33 years ago I applied to go on a French exchange. Last week my exchange and my French girlfriend from that exchange got in touch.
I wrote in my diary:
4/10/1978
Too sick to swim
Mum writes ‘sick note’ to Mr Knowles. to get me off swimming, which wouldn’t do me any good, probably put me back in bed, and also giving me the total afternoon off.
I cycle to JM’s only to find he is playing rugger so would be on the bus.
At the traffic light crossing in Jesmond the ‘Lollipop Man’ pretends not to notice me. I have to cross the road, I’ve seen him stop the traffic for other cyclists, but not for. I have to press the thing myself while he looks the other way. Although I cycle this route quite often I still haven’t met the same people. I hope too. Perhaps a jolly ‘good morning’ to the ‘Lollipop Man’ would encourage him to press the thing for me. I always seem to just miss the red lights.
I catch a glimpse of Sally going into school, she looks sullen.
English
Get to read the ‘First Player’. I’m not enjoying Hamlet, hasn’t the bawdy, free living, bouncy feeling of Jack Falstaff.
Economics
Test back, good. Everyone did well. 13/14 and 19/22 Careless mistakes through not reading the QQ, or skipping part of the Q out, assuming I know what it wanted.
TV Pilot
Letter from Northern Scene requesting the presence of Paul Holbrook, Phil Kolvin, Alistair Liadlaw, Rex Negus, Brian Thomson and me at Tyne Tees studios for a pilot programme ‘Northern Scene’. Note form ASC stating, ‘Please be careful to keep to your commitment’.
Talk to Mr Mitchell about why and how I got into the TTTV interview pilot show. End up spilling my heart over TV and films, Strange how I always say as he says ‘GM’ No one else does, as far as I know One up.
General Studies
Prime a bare board, hope to develop that or more effort consug but hopefully more artistic talented needed do ideally a pic of Joanna, from a drawing I did last year.
Art
Have to say ‘Yuk’ to all my previous work, told E-F that I must get a schedule worked out, otherwise I’d never get anything done.
Early Lunch
Note to Knowles to get off swimming, free for afternoon. Intend to walk to town, back and bike home.
Decide to bus from town, bus in tomorrow and cycle home, so I took my work into town with me.
Library
First call Central Library, don’t find anything I want, although I met my partners, Haggie and friend, with a nice pile of books I wanted soil erosion and economics on variability of demand – get neither but decide I could get some useful information if I spent an afternoon there . Really Hamlet essay must be got out of the way first, I must take the plunge and start it, due for Friday. (At least giving the weekend free for English).
Drift into town, look at ‘stage’ D Bowie, at £4.20, probably will get it, otherwise its spend, spend, spend mostly on art materials.
Then on ‘prestige writing paper’ from the kard bar i.e. poetry cards. Kard Bar
Ten sheets and envelope, deep purple and country design
‘Astral Body Asleep’ Mati Klarwein 76
Blue Mountain poetry cards ‘Thoughts of Life’.
Photo by Dunstan Pereira – naked female torso
‘I have learned that to be with those I like is enough’ and ‘a dreamer lives for eternity’ and two note card, sexy dream type pics and purples vellum writing paper. All with Miss Germany in mind.
The French Exchange beckons
Meet guy sorting out exchanges to France and Germany by mistakes (while trying to see Mr Reagan so as to get a duplicate locker key made). I get forms anyway. I might be interested, only two weeks each way, therefore not mucking up my own, or other possible arrangements.
Buy Film Review. 47 bus part of the way home, walk the rest. Stop at Three Mile garage for food.
Home
Deadly tired, make coffee, settle in front of diary. Joanna plays with my tin whistle, makes a monotonous din. Make her coffee and continue avec this. Aunty Joan Summers came home with Mum. Then get on with my English, then some Geography. Took Solpadeine for headache.
Letter of RGS Letter headed paper:
Dear Parent
French and German Exchanges
I’m very happy to say that we are planning an exchange with a school near La Rochelle as well as with the Max-Planck Gymnasum in Gelsenkirchen this year.
It is clearly highly desirable that boys should use this opportunity of spending over two weeks in constant contact with French of German, especially if there is a possibility that they may pursue their language studies beyond O-level. On past experience we have found that boys in their first year of study of a foreign language can profit greatly from an exchange, especially if they are keen to try out the language.
France
Arrangements are as yet at an early stage. The RGS party would go to La Rochelle during the East Holiday, and the French party would return in July.
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