The Blacksmith’s Daughter by Fay Berry 2013 © – Chapter 18 – 19550622

By the middle of the 1955 year and into the second term, the pace was picking up at school and we were all beginning to worry about and prepare for the second term exams. I was finding it so hard to get any effective study done because I was involved in so many extra curricula activities such as Literary and Debating and all my sports practices and matches. I was also a member of the chorus for the school school Opera we were putting on, “the Black Tulip,” written by our Music Master, Duncan McKie.

I was in fierce competition with my friend Wendy Swain for top position in English, the only subject that I was really good at. My worst subject was Geography and I knew full well, that if I failed my Geography exams then I would not receive my Leaving Certificate at the end of the year. One would expect that I would therefore have paid more attention in Geography classes because of this, but this was not the case. I behaved abominably during our Geography classes, but blamed both my failure in Geography and my behavior in class, on the abysmally poor teaching ability of Mr Pederick our Geography teacher. I seemed unable to concentrate on whatever study tasks I had in hand and would spend my time writing a list of my boyfriends rather than do whatever homework I was supposed to be working on.

 

I am very grateful to Colleen Robjohns who took the only photo of our class that 1955 school year and in labelling that photo I ended up with a list of all the names of those in my class which I otherwise may not have retained. Colleen became my brother Graham’s girlfriend for a short period of time during this year but it meant that Colleen was inspired to come along to our Sunday School and sports afternoons which was a plus for me during the second term. Up until this time my closest friend was Wendy Swain, but because I had got to know Colleen we began to get around together at school.

Because of Colleen’s involvement in the Literary and Debating Society, I too became involved and ended up in a debate to find Mr & Miss Unley High by choosing two candidate, a boy and a girl who were to remain unnamed and then debating their virtues in the debate. The winning speakers’ candidates then became Mr & Miss Unley High. Dennis Brown was my partner in this debate and we won, so our candidates became Mr & Miss Unley High.

 

DIARY NOTES

19550622 Wednesday – I thought I would be in an awful lot of trouble with Pederick today for walking out of his class yesterday but nothing happened which was a relief. It was Opera practice again and I spent all the time doing my homework but I didn’t have any Maths to do so Ian didn’t have any Maths to do for me. Peter Strauhan and Warren Edwards sat with us and they are completely and utterly batty. After the practice Ray Keatley drove me home and Mr Boundy and Colleen Robjohns also came home in Ray’s car and Mr Boundy kept us entertained all the way.

19550623 Thursday – Roma drove me to Lit and Deb tonight and I waited in the cloakroom for ages for Collen to come.Just as it was about to start she finally arrived and there was only just enough room for her to sit down. Lit and Deb wasn’t as much fun as the first one of course, but It was still good. Wendy lost her debate on the subject of “Sunday Sport.” At least she didn’t make a fool of herself which was all that she was worried about.

At the end of the debates, Gunta and I walked down to the bus stop together and met Wendy and Bev Barnett and Bev Rivers who were coming back because they had missed the bus and had to wait for an hour before the next one came. We met up with some of the boys and they joined us in the milk bar and we talked there for a while. Tony Wright and his boyfriend saw us in there and also came in. Tony is so weird, he kept winking at me. I think someone must have told him that winking will win him the girls.

19550624 Friday – During the lunch hour, Pam Hissey told me that a letter from Pinnaroo had arrived. I was delighted, but she wouldn’t tell me which of the Wurfels had written it because she said that Mum had forbidden her to tell me. After school I got out of Opera practice as quick as I could, skipped hockey and dashed home But it was only a note from Mrs Wurfel. Still it was a letter tellin g us what was happening up there. Mrs Wurfel told us that Ian had come in from work one day and told her that he had the barn cleaner than it’s ever been for years and he won’t mind sleeping there whenever we want to come down. You beaut! For the rest of the night all we could talk about was the Wurfels.

19550625 Saturday – I had practiced my music all week and so this morning my music lesson passed well for a change. Practising certainly does make a difference. This afternoon I rode my bike to Opera Practice and actually arrived there early. Colleen came today for once and thank goodness she can go every night we have it. The dates of the Opera performances are from 23rd to 26th August. I wonder if the Wurfel’s would come to it. That would be so good. Warren Edwards asked me if I’d like a ride home with him and as I said “Yes.” He drove around to Sue Jellet’s place first because he wanted to ask her to a dance he was going to. We went in and ended up by having afternoon tea which was rather unexpected. We eventually got to my place about 6 0’clock.

