Month: January 2024

Diary: 4 February 1985 to 7 February 1985

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Monday 4 February 1985

Fog then sunny
Maths, did progect on sheep.
reading, P.E, got a note
Watched television.

That project on sheep sounds exciting. Northwood Primary School was on the edge of the village, surrounded by fields on two fields. There was a dairy farm at the bottom of Oxford Street. On a couple of occasions the cows would get into our back garden after the hedge was cut too low, and we had to get the farmer to round them up.
Was the note something to do with PE? Was I injured and unable to take part?

Tuesday 5 February 1985

Sunny
Went to Brownies, Nan came
down, Maths, Wool, weaving.
reading, Played Music, English.

The sheep project continued with wool and weaving. I’ve never liked holding wool in my hands. Perhaps I’m sensitive to lanolin.

Wednesday 6 February 1985

Dull, Damp. Dad went out.
Came home to dinner.
Maths, English, Singing, Music,
Played games, Watched Zig-Zag
County Dancing

Where did my dad go on a weekday? To work, surely? His diary shows he spent the day at work, finishing footings. What a strange thing to write. Maybe he went out in the evening. I wasn’t good at putting things in the diary in sequential order.
Coming home to dinner would have been unusual, although it was only a two minute walk up the road.

Thursday 7 February 1985

Rained. Home dinners
Maths, English, Made something
for mum, drawing. Colouring.
No Gym, Watched t.v.

Home dinners again? Maybe there was a problem with the kitchen.
I made ‘something’ for mum. Aaaagh. More detail. Her birthday was December, so not sure what prompted it. We were probably just doing what we were told by the teachers.

Diary: 1 February 1985 to 3 February 1985

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Friday 1 February 1985

drizzle, Windy,
Class 3 did asembble, Spelling
Test, Singing, Libary, Maths,
read, Played with Mark.

I was in Class 3, but I was actually in Class 4. Except there were not enough children to make a full year, so they made us repeat Class 3! Did this have any impact on my education? They wouldn’t get away with it these days.
In 1976 and 1977 there were fewer births than deaths, a rare occurence. I was born in the academic year 1975-76. See how the blue line for births goes into decline after the early 1960s.

Births compared to deaths since 1900

Saturday 2 February 1985

Cold Breezy
Played with Marks fort.
Went to Annas party won
some games, Videod Doctor Who.

This would have been Anna Smallwood’s 9th birthday. She lived on Wyatts Lane, Northwood. I won some games did I? Was this the year I cheated at Pin the Tail on the Donkey?? The blindfold had not been pulled far enough down and I pretended it had been. I could see where I was aiming. I put the pin just to the right of the spot so no one would think I had been cheating. The shame.
And I spelt videoed correctly the week before. This was Season 22 of Doctor Who. Colin Baker was the Doctor. In Season 24 (1987) the companion was a character called Ace played by Sophie Aldred. I had a crush on her in a way that did not make sense at the time.

Sunday 3 February 1985

Dull, No Sun
Went to Sunday school
Played with Mark, Watched
television. Dad went out

Was there a day in my childhood I did not watch television?

For anyone interested in Sci-Fi, Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics were introduced in 1942.

There was a new Number 1 this Sunday: I Know Him So Well by Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson.

Diary: 28 January 1985 to 31 January 1985

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Monday 28 January 1985

Cold, Windy,
Wrote our spellings, English,
Maths, Music, P.E, Watched t.v.,
Mark’s friend came down.

Who was my brother’s friend who attended this after-school play date? Was I jealous I didn’t have a friend of mine there too? Looking back at the first month of this diary, I had no friends in the house. Perhaps I’ll blame it on the cold and the snow.

Tuesday 29 January 1985

Rained, Windy, got easter egg,
Went to Brownies, Nan came
down, Maths, story, Reading.
Proget. got a tooth care kit

Another Easter egg in January? Perhaps it was a small Cadbury’s Creme Egg. They were introduced in their current form in 1963.

We seem to have started a project on looking after our teeth. Not really compatible with lots of chocolate. When I was 8 I had a general anaesthetic to remove lots of my baby teeth as they weren’t coming out properly. The dentist made the decision my mouth only had space for 28 teeth, not the full 32. I remember waking up with lots of blood in my mouth.

Wednesday 30 January 1985

Foggy, Windy,
Music, Englinsh, Music, Zig,Zag,
Country, Dancing, knitting
Played lego

I never think of fog and wind as going together. I have learnt it is called advection fog. The things you learn when you start a blog.

Thursday 31 January 1985

Windy, Cold
Maths, Singing, S.R.A, knitting
Watched tv, No gym.
Had my hair cut.

Like most schools, the hall had gym equipment attached to the walls which was pulled into position when needed. The hall must have been in use for something else that day.
For some of my childhood my hair was cut by Ann Price, who lived further up Oxford Street on the even side of the road. She had a boy called Kevin who was older than me. She had a daughter who was younger than me, possibly named Jayne. We went to Ann’s house for the cut. It lacked sophistication, but might have been all we could afford.

