Mum’s Diary
In D hos. Pain bit better. Wanted to fly home but persuaded me to wait so I did.
My/Roger’s Diary
Although I didn’t have to work today Tricia did so when I got up she’s already gone. I did some shopping and after lunch watched some tele. I have received messages about mum from both dad and grandma via Tricia. She seems to have decided to fly back on Thursday. Grandma will come in the morning to tidy up. I shall go out as I don’t approve. Caroline should be back from France today. I will ring her tomorrow.
An exciting day at the Olympics even though it was an athletics rest day. In the sailing we have won 2 medals. A gold for Reg White in the Tornado class and a silver for Rodney Patterson in the Flying Dutchman. We have also won a medal of some sort in the Boxing bantamweight class through our captain Dave Odwell who has qualified for the semi-final. He is the only British boxer left. It is likely that Dave Starbruck silver medallist in Munich will carry off a Judo medal of some sort for us in the Light-Heavyweight class.
In the Equestrian events, after Richard Meade’s 4th in the 3 day event, it was show-jumping today. Both Debbie Johnsey, the only female in the contest and Coleson went through to the last 20. Unfortunately Graham Fletcher got 20 faults in Round 1.
In Round 2 a fall wrecked Coleson’s chances but Debbie Johnsey finished joint 2nd with a Canadian and a Belgian behind Alvin Schoeckemueller who incurred no faults at all i.e. 2 clear rounds when no-one else managed to clear even once. In the jump-off for the lower medals after a storm which made the ground treacherous the Canadian went first and scored 3 faults, Then Debbie went she demolished a spread, part of a double and part of a treble and with a refusal at the 2nd part of the double she had 15 jumping faults and ¼ of a time fault. The Belgian managed 8 faults so Debbie finished out of the medals – just.
Notes
Dunoon
Mum and my two siblings Alan (A) and Liz (E for Elizabeth) were still in Dunoon. They had been on a two-week holiday at Dhalling Mhor, the Christian Guild place in Dunoon, see Chapter 122. They had been due to travel home the previous Saturday but had been unable to because mum had been unwell.
Mum’s Illness
Mum had been unwell with vomiting and severe left-sided back pain. The previous Sunday, the GP had come at 10 am and sent her to Dunoon hospital. She had been admitted and given four-hourly pentazocine (Fortral) injections, see Chapter 116. On this day, mum noted that the pain was a bit better. She had wanted to fly home but, according to mum, had been persuaded to wait but she did not say by whom.
However, my diary tells a slightly different story. I noted that I had received messages about mum from both my father and grandmother through my older sister Tricia (Patricia). I am not sure if they had been in touch directly with mum. Initially, I thought it was likely that grandma had but that dad wouldn’t have been. However, even though they had separated since 1973, I think he was still legally her next-of-kin so may have spoken to mum and/or the hospital directly. Based on those conversations, it seems mum had decided that she would fly home on Thursday,
Grandma was going to come in the morning to tidy up before mum arrived. I noted that I was going to go out as I did not prove. Initially, I interpreted this as me not approving of mum flying home but, on balance, it seems that I disapproved of grandma assuming she needed to come and tidy up where TRicia and I had been living before mum got home!
Dunoon Hospital
D hos referred to Dunoon Hospital. Although there has been a hospital in Dunoon since 1885, the one mum was admitted to was a purpose-built hospital that opened in 1966. It had 74 beds, mainly configured as four-bed wards. It has been known as Cowal Community Hospital since around 2008.
Saturday Job
At this time, I had a Saturday job at the Scientific Anglian bookshop, see Chapter 119. I also worked there on some other days during the holidays and had done so the previous day. However, on this day, I was not working.
Tricia’s New Job
The previous day, my older sister Tricia (Patricia) had started a holiday job at the City Treasurer’s Department, see Chapter 119.
Elsewhere in her diary, mum noted that Tricia got this job through Joe Woodrow who worked there and who mum and Tricia knew through St Peter’s Park Lane Methodist Church. Tricia worked there until 24 September 1976 and then again in the holidays in 1977.
On this occasion, I noted that Tricia was working and that she had left home before I got up.