19550626 Sunday – Nancy and Rosalie came to dinner after Sunday School and Nancy and I were still talking about the Wurfel’s. She read the letter from Mrs Wurfel and was as thrilled and excited as I had been. Graham and Rosalie disappeared somewhere during the evening. I suppose he was telling her all about Barbara. I taught Nan some of our Opera music so that we could sing it together. I wish she was still at school. Oh well, can’t having everything. Mum showed me a letter she was going to send to the Wurfel’s but I didn’t like it so I rewrote it for her, stayed up till 11 o’clock doing it. Dreadful.

19550627 Monday – I’ve started my project at long last. It was supposed to be finished last Friday. Ha Ha. Dinner time I was talking to Tony wright for a while. You know, I think he has got a bit of a crush on me. Wish he was a bit taller and I wouldn’t mind. I’ll have to tell Jimmy Luke he has to grow too. I didn’t go to Opera Practice today. There is an Economics test tomorrow and I need to study for it. We have to do that stupid essay on “Road Hogs” as well.

19550628 Tuesday – Today at Assembly, old “Desert Head Carthew” got up and told the boys that they had to wear their school caps on their heads (where else would they wear them?). During the lunch hour a number of boys turned up with caps on and all day these caps were being flung around all over the place. I took some boy’s cap and put it on. Looked funny too. We had our sports lesson today and Colleen and I played football for a while and then played basketball. What a cheat’s game it was. We didn’t dare play with the boys this time. We got into too much trouble last time.

19550629 Wednesday – Today there has been a bit of fuss about those caps. The one I was wearing has disappeared and the boy is kicking up a big fuss about it. I know I had it for a while but what happened to it after that I haven’t got a clue. Just before the hockey match today Colleen and I were standing outside our room with our sports uniform on when Miss Grosvenor came up. She looked us up and down and then in her usual stuffy tone informed us that our uniforms were too short! The hockey match was awful, slow and boring.

At Opera practice, Ian did some of my Arithmetic homework and then Musical Mick sent us to our respective places on either side of the lab. Warren Edwards came to keep me company and stood next to me and sang soprano with me. After Opera, I got on Dean Shakes bike and Colleen got onto Ian’s and we started to ride round the yard. The boys followed us and we went out onto Unley Road and stopped and talked there for a while. Then Ian donkeyed me home and as we turned up Cross Road there was Bob Oertel talking to another girl. Hoorah, at long last he has recovered from the shock I gave him and he’s got another girl.

19550630 Thursday – Dean Shakes asked me to account for four spokes broken in his bike today. He’s been pretending that I broke them. I went home early after school today because I couldn’t wait to try on the Opera costumes but Mum was not at home so I couldn’t. I read a book, did some music practice, watched Graham show “the Biden Trial” on our wall for ages then tried to learn for the Geography test tomorrow. Hope Pedro doesn’t come. I read a book until eleven o’clock, then I went to bed.

19550701 Friday – Pedro didn’t come! No Geography Test, Hooray!! Beverley Turner read the part about the Wurfels in my diary today and being of rather a romantic nature she was thrilled with it. I read it to Mum this evening too. We went into town to get the material for my opera costumes after school today. It’s going to be red and green.

1955 0702 Saturday – Mrs French was feeling horribly depressed this morning. Her arm has been giving her trouble and she spent most of my music lesson pouring out her woes to me and shedding her tears. Poor thing, it must be terrible to grow old and be in perpetual pain. Consequently I only had a singing practice this morning, and didn’t get on to the music theory. I stayed home to do homework this morning but spent the time reading. I’ll never pass my Leaving at this rate. It was the table tennis social this evening but I didn’t go because I’ve got an awful cold. I stayed home and played the mouth organ for a while and then I went to bed early.

19550703 Sunday – Last night I had a terribly vivid dream. I thought I was back in Pinnaroo and was lost in the scrub again. I was stumbling around in the dark and suddenly someone stepped from behind a tree and pulled me into his arms and began to kiss me. I thought it was Ken but I couldn’t be sure. It was about 2 o’clock when I woke up and I didn’t go back to sleep until about four o’clock. I just lay there thinking and thinking about it.

Graham and I got talking this morning about his girlfriend in Sydney and after a while the conversation got around to the Wurfel’s. I asked him if Ken was very strong and Graham said he was. He said that he can run too. When Graham and Ken went for a run around the block when they were at our place last, Graham said they came about a draw. He also said that he thought he could beat Ken if they were wrestling, but Ken could beat him in lifting things. He said that Ken is far from soft, however. I’d love it if Ken were stronger than Graham because there are so few boys that are.

