January 23rd 1974

“TD2 -> Easy”
Ooh, a day of cocky nonchalance about the exams!
What’s the betting it blew up in my face?

January 21st 1974

“Economics -> Hard” / “Geog (Europe World) -> Hard”
The mocks continue to mock me back!

January 11th 1974

“Physics -> quite easy” / “Had to sit through a 3 hour bloody Bio exam”
OK, how could I have ever found Physics to be “easy”?
This fondness for the subject kind of creeps me out 35 years after the event, as I can honestly not admit to knowing a damned thing about it now.
Was I actually a [...]

January 9th / 10th 1974

• “French -> hard”
• “Eng Lang” -> hard” / “Ad Maths -> ha hard”
Yes, I wrote “ha hard” for Advanced Mathematics.
My lack of seriousness about these exams is somewhat troubling to say the least!

January 8th 1974

“BACK TO SCHOOL – MOCKS BEGIN AFN” / “Eng Lang 2 -> hard!” / “Tim B gave me £2.50 for Heep Live”
For most 16-year-old kids in 1974 the start of their Mock GCSE O-Levels would be an important turning point in their life.
For me THE most important turning point in mine was that – YESSSSSSSSSSSSS! [...]

January 4th / 5th 1974

• “Revision done mainly Physics”
• “Didn’t go to work – Revised (ha-ha!)”
Do you feel – like I do – that the scribbled addition of “ha-ha!” somehow undermines my utter conviction to the revision process in 1974?
The fact that I can’t even recall what revision consisted of is perhaps added testament to my indifference. Surely if I had [...]

January 1st / 2nd 1974

• “Day off – did nothing except revising really”
• “Revision in morning – not much rest of day”
Here we go then…. a brand new year and…..
Oh…… revision. Boooooooring!
I was cramming for the “mocks”.
My real GCSE O-Levels were looming in June, examinations that were supposed to ‘define me’ and show where my skill sets were. These mock [...]

December 20th 1973

“Got 16 Crismas cards at school”
They like me, they really really like me!

November 7th 1973

“Careers Evening – Went to it – KILLER!”
Well, I’m certainly glad I didn’t go with THEIR career choice…
It seems a little extreme to say the least!

September 17th 1973

“Had a look for chain at school – could not find it – damn!”
I do remember that this lost chain saga really dominated my thoughts back then.
Maybe its why I went to church yesterday?
Considering the “damn!” however, maybe not?

September 14th 1973

“Think I might have lost chain at school. Hope not”
Oh man… I DO remember this!
(Pauses for readership to sit up and suddenly take notice)
I had a silver identity bracelet, given to me by my folks. It was engraved on the inside and outside and I wore it pretty constantly.
It did have a tricky – and [...]

September 12th 1973

“Went wiv Dad to thing at school – quite interesting although very borin’”
Thing?
WHAT thing?
Sometimes my diary entries can be VERY frustrating 36 years later.
What do you mean “Join the club“?

September 3rd 1973

“Got ‘ome at 11 – went to School and found GOT ME O-LEVEL!!”
Got off boat, got on train, got off train, got in taxi, got out of taxi, got in train, got out of train, got in taxi and…. home!
Then to my school to evidently found that all my hard(ish) work in my recent examinations [...]

July 20th 1973

“Term Ends. SUMMER HOLIDAY! End of school year – Not very good report”
Time for me to jump on a red double decker bus and motor around Europe with Cliff & the Shadows?
More likely get a ticking off from my Dad for a poor school report and look forward to weeks of shelf-stacking at the supermarket.
Fun & laughter [...]

July 11th 1973

“Went to Open Evening at School. Not too good. Didn’t win anyfing so it must’ve been fixed”
Can anyone tell me what a “Open Evening” was/is?
My brain’s drawn a blank.
Which is why I should never play poker.

June 29th 1973

“R.E. <- Har Har”
I swear I am not making this up….
The comment I made in response to my Religious Education exam was….
“Har Har“
This despite going to church and despite everybody’s efforts to make me believe in all that bible palaver.
At least now my religious friends know that even back then I was already looooooooooooong beyond [...]

June 28th 1973

“History <- Quite Hard. Went to meditation”
First time I read this I thought I’d written “went to mediation” – and wondered what trouble I had gotten into!
Meditation? I did meditation? Exactly where and with whom did I do meditation?
Did I need to calm down?
Answers on a postcard to “that angry teenager”

June 27th 1973

“Geog Reg <- Hard. Done great amount of revision for istory in evening”
How did we ‘revise’ exactly?
I’m buggered if I can remember. Did we read through all our year’s notes, essays etc? Or did we read text books crammed with information that may or may not turn up as a question on exam day?
How do [...]

June 25th 1973

“French <- Hard -> Eng Lit. Nig came up, we went out on bikes tracking over woods”
Comedian Jimmy Carr once said “the problem with Canada is that half of them speak French and the other half let them”.
I’m in agreement with that. French is a horrible guttural language – not the ’sexy’ number many women [...]

June 22nd 1973

“TD2 <- Easy. Geog (Phys) <- Easy.”
Another day of exam cockiness. Technical Drawing and Geography both proving easy.
My wife will doubtless comment about me finding that second one ’easy’
Let’s just say that after moving to America I have found myself almost permanently lost and am somewhat ”geographically-challenged”