JOHNNIE MOURNS OTIS
T U E S D A Y, 1 9 D E C E M B E R
Desperately tired at school because of last night. Put me into a ghastly sort of mood.
In Form Period we had to copy out our end-of-term reports. I’m terribly pleased with what Miss Gatley’s put for English. But for French Miss Leopold says, "she has improved "slightly". JUST TYPICAL My marks have gone from C+ and B1 to B+. That's all.
The prefects did a pantomime and took off The Magic Roundabout. Dougal was adorable.
Ma fetched us at three. We went to the new men’s boutique in Epsom, Target (they sell Vetiver!) and I got my Christmas presents in Originale.
“Incense for Lucy, a Russian doll for Anya, and a square candle for Tig. ”
At quarter to 8 Ma took me to the Batchelors where I babysat and had rather a nice time. Andrew and Annabelle were rolling with laughter all over the floor because of this comedy programme! At nine they went to bed, and I saw a tragic programme on a disabled woman. She and her family were so sweet, but life is so difficult for them as there are no allowances for disabled families. Because of night shifts the father has had to leave the job he loved as a baker for a ghastly little job as a clerk, and his wage has dropped from £23 to £13. It’s dreadful.
Mr and Mrs B came back at eleven - she gave me 15/-, not 12/- which was jolly nice of her.
Now I’m listening to Radio Caroline and Johnnie Walker has been talking about Otis Redding. He said he had heard the news in his hotel bedroom, and for the first ten minutes he couldn’t believe it. I honestly think he was near to tears. All he could say for the next two hours was “why, why, why?” I think to some people the news was as bad as if you heard your mother had died.
“The Magic Roundabout”
The Magic Roundabout, Le Manège Enchanté [forward to 10.13] was created in 1964. Having classified the series as "charming, but difficult to dub into English", the BBC produced their own version. Star turns were Dougal the dog and Zebedee who went ‘boing’. Other characters of note were Florence, Brian (the snail), Ermintrude (the cow), Mr Rusty (roundabout operator), and full-blown hippy Dylan. The series achieved cult status among students.