Shopping and TV
I noted that I did some shopping, probably food shopping, see Chapter 125, and, after lunch, watched TV, see Chapter 122.
Caroline Kingham
Caroline refers to Caroline Kingham, my girlfriend at that time. She had been away for a week on holiday in France. She was due back on this day and I noted that I would phone her the next day.
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.
Olympics
I noted that it had been an exciting day at the Olympics even though it had been an athletics rest day, see Chapter 123.
Two Sailing Medals
In the sailing we won two medals, gold for Reg White in the Tornado class and silver for Rodney Pattison in the Flying Dutchman class.
Medal in Boxing
I also commented that we had won some sort of medal in the boxing bantamweight category through Patrick Cowdell who qualified for the semi-final. He was the only British boxer left.
However, I referred to Patrick (Pat) Cowdell as Dave Odwell! Initially, I did not know why but he was another British boxer at those Olympics and it seems I mixed them up.
In the first round, Pat Cowdell received a bye and, in the second round, beat Pole Leszek Borkowski on a unanimous points decision (5-0). He also beat Alejandro Silva of Puerto Rico in the next round by unanimous points decision. In the quarter final, he beat Reynaldo Fortaleza of the Philippines on a split decision (4-1). In the semi-final, he lost to eventual winner Go Yong-Ju of North Korea. This was on a split decision (1-4). He turned professional in 1977 and had two unsuccessful attempts at a world title in 1981 and 1985.
Judo Medal
I also thought it was likely that Dave Starbrook, who had been a silver medallist in 1972, would win some sort of judo medal in the light-heavyweight class. I spelled David Colin (Colon) Starbrook’s surname as Starbruck! He won two Olympic judo medals for Great Britain, silver in 1972 and bronze in 1976. In 1976, he competed in the men’s judo 93kg class. He received a bye in the first round and won by walkover in the second round against Mohamed Zouagh from Morocco. He then beat Jorge Portelli from Argentina and Jean-Luc Rougé from France before losing to eventual silver medallist Ramaz Kharshiladze of the Soviet Union.
Equestrian Events
I had quite a lot to say about equestrian events and Britain’s achievements in them. Or perhaps I should say lack of achievements! The British Olympic Association Official Report was pretty damning saying that “the Equestrian Olympics were little short of disastrous for Great Britain”! It was the first time since 1936 that Britain failed to win any equestrian medal. One factor identified was that Britain stringently excluded their professional riders, such as David Broome and Harvey Smith, while other countries did not.
Three-day Eventing
I noted that Richard Meade had finished fourth in the individual three-day eventing behind Edmund Coffin and Michael Plumb of the United States and Karl Schultz of West Germany. In the team event, Britain had to withdraw two horses after the cross-country. As they only had two horses remaining they were eliminated from the team competition. At that time, they were lying second.
Show Jumping
I described the individual show jumping in some detail. This took place on 27 July 1976 over two rounds with the best-placed 20 competitors in the first round going through to the second round. Combined scores from both rounds determined the results.
The three British competitors were Debbie Johnsey, Peter Robeson and Graham Fletcher. I noted that both Debbie Johnsey and Peter Robeson made it through to the second round with four faults each in the first round. However, Graham Fletcher scored 20 faults and was eliminated. He finished joint 30th overall.
In the second round, I noted that Paul Robeson fell which wrecked his chances. He scored 23.75 faults on the second round and finished 14th overall.
Debbie Johnsey scored eight faults in the second round. She was only behind West German Alwin Schockemöhle who jumped two clear rounds even though no other competitor managed even one clear round. However, she tied for second on 12 points with two other competitors who I described as a Canadian and a Belgian. These were Michel Vaillancourt and François Mathy
They had to have a jump off which I noted took place after a storm making conditions treacherous. Michel Vaillancourt went first scoring four faults. Debbie Johnsey went next but she demolished a spread, part of a double and part of a treble and, with a refusal at the second part of the double, she had 15 jumping faults and quarter of a time fault, making a total of 15¼. François Mathy managed a round of only eight faults meaning he took bronze and Debbie Johnsey finished fourth, just out the medals.