Royal Events
There were some significant royal events during this period.
Opening the Severn Bridge
In September 1966, Queen Elizabeth opened the Severn bridge.
Launching the QEII
In September 1967, the Queen launched the new liner the QEII at Clydeside.
Investiture of Prince Charles
In July 1969, grandad noted watching the investiture of Prince Charles as Prince of Wales from Caernarfon Castle. He noted that it was very good.
Queen Mother Visited Norfolk
On 26 June 1968, the Queen Mother passed on the A1067 to the Norfolk Show. This is the road to Fakenham which runs past what was grandma and grandad’s house as Drayton High Road. On the 27th, she came again from Sandringham to open a maternity hospital in Norwich. This was the maternity unit at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital.
1966 General Election
On 31 March 1966, there was a general election.
Mum and Dad Campaigned for the Liberals
Mum noted that she went to help dad with the election at Wymondham. On 28 March 1966, grandad noted that dad had gone to Wymondham to help the Liberals. I am not sure why dad went to Wymondham rather than helping more locally.
Voting and Watching the Results
Grandad noted going to the village hall on the bike to vote and grandma went later. Grandad sat up until 23.10 watching the election results and noted that Labour looked like winning.
Central Norfolk
On 1 April grandad noted that the candidate who had won their constituency (Central Norfolk) was Ian Gilmour, although grandad recorded it in capitals as GILMORE.
Ian Gilmour
Ian Gilmour was the sitting MP having first been elected in 1962. He received 27,935 votes which was 4,406 more than the Labour candidate, Bryan Davies. Ian Gilmour served as MP for Central Norfolk until the constituency was abolished in 1974. Then, he became MP for Chesham and Amersham and served there until 1992. He was Minister for Defence Procurement from 1971 to 1974 and was also Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal from 1979 to 1981. He was a staunch critic of Margaret Thatcher and was expelled from the Conservative Party in 1999 for supporting the Pro-Euro Conservative Party. It appears that he may have been a member of the Liberal Democrats from 2001 to 2007.
Bryan Davies
Bryan Davies later became an MP for Enfield North from 1974 to 1979 and for Oldham Central and Royton from 1992 to 1997.
Voting Conservative
Grandad noted that it was the first time they had voted for the winning candidate. Grandad, in life and in his diaries, was wary of revealing who he voted for believing that that should be kept to oneself. However, from his views and comments, I am unsurprised that he voted Conservative.
National Results
Nationally, he noted that Labour won 364 seats, Conservative 252, Liberal 12, other 1 and the Speaker. These figures differ slightly from those cited by Wikipedia of 364 for Labour, 253 for Conservative, 12 for Liberal and one for Republican Labour. I wondered if the difference related to the Speaker but, at that time, the Speaker was Horace King, a Labour MP.
Increased Labour Majority
This result saw Labour increase its majority from only 4 in 1964, see Chapter 86, to around 100.
Change in Voting Age
This was the last election where the voting age was 21.
State Opening of Parliament
On 21 April 1966, grandad noted seeing the opening of Parliament by the Queen.
Budgets in 1966 and 1967
On 3 May 1966, grandad noted that there was a budget and he noted that there was another budget on 11 April 1967 with “no change to speak of”.
Rising Interest Rates, Devaluation and Cuts in National Spending
In November 1967, grandad noted that the bank rate went up to 7% and Britain devalued the pound to 2 dollars 40 cents. On 9 August 1969, France devalued the Franc by 12½%. Grandad further noted that “our government went cap in hand to other countries asking for a loan (we are in a mess)”. In January 1968, he noted big cuts on national spending “on account of the national finances”.
Another Budget in 1968
On 19 March 1968, there was another budget instead of in April. Grandad noted that this was “to get the country out of its financial mess”. The budget for the year was expected to realise an additional £8-900m. Grandad highlighted that the car licence went up to £25 and there was another 4d on petrol.
And Another in 1969
On 15 April 1969, there was another budget. Grandad noted that the old age pension was to be £5 for the husband and £3 2 0 for the wife making a total of £8 2 0. This was to start in November.
Local Elections
In 1965 My Father Stood but Was Not Elected
On 10 May 1965, grandad noted that dad stood for Hellesdon Parish Council but, on the 11th, he remarked that dad did not get elected. He made the comment “400 odd votes”. Initially, I didn’t know if that is what dad got or was the margin. It turns out it was the former.
A Note on the Local Recall Archive
I managed to find a news report on the Local Recall archive which is sadly no longer available. This is a good example of the kind of information that it is no longer possible to obtain since access to that archive was stopped!
Two Elections
It seems dad stood for both the urban and district council (as an independent) and the parish council. The results are in the table below. I am not sure if it was usual then but it would be unusual now to have so many candidates for parish council. In general, it is hard to get enough candidates to fill vacancies. The only exception is when there is a contentious local issue, e.g. related to planning.
