In which I continue my studies at Reading University and visit the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.

Saturday 1 April
Dad has had today off and we have been working on the concrete base for the new coal bunker. We have had to move the small shed and at the moment it is resting temporarily in the middle of the lawn. There's been a good deal of making up to be done because, eventually the whole concrete area in the back garden will be at the same level as the second step outside the back door- thereby eliminating one of the awkward steps. The weather hasn't been too good but that hasn't unduly worried us because only the packing of ash and cement has been put down. We are using a good deal of hard core that has come from the two fireplaces that we broke up over a year ago. All of the spare glass that helped to make the bottom of the garden untidy has been put in. It has been joined by some of the rusty iron work. Next on the list is the old grindstone and the heavy lawn mower which I have to dismantle.

Sunday 2 April
Easter Day. I was given an Easter egg and some money from Mom and Dad and also a pair of socks and some chocolate ginger stems. I played a record this morning and have come to the conclusion that there is definitely something mechanically wrong with my record player and I shall have to get it seen to. I would really like a new gram but that will have to wait for some time. At 12:30 Uncle Reg came and collected us in the car- we spent the day up at Oaklands. Uncle Jack and Suzette are staying there for the time being. Auntie Sue has been even worse than usual and Uncle Jack has left her. She obviously needs psychiatric treatment but it is difficult to get the rest of the family to see this. The model railway is coming on well and Uncle Reg has got the main control panel partly working. Suzette has grown into a big girl now.

Monday 3 April
It must have been one of the most miserable Easter Mondays for years. It has been raining all day and this has caused visibility to be poor. In the north though, there has been sunshine and the roads have been crowded. We did intend to put the top surface of the cement on to the base for the new coal bunker but obviously this was out of the question with all the rain. This will have to be done on Wednesday now which means that it may not have much time to set. I have been reading most of the day all in preparation for F.V.E.!

Tuesday 4 April

Again it has been raining on and off for most of the day, just like yesterday. The weather hasn't been quite as bad however and I have been around to the library to get some books for F.V.E. I have spent the rest of the day reading. This evening I heard a program in memory of Sir Thomas Beecham, it included some recordings of his at rehearsal and was very amusing. The way he used to try and sing was really amazing. According to this month's edition of Trains Illustrated the first two of the Schools class 4-4-0s have been withdrawn.  These famous engines were built in the thirties and were performing top link work in the south east and right up to modernization, a few years ago.  After the Kent Coast Electrification they were dispersed to other parts of the system particularly the Western section and Reading - the finishing off ground for a great many engines.

Wednesday 5 April

Although it started a bit doubtfully this morning the weather has definitely been much better today and we have been able to get the cement for the bunker base down. The coal bunker is expected on Friday so there isn't much time for it to set. I have been reading this morning and also this evening. I went round to the library at 7.00 and found that it closes at 7.00 which is rather inconvenient.

Thursday 6 April.
Again nothing much has happened today. Went round to the library this morning and spent over an hour in the reference section - looking at acts of parliament, particularly the Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights. Spent the afternoon reading and the evening I very much regret to say watching television. The Flintstones, Charlie Drake, a play, amateur boxing and music for you.

Friday 7 April
Uncle Jim rang up first thing this morning to ask us if we would like togo to see the Crazy Gang this evening. Both he and Auntie Edie have very bad colds and are unable to go. I spent most of the day working. The new coal bunker came this morning. It is quite a good one made out of reinforced concrete. I have transferred the coal from the old bunker in preparation to breaking it up. We went to the Crazy Gang this evening at the Victoria Palladium. I enjoyed it very much but most of the jokes were crude. We left Victoria just after 11.00 but had to wait 30 minutes at Bromley for an Orpington train, arrived home at about 12.30.

Saturday 8 April
I had quite a post this morning. A book from Ian Allen limited (Light Railway Handbook), some old railway tickets from a closed colliery railway near Newcastle and some literature on a record Library. Dad had the day off and we have been proceeding with the development plan. We have broken up the old coal bunker and prepared the ground with hardcore for cementing. This will make a concrete for court outside the french windows.