19550704 Monday – I went to the doctor this afternoon and he told me I couldn’t have the “carysa” injections while I had a cold because it would make my cold worse. I spent most of the afternoon reading Tennyson’s “princess.” He’s a terrific poet. Fancy writing a story in poetry.

19550705 Tuesday – I went to school today for a change and how I wished I’d stayed home when I got there. We are supposed to have finished our projects and our Magazine articles and I have finished neither. I spent all of choir period trying to finish the article I had started but it just didn’t fit the bill so I started another one and this is it.

“NOTHING,”

Why is it that whenever I am faced with the task of writing a magazine article my mind is always completely void of ideas? I Usually sit miserably chewing my pen until at last in desperation I start to write about the first thing that comes into my mind. As this is the first and only thought that has entered into the vacuum, I suppose I will have to write about it, so here it is, my essay is about “Nothing!”

Nothing can only be defined as …well…nothing. It is very hard to find a satisfactory definition of “nothing,” but many people throughout the ages have had a try. Some have called it emptiness, or a vacuum, or something that is void of anything, or just…well…”nothing.”

Of course, “nothing” has an important use in the English language. It can be used and very often is, to describe what is in most students’ heads and as heads are known to contain brains, or sawdust, depending on the student, “nothing” could therefore mean “brains,” but I will leave that for you to decide. My brother’s definition for “nothing” is, a bung hole with the barrel taken away, which seems a very sensible definition to me.

I have been able to clear the doubt in my mind about this subject very successfully in a practical way and I recommend it to you to give it a try. Take a clean white piece of paper and with a finely sharpened pencil, draw a circle on the face of it. Then take a rubber and carefully erase the line and what have you got left? “Nothing.”

Well, as this is such an intellectual subject and a little too difficult for me to handle fully right now, I will leave it at that, and I hope that you will agree that I have made quite a lot out of, well…nothing.

There it is. The chances are nil (or nothing) that it will get into the magazine but at least it is done at long last.

19550706 Wednesday – Only four weeks to the exams. How awful! I studied Geography in the dinner hour and in first period after dinner and I think I know a little more than I did before. In Geography lesson today, Pedro remarked that our behavior was improving and that he hoped we would keep it up. Poor Pedro, little did he realise that we had been passing logs of wood around the room and piling them up on the desks at the back of the room. At Opera practice this evening I didn’t do any homework which amazed the boys. I came home with Ian again and Mum says I shouldn’t because he will start to get ideas. I hope he doesn’t though. I am getting sick to death of school now. It must be the season, I hate winter.

Graham’s coming to our next opera practice. Wonder if anyone will think he’s my boyfriend. I’m dog tired. I feel horribly run down. I’d like a nice long holiday.

19550707 Thursday – I feel absolutely and thoroughly rotten. I’m tired out. I’m lonely and I don’t want to go to school, but then again I want to go to Lit and Deb tonight. Oh blow Lit and Deb, I’m staying home. I did some homework this morning then read for a while. I typed a letter to Mrs Wurfel which I’m not going to post and altogether the morning passed fairly well. This afternoon I worked on my project for a while and then at three o’clock I went to sleep until about 6 o ‘clock.

I don’t think the winter can be good for me, because I always get that “something missing” feeling. I think it was even better when I used to be so crazy over Des because at least I had something to think about, whereas now, I’ve got nothing to think about. I’m just not a scrap interested in any of the boys at school and there’s little compensation in being interested in Ken, because he’s miles away and I won’t see him for ages.

I’m not even sure that I’d be interested in him for long if he were closer and I could see him more often. Ah well, what does it matter. I wonder how far my diary will go on in this strain? Probably until summer. I’ve just had an idea, something that will relieve the boredom anyway. I’ll copy out the list of the names of my boyfriends into my diary (word for word as I put it in the list I started years ago).

My Boyfriends – 1945 to 1955

Robert Moore. Grade II Parkside Primary.

Robert Moore can’t really be called a boyfriend because I very soon began to hate the sound of his name but that wasn’t his fault. I was in the play, The Sleeping Beauty and I was the Princess and he was the Prince. He had to kiss me in the play and from then on my brothers teased me unmercifully and I used to cry with rage every time they mentioned Robert Moore’s name. Poor boy, he used to like me too and I’m afraid I wasn’t very nice to him from then on. I had as little to do with boys as possible after that, I hated them.