Table of Results
| Urban and District Council | Parish Council |
| A E Cleghorn (C) 797 R J Spraggins (Lab) 738 Mrs H M Votier (C) 690 Mrs O Haseltine (Lab) 688 M F P Howes (C) 628 G E Mansfield (C) 627 R Drew (Ind) 402 The top four (in bold) were elected. Dad’s result in blue. | A E Cleghorn 858 R J Spraggins 763 R J F Laws 755 G E Mansfield 718 Mrs O Haseltine 710 A W Palgrave 701 M F P Howes 693 R S Evans 668 J F Neve 663 E C Westwood 658 B F Huson 654 P A Bell 647 C J Roberts 638 Mrs M H Allard 636 A G Moore 620 R W Martin 609 B Scrivener 581 T E Turner 564 J Neale 556 W E Bell 556 P J A Gowen 524 A J Clarke 464 H S N Bullock 446 R Drew 438 E A Lambert 407 J C Harpley 406 The top 15 (in bold) were elected. Dad’s result in blue. |
More Local Elections
On 6 May 1968, grandad noted that he and grandma went to vote for the Rural Council. On the 7th, they looked after Liz while mum went to the polling booth at Hellesdon to count the votes. Grandad noted that dad stood but again was not elected. I have not found details of these elections. It is a little odd as 6 May 1968 was a Monday and I don’t thinks elections were usually held on a Monday. I did find details of council elections on Thursday 9 May 1968 but dad did not stand for Hellesdon then and there do appear to have been other local elections earlier in the week.
Liberal Meeting in Felixstowe
In October 1969, grandad noted that dad had gone to Felixstowe for the weekend to a Liberal meeting. Grandad seems to have noted this because dad did not come with us for tea on the Sunday afternoon.
Death of Winston Churchill
In January 1965, grandad noted that Winston Churchill was taken very ill with a cerebral thrombosis and that he died on the 24th. His funeral was on the 30th and grandad noted that they had the television going from 8.40am to 1.40pm. The funeral was at St Paul’s Cathedral and was a State funeral.
Deaths of Richard Dimbleby and Kenneth Horne
In December 1965, grandad noted that the broadcaster Richard Dimbleby died and, in February 1969, that the comedian, Kenneth Horne died.
Hendrik Verwoerd Stabbed to Death
In September 1966, grandad noted that the Prime Minister of South Africa, Hendrik Verwoerd was stabbed to death in the Parliament building. He is widely seen as the architect of apartheid. He was stabbed by a parliamentary messenger, Dmitri Tsafendas, who escaped the death penalty on the grounds of insanity. Tsafendas died in custody aged 81 in 1999.
Death of General Eisenhower
In March 1969, the former US President, General Eisenhower died. On the 31st, grandad noted that he sat up to see his funeral service in Washington Cathedral. It was from 22.25 to 23.34 UK time. Grandad noted that the last hymn was Onward Christian Soldiers to the tune of St Gertrude.
Robert Kennedy Shot and Killed
On 5 June 1968, grandad noted that Robert Kennedy was shot after speaking to electors in California. He was standing for the November Presidential election. He was shot at 00.45 California time. He died on the 6th at 01.44 California time.
Jackie Kennedy Married Aristotle Onassis
That same year, grandad noted other news from America. In October, President Kennedy’s widow, Jackie, married Aristotle Onassis a Greek millionaire.
Richard Nixon Elected US President
In the US Presidential election in November, Richard Nixon was elected US President. On 26 February 1969, he visited Britain and then went on to visit other countries of Western Europe. He flew back to the US on 2 March 1969.
Aberfan Disaster
On 21 October 1966, grandad noted the Aberfan disaster. He wrote, “a pit tip at Aberfan in Wales began moving & covered a school & several houses, many dead. Deaths 144 including 116 children”. He noted that this was based on a report in the Eastern Evening News on 8 November 1966.
Sailing Achievements
Grandad noted a number of sailing achievements during this period.
Francis Chichester
First, in May 1967, Sir Francis Chichester returned to Plymouth after sailing singlehanded round the world in Gipsy Moth 4. Grandad noted that it had been around 29,000 miles and that thousands welcomed him back.
Alex Rose
In July 1968, Alex Rose, a greengrocer from Southsea, returned from having sailed a 31ft yacht around the world. He was welcomed at Portsmouth and Southsea and grandma and grandad saw it on TV. He had left England in July 1967. The Queen conferred a knighthood on him.
Robin Knox-Johnston
In April 1969, Robin Knox-Johnston arrived at Falmouth after 312 days at sea. He was the first man to sail non-stop round the world alone.
