In which I continue my studies at Reading University and hitch hike to the Isle of Wight.

Wednesday 1 March.
St. David's day - Mum's birthday, I hope the things arrived safely by post. Didn't go to the politic economy lecture this morning but had a bath instead. Afterwards I went into town to inquire about a typewriter and I also had a look in the London Street Smiths where I bought a kit for a 350 h. diesel shunter which was at half price, I think I shall see if it is possible to motorize it. Spent the afternoon working in the geography department doing a map study of the Ribbledale and Airedale area trying to find out about river capture in the area caused by glacial damming. Have been writing many letters today - the weekly one home, one to Auntie Vi and one to Terry

Thursday 2 March
Two lectures today. After geography I did some washing while after political economy we went around the town to get some materials for the Rag Day float. Had a seven a side practice this evening. I haven't a chance of being in the team but I was needed to make up the numbers. I didn't do too badly as I managed to score one try and also made another during which I made quite a good run. Dave Waywell wrote to me this morning asking if I would like to go abroad with him this summer. He's going to go to the Black Forest. I also had a letter from Roy and Quack, they are coming up to Reading tomorrow or Saturday. Had the dress rehersal for the Eisteddfod.  It didn't go too badly.  It only lasted a few minutes.

Friday 3 March
Have at last started on the float, we have been working on it for most of the day. We haven't done too badly really as we are getting on pretty well with the front and end sections. Couldn't do very much to it in the evening because I was expecting Roy and Quack. I thought they were coming by Guildford but they came down the A1 and arrived at around 8.30. We went into the County Arms for a drink and then into the Rag Queen dance at 10.00. The crowning was late because of the myor and was generally a great laugh, there were two choruses of “why was he born so beautiful.” Afterwards Roy and Quack decided that they would sleep out in the open. I couldn't think of anywhere for them except the bike shelter at Whiteknights. I took them up there, it has started to come down in a thick blanket of mist even at 12. 30. I wonder how they'll get on

Saturday 4 March
It seems that Roy and Quack got on better than I had expected. They woke up at 7.00 and went into the town to get some breakfast. I met them at 11.00 after geography and we had coffee in the Buttery. After that we listened to Saturday Club on the radio and then went round the town with Tommy Williams, finishing up at the Turks Head where we played bar billiards, had lunch in the Union. I had to play rugger over at Sonning against Reading Colts.  I had to play on the wing and had a miserable game.  We lost 17-9. Had a drink with Roy and Quack in the Union and then we played tiddlywinks after which they left at 8.30 bracket to hitch back to London as Roy has a soccer match on tomorrow. Did some work on the float.

Sunday 5 March
Very fine morning, indeed it has been sunny all day. Did some work this morning and then went out for a bike ride around Sonning, going through Oxfordshire and coming back through Berkshire. Went in to do some more work on the float this afternoon but the Great Hall was locked so we couldn't do anything - except swear. Played some table tennis. Listened to wireless this evening and then went into David's and then into the Union bar.

Monday 6 March
Calamity - I have lost mpen so that this entry of my diary will create a precedent by being written in Biro exclamation? Have been working on the rocket this morning. We started to make the masks. Had the usual 12.00 seminar followed by a Haka practice at 1.30 in the Great hall. After geography we went round the town scrounging for materials for rag day. It was the Eisteddfod this evening. Our haka dance was first on the programme and didn't come off too badly.  We were all painted brown and had a tattoo design on our faces.  What with this and the grass skirts it went off quite well.

Tuesday 7 March
As usual 5 hours of lectures today. Went to the J.C.R. Until 2.00 when I had to leave for the psychology practical. In J.C.R. there was quite a bit of quibbling over an amendment to the Constitution of David's - this went on for 15 minutes after I left. We were given a personality test - I turned out to be very markedly practical. Did a couple of hours on the float and then came back to dinner. After dinner I went to a production of Princess Ida by Gilbert and Sullivan (went with Johnny Marsh and Dave Cotton). It was a good production at the Rainbow Theater, much better than the one of Iolanthe see at the Town Hall. The conductor didn't give very many encours.

Wednesday 8 March
Have given up hope of recovering my old pen and have bought a new one - an Osmiroid - only cheap but I think I prefer the nib. It doesn't spell very well though. After having a bath and doing some shopping I have worked the whole day on the rocket. We have progressed pretty well as the nose and tail sections are ready for painting and the middle section is progressing. Have also made a start to my Yogi Bear mask. I don't know if it will be ready in time but I think there's a good chance that it will be. Heard the news this morning of the death of the famous conductor Sir Thomas Beacham Bart. He is to be buried in Wokingham. He was very fond of the more modern composers such as Delius and although I didn't always like his interpretations, he was a very great man and did a great deal for music.