Norman Mundy – grade IV Unley Primary -Norman Mundy was just a passing fancy and it only lasted for about five weeks. That year I and five other girls were in a class with about 30 boys. I remember that year mainly because on the last day of the year third term I gave one of the boys a well-deserved hiding and gained myself the name of “spifire,” of which I was very proud. I don’t think I would be so proud of such a name today.

Colin Whitwell – grade IV – VII Parkside Primary. I have always liked Colin because he was different to other boys, he was more quiet and thoughtful, but still good fun. He was Graham’s boyfriend and I often went with him to play at Colin’s place. Colin and his family left for Melbourne when I was in grade IV but they came back for visits now and then but those visits have stopped now.

Richard Collett – Grade VII Parkside Primary. Richard Collett made a great impression on me until a certain day in the Christmas holidays when I saw him up at 40 acres with Prudence Parker and a number of other girls and boys, playing a kissing game. I have always had a deep seated dislike for casual kissing which dates back to Robert Moore and I determined that I would reach sweet sixteen before I kissed any boy and also I would never kiss a boy who I didn’t really and truly like.

Charles Pollard 1st year Commercial Unley High. Charles Pollard, Daphne Pollard’s brother was a favorite with me for some time. We often used to meet the Pollard family at Summerton Beach when we went to the beach and I had some wonderful times with Charlie and his family. It’s strange, we knew each other so well, but now, we hardly even speak to each other. How times change.

John Badman – 1st year Unley High. John was the first real boyfriend I ever had. That is to day he was the first boy I actually went round with. I liked him in my wild first year days. I used to spend my dinner hours dashing around playing “sides” with the boys. I got to know our head mistress really well that year because for some reason or other, she disapproved of such goings on. John asked me to go to the school picture evening with him but I refused for the first picture evening, but agreed to go to the second. However I didn’t go to it in the end because he had an accident and couldn’t take me.

Ron Sword – 1st year Unley High. Ron Sword was a boy I just adored from afar. I was too shy to make myself noticed. He left at the end of the year and that was the last I saw of him except for one or two occasions and even then I didn’t speak to him.

Bill Coghlan 1st year Unley High. I think Bill was a big mistake of judgment for me. I eventually realised I had been crazy to like him because he was such a conceited ape and I think it was from him I got my loathing for boasting and conceitedness.

Desmond Manser – 2nd year Unley High.

This was the only boy that really had a big effect on me. On December 12, 1952, we had our Sunday School prize giving evening and I met Des for the first time. He made such an impression on me that it changed everything for me. During the next year, I changed my friends and went around with Phyllis Matthews, Nancy King and Heather Henderson who were much older than me, just so that Des might notice me when he saw me with girls who were “really in” the Young Folks group.

Through Des, I grew up three years before a girl my age should have grown up, and for two years I longed for Des to like me and I did everything in my power to make him notice me. I eventually got to know him and his family very well, but he never seemed attracted to me other than as a very good friend. Those years were a trying period as it is I think for every girl who falls in love for the first time, but it was harder for me because I was very young and I matured within the space of one short year which is far too quick.

I am glad it happened though because I have gained Nancy King for my friend, the best friend any girl could ever have and it is wonderful to gain a real and true friendship which has blossomed between Nancy and me.

Graham Kelly 2nd year Unley High. Towards the end of my second year I made a desperate effort to forget Des by trying to interest myself in other boys, but Des was my ideal and none of the boys I met seemed to be able to measure up to him. I found that Graham smoked and that he boasted so that ended my friendship with him.

John Lawrey – 2nd year Unley High. John was the nicest boy I ever met at school. He was a strict Methodist and seemed to lack all of the vices of the other boys. He didn’t smoke, drink, boast or anything as far as I knew but there was one hitch in it. He didn’t take any interest in me whatsoever!

Peter Lawrey – 2nd year Unley High. Peter is John’s brother but not quite as nice as John. At the beginning of my Intermediate year, Peter suddenly became a hit with all the girls ad he became slightly conceited, which immediately wiped him off my book. I just cannot stand conceit in boys (or girls for that matter.)

Peter Leak – 3rd year Unley High. Peter asked me to go to the school picture evening but I was more interested in his boyfriend Andrew McIntosh than in him so I refused to go.

Andrew McIntosh – 3rd year Unley High.

This “romance” started at opera practices and Andrew used to drive me to many practices and home again. He was an extra boy but I began to tire of him after a while and I finished it off when he asked me to go to see “The Glen Miller “ story. I had a strange unreasoning fear that he might kiss me and I have only once ever met a boy who I would not have minded kissing and that was Des.

