EXTRACTS FROM “LETTS SCHOOL-BOYS DIARY 1966”
SPRING TERM
I recently came across an old diary from 1966. It is not fully completed and mainly contains snippets that just give a hint of flavour of life at the school in this year. Sometimes, perhaps, you have to read between the lines and some may bring back memories. Obviously, I cannot now remember any of these “major incidents” but some were important at the time. I have reproduced some of the entries here – cry your eyes out Adrian Mole.
Monday
10th Jan
Got up at 9.30. Began to get ready for school. Bought a model “Boston”. Went
to school at 5.30. Slept in Lodge. Cold and cloudy.
Tues
11th Jan
Started school. Did not do much. David (Dewhurst) gave me a model of the
Vickers Vimmy. Lights went out at 9.15. It snowed.
Wed
12th Jan
Nothing happened much. Choir practice only lasted 25 minutes.
Thurs
13th Jan
Wrote a letter to mum and dad – 2 ½ pages. Not much happened. Saw U.N.C.L.E.
in Mr White’s room. Snowed and sleet.
Fri
14th Jan
Mr Oweis took us for science. Played paper aircraft. Saw “No Hiding Place”
Snowed.
Wed
19th Jan
No choir practice. Bus got a flat tyre and the Bristol broke down at
dinnertime. Cold.
Mon
31st Jan
Put in detention. Bus got stuck in grass.
Mon
7th Feb.
Sang at a funeral
Tues
8th Feb
Went to Cadets and got to sleep at ½ past 10.
Wed
9th Feb.
Choir practise.
Thurs
10th Feb
Saw U.N.C.L.E. in Mr Mellvilles room
Mon
25th April
Last day of holidays. Played water squirting in morning. Did not know what
to do. Went back to school. AAAAAAAH.
Tues
26th April
Started school. We started lessons in morning. I got some new gym shoes.
Tues
10th May
Left cadets because did not like it. Got a postcard from dad.
Wed
11th May
Choir practise. Clean sheets. No games. Had science.
Mon
23rd May
Heard a part of the play on the tape. Some money was stolen £6 10s, from
Christian Aid.
Wed
25th May
Clean sheets. Had a headache and backache.
Fri
27th May
Half term. Went home and rode on my new bike. A RSW 16. Raleigh.
Wed
1st June
Started school. Had cricket. Choir practise. No clean clothes.
Thurs
2nd June
Went swimming at Hunstanton for first time in term – was in for about 15
minutes. The water was 63.
Wed
15th June
Choir. Clean sheets. Clean clothes. The pool was 71.
Sat
18th June
Went to two weddings and then went swimming at Heacham beach.
Thurs
23rd June
Mr Potts birthday. Swimming - 64. Mum rang and I told her I wanted to bring
my bike back to school.
Sat
2nd July
Church Fete. I helped a few boys with a stall and we got £1..12s..10d.
Mon
4th July
EXAMS STARTED. We had a history exam. Went swimming – 67. Bus went wrong but
it came back.
Wed
6th July
Cycled to Shooting Lodge. No choir. No swimming. Cricket.
Thurs
7th July
No games or swimming. In night cycled about with David. A boy was shot at
Cadets.
Wed
13th July
No choir. Went to beach. Had scripture and maths exam.
Thurs
14th July
Played in a cricket match at Burebank. Got 1 run and 1 bye.
Sun
17th July
Last Sunday service for 8 weeks.
Mon
18th July
Packed. Did not do any work. No swimming gala.
Tues
19th July
Again no swimming gala and did not do any work.
Wed
20th July
First day of sports but I was not in any races.
Thurs 21st July
END OF TERM. 2ND DAY OF SPORTS. Went in three races. 1st, 4th and last. Blues won the cup.
Strangely, my diary has few entries after that – probably because the first two terms where packed with excitement. Looking back, how many schools at that time could report a robbery and a pupil getting shot – and they say that schools are bad nowadays.
Now I close my diary, but before I do, I feel I must reproduce one further entry – it reads as follows:-
Fri
7th Oct
Fish pie.
What more can you say.
Steve Baxter