Six-Day War
In June 1967, grandad noted what became known as the six-day war had broken out between Israel and Egypt. He noted that Egypt had the support of all neighbouring Arab states but, on the 9th, he commented that the Daily Mail had reported that Egypt’s President Nasser had admitted defeat.
Hixon Rail Crash
In January 1968, grandad noted that there had been a rail crash at Hixon in Staffordshire when a lorry carrying a 150 ton transformer was hit by a train. This occurred at what grandad described as “one of the continental pole barriers now in use instead of the crossing gates”. Basically, there were two differences between these crossings and previously-used crossings. They were controlled automatically rather than manually and they had barriers that could be raised (covering half or all of the road) rather than gates. The crossing is no longer in use. He noted that twelve people were killed although in the BBC report and other reports I have located, the number killed is given as eleven.
Morpeth Rail Crash
In May 1969, grandad noted another rail accident at Morpeth in Northumberland and that six people had been killed.
Sicily Earthquake
In January 1968, grandad noted that there had been an earthquake in Sicily that was the biggest since Messina in 1908 which itself was the most destructive earthquake ever to strike Europe.
Paris Riots
At the end of May 1968, grandad noted that during the last week there had been a lot of rioting in Paris.
Space Exploration
Although grandad had shown some interest in space exploration in the late 1950s, see Chapter 73, his diaries in the early 1960s did not refer to this even, for example, when Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the earth in April 1961. However, during this period, grandad had a number of entries related to the American’s Apollo program.
Apollo 8: Orbiting the Moon
On 21 December 1968, grandad noted that the US sent three men in a space capsule to circle the moon. They were Frank Borman, James A Lovell and William Anders. They were the first people to orbit the moon. On Christmas Day, grandad noted that Apollo 8 circled the moon ten times and then started to return to earth and he expected that it would splash down on Friday (29th). However, on the 27th, grandma, grandad and Auntie Dolly watched on TV to see it splashdown in the Pacific about 5,000 yards from a US ship. Grandad described this as a wonderful achievement.
Apollo 11: The Moon Landing
Grandad’s diaries do not then mention Apollo 9, in March 1969, or Apollo 10, in May 1969. But, on 16 July 1969, grandad noted that he and grandma watched the launch of the moon rocket (Apollo 11) with Tom and Amy Wilson who were visiting at the time. Grandad noted that they landed on the moon on Sunday 20 July 1969, just after 9pm. I don’t recall if I saw this landing at the time. I would have been nine and I vaguely recall seeing it at school, perhaps the next day? But, would this have been in the school holidays? Grandad noted that the astronauts landed back in the Pacific on the 24th and they were picked up by a US warship.
Apollo 12
In November 1969, he and grandma watched the blast off of Apollo 12 for the moon at 5.25pm UK time.
Concorde’s First Flight
In March 1969, grandad noted Concorde’s first flight and that it had been jointly built by Britain and France.
A Fallen Television Mast
On 19 March 1969, a television mast fell down because of ice gathering on it and one of the guy wires crashed into Emley Moor Methodist Chapel which is now private houses 70-72 Jagger Lane. Grandad noted on the 19th that “a 1260 feet television mast crashed down near Huddersfield.” He expanded the next day saying “the television mast which fell yesterday was caused by ice gathering on it, one of the guy wires fell through the roof of a Methodist chapel.”
Emley Moor Methodist Church
There is still a Methodist Church in Emley and this was originally a Primitive Methodist Chapel but this is not the one affected by the collapse of the mast. There may have been two Methodist Chapels in Emley Moor. One operated from at least 1871 to 1988 while the other was Primitive Methodist originally and operated from at least 1904 to 1982. It is possible that these were different records for the same church. However, there may have been separate Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist chapels and, according to some records, it was a former Wesleyan chapel that was damaged when the mast fell. According to Wikipedia, the Emley Moor Methodist Church started services in 1908 and closed in 1982 with the building being converted to two residential properties.
Photos of the Church and the Fallen Mast
Spanish Workers Stopped from Going to Gibraltar
In June 1969, grandad noted that Spain stopped Spanish workers going into Gibraltar. This was caused by the territorial dispute between Spain and the UK over the status of Gibraltar and was part of a broader border closure which lasted from 1969 until 1982 for pedestrians and until 1985 for motor vehicles. I recall that the border was closed in 1978 when I was travelling in Europe and I went by ferry from Algeciras to Ceuta. You could see Gibraltar but the only way to get there was to cross to Morocco and then back.
Northern Ireland
In August 1969, grandad noted that there was trouble in Ulster. The next day, he noted that the trouble was between Protestants and Roman Catholics and that British troops had been called in earlier in the week.
Shortages, Strikes and Closures
During this period, grandad noted a number of shortages, strikes, closures etc.