Sunday 9 April
I carried on working in the back garden. Mr. Ogden helped Dad to move the small shed to the bottom of the garden. It has been erected on the site of the old shed which has now been broken up and used for firewood. I have been preparing the base for the concrete. The first section is now ready for cementing - I have rammed the rubble down to make a good, firm, base. Much of the rubble from the old bunker still has to be broken down but the second section is coming on. I have buried some iron work in the base - wheels, the roller from the old lawn mower, an old potato planter and old rods. It'll help to make a good firm base. Trevor. Len and Hillary came down this afternoon and caught us all by surprise. I was in the middle of a shave, the first since Friday. Auntie Win and Uncle Alf came down this evening. We are going out for the day on Tuesday. Did some reading this evening.

Monday 10 April
Weather fine this morning but deteriorated gradually this afternoon and there has been a good deal of rain this evening. I went up the road via the library this morning but spent the rest of the time reading. I spent the whole of the afternoon reading and also part of this evening.
Notes on the trial of Adolf Eichman 

Tuesday 11 Aprii
Went out in the car with Auntie Win, Uncle Alf and Mum. Unfortunately Aunties and Uncles idea of a quiet day out is to go as far as possible without walking. Consequently the emphasis was upon the number of miles on the clock. We went down the Dover Road to Hollingbourne and then turned off and through Faversham to Herne Hill. We went along the newly constructed Maidstone bypass which is a Motorway - the first I have been on. My grandparents on Mum's side came from Herne Hill (Kent) and we visited the church where Grandad used to worship. We then went via Graveny (which church has boxed pews) to Seasalter where we had coffee and then onto Sandwich Bay then Canterbury, Wingham and Ash to dinner. After dinner we went via Wingham and Denton to Folkestone, where we had a short break. We came home by Hythe and up the A20 with two stops, one to pick primroses (in spite of the notices) and one for tea at Hothfield Common. In all we did 173 miles - a very pleasant trip which broke some new ground for me

Wednesday 12 April.
It was announced this morning that Russia has just put a man into space and recovered him without damage. This is a wonderful piece of news as it is the first time in the history of the earth that man has been able to go outside the earth. It is a great scientific achievement and a big step forward in the history of space travel. I am a bit perturbed at the political implications though. I would have preferred it to have been done by the U.S.. It has been said that the power that launches first a man into space will dominate the world. Have done some work this morning. Suzette came over to dinner and Mum took her to the pictures at Sidcup while Dad and I carried on with the cementing. The first part of the pavement is now ready. It was very exasperating working with Dad. He didn't like the way I did anything and kept on telling me how to do even the simplest of jobs. The Biggss and Uncle Jack came over in the evening.

Thursday 13 April
The news of Russia's latest space exploit has been buzzing around the world. The American reaction seems to be just as I thought it would be - well done but we will soon be able to do just as well. One man in a film didn't even believe that Russia had even put a man into space and the whole thing was just a gigantic propaganda hoax. I have been working just as normal although I was interrupted this afternoon by Dave Wright. We talked for a little while and then went over to Mrs Mills to see if she could get him a job for three months or so. She could and Dave was quite pleased about it. We then went over to Terry's. Dave and I are going on his scooters on his scooter tomorrow for the day

Friday 14 April

Went out for the day with Dave Wright on his scooter.  We left at 08.30 and went along the Dover Road (A20) right the way down to Hythe which is near Folkestone.  We then caught the 10.30 train from the station on the 1'3" gauge Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.  The train, hauled by green pacific No. 2 "Northern Chief" took us to Dungeness.  It was very pleasant.  There were no clouds and the sun was quite hot.  This area is one vast shingle spit and consequently there is no soil - just pebbles.  It seems funny to see a back garden which looks like a beach.  We caught the 14.00 train back hauled by blue pacific No. 8 "Hurricane".  These engines are kept in very good condition and are perfect scale models, the only difference I found being that the regulator moves in a horizontal plane and not a vertical one.  Started back at 15.30 because Dave has a waiter's job in the evening.

