Mum – Hair set in am. Took A to dentist for filling in am. Work in aft. R went to party at night – then to sleep at Gary’s. Did packing & went to bed at 9.45. Malcolm rang & asked me if I’d write an article for “Christian Viewpoint”.
Roger – Today the induction course was wound up although we’ve got to come to school next week. We finished at about ¼ past 2. I went swimming at lunch-time. Simon Hook’s party was good. I chucked Carol and Chris’s girlfriend Caroline chucked him. I’m now going out with Caroline, I went round Gary’s for the night as Mum, Alan & Elizabeth were leaving early.
Notes
Hair Set
Mum had her hair set in the morning (am).
Alan to the Dentist
A refers to my brother Alan. Mum took him to the dentist in the morning (am) for a filling, see Chapter 116.
Mum Worked for Mr Ashken and Mr Stephens
During this period, mum worked as part-time medical secretary for the private practice of two surgeons, Mr Ashken and Mr Stephens, see Chapter 121. This practice was based at 41 Newmarket Road. She worked all day on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and half day on Fridays. On this occasion, as it was Friday, she worked in the afternoon (aft).
Party
R refers to me Roger. Mum noted that I went to a party at night and then went to sleep at my friend Gary Wood’s, see Chapter 122. I noted that I was staying at Gary’s as mum, Alan and Liz were leaving early the next morning on holiday. Surprisingly, I used my sister’s full name (Elizabeth) which I almost never did.
I also gave more detail of the party including that it was organised by Simon Hook. He was in my year at Hewett although he was not one of my closest friends. I thought the party was good although, or perhaps because, it was characterised by a kind of teenage romantic melodrama described in fairly blunt language.
I do recall the incident. I had been “going out” with Carol Colman for a few days. My friend Chris Gray came to the party with a new girlfriend, Caroline Kingham, who did not go to our school. She and I started talking and one thing led to another! As a result, I stopped going out with Carol, Caroline stopped going out with Chris and we started going out with each other. From what I recall, Chris was unperturbed by this and our friendship was not affected.
Carol Colman
The previous Saturday, after Miss Simpson’s party, I had walked Carol Colman home. She was in my year and is someone I do recall. I don’t recall exactly where Carol lived but I don’t think it was too far from where Miss Simpson’s party had been in Beaumont Place on that side of Unthank Road. I recall it as a low block of flats, such as the type found in Suffolk Square. If I am correct, it would only have been a walk of about a third of a mile, and was roughly on my way home.
Carol took exams at the same time as me, in 1976, but I don’t believe she went on to sixth form. I am not sure what she did after school. If my recollections, and diaries, are correct, we “went out” for less than a week.
A Good Athlete
One thing I do remember about Carol Colman was that she was a good athlete and gymnast. I came across a news report of Hewett’s sports day in 1974. She won the third year girl’s high jump with 1.29m and the javelin with 15.70m.
Other winners I recognise from that report include Timothy Fisher (100 and 200m); Robert Bonwell (800m); Tim Newenham (javelin and discus); and Sarah Humphries (long jump). Tim’s result in the javelin was truly special as he was only one of two athletes to achieve national standards.
In March 1974, she was one of three students featured in an article on gymnastics at the Hewett School. This article included two photos of her.
Caroline Kingham
I recall Caroline and would consider her as my first “proper” girlfriend, see Chapter 122. We went out for a relatively long period by the teenage standards of that time, but it was probably less than a month all told! I confess that I was unable to recall her surname but was able to track it down as my mother and her mother later worked together. I don’t know much about what happened to her but I believe she may have married Marcus Adam Batch in June 1982.
Packing and an Early Night
Mum noted that she did packing and went to bed early, at 9.45pm. This was because she had to be up early as she and my two siblings, Alan and Liz (Elizabeth), were going off on holiday the next day to Dhalling Mhor in Dunoon, see Chapter 122.
Malcolm Carter
Malcolm refers to Rev Malcolm Carter. He was a Methodist Minister who became mum’s friend and confidant, see Chapter 114. From Merseyside, he served in the ministry there and in Darlington and East Anglia. He was Minister at Court Hey Methodist Church from 1978 to 1986. He was the Methodist chaplain to Walton Prison, now HM Prison Liverpool, for 20 years. I found a YouTube video of him taking a service at Wonford Methodist Church in Exeter in July 2024. When he was in Norwich, he was mainly based at Bowthorpe Road Methodist Church. On this occasion, he phoned to ask mum if she would write an article for “Christian Viewpoint“.
“Christian Viewpoint“
There was a weekly feature called “Christian Viewpoint” every Friday in the Eastern Evening News. Malcolm Carter sometimes wrote articles for this and he may have had responsibility for ensuring the column was submitted. I have not found any article written by mum and I feel sure she would have mentioned it in her diary had she had such an article published.
Sixth Form Induction Course
At this point, I was doing a sixth form induction course, see Chapter 118 and I noted that it finished on this day. We finished the day early at about 2.15pm. However, I noted that we still had to come into school the following week. This makes me suspect that mum had taken my siblings out of school for at least one week so that they could go on holiday.
Swimming
I noted that I went swimming at lunch-time presumably in the school pool, see Chapter 118.
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