Shortage of Cement
The shortage of cement grandad noted in 1965, see Chapter 94, appears to have been because supply was unable to keep up with demand.
Seamen’s Strike
In May 1966, grandad noted that a seamen’s strike started at one minute past midnight. The dispute was over pay and working hours. It led to the government declaring a state of emergency. The seamen returned to work following a pay compromise with ship owners and a warning from Harold Wilson, the Prime Minister, that the dispute was being used by communists to gain influence over the National Union of Seamen.
Summit Colliery Closed
In April 1968, grandad noted the announcement that Summit Colliery in Kirkby was to close. He noted that 1,900 men worked there. This closure had a pretty devastating effect on Kirkby as a town as there was really no alternative employment. As a result, many of the areas around Kirkby rank badly on indicators of deprivation, such as benefit claimants, long-term sick and child poverty.
Post Offices Closed
In January 1969, grandad noted that all post offices in towns with a population of 250,000 were closed because of a pay claim increase by telephone operators. I assume this meant towns with populations of 250,000 and over. It appears that 19 cities were affected.
He described the letter service as “anyhow”. am not sure what he meant by this. It appears that the postal service was affected by the dispute. seems that this may have been a one-day strike over pay for overseas telegraphists.
Teachers’ Strike
In November 1969, grandad commented that school children had a half-day holiday because their teachers were on strike for more money, see Chapter 91.
News Items with Religious Connections
During this period, grandad noted some news items with potential religious connections.
Opening of the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool
In May 1967, grandad noted the opening of the new Roman Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool and watched a recording of it on ITV.
Vote in Wales on Pubs Opening on Sunday
In November 1968, there was a vote in Wales on whether pubs should be allowed to open on Sundays. There was also an earlier vote in 1961. Results were mixed and grandad noted that some counties were wet and others dry.
Changes in Bank Holidays
Grandad was also very interested in what might be considered fairly minor changes to when bank holidays were held.
August Bank Holiday
In August 1965, he noted that the August bank holiday had changed from the first Monday to the last. He noted that the 30th was a holiday as a result. Initially, this was intended as a trial but as, it was considered successful, it was made permanent in 1971. It had been suggested to avoid the bank holiday clashing with factory holidays earlier in August.
Whit and Spring Bank Holiday
In May 1967, grandad noted that the 14th was Whit Sunday but that there would be no bank holiday the next day as Whit Monday (or the holiday associated with it) had been moved to later in the month and was to be called Spring bank holiday. I am not sure why he only first noted it here as I think it was introduced on a similar timetable to the change in August Bank Holiday, i.e. initially a trial from 1965 that was made permanent in 1971.
While grandad does not say so explicitly, I get the impression that he disapproved of this change. I think some of this may be because of the religious connotations of Whit and the fact that that had been a big day for Sunday School processions in Kirkby – see Chapters 17, 31, 38, 54, 69 and 79.
On 15 May 1967, grandad noted that it should have been Whit Monday. On the 29th, he noted that “today is a Bank holiday instead of Whit Monday, it is called “Spring Bank Holiday”” On 3 June 1968, he wrote “Spring Holiday, not counted as Whit Monday”. This is a little confusing as I think it was the other way round. In 1968, 3rd June was Whit Monday but it was not a holiday as the Spring Bank Holiday had been the previous week. In 2022, the Spring Bank Holiday was in June and was in fact on a Thursday (2 June). This was because Friday 3 June was an extra Bank Holiday for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Price Rises
Grandad was concerned about price rises during this period and noted some of them.
Postal Charges
In May 1965, grandad noted that postal charges went up to 4d for a letter and 3d for a postcard.
Evening Paper
In September 1967, he noted that the evening paper went up to 5d so he cancelled it when he went to pay for the papers. From 22 September 1967, he started getting the Norwich Mercury instead.
Norwich Mercury
The Norwich Mercury was a weekly local paper which had been produced from as early as 1727. By the 1980s, it was a free paper dependent on advertising revenue. It stopped being produced at some point in the 20th century.
Paper Deliveries
In September 1969, paper deliveries increased from 3d to 4d.
Haircut
In December 1967, grandad noted that the price of a haircut had gone up to four shillings. He noted that before 1914, he used to pay 2d and up to 1939 5d. He noted ironically that he had more to cut off then!
Breathalyser and Other Measures Introduced
In October 1967, the breathalyser test was introduced. Grandad noted that it was to see if a motorist was too drunk to drive if he showed signs of being drunk. Other measures brought in that year included a maximum legal blood alcohol limit for driving and it also became an offence not to provide a sample for testing.
