I had to get up early to be in school for 7.30. I shouldve known I would have had no difficulty in waking in time – I didn’t sleep from 3.30 onwards, my terrible nerves keeping me in a fitful doze. I finally arose at 6.45 with Dad to find that the cat had crapped all over the kitchen floor. The stink was so strong I was glad to get out.
Everyone started arriving soon and by eight we were well under way in a rehearsal. I got donned up in my costume – Crabtrees green kaftan, Andrews holey jeans, and some hippy-style beads of Crabtree. She and Claire Pearson also painted a flash of lightning on my left cheek – I had a CND sign painted on my other cheek by Lee Hoy. At one point I was sat there in a chair with Claire painting this thing on my face – bent over me attentively. Anyway, soon all the 6th and 7th years began to roll up and we had to begin. I was operating the main curtain.
The thing went off OK, apart from the odd slip-up – quite amazing considering the cock ups of yesterday. It seemed to get a good response from the audience – when Duncan appeared in his auburn wig and horn-rimmed spec’s the place was in fits. I can understand what a thrill acting can provide – I almost started to enjoy the experience. My turn was OK but in retrospection it must’ve seemed pointless because C. P. forgot to place the perfunctory penny in my bowl. People said later that they didn’t know why I was there.
After the thing had finished we all stood about for ten minutes congratulating each other. From what St. John was saying it looks as if we will have to do the play to the 3rds, 4ths and 5ths (I say ‘we’ as if I had some great part in the play).
Third lesson was Bastow’s tutorial, all about the phonetic alphabet and in fourth period I received my Ant + Cleo essay back – I got a B. In Hirst’s lesson we each had a five minute ‘talk’ with Hirst concerning our Uppercross/Kellynch essays – mine wasn’t as good as it should’ve been she said – like an Indian egg (no innards, all decoration). Suddenly it seems all the work is building up again – I’ve got loads (mainly English) to do for Friday.
When I got home I finally had the news confirmed. R. Houlding told me this morning that Reagan had won – a landslide victory – and on the news I heard that it was true. Reagan: 51%; Carter: 41%; Anderson: 7% - turnout 52%. RONALD REAGAN!!!??
He is not intelligent enough. He has an ex-CIA man, Bush, for vice-president and generally I don’t know what to expect.
Talk of this at teatime led on to an argument with Dad about Iran – he was saying that the Shah was much better than Khomeini and I countered by saying that Khomeini was at least popular (in Iran). One thing led to another and it ended up with me saying that “the old ways are bunk.” I regretted it – I know I was arguing for the sake of arguing (as Dad said; “if I said white was white you’d say it was black”). For once I felt in the wrong, for being so foundlessly ‘anti-Dad.’
In the evening I played records and listened to the bangs and cracks from all around , as it was fireworks night. I watched “Parkinson” (Spike M.) later on.
Tomorrow, weather permitting, I am going to have Jeremy a game of tennis.
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