Ken Wurfel – 3rd Year Unley High. 18th Sept 1954 – Dad and Mum accepted an invitation to go up to Pinnaroo to see the grand final between Parilla Well and Pinnaroo South. We stayed at the Wurfel’s farm about six miles out from Pinnaroo and there I met the Wurfel boys. They are about the nicest family I know and naturally I was rather attracted to the boys. I liked Keith, Ian, Trevor and Max, but I thought Ken was the best.

During 1955 we saw the Wurfels on a few occasions when they came to Adelaide and we went up to their place again and once again I was quite taken with Ken, but less so, this time, because I couldn’t tell which of the boys I liked most. Ken was great, but so were Ian and Keith. I think I like Ken most but it is hard to tell. Between the first visit to Pinnaroo and the second I had one more boyfriend and that was

Robert Oertel – 4th year Unley High. I liked Bob for twenty days only but quite a lot happened in that time. I went to the pictures with him one night and we talked until two o’clock in the morning about our respective religious beliefs. Next day he came to our place and told me he had decided to come to my Sunday School and try it out. He said that he believed that we had the truth. I was so pleased but then his parents interfered and he couldn’t go and so it ended right there.

(Later ones whose stories are still to come

(Bob Wiltshire – The News 19956. He was engaged. Didn’t stop him flirting with me, though.

(Trevor Griggs (Publishing Distributors 1956. He was married with two children, ditto.

(Barrie Spencer – Conference romance, Brisbane 1957.

(Jeff Berry, August 1957 – 1958.

I could write pages on this one. This one I love and on 30th November 1958, Jeff and I started going together.)

19550708 Friday – Rosalie and I arranged over the phone for us to go to Roma’s place Saturday evening to play table tennis. I actually did a bit of my project, and then in the afternoon I went out and robbed Charlie’s rooms of some darts, my table tennis bats and a few other odds and ends. The darts so intrigued me that I made Mum go up the street to buy me a dart board. Thirty Shillings of my pocket money gone west (3 week’s pay).

19550709 Saturday – In the afternoon I went to table tennis and Rosalie is much better at the moment than me, because she’s had an extra season’s practice. But I‘m going to practice and practice. After table tennis Rosalie and Dianne walked to the Wilson’s and had dinner there. As usual, they made me laugh and I spluttered in my tea. Then Rosalie and I went down in the basement of Richard’s Building and played a game of darts and then some table tennis.

19550710 Sunday – I got the dinner this morning but had to have sponge bath because the bath heater burst. I went to Sunday School for the first time in about three weeks and was greeted almost as a stranger.

19550711 Monday – At school today, the two tests I had been expecting were canceled, very conveniently for me. I didn’t know a thing. The Geography test and the Economics tests have both been postponed until tomorrow. I bet we manage to get Pedro to postpone his test until the end of the week, I hope so at any rate. I wore socks to school today and naturally Miss Grosvenor decided to take the names of the girls who were not wearing stockings and asked for reasons. Reasons? I gave her a very original reason for why I wasn’t wearing stockings. I told her that after hockey last week I had put my stockings and suspender belt into my bicycle basket and then I was sick in bed for the rest of the week so the stockings remained in my basket. When  I went to dress this morning I couldn’t find my stockings at home so had to wear socks. Not bad, Hey.

19550712 Tuesday – Once more the geography test was postponed this time until Thursday. I knew it would, Poor Old Pedro. After school I went into the office to talk to Pam. In walked Miss Grosvenor and tells me to go home. She told me the girls in the office have a lot of work to do and haven’t got time to talk to me. Ha Ha!!

19550712 I received a letter from Joy Eunson one of the girls from University High, Melbourne – Dear Fay, I suppose you think I’ve forgotten about you, but I haven’t. I have been working hard. We have exams in three weeks and I am not looking forward to them We have had two beaut socials at school lately, you are unlucky to have such a stuffy headmistress. Judy McKinlay had quite a good time I believe. Rosemary wrote to me the day after you did and I have just written to her. She must have given me up I think. The photo of you and Judy came out ok but Judy looks as though she is talking. Tomorrow we play MacRobertson High in hockey, basketball, softball and tennis. We haven’t lost a match so far. I’m sorry there isn’t much news and I hope you hadn’t given me up for lost. I know I’m terrible at writing letters. I am planning to visit you all in the Christmas hols. Until I hear from you. I remain your pal Joy Eunson.