British Standard Time/Permanent Summer Time
In October 1967, grandad noted putting the clock back one hour and that, from February 18 1968, it was to be put forward permanently. Indeed, on 18 February 1968, he noted that this change occurred and that it was known as British Standard Time. He noted that it lasted until 31 October 1971. Apparently, there was a reduction in numbers of people killed or injured on the road but the change coincided with the introduction of stricter drink-drive legislation. In December 1970, there was a free vote on the matter and MPs voted by 366 to 81 to end the experiment.
Preparing to Decimalise
Abolishing the Halfpenny
Grandad noted that from the end of July 1969, the halfpenny would no longer be legal tender in preparation for introduction of decimal currency due in February 1971, He noted again, the next day, on 1 August that the halfpenny was no longer legal tender. On 25 September 1969, he noted he had to pay 4d for a wedge, see Chapter 94. It should have been 3½d but it was ½d more because the halfpenny could no longer be used.
Introducing the Fifty New Pence Piece
From 14 October 1969, grandad noted that the 50 new pence piece was in circulation. Although decimalisation only occurred in 1971, some decimal coins were introduced before this. In addition to the fifty pence, five pence and ten pence coins had been introduced in 1968 but grandad did not mention these in his diaries.
Changing Age of Majority
On New Year’s Eve 1969, grandad noted that, from the next day, the adult age in Britain would be 18 and not 21 as previously. This change was also accompanied by legislation which allowed those aged over 18 to vote in elections from 1970.
Local Events
Grandad also noted local events.
Installing Sewers
For example, in November 1967, grandad noted that the High Road was closed in Drayton and there was a diversion via Carter Estate. This was because sewers were being installed. I am not entirely sure where that was but there is a Carter Road in Drayton and, from the map, it seems that that could have been used as a diversion of the part of the High Road closest to Drayton was closed. I am not sure if this was exactly the same closure (as it referred to Drayton Low Road rather than the High Road) but I found an article from the time that explained that residents of Fairview Close were having to make a 4½ mile detour to reach Drayton village centre.
Ockenden Exhibition
In January 1969, grandad noted that dad and grandma went to the opening of the Ockenden Exhibition, see Chapter 92, by the Lord Mayor of Norwich.
Royal Norfolk Show
Grandad also mentioned the Royal Norfolk Show quite often including when the Queen Mother visited in 1968 and when family members attended, see Chapter 92.
Plastic Bags for the Dustbins
On 28 July 1969, grandad noted that Aylsham and St Faiths rural council brought plastic bags to put in the dustbins. He noted that there would not be another collection until 18 August. I am not sure exactly what the issue was here. Was it the introduction of plastic bin bags? Based on the dates, the next collection was not for three weeks so this seems too long for a normal cycle. Was there a problem of some kind, an industrial dispute perhaps?
Extreme Weather
Grandad recorded a lot of extreme weather during this period.
Cold Weather in 1965
In March 1965, grandad commented that the coldest day in Newcastle this century had been recorded, that the temperature under his veranda was 24°F (-4°C) and that it was the coldest day in Norwich for 18 years. He noted that Easter Monday (19 April) was the coldest for years with rain, hail and snow. On 15 November 1965, henoted that it was very cold and frosty and was the coldest in Sprowston for 13 years. On 29 November 1965, he recorded that it had been very cold and that there had been snowstorms in Scotland and parts of England and Wales.
Cold Weather in 1966
On 2 April 1966, grandad noted that there had been snow in the north of England and Scotland with several football matches postponed. Norwich’s game was not affected. They played Crystal Palace at home and won 2-1. The 14th was the coldest day in April in London for about 85 years. Grandad noted that they had had slight snow but it had not gathered and that there had been heavy snowfall in other parts of the country.
Cold Weather in 1967
On 1 May 1967, there was snow and sleet in parts of the country. Grandad commented that it was the coldest May Day for years. On 7 December 1967, grandad noted that it was very cold with a keen wind and that there had been snow in parts of the country. On the 9th, he noted that it snowed for about an hour after dinner and that it was very bad in parts of the country with Wales, Scotland and the South coast of England worst hit. Many football matches were postponed and some abandoned.
Somewhat surprisingly perhaps, Norwich’s game away at Carlisle United went ahead and ended in a 2-2 draw. In a report on the game, the ground was described as hard as snow had had to be cleared from it. Next to that report was a report of one FA Cup First Round game which did go ahead in which Lowestoft Town lost 1-0 at home to Third Division Watford.
Cold Weather in 1968
January
On 9 January 1968, the weather was bad over most of the country with heavy snowfall in places. About one inch fell in Drayton. On the 10th, it was very cold and grandad could not work in his cabin. There was heavy snow in parts of Britain with temperatures down to -11°C in Bedfordshire. I am not sure why grandad recorded this temperature in Celsius, which he called centigrade, when he usually recorded temperatures in Fahrenheit. On the 13th, the country was covered in snow and most football matches were postponed, including Norwich’s home game against Cardiff City.
