Mum – Rev Hopper came in am. Delivered Retrospect in aft. Went to GTE in aft. Bought new bra and slip. Went to Luncheon Club Dinner in evening as guest of the Papworths. Very nice but was lonely (not actually – just longings). FR rang v briefly in am. No S.
Roger – It was very hot today. Most of my lessons were not used as in both Latin and Physics the teachers weren’t present. In both we held a discussion on pop music, religion etc. This evening Patricia has gone somewhere and is not yet back. Mum also went out but has been back sometime. Alan went to Boys’ Brigade. I watched TV again.
Later this evening Richard Dunn from Bradford in Yorkshire fightes Muhammed Ali of the USA for the Heavyweight boxing title of the world in Munich. Richard Dunn is British and European champion. Ali is World Champion. Ali won the title many years ago. It was taken from him when he refused to fight in the Vietnam War. Then he won it back. He has only been beaten twice, once by Joe Frazier and once by Ken Norton. He has beaten both of them since, Joe Frazier twice.
A year ago Dunn was unknown, he beat Bunny Johnson to win the British title, defended it successfully against Danny McAlinden. He then beat a Texan of some standing then recently beat August to win the Euopean title. The odds are stacked in Ali’s favour and he is a firm favourite but Dunn & his family think that he will win as I have seen from a tele programme tonight. It is being shown in the tele at 8pm tomorrow but I don’t think I’ll be able to avoid hearing the result till then so I’m going to listen to a recording of it on the radio in the morning. Despite being the underdog I have a sneaking suspicion that Dunn might just beat Ali.
Notes
Work for Rev Hopper
Rev Reginald West Hopper was one of the former Ministers of St Peter’s who returned for the 40th anniversary celebrations in October 1979. He was Superintendent Minister in the St Peter’s Circuit from 1963 to 1968, see Chapter 124. Mum’s diaries mention him a number of times, not least because she did some secretarial work for him between February and June 1976, see Chapter 121. On this occasion, he came in the morning (am).
Centre – Rev Hopper at a reception in 1966 for then President of the Methodist Conference Rev Douglas Thompson
Right – Rev Hopper pictured in 1968 after returning from an exchange visit to the United States
“Retrospect”
“Retrospect” was a church magazine that mum had been typing and duplicating since 1966, see Chapter 90. I am not sure exactly what it was but I think it was some kind of church or circuit quarterly newsletter. I recall it because I remember helping mum with it, particularly with collating it, see Chapter 121. Somewhat surprisingly, I did not come across any copies among mum’s papers. On this occasion, mum noted delivering it in the afternoon (aft).
Work for Rev Eddy
GTE refers to Rev G T Eddy who was the Chairman of the Methodist District. Based on her CV, see Chapter 105, mum did some part-time secretarial work for him between 1973 and 1977, see Chapter 121. On this occasion, mum noted that she went there in the afternoon (aft).
New Bra and Slip
Among all the secretarial work for different clergymen and the church, mum found time to buy, and to note buying, a new bra and slip, see Chapter 125.
Luncheon Club Dinner
Mum had some involvement with a luncheon club during this period, see Chapter 124. At the end of April 1975, she went to the luncheon club’s AGM. On this occasion, she went to a luncheon club dinner at night as a guest of her friends from church, the Papworths. I wonder if this implies that she had been a member in 1975 but was no longer a member by 1976.
Mum had been involved with a luncheon club previously, for example between January and March 1965, see Chapter 90. My impression was that this luncheon club had something to do with church and Christianity, possibly Methodist. Grandma had attended a Methodist luncheon club in 1971. From a local newspaper archive, I was able to confirm that there was indeed a Methodist luncheon club in Norwich at that time. It had been established in 1958 with an apparent focus on men. It operated until at least 1992. The club commonly had speakers and also went on outings.
Loneliness and Longings
After mum and dad separated in June 1973, mum often noted feeling lonely and having “longings”, see Chapter 114. On this occasion, she noted she was lonely but then corrected herself and said it was “just longings“. These “longings” may have been of a physical nature but were also for intimacy with “someone” or “someone special” who she could share everything with. In his letter of January 1979, Rev Dowson noted “it is natural for you to have your longings. It’s worse for you than a spinster…. She had not known the joys you have; that’s why a widow or widower or divorced person seeks to get married again – to recapture what has been lost”.
Rev Dowson
FR refers to Rev F R Dowson. Frederick Rodham Dowson entered the Methodist ministry in 1936. He was born in Haxby, York on 5 August 1912 and he died in Selsey on 4 September 2011, aged 99. I believe he was superintendent Minister for the Park Lane Circuit from 1968 to 1974. He and mum were close and they spoke and corresponded frequently, see Chapter 114. On this occasion, he rang very briefly in the morning (am).
Senokot
Mum took Senokot (S) sometimes presumably for constipation, see Chapter 116. Senokot is a senna-containing medicine for the treatment of constipation. However, on this occasion, she noted that she did not take any.
Note on the Weather
I noted that it was very hot. That year, 1976, was particularly hot and dry, see Chapter 129.
Lessons Not Used
At school, see Chapter 118, I noted that most of my lessons were not used in both physics and Latin as the teachers were not there. I did not seem unduly concerned about this even though we were in the run-up to taking external exams, O levels. We spent those lessons discussing topics of interest to me including pop music, see Chapter 122, and religion, see Chapter 124.
Family Members had Gone Out
Patricia referred to my older sister and Alan to my younger brother. Both had gone out. I did not note where Tricia had gone. It seems I did not know as I said she had gone “somewhere“. Alan had gone to Boys’ Brigade, see Chapter 124. I also noted that mum had been out but, by the time I was writing my diary, she had been back sometime.
TV
I noted watching TV, see Chapter 122. While I do not know everything I watched, I certainly watched “King Richard Rules – OK?“, a programme about boxer Richard Dunn which was on ITV at 10.30 pm.
World Heavyweight Fight
I noted in great detail the forthcoming fight between Richard Dunn and Mohammad Ali, see Chapter 123. However, I don’t think I was particularly interested in boxing but, like many other at that time, I did follow fights involving Mohammad Ali
Richard Dunn
I explained that the British boxer, Richard Dunn, was from Bradford and that he and Mohammad Ali would contest the world heavyweight boxing title later that day in Munich. I noted that Dunn was British and European champion while Ali was world champion.
Mohammad Ali
Also, I commented that Ali had won the title many years previously but had been stripped of the title for refusing to fight in the Vietnam war. I also noted that he then won it back and that he had only been beaten twice, once by Joe Frazier and once by Ken Norton. He had beaten them both since, Joe Frazier twice.
Previously Unknown
Conversely, Dunn had been pretty unknown until a year earlier. He had then beaten Bunny Johnson to win the British title defending it successfully against Danny McAlinden. Then he fought Terry Krueger who I described as a “Texan of some standing“. He then beat Bernd August to win the European title.
Firm Favourite and Plucky Underdog
I noted that Ali was the firm favourite with Dunn very much the underdog. However, I also noted that Dunn and his family thought he would win based on the TV programme “King Richard Rules – OK?” which I saw that evening. I noted that highlights would be shown on TV at 8pm the next evening but I thought I would not be able to avoid hearing the outcome until then so decided to listen to a recording on the radio the next morning. Despite the odds, I said I had a “sneaking suspicion” that Dunn would win.
He didn’t.
Leave a Reply