A GREEK COUP — 1967-1968: Diary of a Posh Schoolgirl

May 2

May 2 A GREEK COUP

The  "long-haired" Stones — The "long-haired" Stones

T U E S D A Y, 2 M A Y

Got Caesar translations back - I got 80%! Lucy got 92%!!

In Form Period we all had to move the gym things out of our little cloakroom along to the senior one, absolutely pointless. Owl was complaining about it too, but when we got back she was furious with us, and said that the Fifth Year has a reputation for complaining, and we’d better not complain about this – it was our fault anyway for complaining our cloakroom was damp. Honestly, I was trying not to burst out laughing , but really she is extraordinary.

Geography was the most horrible lesson we've ever had: winds around Australia and I didn't understand a WORD.

At lunch time our whole year had to go into the Hall, where Treetrunks talked about the cruise. It's on the exact dates of the Jan 'O' Levels and we should seriously consider not going if there's any doubt about not passing exams - "your career comes before the cruise."

““Your career comes before the cruise” - she kept repeating the phrase”

Also she told us there was another cruise we could have gone on but they thought the West Africa one would be more enterprising. The other one was down the Mediterranean, visiting Naples and Istanbul and other fab places! We're so MAD we can't go on that one. We told her, too.

Read some Paris Match's in the Library at lunch time - funny thing about the long-haired English. Did Greece in Current Events – Miss Kavanagh doesn’t think King Constantine will be on the throne much longer.

Did a lot of Australia for homework (drought, currency, minerals) as I listened to French Radio including Rosko from 5 to 6, and 9 to 10. At the end of every record he goes "ooo - love-lay" - hilarious!!!

Finished Diary at 11. Ma and Pa in bed before me. I MUST get to bed earlier, I can't stop yawning otherwise.

“Who was King Constantine?”

Miss Kavanagh was right.

King Constantine II’s accession, at first auspicious, was soon fraught. On 21 April a military junta seized power, and in December 1967 the royals had to flee. Constantine became Head of State in exile. During a seven-year totalitarian dictatorship, free elections were suspended and it was illegal to demonstrate or strike.

However... as a result of eliminating Parliament, many Greeks began to profit from the faster growing economy. In 1973 the junta abolished the monarchy; in 1974 the country voted for the presidential system.