February to April
On 4 February 1968, grandad noted the weather was cold with snow in Scotland and Northern England. On 2 April 1968, he noted that it rained all morning with snow later. It had been very cold over Britain the previous Friday. He noted that temperatures were then 75°F (24°C) but it had been as cold as 28°F (-2°C). There was snow on the ground in Drayton and there was six inches of snow in Edinburgh.
December
On 27 December 1968, grandad noted that snow fell overnight and in the early morning. It was four inches thick on the veranda. There had already been snow on the ground the previous day. It had been very bad in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. On the 28th, there was more snow with 5 inches on the veranda. It was bad over most of the country with most football matches postponed, including Norwich’s scheduled game with Blackburn.
Cold Weather in 1969
February
On 7 February 1969, grandad noted that snow fell from 8.45am until 11am and then a thaw set in. He commented that the snow was over the whole country “from Land’s End to John O’Groats”. It was very bad in Scotland and the North of England. On the 8th, there was snow and frost over the whole country with 34 degrees of frost at Jodrell Bank in Cheshire. I think this means it was -2°F (-19°C).
The Sea Froze
The sea froze at Whitby. Grandad noted that it was the worst weather for six years and most sports fixtures were postponed or cancelled. According to a news article on the morning of the game, it was likely that Norwich’s game against Bristol City would be among those cancelled. A further news article on the Monday confirmed that the game had been postponed. It had been called off in the morning by the linesman, Harry Robinson, as the referee K Markham had been unable to get to the ground because of the weather.
Their Windows Froze
On the 9th, there was a heavy frost overnight and grandad noted that it was the first time their windows had frozen since moving to Drayton. There was more snow in Scotland but no more in Drayton although it remained very cold. On 15 February 1969, the weather was still very cold with snow and frost all over Britain and 31 football matches were postponed or cancelled. This included Norwich’s away game at Blackpool.
Played a Friendly
However, many of the first team effectively played a senior friendly against Crystal Palace in what was billed as a reserves match but Palace also fielded a strong side as their away match at Derby was also off. Norwich lost the game 5-1. On the 19th, the wind was very cold and there was snow in parts of the country. On the 22nd, grandad noted that the snow was going but apparently many football matches were cancelled because of the slush. This included Norwich’s home game against Derby.
November and December
On 29 November 1969, grandad noted snow all over Britain and that many football matches were postponed. This included Norwich’s away game at Watford. That page has great photos of local games being played despite the snow. It also notes that Norwich’s home reserve game against Gillingham did go ahead with Norwich winning 4-1. Several matches were postponed on 20 December 1969 because of snow and frost. Although Norwich’s home game with Sheffield United survived and they drew 1-1 with Norwich snatching a goal late in the game. As of the end of that game, Sheffield United were second in the table and Norwich were 16th out of 22.
Hurricane Winds
In October 1967, grandad noted that it was very windy and that there was a lot of damage around the country. In the early hours of 15 January 1968, a hurricane hit Scotland. Glasgow was worst affected with about 14 people killed.
Heavy Rains and Floods
Eastern and Southern England in 1965
Grandad noted very heavy rain in the eastern and southern parts of England in September 1965.
Matlock in 1965
In December 1965, following warmer weather, grandad noted that there had been floods in parts of the country including in Matlock.
West Midlands and Parts of Scotland in 1966
In August 1966, grandad noted that there had been heavy rain in the West Midlands and parts of Scotland. He noted that their own weather had been fine and sunny but a little colder.
Italy in 1966
In November 1966, he recorded that there had been big floods in Italy, that they were the worst for 900 years with Florence and Venice particularly badly hit.
Parts of the Country in 1967
In February 1967, the weather was very rough with rain all night. There was a lot of flooding and damage done in parts of the country.
Widespread Flooding in July 1968
On 10 July 1968, grandad noted that it was a wet day with floods in parts of the country, particularly Devon and Leicestershire. On the 11th, about 9am, grandad noted having a gale with rain. It was very bad but cleared about 1pm. In other parts of the country, it was much worse but, even in the local area, trees were blown down. On the 12th, grandad spent the day collecting boughs and twigs. He noted that parts of Devon and the West country were still under water and several bridges had been washed away. On the 14th, there was a thunderstorm in the afternoon and parts of Norfolk were flooded.
Grandad noted that Church Street and Bridge Street in Mansfield had floods up to 3 feet. On the 15th, he noted that there had been rain all day from 9.50am. It was the wettest day in London since 1871. There were bad floods in South Norfolk and all the counties to the English Channel. Suffolk News has some great photos of the 1968 floods in Bury St Edmunds while SurreyLive have some great photos of the floods in Surrey. On the 16th, the floods were very bad in the South East and London area. John Douglas was unable to go to Bungay because of the floods between Loddon and Bungay. On the 17th, grandad noted that the weather was fine but that the floods were still bad in the country.
