Saturday October 4th

A dissatisfying day. I went into Easterby, as intended, with Mum and Dad in the car. We had to trail down to Burton’s to buy me a jacket – Mum has kept nattering on to me about my lack of adequate clothing – and although I was pretty impatient at first, and quite embarrassed, it was alright really. Mum bought me a short, brown corduroy jacket which is OK, and I got a jumper (blue and claret stripes). I’m really not short of things to wear now.

After leaving Mum and Dad I went into Smith’s where I bought Edward de Bono’s “The Happiness Purpose” (“. . . if I had to invent a religion this would be it . . .”) for 95p. I then trailed round five different record departments looking for “Welcome” – the two Smiths, Michaels, HMV, and Aymers – but it was nowhere to be seen. After looking at scarves in C & A (why didn’t I buy?) I went to the library to look mainly for a book to help me with Monday’s debate. This I did (“the Survival of God in the Scientific Age,” by Alan Isaacs, 1966), plus four others; “Marx” by David McLellan; “Latin American Thought” by Harold E. Davis; “The Russian Moderates and the Crisis of Tsarism 1914-17,” by Raymond Pearson and “Russia in Revolution 1900-1918” by Lionel Kochan.

For some reason I then went to HMV and bought Mingus, “Me, Myself An Eye” for £3.99 – a spur of the moment decision – and when I got home I really regretted it. “Rocks Pebbles and Sand” all over again!!, only this time could I fuck but find the receipt. I can’t return it now! It is really mainstream jazz in places.

I didn’t go to the Athletic today – don’t ask me why, I just didn’t bother getting off the bus at Cardigan Park – and just as well really. It was another defeat. Athletic were leading 1-0 at half-time (Broome in the 38th minute) but Elmfield pulled one back, Broome was stretchered off the field with concussion and then Elmfield scored again.

I spent most of the afternoon and evening wrestling with the debate. I got a couple of paragraphs down but nothing really substantial. I have really got to work now!