Operations? Leaflets? It could only be Mr Jenkins.
I’m hoping that some of my Alleyn’s schoolmates can disambiguate the handful of words in this four week period that might refer to interesting stuff going on at school. Frankly, I’m flummoxed.
Here’s the transcript of my multi-coloured scribbles, mostly documenting my TV viewing, but the passing comments on goings on at school might trigger some memories.
Sunday, 28 September 1975 – Dined at Feld’s. TV Upstairs Downstairs.
Just in case anyone wants an explainer for the quirky eatery that was Feld’s – here’s one I wrote earlier.
Monday 29 September 1975 – all OK. TV Goodies, Angels, Waltons.
Tuesday, 30 September 1975 – went swimming. Got cold. TV Tarzan.
Wednesday 1 October 1975 – uneventful day. CCF.
Thursday, 2 October 1975 – did operation leaflet. TV Two Ronnies, Man About The House, Morecombe & Wise.
Friday, 3 October 1975 – uneventful. TV Invisible Man, Dad’s Army, Liver Birds.
Saturday, 4 October 1975 – Exeat. TV Generation Game, Dick Emery, Kojak.
Sunday, 5 October 1975 – went to classes. In top class.
Monday, 6 October 1975 – OK. TV Goodies, My Son Reuben, Waltons.
Tuesday, 7 October 1975 – swimming good. TV Tarzan.
Wednesday, 8 October 1975 – CCF terrible. -> Callow?. It’s A Knockout best day.
Thursday, 9 October 1975 – drama good. TV Two Ronnie, Man About The House, Morecombe and Wise.
Friday, 10 October 1975 – all OK. TV Tom and Jerry, Invisible Man, Dad’s Army, Liver Birds, Fawlty Towers.
Saturday, 11 October 1975 all OK. TV big film / Bad Day At Black Rock, Dick Emery.
Sunday, 12 October 1975.– Went to Angela and John’s for tea.
Monday, 13 October 1975 – had more slides from Jenkins. TV Goodies, Reuben, Waltons.
Tuesday, 14 October 1975 – uneventful. Swimming good.
Wednesday, 15 October 1975 – OK. Corps very good. TV It’s a Knockout Final – we came fifth.
Thursday, 16 October 1975 – OK. Delivered leaflets. TV Two Ronnies, Get Some In and Morcombe & Wise.
Friday, 17 October 1975 – speech day, half day. TV Invisible Man, Liver Birds, PC Penrose.
Saturday, 18 October 1975 – OK. TV [Secret Of The] Incas, Dick Emery, Kojak.
Sunday, 19 October 1975 – classes. TV Upstairs Downstairs.
Monday, 20 October 1975 – TV Goodies, Waltons, Controversy.
Tuesday, 21 October 1975 – swimming good. TV Tarzan and the Fountain of Youth.
Wednesday, 22 October 1975 – CCF good. TV Carry On Doctor, Rule Britannia, Tommy Cooper & Face The Music.
Thursday, 23 October 1975 – drama good, TV Two Ronnies (last in series), Get Some In, Morecombe & Wise.
Friday, 24 October 1975 – field day (CCF) TV Tom and Jerry, Invisible Man, Sykes, Porridge, Fawlty Towers
Saturday 25 October 1975 Half term. TV Basil Brush, Doctor Who, Bruce Forsyth, Film [Judith], Dick Emery, Kojak, No Honestly.
Here’s my list of questions:
- what do I mean by “operation leaflet” on 2 October, “had more slides from Jenkins” on 13 October and “delivered leaflets” on 16 October?;
- who was “Callow” – who seems to be the source of my feeling terrible about CCF that day? Parenthetically, I sense that CCF was not for me, but my dad will have told me to “man up” about it, which resulted in me trying to make the most of it after that.
As for Controversy, I remember those programmes. They were compulsory viewing in our household. Here’s a link to an explainer. I have embedded the clip below.
The thing I remember more than anything else about this Controversy programme was my mother’s obsessive hatred of anyone pronouncing that word “contro-versy” rather than, as she asserted, the proper pronunciation, “controver-sy”. I still wouldn’t dare pronounce it the “wrong” way, even to this day – that would be too controversial by far.