19550713 Wednesday – 19550713 Wednesday – We were supposed to have our photos taken today but it rained like mad so we couldn’t even have our match which suited me because I didn’t want to play. It was Opera practice this evening and I took Graham along to it. I went in and signed my name on the roll and then in came Sue Jellett and Marilyn Stoba. They asked me who the boy was and wanted an introduction and all. I didn’t give it. When I came back to where Graham was standing, there he was talking to a girl. Does he work fast?

It turned out that he knew her before from somewhere. Then Colleen Robjohns came in and right from the the moment she clapped her eyes on him she set her cap at Graham and all the boys said among themselves that “Colleen has got her eyes on Fay’s brother.” After the practice, Ian took us home (Graham and I) in his car and we sat talking for ages. When eventually we got back inside, Graham came into my room and said that he reckoned that he could sing better than most of the basses that were at the opera practice and he wondered if he would be permitted to sing in the Opera chorus.  I decided to ask Mr McKie if he would let him.

19550714 Thursday – The first person I saw when I arrived at school today was Mr McKie, so I asked him about Graham and he said it was quite all right for Graham to be in the Opera. When I told Colleen she threw her arms around my neck and yelled for joy, boy is she keen on Graham! In my spare period, Colleen came and sat in the little room next to Jenkin’s office with me and started talking about Graham. She wanted to know this and that and the other about him. I told her all of the good points and none of the bad.

19550715 Friday – Colleen asked me just as a joke whether or not she could go to table tennis with me and I said, “By all means,” so that was decided. We talked quite a bit that day about Graham of course. In the evening she rang me up and for a while I spoke to her and then Graham spoke to her for ages. Manyard, Nancy and I went to see Dad off to Sydney tonight and when we saw the beaut sleeper he had, Nancy and I decided we would go to Brisbane by plane to the next conference and come home by train, first class, and then in six years time would go to England. I wonder.

19550716 Saturday – Colleen came to table tennis and seemed to like it and she’s going to be terrific at it soon. Graham took us there and played a few games with her. Half way through, Colleen and I decided to go up to the shop and Graham took us there in the car and then when we came back, he stopped the car in front of the Temple and Graham asked me if I wanted a game of table tennis and I said “I supposed so” and he said, “Right, go and have one, Colleen and I are going for a drive.” Brothers!

They stayed away for most of the afternoon and I went up top and talked to Rosalie Foster who was trying to do her Sunday School questions. Des Manser challenged me to game after but by that time, Graham and Colleen were back so I couldn’t have it, but we decided to have it next week. Nancy is staying with us this weekend and she came to our place after Young Folks this evening. Colleen also came with us and liked it very much.

19550717 Sunday – Colleen came to Sunday School today and by all appearances she will be coming for good. I hope she does. She liked it and also liked the girls there. Nancy went to the meeting this evening and Graham, Mum and I stayed home. I was doing my Sunday School questions and Graham started to tell me off for talking too much with Colleen about him and we had a real ding dong row. I apologized to him afterward though I believed it was him not me who should be apologizing, but then he did say that he was sorry too. I cried myself to sleep that night.

19550718 Monday – I was still suffering the effect of last night when I arrived at school today and Colleen asked what was wrong (she said I looked as though I had been crying all night, – how strange). I told her and she said that she had cried for an hour and a half last night because all Graham cares about and talks about is Barbara Etherington! What a world! The world is all right it’s just us who aren’t right. It was an absolutely rotten day. I’d like to go a long way away and spend a long holiday somewhere.

19550719 Tuesday – Nothing much happened at school today, but this evening Colleen rang up and I talked to her for a while and then Graham talked to her. He hung up after a while and then went down to the Blacksmith’s shop and used the phone there. Evidently he didn’t want us to hear what he was saying.

19550720 Wednesday – They were taking the hockey photos today and it was opera practice in the evening. I felt awful for most of the day, but I stuck it out. I told Miss Dunn I couldn’t play hockey today, and didn’t, but she was furious with me because I stayed to watch the match. She said to Jenny Sawley that,  ”She‘s not well enough to play, but she’s well enough to watch.” When I knew how mad she was I went to her and told her I had to wait for Colleen because she was coming to our place for dinner.

At Opera Practice Graham sat with the basses and seemed to get on all right. Roger looked after him, turned up the music and everything for him. Dear old Roger. Afterward I went home with Ray Keatley because I was too tired to go home with Ian on his bike. Graham took Colleen home in our car. Comes to something when our car is used for Graham’s girlfriends and I have to go home with someone else.