Saturday 15 April
I was due to play for the 2nd Colts at Beckenham this afternoon but Jock Rawle came round to tell me that I was playing for the first Colts instead.  We played warlingham Colts at Warlingham.  I was given a lift over there from Grove Park station.  It was a scrappy game and I was very tired because this was my first game for at least six weeks.  They scored first but we scored with teh result that by half time the score was 3-3.  we did some hard pressing but with about 5 minutes to go they scored a converted try which meant we were 8-3 down.  we fought back and scored a try right in the corner.  The kick seemed impossible from so far out, it could only have been two feet from the touch line but it went over and we drew. 

Sunday 16 April
I have been concreting all day. We are doing the apron which stretches around the back of the house and up to the back door. We did two more sections which leaves about a third more to be done. It is very boring work but Dad seems determined that it will be done before I go back to Reading. I watched a television recording of the National Youth Orchestra this afternoon. Auntie Win and Uncle Alf came down this evening. Have done some work - also heard a recording of Balakirov's First Symphony

Monday 17 April
Nothing very much has been happening today. I have been working for the F.V.E. all day and haven't done much else.

Tuesday 18 April
The weather has been very warm today and I have been working outside on the lawn for most of the day. I must even have started to get some suntan on my arms. My hay fever has come back. This is now the second year that I have had it - most unusual as I never had it before last year. I listened to a concert this evening on the wireless. There were two works played the Overture to “A Midsummer Night's Dream” by Mendelssohn and Schubert's 9th Symphony (The great C major)

Wednesday 19 April
I went up the road this morning to buy a birthday present and card for Dad. I have got him a polythene watering can, 2 gallon size. These are most useful as they are light and will not rust. The present one is in a shocking state, I cut myself on the spout the other day. Dad came down as usual to dinner and we have been doing some more concreting, at least we have broken the back of it. Unfortunately it is raining this evening so I don't know what effect this will have upon it. I went over to John Palmer's this evening. We have discussed plans for returning to North Wales to work on the Ffestiniog Railway. We want to go in the last week of September.

Thursday 20 April
Mum has been down to Tunbridge Wells to a Women's Institute conference today so I have been on my own and have had to cook my dinner. It is Dad's birthday today. He is very pleased with the watering can that I gave him. I have been working most of the day except for the brief trip to the library and also for about an hour in next door when I heard one of my records as my gramophone is unserviceable. Dave Wright came down this evening to see if I would go on a cycle ride tomorrow - unfortunately my bike is at Reading. In any case we phoned various people up and found that nobody else could come.

Friday 21 April
Same old routine today - work and more work. Have done a bit of work on the bank though, some of the plants I put out there last year haven't come up. There are a few Forget-me-nots, some Lilies of the Valley and some Irises. We have put out some more Forgot me nots, the front garden is overgrown with them.
I can't forget a nightmare I had the night before last.  I was one of a gang of pirates in a rowing boat.  We had a captive who was lying at the bottom of the boat.  He was very thin, in fact it was more of a skeleton with a very tight covering of skin.  He had a very angular jaw (it seemed like a live skeleton).  He was weatherbeaten, unshaven and very dirty.  He realized that we were going to kill him and pleaded with us not to.  His pleadings gradually became more animated and full of terror (it is very difficult to describe it) until, at the height of his pleadings the knife came down and after a few twitches of his body, he lay still.  After that I woke up.  I don't know what it means but I know that it wasn't me who killed him.  I never had this dream again and had forgotten about it.

Sunday 23 April
There's been some trouble with Mr Ogden. I knew that he was slightly mentally unstable but apparently he hasn't been really bad for 12 years until just recently. He is subject to periods of depression and periods of elation. Mrs. Ogden is very worried and hasn't had any sleep for a couple of nights. This morning, instead of getting help, he insisted on taking out the fireplace in Jean's bedroom - he actually carried out the main part, on his shoulder and virtually unassisted. Of course we have to appear virtually normal to him, so that he doesn't suspect anything and develop a persecution complex. We have virtually finished the concreting, in spite of the bad weather. The only thing now left to do is the low level step in front of the coal bunker.

