Fifty Years Ago: Thursday, 1st July 1976
(Sedbergh School, Age 14.9)
Woke at 7:15. Revise in bed.
The Chemistry exam seemed straight forward. It was one of those papers where the questions looked familiar and there were no horrible surprises lurking halfway through. Afterwards I revised Geography, which was never too difficult because I liked the subject. I read books on geography out of choice and got them for birthdays and Christmas.
Break. Eat a lot.
Try to revise in the House Library but I end up browsinf a 1952 Sedberghian and RAF magazine. The RAF magazine was recruitment material. I was fascinated by aircraft as my grandfather had been a pilot in the First World War. The Sedberghian have reports on school life, sport, university places and CCF activities which were much the same twenty years later. I cannot remember any particular article – there was a school train, I remember that.
Lunch.
Go river bathing with Eddie.
We went down to the Rawthey. River bathing in the heatwave was such a regular feature of this summer term that individual visits hardly stood out. We simply went because it was hot. Looking back, dozens of swims have merged into one memory of cold water, smooth rocks, plimsols. wet grass and boys wandering back to school with damp hair and wet feet.
Do maps.
Maps were a punishment. We copied them from a Philips Atlas. Japan was recognised as the easiest to do. Draw the outline, put in six cities, six rivers, colour in the landmass and then the sea. It was tedious but straightforward and could be completed without too much effort.
Athletics: get standards for 100m and 400m heats.
I was average at shot. I remember this because it was one of the first and very few times I ever had a go. We lacked a coach. Nobody taught us to spin or glide across the circle. I simply crouched down and gave the shot a shove. Somehow I managed the standard. The 100 metres was quick – but not good enough to be considered for the school team. I did better at the 400 metres – this is where swimming training pays off.
Supper.
Preps.
Do two days of diary.
Revise Geography.
Look at Branston’s book.
I can’t remember what was in it. Branston was into skateboarding, which immediately made him more interesting than most people. Whatever the book was, it was her another distraction me for a while before I returned to Geography and another evening of exam-season revision.
One thing that strikes me about any June at school – it records a boy trying to revise while summer keeps offering alternatives.
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