waiting as he desperately tries to utter a word.

At 11.15p.m I went out with a torch to check my trap and, wonderbar!! – there sat a specimen of the Mealworm beetle (Tenebrio molitar). At least I now know the trap works.