Monday 24 April
I went out with Auntie Win and Uncle Alf in the car. The weather was very good when we left and was excellent all day - particularly by the coast . We went through Tonbridge via seal then on to Hawkhurst, Newenden and then on to Tenterden, crossing the tracks of the Kent and East Sussex light Railway at Rolvenden. We then went through Rye and Winchelsea Beach where we had a short break and then went via Pett and Fairlight, passing a house Dave Waywell and I had tried to get to while staying at Guestling hostel last year, and had dinner at Hastings. After dinner we went to Eastbourne and then Seaford, (heavy sea). The ride back was very pleasant indeed - Lewis, Uckfield, Edenbridge and Westerham- good geological lesson - chalk Downs, Sussex clay vale, Ashdown Forest, sands, clayvale - Edenbridge. etc. There are some wonderful views particularly from the ridges, looking over the well wooded clay vales. The country is a wonderful lush green after yesterday's rain. Mr Ogden seems to be worse. He may go into hospital tomorrow. He seems to be manic depressive.

Tuesday 25 April
Back to the usual routine of work again today after yesterday's outing. It came on to rain in the afternoon and has been for the rest of the day. This evening I went up to Dave Wright's where we played bridge with Colin Bishop and Peter Gregory. The first half of the evening I had really atrocious hands counting nothing more than 13 points per hand in 12 hands. The second half wasn't quite as bad and I actually managed to make a few contracts.
Mr Ogden is worse. Mrs Ogden collapsed today through exhaustion. She hasn't been able to sleep for fear of him trying to kill her. However the doctors managed to persuade him to go to hospital and he went at about 1.30 a. m., (Wednesday morning). Hospital is obviously the best place for him until the present mood wears off.

Wednesday 26 April
My last full day at home before going back to Reading. I have been doing several odd jobs, including going to the library and the barbers but I have still managed to get quite a good lot of work done. I am making a series of skeleton notes from my own lecture notes and I think they may help. The Biggss and Uncle Jack and Suzette came down this evening to give Dad his overdue birthday present and also to say goodbye to me. Have been able to get some of the packing done.

Thursday 27 AprilI started packing at about 10.30. I seem to have to take back much more than I brought down. So much more that some has gone by post. Had an early dinner and after saying goodbye to everybody. I left home at 1245 catching the 1.19 train to Waterloo.  Caught the 2.24 train to Reading South which arrived on time in spite of several signal delays.  Caught a bus to Reading West station and arrived at my new digs in Connaught Road just after 4.00. I think I'm going to like these better as they are much more homely, Mrs Whitehead is very kind. There is another chap (as well as five from the uni) who is on a sandwich course at the CWS preserve factory, he is called Dave as well which means that there are three David's here.

Friday 28 April
My new digs certainly seem to be better than the old ones, it's much more friendly. Both Mr and Mrs Whitehead have a joke with you. Back into the old routine with a vengeance. My exams start on Monday and I have been revising hard all day in the reading room of the geography department. It is very quiet there and I find I can work quite well in there. Apart from dinner at the County Arms, the Union was so crowded, and a short trip to the library, I have been working up until 5.45. I stayed in this evening writing letters and playing records. I felt too tired to do any work.

Saturday 29 April
Went down to Reading General around 10.15 this morning and stayed until about 12.45.  It was quite interesting as there were several excursions which seemed to be full of loco spotters.  These excursions caused several trains to be late.  Another unusual occurrence was the arrival in platform nine of a King 4-6-0 No. 6002. Have been doing some work this afternoon and also playing with Raymond's Lego which is an outfit for building houses etc. Have been working this evening.

Sunday 30 April
Sweating on the top line now as the exams start tomorrow. I went down by the towpath this morning to get some peace and quiet. Have spent the rest of the time revising, both in the afternoon and evening. I was really tired around 9:00 and so I went for a run around the block with Dave Cameron. I had livened up considerably by the time we got back and managed to keep on working for a couple of hours afterwards