Thursday 9 March
Apart from a geography lecture this morning and an excursion up to Whiteknights to get back an essay, I have been working on the float. I went into town twice to get some more material and once to try and get a hat for my Yogi Bear mask. I couldn't get one so I have had to make it. The mask itself is now finished and has been painted it looks quite good. We have finished the rocket and have painted it a deep blue. A reporter from the Daily Sketch came around this morning and we may be in this paper tomorrow. Didn't get in until 11.30 this evening, I want to get a good night sleep as I won't get much tomorrow night. Tomorrow's entry will have to be made on Saturday.

Friday - Saturday 10 - 11 March
It is difficult to know when tomorrow's entry should begin so I will write it as one big entry. After a psychology lecture today I have been working on the float all day. The main part is finished and the clouds etc are all but completed. Worked on the float until 10.00 when we went for a drink and then went round to the Post Office to see the end of the inter-hall round the GPO relay race. It was won by David's much to the jubilation of David's and the consternation of the police. Started the preparations for rag day at about 11.00 p.m. and went down the town at midnight. The whole of Broad Street and King Street was decorated with posters, whitewash, signs, greenery etc. We formed one or two minor roadblocks pasting posters onto the boots and tying bogpaper onto the bumpers while we sold the owner a Reading Rattler. We pasted it up some of our Yogi Bear posters which we were given by the Daily Sketch. Managed to get one and a half to two hours sleep in the Griffin Room after which we went round the town to see the decorations and then went to one of the roadblocks on the London road. This was great fun but was rather dangerous as some lorries crashed through at high speed. Came back to the University at 9:30 and worked on the float. We got the rocket out of the basement of the Great Hall without much bother but it was more difficult getting it on to the lorry. Both the front and the rear sections of it hung out a great deal. As it was they hung on till the bitter end. The procession was a great success, particularly my Yogi Bear mask. It brought pleasure to many small children, especially in Broad Street where there were continual cries of “Here's Yogi”. We had to hold the rocket together towards the end but it held together all right. Very tired this evening, went to bed at 9:15.

Sunday 12 March
I managed to get 12¼ hours sleep last night. Even so I am still quite tired this evening. Have done virtually nothing today. Stayed in this morning and evening, reading and working. This afternoon I went into David's at about 3.40 and had a bath which lasted over an hour. After that I watched 15 minutes television and came home for tea. It seems funny calling 65, Berkeley avenue, home when 11A Court Road has been home. I have made two important decisions today. One is that I would like to take up stamp collecting again, although on a much smaller scale, i.e. with a high degree of specialization. The second one is concerned with going abroad when I leave university. I would still like to try and go around the world in a jeep, but still I shall have to see.

Monday 13 March
Did some washing this morning- about time too. It was quite difficult getting out all the brown from the Haka dance but I managed it. After geography we went down to Acacia's to get rid of the rocket which we left on Saturday. It had been cleared away so our problem of where to put it didn't arise. I went downtown to the library and then up to Whiteknights to see David's play Wantage in the inter Hall football competition. We won 6 - 3 but were 5 - 0 up at one time. Wantage came back very strongly in the second half.

Tuesday 14 March
A very heavy day today. Two lectures this morning and the first of the geography exams. It shouldn't have been too bad but I hate to think how I have done. In psychology practical this afternoon we did an experiment to show the effect of fatigue. We had to multiply one figure by another and then add a number to it. This was carried out continuously for periods of three and six minutes. I certainly was tired at the end. Played table tennis this evening and also watched the film of the world heavyweight title fight in which Floyd Patterson knocked out Ingemar Johansson in the sixth round.

Wednesday 15 March
I went to the 9.00 political economy lecture this morning which was very interesting indeed. Dr. Budden dealt with a three-dimensional graph. After that I went around the town and did some shopping which included by my railway ticket home. Came back to the university and did the geography practical. At around 12.30 I went with Johnny Marsh to Sonning Cutting. It was a marvelous day and the purpose was to be quiet in order to do some revisions for the geography exam tomorrow. I have managed to do quite a bit. Sonning Cutting is very interesting. The trains are going at quite some speed and they are very impressive, especially the steam trains.

Thursday 16 March
Geography exam this morning. This time it was the human paper. It wasn't too bad really and I didn't have much difficulty with it, in fact I could have done with another half an hour. Even so I wouldn't like to predict how well, or badly, I have done. Had dinner at the Queen's Head this afternoon, just before politically economy. The weather is truly magnificent - it reached 73° F this afternoon in the middle of march. Tony failed his driving test this afternoon.
I went with Edna (from Ossett) to the concert in the town hall this evening.  It was given by the London Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Adrian Boult.  The three items played were:
Overture "Oberon" by Weber.
Piano concerto in A minor by Schumann, soloist Peter Clement
Symphony No. 7, the Great C Major, by Schubert.
On the whole I think it was very good and I enjoyed it very much.  I think they played the overture the best.

