January 18th (Part 2) / 19th / 20th

• “Go to Alresford”
• “Good laugh at Al. Usual missing of clothes etc”
• “Got home about 5:30″
Old Alresford Place was built in the 17th Century as a country parish rectory.
In the 1800’s it became the home of the Rt Hon Reverend Sumner, whose wife Mary  founded the Mothers Union, now a worldwide christian organisation boasting a membership of [...]

June 7th 1972

“Done studies for art exam” / “went out in evening. played hide + seek over park. ooh, so bludy exciting”
Please note that “bludy” – despite the terrible spelling – represents the very first swear word in my diaries!! In later years I think it goes without saying that I did learn to swear properly!
I like [...]

May 22nd 1972

“no more norty things. bit tired all day but not to worry”
Blimey, I’m not surprised I was tired.
That was, apparently, one (if the word can be excused under the circumstances) hell of a sleepless church weekend!!
“but not worry” makes me appear ridiculously nonchalant about it all though, especially when the “no more norty things” is taken [...]

May 21st 1972

“locked val and sue out of their room in afternoon” / “service in afternoon” / “more norty tricks” / “got home at 5:15, found out that have lost pen”
Lest we forget the true purpose of the weekend, “service in the afternoon” probably relates to something ‘church-esque’. I am pretty sure it doesn’t suggest anything untoward, *ahem*, if [...]

an aside (II)

I need to clarify something.
I received a handful of e-mails today, more or less asking “Good god man, you first had sex at 14?!”
No, I did not.
Sure, I indulged in some harmless fumbling, but the *ahem* complete ’sausage in a basket’ thing did not happen to me until much later in life. (I’ll admit I was something [...]

May 20th 1972

“more norty tricks” / “played football, won 20-5, scored twice” / “Shared with S.B. in s.bag”
My diary makes this weekend sound like an utter bacchanalian event, interspersed only with food and the beautiful game?
Given the final subject matter however, the Benny Hill in me is trying hard not to say “surely I scored more than just the [...]

May 19th 1972

“TIBS weekend” / “Abbots Road by 6, rave up in A’s room” / “Arrived at 7. Had supper. Unpacked. Played Norty Tricks. Brilliant Fun”
OK, it’s time to play something of the “voyeur” with my teenage self.
This was an away-from-home weekend, linked to my T.I.B church group. Not just the individuals in my own little ’sect’, but [...]