Norwich and Norfolk
On 11 September 1968, grandad noted that Norfolk had had more than 1½ inches of rain and Norwich had had 1.89 inches, the heaviest in September since records began 43 years ago. On the 21st, Tom. Amy, grandma and grandad had to divert via Bungay because of floods. On the 23rd, they had to go on a Bailey Bridge at Loddon as the other one had been damaged by the floods. There are some photos of the floods in Loddon on the Loddon History website.
I am grateful to Elvie Herd, the Secretary of the Loddon and District Local History Group for more information about the flood in Loddon, in general, and the Bailey Bridge in particular. Apparently, it was built on September 17 over the existing bridge. This meant it ran past the windows of the Saunders family who owned the shop next to the mill on the Loddon side of the bridge and apparently the noise was terrible. I did find a photo of the bridge in use and, it seems, that the bridge was still in use at least in January 1969. However, this information was on the Local Recall archive which is no longer available.
Particularly Warm Weather
Grandad also noted particularly warm weather.
1965
For example, grandad noted that 28 March 1965 had been the warmest day of the year so far and that grandma, Tricia, Alan and I had our tea outside. Grandad noted that it had been 73°F (23°C) in some parts of the country. The next day, it was even warmer reaching 75°F (24°C) in places. On 14 May 1965, grandad noted that temperatures reached 82°F (28°C) and that, as a result, it was too hot to garden.
1966
In 1966, grandad noted that it was the hottest early May for years with temperatures on the 2nd of 81°F (27°C) in Mildenhall and Northolt. That same month, he noted that it was the sunniest Whit Monday all over the country for years.
1967
On 17 July 1967, grandad noted that it was 75°F (24°C) in their lounge. It was the hottest day of the year in parts of the country. It was 84°F (29°C) in London and 89°F (32°C) in Banbury.
1968
At the end of March 1968, grandad noted the hottest weather so far that year – 65°F-70°F (18-21°C). The Evening News reported the temperature in Norwich as 77°F (25°C) as compared to 50°F (10°C) this time last year. On 21 April, it was warm and sunny with the hottest April day in Britain for 19 years according to the Daily Mail. On 1 July 1968, grandad noted that it was the hottest day so far that year reaching 90°F (32°C). He noted that it was 78°F (26°C) in their lounge.
1969
On 6 April 1969, grandad noted that the weather was the sunniest it had been for 23 years. Then, on the 7th, it was the warmest day so far that year reaching 70°F (21°C) in London. On the 30th, it was even hotter in London reaching 81°F (27°C). By 13 July 1969, grandad noted that it was very hot and that it reached 83°F (28°C) in London. On the 14th, it was over 90°F (32°C) in some places. On 16 July 1969, it was again the hottest day of that year to date. In Cambridge, the temperature reached 94°F (34°C) according to ITV News at Ten and 91°F (33°C) according to the Daily Mail. Later that year, in October, grandad noted that the weather was very warm and that it had been the warmest Autumn day in London since 1938 with a temperature of 68-70°F (20-21°C).
Sporting Events
Grandad also noted quite a number of sporting events particularly those he watched on television or, in a few cases, listened to on the radio.
Boxing
Henry Cooper vs Dick Wipperman
For example, in January 1965, grandad watched the fight between Henry Cooper and Dick Wipperman of the United States noting that Henry Cooper won by knockout in the fifth round.
Henry Cooper vs Muhammad Ali
In May 1966, grandad noted listening to the commentary of the fight between Henry Cooper and Muhammad Ali. This was the second time Cooper and Ali had fought but grandad did not record the first, in 1963, in his diaries. The reason grandad listened to this fight on the radio and did not watch on television was that this fight was only available live on a pay-per-view basis. Ali won in the 6th round as Cooper was cut above the eye.
Brian London vs Muhammad Ali
In August 1966, Brian London lost to Muhammad Ali for the World Heavyweight title.
Left – Muhammad Ali training
Centre – Brian London with Georges Carpentier. For details of Georges Carpentier’s fight with Joe Becket in 1919 – see Chapter 28
Right – perhaps bizarrely, London’s training camp was at Pontins holiday camp in Blackpool and this photo shows him with the resort’s dancers
The photos were accompanied by an article by Georges Carpentier who reflected on the two men’s very different training camps and his own experience of preparing for a fight
Floyd Patterson vs Henry Cooper
In September 1966, grandad noted listening to the fight between Floyd Patterson and Henry Cooper on the “sound wireless”. Patterson knocked out Cooper in the fourth round.
