LONDON GRANDPARENTS VISIT

Daniel and Antoinette - who Daniel addressed as 'Peter'

S U N D A Y,  3  S E P T

Went round to the Reids for drinks. They were very pleased to see Sozzy and Jane again. Mr Reid didn’t mention my results once.

We had a fab Yorkshire pudding lunch, then took Sozzy and Jane to the station. I like having Sozzy to stay, she’s intelligent and amusing.

I cleared out four drawers of my cupboard and completely re-organised my book case. I’ve taken all the Peacocks out and replaced them with a whole lot of Penguins that I hope to read. I’ve started on ‘1984’; it’s completely different from any other book I’ve read.

About 7.30 London grandparents dropped in. They had with them the Dutch nurse who once looked after Roland and John. She’s awfully nice. She’s 55 and she’s got a daughter of eleven. Everybody made comments about my skirt (the one I made) - they seem to think it’s unusually short! I've just measured it and it’s five and a half inches from the top of my knee. We had a snack supper when they'd gone.

I’m listening to Radio Caroline and Johnnie Walker’s done the flashing headlights thing - this time the couple are called Brian and Diane. He’s just given them a Kiss in the Car. And what song should it be but… ‘Ame Caline’!!!!! I’m still shaking, I just can’t believe it. Honestly. It wasn’t Polnareff singing, but all the same. At the end he said it was by “a French man” and he pronounced it “Armer Caline”! Don’t know how I’m going to wait to tell Anya. What luck I turned on!!!

“Penguin’s Peacocks”

In 1962 Penguin launched the Peacock series, aimed at young adults, with ‘National Velvet.’  I loved these books, especially their covers, very modern for the time. However, the series fell between two stools – Puffin and Penguin – and was relatively short-lived. My favourites were 'Fifteen', 'A Girl of the Limberlost' and ‘I Capture the Castle’.