Friday 17 March
Early lecture at Whiteknights this morning. Being St Patrick's Day there was a barricade of people from Pats collecting money for the Congo relief. There were also two blocks to the entrance of David's though these were soon cleared. Went down to Sonning to do some revision afterwards. Johnny Marsh came down later. It went alright until I was cleared off by a copper. Still never mind, I saw a double-headed train with the diesel and the steam locomotive. David's was dead this evening, watched a very poor boxing match later on in the evening.

Saturday 18 March
The weather started overcast today and although it improved at around 10.30 it has got back to normal. We had rain this afternoon and this evening, the first rain for about three weeks. Had the last of the geography terminal tests this morning. This one was on meteorology and I didn't find it too difficult even though I don't think I have done very well. Went for a bike ride afterwards. I went along the main road to Theale where I had dinner and came back via Burghfield and Grazeley. Instead of watching the Head of the River Race I saw the Rugby Union International between England and Scotland(Calcutta cup). The result was a win for England by 6 – 0 thus dashing Scotland's hope of winning the triple crown.

Sunday 19 March
The weather has certainly broken with a vengeance. It has been very cold and there have been occasional snow showers. Stayed in most of the morning but I did go for a bike ride along the Wokingham road although I didn't get as far as I had hoped because it was so cold. This afternoon I cycled over to Holme Park, Sonning with Dave Cameron to see an inter schools seven decides tournament, again the weather was unpleasant and we left very early. The rugby wasn't of a particularly high standard. Stayed in all evening.

Monday 20 March
Extremely cold again today. I went into Davids to have a bath in order to get warm. Did some work afterwards and then went up to Whiteknights to the seminar. After geography we went around the town. I've taken out a constitutional history for the vacation although I don't know if I will get around to reading it. Mum and Dad enclosed £1 in their letter this morning, it was certainly very handy as I only had 12/1½d left to last me until the end of term.  This isn't as bad as it might sound as the end of term was Thursday 23 March.

Tuesday 21 March
Rather a rush again today with two lectures at Whiteknights and two (3 hours) at the main site. It seems now that Alan will be coming into Connaught road with us next to term and Tommy Williams the term after that. Coming down the hill from Whiteknights my tyre went flat. I have mended one puncture and also one caused by pinching it while putting the tyre back on but it still goes down within an hour. I have been very busy this evening, I've done most of my packing and wonder of wonders, it will all go in quite easily, I still have one or two books to get in but I don't think I should have much trouble, in any case there is the rucksack as the last resort. I have been around to Connaught Road to leave some stuff for the vacation. I had to wear my gown as there wasn't any room in the holdall!

Wednesday 22 March
I had one lecture at 9.00 this morning. Before this I went to see Dr. Budden about signing off at the end of the term. Professor Campbell has had a road accident so I have to see Dr. Budden instead. This means that I will not have to hang around on Thursday morning. After the lecture I went back to the digs and took my case down to the station where I left it in the left luggage. It is certainly very heavy indeed, thank goodness I haven't to carry it very far. I went up to Whiteknights this afternoon to see the inter-hall women's hockey and the rugby versus Sandhurst. We intended to go on a razzle this evening but in the end only Johnny and I went. We visited a couple of pubs and then found out that all the off licenses close early on Wednesdays. We finished up at the station where I bought some rum and some brandy. We had quite a good time, during which I became a bit merry.

Thursday 23 March
I packed everything up and said goodbye to the Beeches by 9. 30. Cycled into the university and left my bike in the bike sheds. After geography I went straight down to the station and had plenty of time to catch the 11. 28 to Waterloo. It is a long tedious run but certainly much easier at Waterloo than having to go by underground to and from Paddington. I arrived home at about 2.00, on the way down I saw the battered coaches from the minor collision at Cannon Street last Monday. Seem to have spent the afternoon and evening talking and eating.

Friday 24 March
I slept very well and woke quite late. Dave Waywell came down at about 10.45 on his Vespa. He says it isn't going too well at the moment as it needs a rebore. We talked in the morning and went for a walk over Poverest. In the afternoon we went to the library. This has improved tremendously and has a much larger selection of books than previously. I went along to Smith's new bookshop opposite the original one. It is very good indeed even better than the Bromley one, it must be at least three times the size of the original one. There is also a record section. We have decided to go hostelling for four days next week, down to the Isle of Wight. Have started to think about the holiday to Germany this summer, we can get special rates through the N.S.U. Dave didn't go till quite late, we were talking and watching television most of the evening.

