40 years ago

And I put the 12th on my Maths paper! I have done my back in. On the way home I kept thinking it would collapse on me but apart from some close shaves it didn't. Maths was relatively hard. Challenging is the word. I can just about talk to Rachel. * The old - very old, in fact - classic song "Dance" but previously called "Timing and precision" - has been brought into "Dance", a song about girls and discos which has been a lyric for a long time. ** I feel like sending my horrible Stanwell Xmas card to Bartlett anonymously, writing the message "This is all your fault" on it. I think I've just titled this book Latin tomorrow. I hate Latin with the intensity that I hate certain people in school. *** I should really be writing The Teacher Files. I should really be writing my play. I should really be doing revision. But instead I'm playing "Ralf and Florian" relatively loud. This seems like a very good time to say "End of book...

Four down, a lot more to go. Physics - bad. German - bad. Brud has just about told me I've got the Julian Cope album for Christmas. * Some of my songs received their first public airing on a piano in the junior hall at lunchtime. I didn't see much of Rachel today. I got depressed over my German. I cheered myself up with a humorous essay about cars breaking down. I got depressed again on the way home. ** ------- Footnotes  * Readers of A Goldfish Called Regret will know this isn't true. ** I don't know if it's true but I would guess something happened on the way home from school, probably involving a girl or two. Some embarrassing situation or other. 

It's Saturday! It's deadly boring! Who cares? Rachel did not appear in my last dream. It's so silly that I'm not bothering to write it down. Brud's party was a big success. He was the only one who turned up so he came back home.  Brud reckons he can play "Europe Endless" on his guitar. I'd like to hear that. * There's a package which looks suspiciously like 4 or 5 LPs for me under the Christmas tree. I made a list of wanted LPs today 1 - "Step forward" - Portion Control  2 - "Fried" - Julian Cope 3 - "Treasure" - Cocteau Twins  4 - "The way we Wah!" - Wah! ** 5 - "Strange boutique" - The Monochrome Set  There's also a cassette under the tree which could be a bootleg. Who knows? Playlist. "Viva" LP - La Dusseldorf  "Sensoria" - Cabaret Voltaire 12" "Neon lights" - Kraftwerk LP track ------ Footnotes * I'd still like to hear this. Knowing how badly he played ...

Time 9:00 am I've just heard "Hollow horse" by the Icicle Works. It may not be a brilliant song * but one line of the lyric stuck - "I must confess, my life's a mess / I've come to idolise you". Time 6pm approx. 2 down, a lot more to go. Computers. Oh dear. Enough said. I wrote to Adrian today. More presents arriving No more songs Brud's going to a party tonight ------  Footnotes * It IS a brilliant song actually, one of their best. 

One down, too many to go! English was Ok. I took a little stab at Rachel and Kinny in my essay (no names though!) Rachel sat near me so I was tempted to spend my time admiring her but I didn't. I looked at her twice and admired my pencil case instead. Even so she looked at me towards the end of the exam.  After the saving of water during the summer we have the saving of electricity during the winter. Blame Scargill! * Computer studies tomorrow. Watch me fail that with flying colours. Hahaha. You know that picture of me in the Penarth Times? Well we got the real photo of it today and I look OK cos I'm not cut off. Mulrooney still looks daft. Mrs Davies did some knitting while we all did our exams. Why did Rachel look at me?  Not much else really happened I had a brilliant dream but I can't remember it. How come everyone except me has got a free day in their exam timetables? Song of the moment - "Life's a scream" by A Certain Ratio -------- Footnotes * Rare case...

"The return of Deborah Carr". Mary phoned Debbie yesterday and apparently Debbie is sending me a Christmas card. I suddenly feel that I can't be cruel to her so I'll write her a letter. * Lesley has got IBM T2. Mumford still wants to join my band. Newton wants to be a banker, the next Liberal Prime Minister and manager of my apparent band **. Newton and I want to get drunk after the exams. Bev is getting at everyone for swearing. She'd have a fit on my tape. I wonder what Lesley will think of it. *** Newton says "Cathy's Clown" by The Everly Brothers could be about me, Rachel and Kinny. Really? ------- If ever I do form an apparent band, all the members would have to take my orders unless they could write songs. I've told Newton to look for a singer / lyricist so he hopefully won't go to Rachel. Why am I so obsessed with her? -------- First exam tomorrow - English language. Should be fun. Actually I don't feel at all confident about these...

Happy birthday to you, dear diary. You are two years old today. Recording IBM T5 is harder than I expected. I am having to make backing tracks for all the vocal songs on Side 2 ("Electricity", "8 days a week", "Embarrassing situation", "The way we were", "Fond regards...") and it's very time consuming. * While on the subject of IBM, Newton wants me to record Bk 13. I'd have to change most of the entries, including this one. Screaming Blue Messiahs on Whistle Test tonight. Should be good. I hope they're on before 8:10pm cos Mum and Dad change channels then and goodbye Whistle Test! I should stop. I haven't written a song about Bev yet. I am giving up on the "Insult / We should / You say" rubbish as the latter song was condemned by Newton yesterday. ** --------- A totally negative response to the aforementioned Screaming Blue Messiahs slot on Whistle Test. Dad has decided he's not buying their LP for me for C...

A unanimous decision from Newton and Spillers that "Embarrassing situation" is the best song I've ever written. * During lunch at school Mumford said he's getting a keyboard and that "we can play together" as a band. This made quite a few people think I was forming a band. Huw said he would sing, as would Newton, Luty and Spillers. Also Needham offered his services on piano. I would still like Rachel to sing and so Steven Jones told her that.  She looked astounded! Newton thought of "the Anti-Frankies" with pisstakes of their songs. Everyone contributed band names. On the way home Spillers asked me the name of my band. I replied "Fuck all". My ideal lineup. Me - keyboards, vocals. Huw - vocals..Holey - synths. I'd still like Rachel on vocals but that's a bit ludicrous My La Dusseldorf LP came today. It's brilliant..** According to what I've been saying in school this will be my last diary entry ever! If it is (and it isn...