#Friern Barnet County School

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Part 196: Monday 1st August 1966 9.15pm

Have been to Versailles and back. Successful in so far as we were met at St Lazare, accommodation had been reserved for us (good multiple rooms; I, eventually, in room to myself – No. 13. I hesitated momentarily before accepting it. The alternative would have been to share with Ron Allen. Mum had seemed very seedy before I left -she still is – but manages to dish up a supper for Sam and Lily and…

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Part 195: Sunday 23rd July, 1966 9.35pm

(Monday 1/8/66 – On Saturday 23/7/66 I was in Versailles. I think the date should read 17/6/66. This kind of error is all too typical, I find, these days). Susannah quiet, after asking for her “Hebrew lesson”. The boys falling off. E. at laundrette – impossible otherwise to record entry. E. has TV on till bitter end and then reads till 1am or later. She is up before me the next day and never…

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Part 194: Thursday 12th June, 1966 9.45pm

Caned, cupped nobody to-day – kicked viciously, though not altogether successfully, kid with outstretched legs. Nebbich, why shouldn’t they stretch their legs. In the ideal class for the lazy teacher (me) kids would stretch out legs and I would sit at desk also with legs outstretched. In point of fact, I went around the thirty-plus kids of 3B trying to mark, but it’s obviously impossible. Also,…

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Part 193: Sunday 12th June, 1966 9.30pm

Not too good. Cupped a kid on the head in a French lesson last Monday – he had got up from his desk and was talking to a neighbour while I was talking to the class. Nothing particularly heinous, this kind of behaviour is routine, but my response sparked off a visit from the kid’s mum the next morning. Came to my French lesson and gave me the full treatment – she would hit me across the head if I…

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Part 177: Monday, 22nd November 1965, 9.18p.m.

Awoke yesterday with tummy pains. Worked away, continuing from Saturday evening, at translation of Insurance documents from Hebrew. Easy stuff, but more than 4,000 English words written, I imagine. However, £10-16-0, which is not to be sneezed at. Edith reminds me to mention that Susannah has just come down, adorable in dressing gown, with plaintive cries of “Mummy”. Mummy sewing, Daddy writing,…

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Part 176: Wednesday, 10th November 1965, 9.15 p.m.

Sam home last Friday. He saw Ross to-day. Latter says “everything fine”. To-day a chapter of disasters at school. Caned young Ken Tyler & put his name in book – fair enough. Then caned Solomou – also fair enough. He a big though not unlikeable lout, really. In both cases, my caning was effective – good – and although I’m not entering Solomou’s, I think this is alright. Can always plead…

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Part 171: Wednesday, 9th September 1965, 9.50 p.m.

Rentrée yesterday, this the first opportunity to make entry. Susannah’s chicken pox now completely healed. Sam went down last Wednesday, Thursday & Friday. Dr Ross gave him a clean bill of health on the Friday, and he went into County Hall on the Monday. Said there was no work for him to do, and that he was quite impervious to any cracks anyway – “they all did it”, viz., presumably took frequent…

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Part 165: Saturday, 31st July 1965, 9.50 p.m.

Part 165: Saturday, 31st July 1965, 9.50 p.m.

Dieppe raid accomplished with no casualties. Lycée Jehan Ango, Rue Roger Lecoffre, where we stayed, fine, modern building, with own sports ground. The usual centre d’accueil regimen: good grub, accommodation for pupils, but the bright lights fifteen minutes’ walk away – the Intendant had to get his key from his car to let me in at 10.20 after I’d been having drinks with the couple running the…

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Part 164: Wednesday, 21st July 1965, 10.05 a.m.

Part 164: Wednesday, 21st July 1965, 10.05 a.m.

Writing this in classroom at F.B.C.S. Miss W. has arranged for me to take 4th yr. girls after play, leaving me free before play. Not looking forward to the girls. Feeling generally limp. Staff cricket match on Monday evening (4.30 – 6.30 rain washed out half the game, J.W. scored 2 and carried his bat), followed by rehearsal till 10.05. Yesterday at parents’ evening from 7-9.40. Translation job…

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Part 158: Tuesday, 13th April 1965 8.40 p.m.

Part 158: Tuesday, 13th April 1965 8.40 p.m.

Have survived the Easter term. Am hoping worst is now over. Only twenty or so left in each of 4A & 4B, and although will still have to be on the ball with them all the time, things should be easier. Worn out. Lots to do – Zangwill review to write, lesson notes to prepare, must go into question of school journey, etc. A party of twenty-four boys, with one moniteur and their leader – M. Marceau –…

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Part 157: Saturday, 3rd April 1965 10.05 p.m.

Part 157: Saturday, 3rd April 1965 10.05 p.m.

Kylie is substantially right, I suppose. However, while it is true the “kids drive me mad”, it is also true that they are not to blame for this. They are normal, high-spirited kids and I get a lot of pleasure thinking about them – when I get a chance to think about them. We took them to the park this afternoon. I dragged myself along. Having taken P & M to shool in the morning I felt tired, as…

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Part 156: Monday, 22nd March,8.0 a.m. - sic!

Part 156: Monday, 22nd March,8.0 a.m. – sic!

Unusual for me to be up,washed & dressed on a workday morning – more unusually, all the children are asleep. I always have a nagging feeling that I must record the fleeting moment, but when eventually I do get the chance to write something her, can think of nothing to say. While I remember, Sam [brother] got a “recognition award” of £50 from the L.C.C. for good service. Fantastic – from the way…

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Part 154: Sunday, 8.50p.m., 14th January [sic February] 1965

Part 154: Sunday, 8.50p.m., 14th January [sic February] 1965

Not a cheerful day. Sam [brother], Lily [sister-in-law] & Mum arrived for a birthday party we were giving for Philip. On entering the hall, Mum discovered she had left her bag with “about £50” in it in the car – the car had gone. Sam let off – Lily should have kept an eye on Mum, if it had been her (Lily’s) Aunt Fanny Lily would have been all over her all the time. After an hour the driver came…

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Part 153: Monday 18th January 1965, 9.15p.m.

Part 153: Monday 18th January 1965, 9.15p.m.

Mr Maison is taking my Monday evening class at Friern Barnet [Evening Institute] for me. I had asked Newman if he could arrange for someone to hold the fort for me this, spring, term. I went in, not knowing whether Newman had been able to get a replacement for me. Maison turned up and so I said “au revoir” to the class. There’s a risk that the class may disintegrate, but it’ll have to be…

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Part 151: 21st December 1964, 8.15 p.m.

Part 151: 21st December 1964, 8.15 p.m. Friern Barnet school pressures.

Monday, first day of holiday. “Aunty Olive” has just come in, bearing gifts for the children, and will try to write this before supper. Yes, school [Friern Barnet County School] is tough. Perhaps, with reasonable luck, it may be viable next year. Next term will be the cruellest term: long, only twp (three?) days mid-term, exams, which I shall have to try to write or type out myself. In addition…

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Part 150: 15th November 1964, 11.10 p.m.

Tough Fourth...

No time to make an entry, really. Waiting for Sam [brother] to come, when I will do book-keeping. Want to find an hour or two later to enter up remaining lesson notes for rest of term – will be a job out of the way. School is very,very tough, though a few lessons – first year aand, to a lesser extent, second year French – are delightful, and 3A are passable – and the Fifth. But the five double…