Muhammad Ali vs Karl Mildenberger
Also, in September 1966, grandad watched the fight on TV (BBC) between Muhammed Ali and Karl Mildenberger in Frankfurt. Ali won the fight in the 12th round when Mildenberger was stopped. Grandad referred to him as Cassius Clay but he had changed his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964.
Major Annual Sporting Events
There were some events grandad noted watching most years. These included the Grand National, the University Boat Race and the FA Cup Final. For some reason, he only noted watching the Grand National in 1969 with no mention of the boat race or the Cup Final.
Grand National
Grandad mostly watched the Grand National with grandma but, in 1965, he watched with Tom Wilson. In most years, he noted the winner, but not in 1965 when Jay Trump won, and sometimes the odds, particularly when they had been high. He noted that Anglo won in 1966 at odds of 50-1, in 1967, Foinavon won at odds of 100-1, in 1968, Red Alligator won and, in 1969, Highland Wedding won. Grandad did not record any details of the race, for example, that, in 1967, the outsider Foinavon won when all other horses were held up at a fence.
The Derby
Grandad did not really follow other horse racing apart from the Grand National. However, in June 1965, he did note watching the Derby on television to give the result to the men who were at the front putting the sewer in. Grandad noted that Sea Bird was first, Meadow Court second, I Say third and Niksar fourth.
The Boat Race
On two occasions during this period, in 1966 and 1968, the Grand National and the boat race fell on the same day. On some occasions, grandma watched the boat race with grandad. In 1966, mum also noted watching the boat race in her diary. During this period, there were three wins for Oxford in 1965, 1966 and 1967 and two wins for Cambridge in 1968 and 1969 although grandad did not record any details of the 1969 race.
F A Cup Final
Grandad did not always watch the whole of the Cup Final. For example, in May 1965, he noted watching both wrestling and the FA Cup Final. He usually noted the score, so, in 1965, he noted that Liverpool beat Leeds 2-1 after extra time. In 1966, Everton beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2, in May 1967, Tottenham beat Chelsea 2-1 and, in 1968, West Bromwich Albion beat Everton 1-0 after extra time. He did not explicitly note watching the 1969 FA Cup. That was the match between Leicester City and Manchester City that dad and I went to, see Chapter 92. He did note the score and it is possible that he did watch the game but just did not record it in his diary.
Winning the World Cup
In July 1966, England famously won the World Cup. Grandad did not note watching any of the competition except for the final. He noted that he watched wrestling and part of the final which he noted was between England and Germany with England winning 4-2 after 30 minutes extra time.
England’s Progress
England won their group following a 0-0 draw with Uruguay and two successive 2-0 wins against Mexico and France respectively. Roger Hunt scored three of the goals and Bobby Charlton the other. In the quarter final, England beat Argentina 1-0 with the goal coming from Geoff Hurst but the game was controversial not least for the sending off of Antonio Rattin. Then, in the semi-final, England beat Portugal 2-1 with Bobby Charlton scoring both the goals. In the final, Germany took the lead only for England to score twice before Germany equalized very late in the game. Then, in extra time, England had a goal given by the linesman when the ball ricocheted off the bar and landed on/over the line. In the final, three goals were scored by Geoff Hurst and the other by Martin Peters.
An Iconic Moment
Of course, for me, as a football fan, this is a pretty iconic moment, the only time England won a major competition. Sadly, I am not sure I actually recall it from that time, although like many fans, the names of that team was something I knew by heart from an early age! Gordon Banks, George Cohen, Ray Wilson, Nobby Stiles, Jack Charlton, Bobby Moore, Alan Ball, Bobby Charlton, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst and Roger Hunt.
Planning the World Cup
An Iconic Photo
Family Connection
Special Stamps
European Cup Final
In May 1968, grandad noted watching the European Cup Final at Wembley from 19.30 to 22.10. It was between Manchester United and Benfica with United winning 4-1 after extra time. Although Manchester United were the first English team to win the European Cup, they were not the first British team to do so as Celtic won in 1967. However, grandad did not record this in his diary.
I do not have any clear recollections of these games. What I do recall is, as a child, being allowed to watch evening football matches on TV. This involved going to bed at the normal time and then being woken up to watch the game. It seemed very exciting at the time but the reality is that I was probably only asleep for an hour or so before being woken up. I think I do recall Celtic winning the European Cup in 1967 when I would have been seven. I don’t clearly recall the 1966 World Cup. I do remember watching in 1970 with a very different outcome!
Wrestling
Grandad did regularly watch wrestling on the television and this is something I recall from being a child, see Chapter 76. Wrestling was first broadcast on TV in 1955 but became popular as a key part of ITV’s programme “World of Sport” which ran on Saturday afternoons from 1965 to 1985. In January 1969, grandad noted that he was so busy working on his saw that he missed the wrestling, see Chapter 94.