Saturday 25 March
1 have been puttering around this morning. I mowed the lawn and did several other jobs. I went up to Goddington this afternoon, expecting to get a game but it had been canceled. I dashed back but wasn't in time to see the Grand National. Dad has won about £10 so he's very pleased indeed. I watched the wrestling. Dave Tyler came down later on in the afternoon. He has just come back from Ireland and by all accounts he has had a very good time there.

Sunday 26 March
It started off cloudy this morning but soon the cloud cleared to leave clear blue sky. This clouded over again in the afternoon and we have had some rain this evening. The clocks were put on an hour last night and it seemed as if we were getting up at the crack of dawn. I helped Dad bring in a load of ballast which came yesterday. This is to make the base for the new coal bunker which will be on the other side of the garden. Auntie Doris and Uncle Albert came down for the day. They were both well and pleased to see me. This is the first time I have seen them since I have been at Reading. We were going out for a walk this afternoon but the weather didn't look too promising and there was a very cold wind.

Monday 27 March

I met Dave Waywell just before 10.00 and we started to hitch, making for Portsmouth.  Our first lift took us from Bat and Ball station to Riverhead then we were given successive lifts to Dorking, Guildford, Hindhead and Portsmouth, arriving at 13.05 - pretty good!  Caught the ferry over to Ryde.  The crossing was very calm, there was very little indication that we were on a boat at all.  Ryde is practically deserted at this time of year, all the holiday shops are closed.  We walked to Sandown and checked in at the hostel at 17.30.  The walk throught the outskirts of both towns is very pleasant but the country in spring is very nice.  The primroses are out early this year.  The hostel is well equipped and has a good warden even though he has a strong Lancashire accent!  Sandown at this time of year is dead - we had the whole beach to ourselves. It was so quiet that we wanted to roll a dustbin down the High Street.

Tuesday 28 March
Whitwell hostel is closed this evening so we have had to go to Cowes hostel instead.  We started off down the road past the airport, down a bride path and eventually to the River Yar.  The river is only a small stream about 6 feet wide butit is very deep and we had some difficulty in crossing.  I found a stretch of rapids where the water was shallower.  The water was really cold and my feet went numb before I was half way across.  After recuperating we walked along the deserted railway line to Blackwater.  the track ballast was entirely of small gravel.  We had diner in a field close to Blackwater and then walked into Newport and out to the hostel which is 1½ miles south of Cowes, overlooking the River Medina.  We spent sometime sitting in a hedgerow and checked into the hostel at 17.15.  Went to the local pub (Horseshoe Inn) in the evening and had a game of darts with some locals.

Wednesday 29 March
We decided to look at Ventnor today so we left Cowes early.  We hitched  through to Godshill in three lifts - to Newport, Blackwater and Godshill.  We then followed the old railway track to the outskirts of Ventnor.  This line, which ran from Newport to Ventnor, has been closed since 1952 (according to the notice on the old St. Lawrence station, near Ventnor) and the grass which has overgrown it makes the going easy.  Although there were one or two bad places, the drainage is still extremely good.  We walked through a tunnel (about ½ mile) which goes through the chalk ridge separating the interior from the coast.  It is straight for most of the way and the light shines in for almost ¼ mile but there is a curve which makes one section pitch black.  We came off the railway soon after St. Lawrence station and walked along the cliff path to Ventnor where we stayed until 16.15 when we caught the bus to Whitwell.  W26 in Ventnor station is in very good condition.

Thursday 30 March
We decided to make for the mainland today.  We got a lift to Newport and then two more took us to Ryde where we caught the 11.30 boat.  The crossing was calm but not as smooth as the one over.  We caught a bus out of Portsmouth to Cosham and were picked up almost immediately by a lorry driver and take to the junction of the Southampton Ring Road and the Winchester Road.  After having diner, we hitched to Winchester and decided to stay at Winchester hostel.  We passed the hostel and found out that there were only four vacancies for men so we came back 1½ hours later and waited ½ an hour in order to be sure of a bed.  We did get in alright although we had to have dinner in a fish and chip shop.  The hostel is the city water mill which is kept up by the National Trust.  It is built over the River Itchen and the mill race goes through the men's wash.  There isn't a sq. in. of floor in the place.

Friday 31 March
Having laid the tables for supper we were able to leave the hostel at 09.15 and walked out along the A31 - making for home.  Being Good Friday there was very little traffic and most of those cars that did pass us were families in full up cars.  We were eventually given a lift after 25 mins, to Alresford, about 6 miles.  We walked about 100 yards when we stopped a car with a caravan.  The driver said he was going to "Marystone" - it took several seconds before we realised that he was going to Maidstone!  He was a bus driver from Herne Bay and very amusing.  This lift took us to Riverhead and we were given a lift from there to my house and Dave to his place.