Diary: 25 January 1985 to 27 January 1985

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Friday 25 January 1985

Cold Windy, Raining,
Spelling test, Did our play,
Reading, Libary, P.E., Redd a
book. Dad videoed A tv programme

I can’t spell read, but I can spell videoed. Typical for a nine year old?
Was I performing in a play? Not something I would do these days.

Saturday 26 January 1985

Windy, Overcast,
Watched t.v, played Monopoly,
Dad went out, Mark played a
game with me. Had some toffees.

Another Saturday when dad had to work, in his job at Parkhurst Prison. Looking at his diary, he was setting up for concrete in the yard.
Was it one of those games of Monopoly that lasts for ages and ends in a disagreement and someone going off in a huff?

Sunday 27 January 1985

Raining. Cold
Went to Sunday School
Dad went out, watced t.v.
Played with Mark

Work again for dad. He was covering up brickwork and removing tiles.
I played with my brother a lot but we didn’t have an easy relationship. We were either getting on well together or we hated each other. There was a time in our teenage years when we barely spoke. If I had known he was only going to live to the age of 23 would I have treated him differently?

I love the information box about robots: they were supposed to do all the boring jobs for humans but at the end they control the world. Anyone for Artificial Intelligence?

Diary: 21 January 1985 to 24 January 1985

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Monday 21 January 1985

Raining most of the
day, Stayed home with a
cold. Watched television.
Played lots of games

I don’t remember many days off school due to illness. I loved going to school. Some children enjoy school because they get to play with other children. Part of me was like that, but mostly I loved to learn.

Tuesday 22 January 1985

Sunny, got easter egg
Stayed home from School.
Nan came down. Mum went to
work. Played a lot of games
Watched t.v.

An Easter egg in January. Why? Easter Sunday wasn’t until 7 April. That’s so random. Did my nan bring it with her? She must have looked after me when my mum went to work. My mum worked at the church centre in Northwood (later demolished to build houses) preparing the Meals on Wheels for Cowes and Gurnard. It’s only taken me three weeks to mention my mum.

Wednesday 23 January 1985

Sunny, Cold,
Went to school, Music, Maths,
SRA, Watched Zig Zag, Coloured.
No country dancing.

Did I miss the country dancing? It must have been notable that we didn’t do it.
Zig Zag was part of the BBC Schools programming strand. I found these episodes on YouTube. Massive flashbacks. A television set was wheeled into the classroom. The first episode is about the Norman Conquest. The Bayeux Tapestry as a comic strip. Genius. I do like Sheelagh Gilbey’s jumper but I wouldn’t wear it myself. I’ve always been fascinated by the Battle of Hastings and the Bayeux Tapestry. My interest must have started with this programme.

Thursday 24 January 1985

Raining, Windy,
Colourin, Maths, Read an
S.R.A Story, English, Played
Kick Donkeny, and Robin-hood

I’m feeling such joy that I mention Kick Donkey. We couldn’t afford Buckaroo so we had Kick Donkey instead which was the cheap version. In the sitcom Father Ted, Buckaroo is Father Dougal’s favourite game but Ted hates it and wants to play chess instead. My favourite piece was the water bottle (canteen.)

Diary: 18 January 1985 to 20 January 1985

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Friday 18 January 1985

Snowed all day.
Made giant snowman.
Played with Mark. No school.

It wasn’t usual for the school close due to bad weather. It sounds like we made the most of it. My style so far in the diary has been understated, to say the least. If I describe the snowman as giant, it must have been big.

Saturday 19 January 1985

Some Snow Cold.
Built a snowman, watched
television, Caught a cold.

I have access to a diary my dad kept for the first part of 1985. We built this snowman in the school grounds. My memory is nothing better than hazy. I imagine children who lived nearby joining us to build the snowman.
Oh dear, I caught a cold. All that play outside in the snow came at a cost.

Sunday 20 January 1985

Very cold.
No Sunday School. Played
with Mark, Dad stayed home.

The church was St. John the Baptist on the outskirts of Northwood. The children were taken into a room to one side while the adults attended the church service. I have few memories of what we did. I imagine there was colouring in and making cards for special occasions. Did we not go on this day because it was too cold to walk there?
Why did I feel the need to say that my dad stayed at home? Where would he have gone without us? Having checked his diary, he worked most Saturday mornings and the occasional Sunday. He was a maintenance worker at Parkhurst Prison. Jobs he was doing this week include digging out footings and rebuilding walls.

What happens to the colours on the colour wheel when you twist the loop? Does it go white?

Diary: 14 January 1985 to 17 January 1985

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Monday 14 January 1985

Very Cold Snowy,
Wrote down spellings, English,
Maths, Country dancing.
I hurt my knee. Watched t.v.

How did I hurt my knee? I don’t remember country dancing as dangerous. It’s not a contact sport. There were more girls than boys in our class, so some of the girls had to take on the boy role and signify this by wearing a blue sash over their shirt. I was one of the those girls. I wonder what this says about me.