19550721 Thursday – I’m studying like mad at English. I just might beat Wendy. It doesn’t really matter if I don’t but it’s just that she keeps on saying that she doesn’t like my style and things like that. She says that her essays are better than mine and should get more marks. Still, I can sympathize with her, she really does want to come top but if she’d just say nothing about it, she’d have more chance because I wouldn’t fight her so hard for top marks.

Graham came into my room this evening and began talking about Barbara and Colleen. It seems that he was just mucking around when he was at Opera practice and now Colleen has turned it back on him. He finds he likes her now. He says he still likes Barbara better but that she is so far away. I don’t understand him, if I really liked a boy, even if he were a long way away I just couldn’t get interested in someone else. Anyhow it’s up to him.

19550722 Friday – I finished most of my project and all. Won’t Pedro be pleased. Coleen rang up this evening and we talked for a fair while. She told me what happened at Lit and Deb. We didn’t talk much about Graham because of last night (Graham’s threats). Colleen still likes Graham worst luck. Why on earth do the girls have to fall for him, he’s just such a heart breaker. It’s a nice feeling not being interested in any boys at all. I feel free and nothing to worry about, except exams. I wonder if Des will beat me at table tennis tomorrow. Even if he does I will give him a good run for his money.

19550723 Saturday – This morning I stayed in bed and finished writing up my essay and then washed my hair and got ready for table tennis. Colleen came in just then and we left for table tennis together. Graham had gone to Rainsfords. When we got there, Colleen and I had a game which I won and then I had a terrific game with Des and he beat me by 2. He’s improved all right and I’ll never beat him now. To think this time last year I could beat him hollow. Oh well, who cares. Colleen came to dinner this evening and Graham seemed in an awful temper for some reason or other. It wasn’t exactly a temper, but he spoke only when spoken to.

After dinner, I went into the lounge with Barbara Wickham (who with Mrs Wilson and Roma were also at our place) and we mucked around together for ages. Colleen and Graham went off somewhere and didn’t come back for ages and when they did they seemed awfully friendly. When Mum was out of the room getting the supper, Graham had his arm around Colleen and was whispering sweet nothings in her ear. What, pray, has become of poor Barbara. I suppose Graham is just being friendly to Colleen. Oh. I don’t suppose I should be so cynical, but he gets my goat sometimes.

19550725 Monday – Today Colleen and I decided that we would go around together and in fun, we wrote an agreement. “I here and now do declare that I Fay O’Connor who for the years 1955 and 1956 doth agree to go around in company with Miss Colleen Robjohns.

Signed FJ O’Connor

CM Robjohns

Witness RH Burgess

Bob West X is his mark.

We are not completely mad, just a little bit mad.

This evening Colleen rang up after a row with her parents and then I asked Mrs Robjohns if she would like to come to our place for dinner Saturday night but she couldn’t because her grandfather will be visiting them. Then I asked if I could speak to her brother and I heard him say as he was coming up to the phone, “What does she want?” What’ll I say to her” and when he got the phone I asked him if he’d like to come to the social Saturday night and he said Yes. He’s coming. Hope I haven’t pushed things too far. Jimmy Luke is coming too. We had news today from Pinnaroo that Angus Billing had died. He received a blow on the head playing football.

19550726 Tuesday – I have written down the names of all my class members for this year so I don’t ever forget them and this year. School year IV Class IVB – Members of class, Leslie Mutton, Joan Oldfield, Colleen Robjohns, Gunta Vitolins, Wendy Swain, Janice Bagshaw, Meredith Hill, Beverly Turner, Elizabeth Bradbury, Beverly Rivers, Nell Teekens, Bob West, Bob Burgess, DesChilton, Al Kalnins, Patrick Aderman, Steve McKie, Graham Putland, Geoff Underwood.

Colleen and I started to go around together today and we seem to get on all right. Gunta doesn’t seem to like it much. She likes to have Colleen to herself, so tomorrow I’m going to ask Colleen to ask Gunta if she minds or not and if she does, I’ll keep going with Wendy. Exams in two weeks time. If this doesn’t teach me not to slack it ought to. I’ll never swot enough to pass Geography. Colleen has hooked me into being one of the twelve speakers at Lit and Deb Thursday week and I’m nervous about it. There will be twelve speakers, 6 girls, and six boys, and we’ll all pair off and choose someone to be our candidates, three boys and three girls. We each speak about the virtue of our candidates for three minutes without mentioning their names and the girl and boy are chosen by which is the best speech. I.e. Mr & Miss Unley High are judged by the merits of the speaker, not the spoken of.

