#50 - 1984 Week 51: What have you read?

And a sparkling chunk of iron pyrites.

Monday 17 December 1984
352-14 Week 51

Caught 7.30 train to Cambridge. Arrived 10.20, jumped into taxi and interview at 10.30. Awful interview, boring bloke. “What have you read?” (Faust – oh dear!) “Why are common verbs irregular?” Chatted in German, which was not too bad. Not a good interview. Met Giles Y. for coffee (he had interview at Clare), walked around Clare (nice place) and had lunch there. During lunch met ex head girl of Tonbridge Grammar School. Small world. Zoomed back on the train, through London’s writhing pit. Everyone must have just thought me to be another of those suited persons.

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Tuesday 18 December
353-13 Week 51

End of term is arriving. I don’t think we are doing much. We have not completed ‘The Rape of the Lock’ in class, so we will have to do it at home for our mocks.

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Wednesday 19 December
354-12 Week 51

Today we had our school carol service. It was much better than I had expected it to be, probably because of the congregation, who sang their hearts out. First we played a Handel organ concerto, and then we started with O Little Town of Bethlehem and it was good. I watched everyone carefully when they read and then it was my turn. (Philippians 2, 5-11). I was a little nervous and did not enjoy it as I hoped. I made some nice pauses in the middle. Loud and clear. Afterwards I rushed out to say hello and God bless to Sophie, who had come, but there were too many people to be nice.

The very same carol service:

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Thursday 20 December
355-11 Week 51

Last day. Decorations down at school, and I spent two periods with a couple of others tidying up. We just managed it.

Problems of a head prefect. In the morning lots of spray cans were confiscated by teachers and also prefects. The prefects then used them themselves to make a mess in our room. I was annoyed. It is not that serious – but it is hypocrisy. Lord of the Flies, corruption of power. And some got nicked – I could not give them back to the boys. Big complaints. Never mind.

At lunchtime Karin arrived. Took her to the pub.

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Friday 21 December
356-10 Week 51 Shortest Day

Charles started his 80-mile walk.

I got up too early. Christmas shopping in Tunbridge Wells. I don’t enjoy that. Got a sparkling chunk of iron pyrites for Ros. Had difficulty entertaining Karin, but then bundled her off to see a film at Bev’s and I was left alone and Ros came round, and we were alone (almost) in the house. I always play her music. I have to share it. She deigned to touch the piano today, and played at sight lots of hard things.

The very same Charles and me. He crossed various parts of the globe the hard way subsequently.

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Saturday 22 December
357-9 Week 51

This morning no post from Cambridge arrived. I did not do much in the morning. I cannot remember what. I think Jonathan popped round. In the evening I went over to Ros’ house. Walked half the way and we went out with Sophie B and Colin to a burger-selling restaurant, followed by a public house for a short while. We sort of celebrated Ros’ birthday and then went back to her house. She had a massive cake from her parents – they are weird. They do nothing by halves, everything properly. I find it rather tedious – this concentration on the meticulous and over-concern for their daughter. It was a good evening. I came home with Colin at 1.00.

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Sunday 23 December
358-8 Week 51

Up to serve at church – and I am in no fit state to continue this diary now. (Dec 24). I feel awful. My eyes are watering.

Went over to Simon Mc’s house with Karin. Afterwards we went to the George. Met a few people I knew. Some from school. I don’t like the atmosphere. Possibly a little jealous.

The George & Dragon, Speldhurst. The building dates from 1212. Closing time on New Years Eve 2024…9pm!?? What is the world coming to?

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2024: I had an interview for a place at Cambridge last week, so what am I doing on Monday going back for another? Well, last week I’d told them in the interview that I wanted to study Modern Languages (French and German) as part one of the degree, rather than Law. So they thought I’d better come back for a second interview with the relevant tutor. Which didn’t seem to go so well.

But end of term is approaching and who cares. There’s the carol service, which this year I’m approaching with intensified faith and my best diction. It was about this carol service that Pete Stollery commented a few weeks ago:

You’ll remember the annual Judd Carol Service at St Stephen’s? Tradition was, as with many choirs, a treble soloist would sing the first verse of “Once in royal David’s City” as an unaccompanied solo. It was my first big music event as a music teacher at Judd and I was bricking it. I nodded to the soloist (can’t remember his name) who began singing.

So you know the first phrase for the words “Once in royal…” rises - D, F#, G - well, he was very nervous and his F# was so sharp, it was practically a G, which, of course, gives you the first three notes of “Hark the herald angels sing”. So off he went, singing the words of Once in royal to the tune of Hark the herald (you’re trying it out now aren’t you!).

I’m wondering how to get out of this as the soloist was adamant! Another quick nod to Roger Evernden on the organ and eventually, by line 4, we were back in the same universe.

Ah yes, the ‘snow spray incident’. That stands in my memory alongside the ‘liquor incident’ as low-points in our poky little prefects’ room. The liqour incident was when the prefects had brought in some booze for an end of term piss-up, and the very tall headmaster walked in. “Pour that liquor down the sink!” I remember him saying. I later apologised to him in person, and he brushed it off with a “never mind” or something. Jolly decent.

And the ‘iron pyrites incident’. This particular incident was actually discussed this summer with the recipient in question, in person. Suffice it to say, lads, don’t buy your girlfriends a lump of old rock, unless it is very very small and very very sparkly.

By the way, just to remind you, these diary entries have been 99.9% unedited. You are reading them as they were written, apart from a couple of lines that I thought were open to misinterpretation and spelling and punctuation edits. I have to confess that my main spelling edit throughout it all has been the word ‘weird’, which through all of 1984 I wrote as ‘wierd’. But to spell weird as weird, not wierd, is weird, isn’t it?

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