Tuesday 15 January 1985

Very Cold. Got G.S. Bag.
English. Maths, Practisised
our asemmble. Went to
Brownies, Nan came down.

A G.S. Bag? No idea. Was it given out at school?
Those spellings are so bad I’m cringing.
This nan was Connie Jones, who visited us most Tuesdays. She helped my mum with housework, like the ironing.

Wednesday 16 January 1985

Snowy Cold,
S.R.A. Music, knitting,
Singing, History.

S.R.A.? Having looked online, it was the reading comprehension programme which used colours. I remember Roger Red-hat; Billy Blue-hat; Johnny and Jennifer Yellow-hat. I do not remember The Old Man. You can still buy them today. Hundreds of thousands of children must have learnt to read using this programme.

Thursday 17 January 1985

Snowed Cold,
Went to Carisbrooke Castle,
English, Reading, played with
doll makeup.

I have the fabric page I must have bought in the shop at Carisbrooke Castle. Today I live a ten minute walk from the Castle. I’ve walked through that entrance many times.

Played with doll makeup? Me? My ribs are aching.

Diary: 11 January 1985 to 13 January 1985

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Friday 11 January 1985

Cold Dry
Spelling Test, Maths, English
Libary, Played Dominos

The shame of spelling ‘library’ as ‘libary’. Particularly as I went on to gain a MSc in Information Science in 2003. It counted as a professional qualification in librarianship.

Saturday 12 January 1985

Cold dull
Went to Newport with
Dad. Got a headboard for my
bed. Watched A film.

Did we get the headboard from MFI? I remember it clearly. It was dark pink in plush velvet, with wooden struts. Why did I need a new headboard?

Sunday 13 January 1985

Snowy Cold
Went to Sunday School.
Played tanks with Mark.
Watched television.

Day 13 and I finally mention my younger brother Mark. He was 7 at the time. He died in 2001, aged 23, of a heart attack. RIP. I have no memory of those tanks.

On 13 January 1985 soft rockers Foreigner got to number one with I Want To Know What Love Is, displacing Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas?

Diary: 7 January 1985 to 10 January 1985

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Monday 7 January 1985

Very Cold,
Went back to school,
done Math, English, P.E
Drawing. Watched T.V.

The first day of term at Northwood County Primary School. This was my final year at primary school. In those days, on the Isle of Wight, you went to primary school until you were aged 9. (We call this Year 4). Then you transferred to a middle school for four years (Years 5 to 8). In 2011 the Isle of Wight reorganised its education provision to a two-tier system and did away with middle schools.

Tuesday 8 January 1985

Snowed.
Made a Snowman, School.
Maths English Drawing
Watched t.v. Spellings.

It implies I made a snowman before going to school. Did I make it in the small front garden or the larger back garden? I imagine waking up, opening the curtains, and seeing the ground covered in snow. Not a sight we ever took for granted.

Wednesday 9 January 1985

Cold but dry.
Drawing, English, Maths,
Watched t.v. played a
game.

The lack of detail is killing me. What was the tv programme? What was the game? Who did I play it with? Who won?

Thursday 10 January 1985

Cold, Dull.
English, Poem, knitting, Maths,
Played Dominos.

Did I write a poem? Or read someone’s poem?
Looks like we were knitting in school. I had knitting paraphernalia at home too. My nan (Connie Jones) was a keen knitter. For many years she knitted our school jumpers. I remember being measured up in the summer holidays, and new school jumpers would be ready for the start of term in September.
That should be spelt Dominoes of course. Were they a Christmas present?

Diary: 4 January 1985 to 6 January 1985

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Friday 4 January 1985

Dull
Watched Superman 2.
Played with lego and a game.

Superman II was released in cinemas in 1980 so I must have watched this on television or VCR. The film is rated a PG. My parents must have considered it suitable. I wonder how much time they spent on this decision? As much time as my partner and I spend when considering what our daughter can watch?
My diary is very factual. I just state what I did. I rarely say whether I enjoyed it. Is this typical for a 9 year old?

Saturday 5 January 1985

Cold Sunny
Took all the decorations
down. Played game.
Watched television.

We were a family that followed tradition and took down the Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night. Did the lounge seem bigger with the Christmas tree packed away? We had a plastic tree, not a real one. The tree lasted for 35 years and at the end was rather bald.

Sunday 6 January 1985

Snowed cold
Went to Auntie Lillys and
Uncle Jack. Played lots
of games.

It snowed. The Isle of Wight has a very mild climate. I remember little snow from my childhood.
Auntie Lilly and Uncle Jack were my dad’s aunty and uncle. They lived in Binstead.
I used the word ‘lots’. I’m going to interpret this to mean that I had an enjoyable day. I expect we played board games and card games. I remember Great Uncle Jack teaching me to play Rummy and encouraging me to hold my cards close so no one could see them.

Those giraffe jokes are terrible. Did I think they were funny when I was 9?