19550727 These are the class members who were in the photo taken on the last day of first term by Colleen Robjohns.- The fabulous IV B-ites

Front row, left to right, Deidre Allen, Wendy Swain, Leslie Mutton, Joan Oldfield, Valma Noble

Second Row – Geoffrey Underwood, Mr Jenkin (our English teacher) Graham Putland, Modesty forbids me (me) Janice Bagshaw, Robyn Watts, Meredith Hill

Back Row – Bob West Al Kalnis Des Chilton, Robert Pearce, Elizabeth Bradbury, Beverly Rivers, Beverly Turner

19550727 Wednesday – Today Julie Martin came to school with the beginnings of a ponytail, and everybody was laughing at it. That decided me and I determined to wear my old plaits on Thursday just to see what happened. Everybody thought our class had gone mad because everyone whose hair was anything like long enough was pulling it into a ponytail. Colleen had her hair pulled back and it looked more like a rabbit’s tail than anything.

Roger dared me to wear my plaits tomorrow so I will have to now. This evening was Opera practice and it was fun. Ron Smith was there and he is such a good actor. It was funny in one scene, Rosa and Cornelius were singing a very solemn duet when suddenly Rosa burst out laughing. That set Cornelius off and because of the row, Ron missed his cue, which made him laugh and he looked so funny. Soon the whole lot of us started to laugh. They started the scene again and this time Rosa and Cornelius managed to keep straight faces for a while but then Ron started laughing and of course that started us all off again. By the time the practice was over I had a stitch in my side from laughing too much.

 

I was riding Ian’s bike around when Bob West and Dennis Brown, Michael Cannell, and others walked in on their way back from having a dancing lesson and we had a beaut time mucking around there. Ian took me home on the bar of his bike this time and just as we were going out Ray Keatley passed in the car, so I could have gone home with him if I had waited five minutes longer. He’s got the deepest voice I’ve ever heard, it‘s a bass-baritone I think. Graham took Colleen home in our car. He wonders why I don’t go home with them but who‘d want to go home with him when Ray, Ian, or John can take me home. Fancy going home with a brother…

Now I come to think of it, however, why do I want to go home with any of the boys because I’m not a scrap interested in them. Oh, I forgot to say. We played MLC at Hockey today and it was a terrific game. The Daymond twins and Judy Daymond who plays in the State 22 were in the MLC side and we beat them by 1 goal. We were on the defensive practically all the time though and I was defending the goal practically the whole time. I played better than I ever have before and only let one goal through. Judy Daymond had some terrific passes that almost had me tricked for a while, but I managed to stop them.

19550720 Thursday – I took my plaits to school today and in the Geography lesson I put them on and sat in the front seat. All the kids laughed when they saw me and Mr Pederick’s eyes practically fell out. He didn’t say anything though and all went quiet for a while, except for an occasional burst of laughter. Halfway through, I let the plaits down (they had been turned up) and that was too much for Pedro. “Take those things off” he bellowed, “haven’t you got any sense?”

I looked at him innocently and took a handful of my hair and said, “What, my hair? You’ll have to lend me a pair of scissors then.” Pedro practically exploded, and the class didn’t just “practically” explode, they did! Poor Pedro, I plague the poor old fellow dreadfully. Let me think it’s the 28th July…3rd September, July, plus 31 days, August = 34 days, plus 3 days in September 37 days. You beaut! 37 days and the Wurfels will be down. It’s funny, I’ve been thinking about them a lot lately. I’m looking forward to seeing Ken again.

19550729 Friday – The hockey practice was fun today. Miss Dunn couldn’t take it, so the art teacher took us and I had fun playing goalie, back and forward all at once.

This evening, Mum, Colleen, Graham and I went to see the “The Student Prince” and Mario Lanza’s songs were wonderful. All I’ll probably sing for along time to come will be “Serenade” and “the Drinking song.”

19550730 Saturday – My music lesson passed uneventfully, and I didn’t do much singing. In the afternoon Colleen and I went to table tennis and we played practically all the afternoon on the table upstairs. Jimmy Luke came up and played too for a while and then we all went home to our place for dinner. In the evening there was the tennis social at the Temple and we had a great time. Jim was my partner for one of the games and I really enjoyed myself. Then we all came home in our car, Nancy King included, because she is staying at our place on the weekend. I really like her.

Continue Reading . . . Volume 1 – Chapter 19